If you think this Organization Blows, is the laughing stock of MLB, then

[El Gordo]

So what would you have done, Roy? Offer even more ridiculous contracts to lure free agents who don't want to play in Baltimore to Baltimore? It's one level of dumb to give Prince Fielder an over-the-top contract when you're on the verge of having an excellent team. It's another level of insanity to give him even more years/money to make a 70-win team a little better, while leaving almost nothing to fix the truckloads of other problems facing the organization.

As much as I hate a 15th straight losing season, I'd be even more bitter if they were trying to rebuild the franchise while being crippled with a series of ludicrous contracts that didn't even get them close to contention.

We went into this off season needing a TOR, and IN eating SP a 2B, a 3B and a MOO bat. The people who are disappointedare so because we did nothing to fill these holes with sure thing solutions. We could have, I suppose, signed Fielder, Wilson, Buehrle, ARam and Kelly Johnson. That would have only cost us 80-90M and run the payroll to 150 M. But I think we would be a contender with those additions, this season and for the next 3-4. Apres, le deluge. On the other hand we chose to keep a flat payoll and take out a bunch of low risk/high reward lottery tickets. Is there a middle course that could have been taken and kept the payroll under 90 M while giving us a chance to contend?

[Fan4Life]

We went into this off season needing a TOR, and IN eating SP a 2B, a 3B and a MOO bat. The peole who are disappointed becuase we di nothing to fill these holes with sure thing solution. We could have, I suppose, signed Fielder, Wilson, Buehrle, ARam and Kelly Johnson. That would have only cost us 80-90M and run the payroll to 150 M. But I think we woukld be a contender with those additions, this season and for the next 3-4. Apres le deluge. On the other hand we chose to keep a flat payoll and take out a bunch of low risk/high reward lottery tickets. Is their a middle course that could have been taken and kept the payroll under 90 M?

Just for fun.. can you do a WAR analysis of those additions you listed - who they replaced just to get an idea how much that would actually add? Yes I Know WAR is not a good predictive stat, but performing that excersize should help gage whether we would be contenders generally speaking.

[El Gordo]

Just for fun.. can you do a WAR analysis of those additions you listed - who they replaced just to get an idea how much that would actually add? Yes I Know WAR is not a good predictive stat, but performing that excersize should help gage whether we would be contenders generally speaking.

Last season they totaled 20.6 WAR. Assuming they are replacing Simon, Bergesen, Andino, Davis, and Reynolds who totaled 3.7 WAR last season, that would be about 86 W, assuming the rest of the team remained the same as last year.

[Fan4Life]

Last season they totaled 20.6 WAR. Assuming they are replacing Simon, Bergesen, Andino, Davis, and Reynolds who totaled 3.7 WAR last season, that would be about 86 W, assuming the rest of the team remained the same as last year.

Thanks. That's pretty close, but not sure that's worth $150m. lol

[El Gordo]

Thanks. That's pretty close, but not sure that's worth $150m. lol

It isn't worth that. It would probably cost an addidtional 85 M to the current payroll, (which I would estimate to be about 70 M) depending on the O's tax, and be worth about 92M in production.

[Moose Milligan]

1) Worst owner in sports.

2) Your GM has been out of the game for 10 years.

3) You are hiring guys out of the nursing home.

4) You haven't been a winning team since 1997.

5) Your talent isn't good.

6) Oh and btw, you play in the toughest division in baseball and in the AL is loaded outside of your division, so you are the furthest away from contention in all of MLB.

So yea, its pretty easy to see why they are a laughing stock, even today.

Sums it up nicely.

Bur hey! We have the crown jewel of baseball stadiums!

[Fan4Life]

It isn't worth that. It would probably cost an addidtional 85 M to the current payroll, (which I would estimate to be about 70 M) depending on the O's tax, and be worth about 92M in production.

I often see posters bashing the lack of improvement of the ML team this offseason, but I rarely, if ever, see the poster list what they think we should have done. Has there been an elite FA sign a reasonable contract in the last 5-7 years? Who have we missed out on that we could have had? Tex might be a worthy argument assuming he would have came here at the right price. So I'm not sure how DD was supposed to upgrade the team he inherited with little money in his pocket and little gold on hand to trade with.

[weams]

I'm totally amazed that every time someone posts one of these articles' date=' there is a quick rush on this website to "kill the messenger". Who cares if his grammar might not be of Pulitzer Prize material? This team is awful year after year after year and when ever the Orioles watch some other team sign a big name FA, we're told by many on here, "That's okay, the Orioles aren't close enough yet to spend money on a big FA". Hogwash! That's one of the ways you improve the team....by signing quality FA's.....something this club hasn't bothered to attempt in over a decade. Instead, we're told to have some patience and wait for all the young talent to get them to the verge of contention, and then the FO will go all-in on FA's. Even if by some miracle this team's draft picks were that good (and they aren't) , Angelos would NEVER sign off on any high priced FA's. And if that's the plan you have been banking on, you are living in fantasyland.[/quote']

I think this is a very uninformed post.

[Owen21]

I have to admit, I read most of that article with Rachel Dratch's Debbie Downer in my head.. Wahh Waaaaahhh...

Someone else has the same initials as Debbie Downer ???

[millertime]

Can you outline for me what you think we should have done that we didn't do (Fielder aside), and what we did and shouldn't have that would have made feel better about things?

I'd love to answer this question. Off the top of my head...

1. We should have traded for Anthony Rizzo. While the Cubs gave up a decent young arm in Andrew Cashner, I still think the Orioles could have put together a better package without giving up the farm.

2. We should have traded for Jonathan Sanchez. While Sanchez does walk WAY too many batters, he is still only a year removed from a season of 200+ Ks and an ERA of 3.07 and he is only 29. Again, I know the Orioles don't have a ton of trade chips but I still believe we could've come up with something better than Melky Cabrera.

3. We should have/should trade for Justin Smoak OR Kendrys Morales/Mark Trumbo. With the Mariners trading for Jesus Montero, you have to think that they would be willing to entertain offers for Smoak now. The same goes for the Angels now that they have Pujols. Not saying we have enough to pull off a trade for any of them but you have to at least try.

4. We should have signed Yu Darvish. I know the posting fee for Darvish was ridiculous and record-setting but so what? It's not like it's our money right? You can't tell me that Angelos doesn't have the money and signing Davish would have, at the very least, showed fans that the Orioles were serious about competing.

5. We should sign Edwin Jackson. The sad, pathetic fact is that Jackson is better than any other starting pitcher on our roster right now and he is only 28. I'm sure we will not sign him but the question at hand is "what could be done to make things better" and signing Jackson would make things a little better.

6. We should sign Yoennis Cespedes. Again, it's all about Orioles management showing us that they are indeed committed to putting a quality product on the field. Cespedes is a young, intriguing, ballplayer that many teams are coveting and would certainly help the Orioles. That being said, just like Jackson, I'm sure the Orioles won't sign him.

That's just a few off the top of my head. I am sure that if I had the time and energy, I could come up with quite a few more things the Orioles "should have" done or "should" do moving forward. Maybe someone else can name a few more for me? The bottom line is that this offseason has been dreadful. There is no other way to put it. It has consisted of acquiring journeymen MLB players, career minor league players, and a few international signings that may or may not pan out. For a team that finished dead last last year and has over a decade of consecutive losing seasons, it is absolutely disgraceful and unacceptable.

[Rene88]

I'd love to answer this question. Off the top of my head...

1. We should have traded for Anthony Rizzo. While the Cubs gave up a decent young arm in Andrew Cashner, I still think the Orioles could have put together a better package without giving up the farm.

2. We should have traded for Jonathan Sanchez. While Sanchez does walk WAY too many batters, he is still only a year removed from a season of 200+ Ks and an ERA of 3.07 and he is only 29. Again, I know the Orioles don't have a ton of trade chips but I still believe we could've come up with something better than Melky Cabrera.

3. We should have/should trade for Justin Smoak OR Kendrys Morales/Mark Trumbo. With the Mariners trading for Jesus Montero, you have to think that they would be willing to entertain offers for Smoak now. The same goes for the Angels now that they have Pujols. Not saying we have enough to pull off a trade for any of them but you have to at least try.

4. We should have signed Yu Darvish. I know the posting fee for Darvish was ridiculous and record-setting but so what? It's not like it's our money right? You can't tell me that Angelos doesn't have the money and signing Davish would have, at the very least, showed fans that the Orioles were serious about competing.

5. We should sign Edwin Jackson. The sad, pathetic fact is that Jackson is better than any other starting pitcher on our roster right now and he is only 28. I'm sure we will not sign him but the question at hand is "what could be done to make things better" and signing Jackson would make things a little better.

6. We should sign Yoennis Cespedes. Again, it's all about Orioles management showing us that they are indeed committed to putting a quality product on the field. Cespedes is a young, intriguing, ballplayer that many teams are coveting and would certainly help the Orioles. That being said, just like Jackson, I'm sure the Orioles won't sign him.

That's just a few off the top of my head. I am sure that if I had the time and energy, I could come up with quite a few more things the Orioles "should have" done or "should" do moving forward. Maybe someone else can name a few more for me? The bottom line is that this offseason has been dreadful. There is no other way to put it. It has consisted of acquiring journeymen MLB players, career minor league players, and a few international signings that may or may not pan out. For a team that finished dead last last year and has over a decade of consecutive losing seasons, it is absolutely disgraceful and unacceptable.

That isn't specific enough! You are a horrible Orioles fan and not worthy of posting here! Plus "Of the top of my head" is a prepositional phrase and not a complete statement. Clearly, you just don't get it.

Okay, I poke fun but lay off the guy who the article, geesh! I feel like when things don't fit into this tiny little package on this board, people flip out. He is frustrated like the rest of us, so be it. Let the guy be.

[El Gordo]

That isn't specific enough! You are a horrible Orioles fan and not worthy of posting here! Plus "Of the top of my head" is a prepositional phrase and not a complete statement. Clearly, you just don't get it.

Okay, I poke fun but lay off the guy who the article, geesh! I feel like when things don't fit into this tiny little package on this board, people flip out. He is frustrated like the rest of us, so be it. Let the guy be.

How is this guy's post in any way knocking the writer of the article? He is answering another poster's question about what he would have done to improve the off season. Do you even bother to read posts, before you blovciate?

[millertime]

That isn't specific enough! You are a horrible Orioles fan and not worthy of posting here! Plus "Of the top of my head" is a prepositional phrase and not a complete statement. Clearly, you just don't get it.

Okay, I poke fun but lay off the guy who the article, geesh! I feel like when things don't fit into this tiny little package on this board, people flip out. He is frustrated like the rest of us, so be it. Let the guy be.

What??? I don't even know what to make of this. Have you been drinking? I simply answered the guy's question.

[Fan4Life]

I'd love to answer this question. Off the top of my head...

1. We should have traded for Anthony Rizzo. While the Cubs gave up a decent young arm in Andrew Cashner, I still think the Orioles could have put together a better package without giving up the farm.

2. We should have traded for Jonathan Sanchez. While Sanchez does walk WAY too many batters, he is still only a year removed from a season of 200+ Ks and an ERA of 3.07 and he is only 29. Again, I know the Orioles don't have a ton of trade chips but I still believe we could've come up with something better than Melky Cabrera.

3. We should have/should trade for Justin Smoak OR Kendrys Morales/Mark Trumbo. With the Mariners trading for Jesus Montero, you have to think that they would be willing to entertain offers for Smoak now. The same goes for the Angels now that they have Pujols. Not saying we have enough to pull off a trade for any of them but you have to at least try.

4. We should have signed Yu Darvish. I know the posting fee for Darvish was ridiculous and record-setting but so what? It's not like it's our money right? You can't tell me that Angelos doesn't have the money and signing Davish would have, at the very least, showed fans that the Orioles were serious about competing.

5. We should sign Edwin Jackson. The sad, pathetic fact is that Jackson is better than any other starting pitcher on our roster right now and he is only 28. I'm sure we will not sign him but the question at hand is "what could be done to make things better" and signing Jackson would make things a little better.

6. We should sign Yoennis Cespedes. Again, it's all about Orioles management showing us that they are indeed committed to putting a quality product on the field. Cespedes is a young, intriguing, ballplayer that many teams are coveting and would certainly help the Orioles. That being said, just like Jackson, I'm sure the Orioles won't sign him.

That's just a few off the top of my head. I am sure that if I had the time and energy, I could come up with quite a few more things the Orioles "should have" done or "should" do moving forward. Maybe someone else can name a few more for me? The bottom line is that this offseason has been dreadful. There is no other way to put it. It has consisted of acquiring journeymen MLB players, career minor league players, and a few international signings that may or may not pan out. For a team that finished dead last last year and has over a decade of consecutive losing seasons, it is absolutely disgraceful and unacceptable.

I admire you're taking a stab at it and the time you put into it. I'm not sure how much of it is/was actually doable, but who really knows.

[millertime]

I admire you're taking a stab at it and the time you put into it. I'm not sure how much of it is/was actually doable, but who really knows.

Oh...I understand that all of the things I mentioned may or may not have been "doable". The point is they should have all been "explored" at least. And that's what I would have done if I were the GM..."explored all of the options". Thanks for taking the time to read it at least. LOL.