This team won't finish above .500 and they should be sellers!

[Great 2BA FL Gator]

I think the O's will wait until close to the deadline before deciding if they are buyers or sellers.

This would be the right thing to do keeping the future in mind. We will have an awful lot to sell IMO if we do start to tank. Keep in mind it doesn't have to be a total rebuild, just trade the whole bullpen pretty much for more starters/bats. That's what I'd be looking at.

[SteveA]

Look, there's no doubt this team has some major issues.

But you are never as bad as you look when you aren't playing well. NO MAJOR LEAGUE TEAM will hit .030 with runners in scoring postion

all year. But we've done that for the past week. If we just managed a sac fly, let alone a hit, in each man-on-3rd less-than-2-out situation

tonight, we would be in extra innings right now.

And your assertion that all those other teams will catch us. You say we can't win with Hunter, Arrieta, and Matusz in the rotation. Well, Hunter is out and someone (Tillman? Britton?) will get their shot soon. And you seem to think it's obvious that Boston will catch us. You think that Franklin Morales and Aaron Cook and DiceK (who hasn't posted an ERA+ over 93 since 2008), are that much better than the bottom of our rotation?

Tomorrow ends a very long stretch where we have faced some of the best pitching staffs in baseball. Starting Thursday we will get to see the likes of Josh Tomlin, Hector Noesi, and Nick Blackburn for much of the next 4 weeks. Sometime in that time we'll get Markakis back. And for all the talk of how we are certain to regress in some areas, don't you think that some guys who are doing poorly compared to their careers, like Hardy and Reynolds, are due to progress and improve on their season numbers?

I do think that a turnaround by either Matusz or Arrieta will probably be required for us to stay in contention, and neither is impossible. Arrieta has certainly shown signs of improvement in his last few starts. And yes, we will definitely have to add some talent to the major league roster, either through promotion from Norfolk or from trade, especially now that Reimold is probably done for [most of] the year. But don't overreact to this hitting slump and give up on the season when we are STILL in possession of a wild card spot and a lot of teams are looking up at us.

[theobird]

I am tickled with the progress this team has made, but the realist in me knows that the job of building a sustainable winner is not finished. I say we will be sellers at the deadline, and it will be a sellers market. IMO, Reynolds and Betemit should both be shopped. Jim Johnson will bring a major haul, and Pedro Strop can polish his closing skills the rest of the way. Andino, Matusz, Hunter, Ayala, Lindstrom, Chavez and Gregg should all be shopped/given away depending on which one of these guys we are talking about.

[SilentJames]

Is this going to happen after every loss?

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[El Gordo]

Is this going to happen after every loss?

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Indeed. I wonder what these people will be saying if we sweep the Indians. Geez it's one game. One bad outing by an inconsistent struggling SP up against one of the best SP and a tough lineup. The Angels are not the Pirates.

[zero1]

The game tonight was just a perfect example of what is wrong with this team. It's not a reactionary thread at all.

.246 batting average - 11th in AL

.308 on base percentage - 12th in AL

93 home runs - tied for 3rd in AL

307 runs - tied for 8th in AL

.721 on base + slugging percentage - 8th in AL

585 strike outs - 2nd in AL

79 double plays grounded into - 1st in AL

If you think those are the stats of a good offense please tell me how. Like I said, without the longball the offense would be horrible. They can't get on base and when they do they lead the league in double plays and are second in strikeouts. Even with the 3rd most HR in the league they are 8th in runs scored. The offense is bad.

If you want me to bring up the pitching stats to prove what I said about the pitching please let me know and I will.

[allquixotic]

I won't condemn our entire season to the pits of hell yet, but I definitely think we are going to lose every single time Matusz steps onto the mound from now on. His performance since 2011 has looked like an upside-down "U" where left->right is time and down->up is progress. Crap in 2011 followed by near-perfection early on in this year followed by a return to crap. We simply can't abide someone like that being in our rotation.

Arrieta is different. He's just in the pitcher's equivalent of a slump. But I think he'll find it again and can still be salvageable as a #3 or #4 starter.

Hammel, Chen, Arrieta, Tillman and Hunter sounds good in the near term. In the long term, we need to buy some arms so that the last two can be relegated to AAA or long relief. Dana Eveland is good in long relief but I'd rather not see him start; he doesn't have starter's endurance.

[OFFNY]

Is this going to happen after every loss ?

Probably.

[EutawBomber]

I am so tired of hearing about "reactionary." It's not reactionary anymore, it's just reality.

If this continues into July I would advocate selling off the pieces, but the scary part is, who would another team even take? We aren't trading Jones, Wieters, Hammel, Chen, Johnson. Other than some of the bullpen arms, maybe. We wouldn't get anything in return for Reynolds, Davis, Betemit, Pearce, etc.

This team is in trouble and there are no good options. We aren't playoff contenders so we can't trade prospects just to finish .500. But we don't have any meaningful parts that we are willing to sell off, just the scraps. No good options.

[sangar]

Indeed. I wonder what these people will be saying if we sweep the Indians. Geez it's one game. One bad outing by an inconsistent struggling SP up against one of the best SP and a tough lineup. The Angels are not the Pirates.

Exactly. We lost to CJ Wilson and the Angels.

Boo-hoo.

[El Gordo]

Look, there's no doubt this team has some major issues.

But you are never as bad as you look when you aren't playing well. NO MAJOR LEAGUE TEAM will hit .030 with runners in scoring postion

all year. But we've done that for the past week. If we just managed a sac fly, let alone a hit, in each man-on-3rd less-than-2-out situation

tonight, we would be in extra innings right now.

And your assertion that all those other teams will catch us. You say we can't win with Hunter, Arrieta, and Matusz in the rotation. Well, Hunter is out and someone (Tillman? Britton?) will get their shot soon. And you seem to think it's obvious that Boston will catch us. You think that Franklin Morales and Aaron Cook and DiceK (who hasn't posted an ERA+ over 93 since 2008), are that much better than the bottom of our rotation?

Tomorrow ends a very long stretch where we have faced some of the best pitching staffs in baseball. Starting Thursday we will get to see the likes of Josh Tomlin, Hector Noesi, and Nick Blackburn for much of the next 4 weeks. Sometime in that time we'll get Markakis back. And for all the talk of how we are certain to regress in some areas, don't you think that some guys who are doing poorly compared to their careers, like Hardy and Reynolds, are due to progress and improve on their season numbers?

I do think that a turnaround by either Matusz or Arrieta will probably be required for us to stay in contention, and neither is impossible. Arrieta has certainly shown signs of improvement in his last few starts. And yes, we will definitely have to add some talent to the major league roster, either through promotion from Norfolk or from trade, especially now that Reimold is probably done for [most of] the year. But don't overreact to this hitting slump and give up on the season when we are STILL in possession of a wild card spot and a lot of teams are looking up at us.

Ah, thank you for this sweet breath of fresh air. Really we have been struggling with the bat for a week. We had a number of good AB, where the ball was hit hard right at someone, that would have been a game changer. Only the mnost fatuous would believe they somehow had control over that.

[OFFNY]

Indeed. I wonder what these people will be saying if we sweep the Indians.

I don't know what they will be saying, but every time the Orioles win a game, it will at least have us spared another of these threads ........ I think.

[spmags]

I am so tired of hearing about "reactionary." It's not reactionary anymore, it's just reality.

If this continues into July I would advocate selling off the pieces, but the scary part is, who would another team even take? We aren't trading Jones, Wieters, Hammel, Chen, Johnson. Other than some of the bullpen arms, maybe. We wouldn't get anything in return for Reynolds, Davis, Betemit, Pearce, etc.

This team is in trouble and there are no good options. We aren't playoff contenders so we can't trade prospects just to finish .500. But we don't have any meaningful parts that we are willing to sell off, just the scraps. No good options.

Koji for Chris Davis and Hunter turned out to be a pretty good trade, some nice pieces there. Could probably swing something similar for O'Day who is proving over the last 4 years that he isn't a fluke with a ERA down around 2 over that period...Think he is only on a 1 year contract so it seems logical to move him. Other than that I don't think there is anyone with enough value to be worth moving that I personally would be willing to move. I like Strop as a guy who can fill the closer role in a pinch and just an all around arm. I wouldn't be willing to move Matusz or Arrietta because I just don't think they'd fetch enough in return, and they have a lot of unrealized potential (though I am starting to doubt Matusz will ever pan out). Hammel is in the top 5 Cy Young candidates at this point IMO, and he is worth moving IF you get a TON back, but otherwise no.

If you can move Reynolds or Betemit they might bring something back but IDK.

Wise men don't "sell" just to sell, they wait for the right trade to come along, and there aren't always good options for partners or pieces to come back.

[Il BuonO]

Look, there's no doubt this team has some major issues.

But you are never as bad as you look when you aren't playing well. NO MAJOR LEAGUE TEAM will hit .030 with runners in scoring postion

all year. But we've done that for the past week. If we just managed a sac fly, let alone a hit, in each man-on-3rd less-than-2-out situation

tonight, we would be in extra innings right now.

And your assertion that all those other teams will catch us. You say we can't win with Hunter, Arrieta, and Matusz in the rotation. Well, Hunter is out and someone (Tillman? Britton?) will get their shot soon. And you seem to think it's obvious that Boston will catch us. You think that Franklin Morales and Aaron Cook and DiceK (who hasn't posted an ERA+ over 93 since 2008), are that much better than the bottom of our rotation?

Tomorrow ends a very long stretch where we have faced some of the best pitching staffs in baseball. Starting Thursday we will get to see the likes of Josh Tomlin, Hector Noesi, and Nick Blackburn for much of the next 4 weeks. Sometime in that time we'll get Markakis back. And for all the talk of how we are certain to regress in some areas, don't you think that some guys who are doing poorly compared to their careers, like Hardy and Reynolds, are due to progress and improve on their season numbers?

I do think that a turnaround by either Matusz or Arrieta will probably be required for us to stay in contention, and neither is impossible. Arrieta has certainly shown signs of improvement in his last few starts. And yes, we will definitely have to add some talent to the major league roster, either through promotion from Norfolk or from trade, especially now that Reimold is probably done for [most of] the year. But don't overreact to this hitting slump and give up on the season when we are STILL in possession of a wild card spot and a lot of teams are looking up at us.

A very good post. Rep to you, sir.

Indeed. I wonder what these people will be saying if we sweep the Indians. Geez it's one game. One bad outing by an inconsistent struggling SP up against one of the best SP and a tough lineup. The Angels are not the Pirates.

Exactly. We lost to CJ Wilson and the Angels.

Boo-hoo.

Ah, thank you for this sweet breath of fresh air. Really we have been struggling with the bat for a week. We had a number of good AB, where the ball was hit hard right at someone, that would have been a game changer. Only the mnost fatuous would believe they somehow had control over that.

I don't know what they will be saying, but every time the Orioles win a game, it will at least have us spared another of these threads ........ I think.

...and I concur with all of these.

Remind me again, where are we in the standings??? How's that in comparison to last year at this time? Did you even expect to be here? Now relax and refocus. The season is not lost. Yet.

[JDubs]

Indeed. This is a reactionary thread, bro.