HHP: My Lunch Today with Dan Duquette.....and about 100 other people

[SoBo]

Thanks Tony. I think it's great that Dan is doing these types of fan forums. I was lucky enough to attend the event at Camden yards last year with bloomberg sports. I know many are frustrated with the lack of action by the Orioles but I do feel like the club is in good hands with DD and Buck. Thanks again Tony.

[Number5]

Vince was getting around fine, and was in good spirits. Dan stopped to talk with him. Heck, at 51, I was by far one of the youngest people there, mostly seniors.

LOL. Sounds like I'd have fit right in.

[weams]

Vince was getting around fine, and was in good spirits. Dan stopped to talk with him. Heck, at 51, I was by far one of the youngest people there, mostly seniors.

Your post has regained it's ownership. Mr. French was unaware

[hoosiers]

Great stuff, TonyS. Thanks for sharing.

[Frobby]

Nice Tony ...Thanks for the info

Okay ...but you actually have to improve the team to be better. The subtractions are so far greater than the additions. The additions by our division rivals are more than we've done.

I believe some of what DD has said is lip service and not wanting to show his hand. I dont think he wants to throw Angelos under the bus as he hasn't accomplished what he needs to get out of the job yet.... Whats thatk??? Its not a Orioles "Big Splash in October". Its to make the team good enough to get a gig with a better owner where he can actually make some moves. And a easy * side note that his owner was unwilling to ante up to get what was requires to win it all.

Did you learn ANYTHING in 2012? Here's what I learned:

1. Sometimes subtle moves improve a team by a lot.

2. Sometimes teams improve because their young players gain experience and mature.

A move like getting Casilla, for example, doesn't look like much on paper but could pay a lot of dividends. The depth moves like Valencia, Robinson, Jackson and Navarro could turn out to be important. And there's plenty of room for guys like Machado, Tillman, and even Jones and Wieters to keep growing. And, of course, we may see Bundy and/or Gausman sometime this year.

I'm not saying the team definitely has improved, but I'm saying that the lack of splashy acquisitions doesn't mean the team necessarily isn't improved. For me, 2012 earns Dan and Buck a substantial presumption that they know what they're doing.

[SteveO]

Did you learn ANYTHING in 2012? Here's what I learned:

1. Sometimes subtle moves improve a team by a lot.

2. Sometimes teams improve because their young players gain experience and mature.

A move like getting Casilla, for example, doesn't look like much on paper but could pay a lot of dividends. The depth moves like Valencia, Robinson, Jackson and Navarro could turn out to be important. And there's plenty of room for guys like Machado, Tillman, and even Jones and Wieters to keep growing. And, of course, we may see Bundy and/or Gausman sometime this year.

I'm not saying the team definitely has improved, but I'm saying that the lack of splashy acquisitions doesn't mean the team necessarily isn't improved. For me, 2012 earns Dan and Buck a substantial presumption that they know what they're doing.

I tend to agree with you here. I will say the loss of Reynolds is problematic for me. I cant see how the trio of Valencia/Reimold/Betemit would be better than say Reynold and any combination of 2 of the other 3. Valencia was awful last year. Betemit did not exactly light it up though was serviceable. Nolan really cant be depended on IMO. We did that last year and ended up with Steve Pearce and Lew Ford until McLouth saved our butts. If they add a bat... a guy who has a decent OBP and can hit say 20+ Hr i am good then.

[CA-ORIOLE]

I tend to agree with you here. I will say the loss of Reynolds is problematic for me. I cant see how the trio of Valencia/Reimold/Betemit would be better than say Reynold and any combination of 2 of the other 3. Valencia was awful last year. Betemit did not exactly light it up though was serviceable. Nolan really cant be depended on IMO. We did that last year and ended up with Steve Pearce and Lew Ford until McLouth saved our butts. If they add a bat... a guy who has a decent OBP and can hit say 20+ Hr i am good then.

Betemit's OPS against RHP the past 3 years is .873, .865 and .859. If we're disciplined with a platoon of Betemit and whoever against LHP, I think we'll be fine replacing Reynolds production. Hopefully Reimold is healthy. If Valencia/Pearce/Jackson are awful, they can be optioned or DFA'd.

We certainly don't want to be in the position we were last year having Betemit in the field and getting AB's against LHP. The backup situation at third has me worried.

[Frobby]

(Per Duquette) Alexi Casilla has better range than any other second baseman in the league and that includes that guy from NY (Cano).

This point shouldn't be lost. Casilla is extremely rangy. Our defense will be stellar when he's out there. He had some upside offensively, too. I think we'll look back on this move and say he was much better than we realized.

[CA-ORIOLE]

This point shouldn't be lost. Casilla is extremely rangy. Our defense will be stellar when he's out there. He had some upside offensively, too. I think we'll look back on this move and say he was much better than we realized.

Hope so, but other than his spectacular defensive performance stats last year the metrics didn't seam to like him all that much.

[Frobby]

Hope so, but other than his spectacular defensive perforamce stats last year the metrics didn't seam to like him all that much.

I'm mostly going off my own observations watching him play against us. His D has always impressed me.

[CA-ORIOLE]

I'm mostly going off my own observations watching him play against us. His D has always impressed me.

Well, I agree he definitely offers us some upside .... and I liked Andino.

[Malike]

Hopefully we don't have to suffer through two months of Roberts playing bad defense, and hitting to a .600 OPS before we get to see Casilla.

[luismatos4prez]

We certainly don't want to be in the position we were last year having Betemit in the field and getting AB's against LHP. The backup situation at third has me worried.

How's that? If Machado goes down, then bring Flaherty up. He'd be fine. Eventually Schoop. Even Ty Kelly.

[25 Nuggets]

I know there has been a lot of talk this offseason about that MOO bat, but really take a look at how the team is constituted and Duquette is right: they can be competitive as is. And that extra bat is one position on the 25 man roster. If you want to include the SP (aka Saunders' spot), that's two. Most other teams have more holes than that on their 25 man roster even after the wave of winter-meeting inspired trades/signings.

Also don't forget, if the Orioles don't get what they want out of their lineup there is always the season in order to continue trade talks.

[Brendan25]

I still just don't understand why payroll is so important to everyone. Why we need to increase our payroll by 40M just to increase it. I like the question. Understand why it was asked. Still don't know who everyone wants us to get. Some want Hamilton even though their max offer was less or the same as what he got. Some want Swisher even though all of our OF spots are set. Some want to trade our entire farm for one player. I just don't get it.