One source is telling me it doesnt look like the Orioles will do anything now

[soxhotcorner14]

Not pretending like that isn't the case at all. I just happen to put more credence in the numerous scouts' opinions out there which happen to be precisely to the contrary of the opinion of the special assistant you are friends with.

Let's also not pretend like scouts don't disagree on players' value all the time. But when the vast majority take a stance, I'll side with the vast majority over the absolute minority.

I agree with you that opinions vary. I can just tell you that it was one sided from the people I'm connected to. They are more than what the O's were offering. Take that for whatever it's worth.

[El Gordo]

Based on what they were traded for I thought we could have gotten WRod and/or Pence, but they had one thing in common with the Blanton deal, salary would have had to have been taken on........:scratchchinhmm:

[primetime]

But there were salary dumps available. At the very least, get rid of Reynolds and get another SP for depth in case of an injury and to force Hunter to the bp. But doing NOTHING, after saying publicly you would be active, is unacceptable to me.

Just because no trades were consumated, doesn't mean that DD wasn't ACTIVE. Obviously, he didn't feel the right fit was there.

Honestly, of all the names tossed around in rumors that were linked to us, who do you believe would've realistically made us much better? And then, at what cost?

Don't get me wrong, it would've been fun to see us make some moves but I'm not losing sleep over the ones that got away. I thought the rumored price for Headley was too high, the starters we were rumored to be interested in are ok but not great. Who knows, with a little time under Peterson, perhaps Matusz and/or Arrieta are ready to contribute?

As for salary dumps, there's still August for that. Reynolds, Gregg, etc would more than likely get through waivers so they could be moved or even let go for the waiver price. Perhaps, after another 2-3 weeks of baseball, the playoff picture becomes a bit clearer and there are more sellers and we may be able to add.

Last but not least, trading just for the sake of "doing something" is a fool's errand.

Now let's go knock around Nova tonight.

[Rene88]

Who were the salary dumps that got traded that could have legitimately improved this team?

Soriano and Beckett come to mind.

[Enjoy Terror]

Well we sure didn't pick up any additional payroll did we? In fact quite a few sources said the 3 mil owed Blanton was the sticking point- not the prospects. Liriano would have added payroll too. Is there a pattern here?

We didn't pick up salary at the deadline because $3M is a lot for a two month rental of Joe Blanton, a player who might be a #4 starter on the Orioles, let alone the Phillies, IN ADDITION to not wanting to give up Schoop, which the Phils were adamant about. Liriano isn't a fit in Baltimore because he's a reliever making $5.5M, and relief pitching is far from the Oriole's biggest problems.

So no. No pattern. Causation is not correlation, especially only two instances of such PLUS the fact we took on Jim Thome, which actually goes AGAINST your theory.

[kakesmvp]

That's not what I'm doing. What I'm trying to expose is that we cannot place all our eggs in this "Futures" basket. And that's exactly what we're doing. We're going to continue with the duck tape and lube while praying for the best. Ain't right and not fair to the guys who is making it happen at 54-49. Where 1 or 2 moves gonna make us some World Beaters? Of course not, but come on... show me something!

They even said on the deadline special that any team that puts all of their hope into prospects is not going to succeed... we HAVE to realize that not everyone of our prospects are gonna turn out... heck with the Orioles almost NONE do! Take a chance and show some faith in a team that has played their hearts out and get them some help. I'm not saying trade Bundy or Machado, but we could have given up one of the calvary in my opinion to get a proven talent to give some help to this team. Now we are sitting here with Thome on the DL, B Rob out for the year, Reimold not coming back, Arrieta and Matusz being inconsistent and in the minors (Matusz got beat up last night actually) and no help to speak of coming to a team that is 2 games out of the Wildcard race in August! At least show the fans, and the players on the team that you believe in them and try to help them keep up the good work. Now I feel that the collapse is a lot more possible and once again free agents might just look at us as the same old Orioles that might get off to a decent start, but are just gonna collapse and turn into the laughing stock of baseball. I pray it doesn't happen, but I'm scared it just might.

[lovetoaster]

That's not what I'm doing. What I'm trying to expose is that we cannot place all our eggs in this "Futures" basket. And that's exactly what we're doing. We're going to continue with the duck tape and lube while praying for the best. Ain't right and not fair to the guys who is making it happen at 54-49. Where 1 or 2 moves gonna make us some World Beaters? Of course not, but come on... show me something!

OK, I agree with the sentiment, but I am skeptical of what we could have gotten without giving up Machado or Bundy. I would have traded some of our other prospects, but I would not have traded all of them. Depending on who you believe, a Headley trade would have seriously depleted the system and I don't know if I am prepared to do that. Other than Headley, I don't know who else that we could have gotten that would have been a definite upgrade over what we already have. I wanted Blanton, but I am not quite sure what happened there.

I am disappointed too, but looking at the deals that did get made did not exactly upset me and make me feel that we missed out on something.

[SteveO]

Different name, same organization. He shoudn't have told the fans publicly that he would be active then. He should have just remained silent.

This is a fair criticism. You cant exactly say your gonna be active and your gonna improve the team over and over and over then do nothing and get a complete pass on it.

[Todd-O]

Don't get me wrong, it would've been fun to see us make some moves but I'm not losing sleep over the ones that got away. I thought the rumored price for Headley was too high, the starters we were rumored to be interested in are ok but not great. Who knows, with a little time under Peterson, perhaps Matusz and/or Arrieta are ready to contribute?

You can't sit on your hands year-in and year-out proclaiming "one more year." It is OK to move players for talented help.

[lovetoaster]

Soriano and Beckett come to mind.

But they did not get traded. I am talking about guys that were actually dealt. The fact that they did not makes me wonder how available they really were. If there is a player that can improve a team that is readily available just as a salary dump, he is going to end up somewhere...

[Bradysburns]

Who were the salary dumps that got traded that could have legitimately improved this team?

Hanley Ramirez? That was a ridiculous trade, IMO. The Dodgers appear to have gotten Ramirez for a Cavalry-caliber pitcher (albeit a little younger) and some guy whose last name I can't pronounce. I would have loved to have seen us package Tillman/Arrieta/Matusz and one other guy for Ramirez. Hell. I would have loved to have seen us package all of them for Ramirez.

[MrOrange82]

I really don't get your second paragraph at all. The only renewed awareness I've gleamed from this trade deadline is: Dan Duquette is not an idiot.

Prolonged futility = a lack of trade chips and an inability to position the team to make an actual playoff push (because doing so would almost certainly scuttle the MiL system, what little of it there is to brag about, and the results of such an effort would be doubtful, regardless).

There's not much to "get" about the second paragraph. Some people may've gotten their hopes up by virtue of the O's staying relevant for this long. Inaction at the deadline, however prudent, serves as a reminder that much of this season's "progress" is illusory, and that the path to winning remains long/arduous/pot-holed.

[Lucky Jim]

I really don't get your second paragraph at all. The only renewed awareness I've gleamed from this trade deadline is: Dan Duquette is not an idiot.

Yep. Could have been far, far worse. I think its possible that teams thought they could leverage the O's anomalous year into an extortionist-like hauls and he didn't blink. If so, kudos, DD.

[lovetoaster]

Hanley Ramirez? That was a ridiculous trade, IMO. The Dodgers appear to have gotten Ramirez for a Cavalry-caliber pitcher (albeit a little younger) and some guy whose last name I can't pronounce. I would have loved to have seen us package Tillman/Arrieta/Matusz and one other guy for Ramirez. Hell. I would have loved to have seen us package all of them for Ramirez.

That is probably the best example, and I would have gone after him too. I doubt we did though, just because his attitude probably would not have meshed well with Buck. I am guessing that is why he ended up getting traded for so little. I am not saying it is right, but I can understand it I suppose.

[Flash- bd]

Prolonged futility = a lack of trade chips and an inability to position the team to make an actual playoff push (because doing so would almost certainly scuttle the MiL system, what little of it there is to brag about, and the results of such an effort would be doubtful, regardless).

There's not much to "get" about the second paragraph. Some people may've gotten their hopes up by virtue of the O's staying relevant for this long. Inaction at the deadline, however prudent, serves as a reminder that much of this season's "progress" is illusory, and that the path to winning remains long/arduous/pot-holed.

I think the bolded is really flawed logic.

I also think way too much is being made of our "lack of trade chips". I don't think we lacked trade chips at all, I think we were just smart enough not to use them for a futile purpose. In fact, no one ever really even said we lacked trade chips, as much as they said we had 3 really good pieces to trade that were too good to trade for anything being offered.