Are we trying to get too much pitching?

[Palmer Esque]

Where has this gotten us in terms of acquiring pitching? That just it, nowhere really. But I would rather gamble on arms than bats. The cost of even a pitcher with near a 5 era has escalated to idiotic heights, so why not keep on keeping on in terms of stockpiling pitching, but i see what you are saying Sportsguy, its almost like pick your poison ...Would you rather lose 1 to 0 or 10 to 0 , right now, unfortunately that is where this franchise is currently.

Agree/Disagree?

[Sports Guy]

The good thing about this is that you named 2 longterm guys, and that we can get 3-4 more if we make good Roberts/Bedard trades.

We shouldn't panic you based on the Tejada trade, we just need to hope AM feels the same way.

My problem is that in the BRob and Bedard trades that are being discussed, we are only getting one long term guy in those deals...Adam Jones.

Now again, I am not saying those deals are definitely going to go down as is being said...But if that is what is being discussed, it is disappointing.

[Sports Guy]

Where has this gotten us in terms of acquiring pitching? That just it, nowhere really. But I would rather gamble on arms than bats

Why? Hitters are usually much more sure things.

The cost of even a pitcher with near a 5 era has escalated to idiotic heights, so why not keep on keeping on in terms of stockpiling pitching,

The problem isn't that we shouldn't add pitching..Of course we should add some...But you can't add ALL pitching...We must come away with 3-5 new starters this offseason.

but i see what you are saying Sportsguy, its almost like pick your poison ...Would you rather lose 1 to 0 or 10 to 0 , right now, unfortunately that is where this franchise is currently.

Agree/Disagree?

It isn't as black and white as that...We need balance!!!!

[geschinger]

I try to get the best players possible in any deals that are made. More hitting would be nice, but I wouldn't turn down a better offer if it was pitching-heavy.

[Palmer Esque]

SG, I agree we need a balance, my point is if you had to choose between the two, I think pitching would be the way to go... and yes it is not as black and white as that, and that is what makes baseball baseball.

[hoosiers]

Guys we could DFA and I wouldn't lose sleep:

F. Cabrera, Cherry, Deza, Fahey, Fiorentino, Gibbons, Hernandez, J. Johnson, Leicester, Payton, Quiroz, Redman

Bottom line is that whether by outright release, trade, or passing through waivers to AAA, there is plenty of fat that can be trimmed off this roster still.

IMO, at least two of the names above will need to be replaced by someone else on the 25 man roster.

As I speculated earlier, and as bb hinted, two more four for ones could really stretch our 40 man.

[hoosiers]

It looks like no one was offering blue chip prospects for Tejada & Roberts. AM did the next best thing with Tejada. He might do the same with BRob. With Bedard, he has the right bait to catch some blue chippers.

This is a good point.

It will be interesting to see our ultimate haul for BRob. IMO, teams usually do not give up big time prospects for 2b - unless your name is Jeff Kent. 2B prospects also tend to get traded easily - like Barfield last year.

[hoosiers]

We must come away with 3-5 new starters this offseason.

Aren't we mostly on that pace? With Scott and possibly AJones plus whatever we get for BRob. Costanza is also a hitter.

Let's see what AM can do at SS or 2B.

I like the pitchers we have been acquiring/targeting. One of these "3s" should get to a 2. And I don't think we value these pitchers so much differently than other organizations so maybe we can flip some of them for hitters.

Let's see what Kuroda gets as a FA. We've already seen the Braves give up big $ and draft picks for Glavine. Number 3 and 4 pitchers are getting ridiculous $ these days. Our pitching accumulation should pay off.

[mweb]

It looks like no one was offering blue chip prospects for Tejada & Roberts. AM did the next best thing with Tejada. He might do the same with BRob. With Bedard, he has the right bait to catch some blue chippers.

What, how could that be? Some on here insisted that Tejada was worth at least one blue chip prospect, and more likely 2.

[Sports Guy]

Aren't we mostly on that pace? With Scott and possibly AJones plus whatever we get for BRob. Costanza is also a hitter.

Scott is a new guy but he isn't a long term solution...Costanzo is nothing right now.

[Sports Guy]

What, how could that be? Some on here insisted that Tejada was worth at least one blue chip prospect, and more likely 2.

The reality is we don't know what he was worth at this point.

What if the Angels said that we could have Wood for him? Maybe the Orioles preferred to have the Stros package more than just Wood.

It seems that his value was definitely less than I and others felt though, i do agree with that.

[Sports Guy]

What do you consider longterm? With free agency, no one is guaranteed for more than 6 years.

At 29 years old, I don't consider him much of an option past the next few years.

I don't mind Scott at all but when I say long term, i am talking guys we want to extend and have here for 10 years.

Jones, Bruce, Votto, Pie, Kemp, LaRoche....Guys like that.

We need to add 2-3 of those type guys...at least.

[Palmer Esque]

of the two Costanzas, we should have traded for the one who was mashing during batting practice in yankee stadium oh say about 12 years ago, he was a little on the heavy side, but he probably had a better K ratio at the dish

[Scribo]

Scott is a new guy but he isn't a long term solution...Costanzo is nothing right now.

He is locked up for at least four years. How long term do you want to go?

[Palmer Esque]

yes he is locked up for four more years, but for a player of his limited big league experience, and the fact that he is almost 30, I dont see how he could be factor four of five years down the road