Could Orioles trade Jim Johnson for Porcello?

[joeyc]

I'll pass on trading the best closer in baseball in his prime.

[Norfolk orioles]

I don't understand why we'd want porcello in the first place??

We already have several underperforming young pitchers who haven't panned out as well as we hoped they would.

Porcello put up rather unimpressive numbers pitching in Detroit, which is a very pitcher friendly ballpark. Coming to Opacy, one would hardly expect to see those numbers improve for a 24 year old pitcher.

I don't think we should give up anything of value, much less an all star closer or a solid power hitting/gold glove caliber short stop for this prospect that never panned out from Detroit. We have enough of those types already.

[wildcard]

Sign Saunders as the 5th starter and keep J Johnson.

This article treats the O's like non-contenders. If the Tigers want a veteran reliever let them sign Soriano, Wilson or Valverde. The O's have a winning formula with Jim Johnson as closer. There is not good reason to break up the pen for a 5th starter.

[mdbdotcom]

Come July, perhaps the O's will have an internal starter-in-waiting and there could be a few teams that would be interested in Johnson. In that scenario, he very well might bring back more than Porcello.

[canonfaz]

Porcello would be great for cheap, but he really doesn't fill a huge need. If we are going to trade JimmyJ, then I would want it to be including him in a deal for a bat and not 5th starter with potential; we aleady have plenty of those.

[fearthenoodle]

Anytime you can replace a RP with a SP, you have to think about it. Especially when you have an incredibly deep bullpen and the guy you'd be dealing is getting expensive.

If this move occurred, it would be praised by most all the baseball analysts out there.

[DrungoHazewood]

I don't understand why we'd want porcello in the first place??

We already have several underperforming young pitchers who haven't panned out as well as we hoped they would.

Porcello put up rather unimpressive numbers pitching in Detroit, which is a very pitcher friendly ballpark. Coming to Opacy, one would hardly expect to see those numbers improve for a 24 year old pitcher.

I don't think we should give up anything of value, much less an all star closer or a solid power hitting/gold glove caliber short stop for this prospect that never panned out from Detroit. We have enough of those types already.

I guess there's a line of thought that says that if you're an extreme groundball pitcher who can put up a 4.50 ERA with Miguel Cabrera, Fielder, and Peralta behind him, he'd pitch to a 0.34 with Manny, JJ, and Casilla.

[fearthenoodle]

BABIP against Porcello last year was .344, a career high and well above the league average.

[webbrick2010]

I'd trade JJ for Porcello in a heart beat

1. It is likely that JJ regresses

2. JJ was ineffective in the playoffs. The last time the O's went to the playoffs Armando Benitez was the goat and he was never the same again.

3. Everyone seems to believe the O's have a surplus of starting pitching, but every pitcher has huge uncertainty:

Hammel : returning from knee injury, pitched well above career norms for first half of last season.

Chen: Sophomore jinx, exceeded his normal innings pitched count, was wearing down at end of year.

Gonzalez:Sophomore jinx, greatly increased his work load last year

Tillman: battled elbow issues at end of year

Britton: Shoulder has never been fully healthy

Arietta: I still like, but needs to make jump this year.

Matusz: Can't get out RH batters, probably a situational LH'er out of bullpen for the rest of his career

Bundy/Gausman : Oriole pitching prospects.. how has our developement record been?

Give me some Porcello!!

[Brendan25]

Would hate this move. Just not enough, in my opinion, for JJ.

[clapdiddy]

I'd trade JJ for Porcello in a heart beat

1. It is likely that JJ regresses

2. JJ was ineffective in the playoffs. The last time the O's went to the playoffs Armando Benitez was the goat and he was never the same again.

3. Everyone seems to believe the O's have a surplus of starting pitching, but every pitcher has huge uncertainty:

Hammel : returning from knee injury, pitched well above career norms for first half of last season.

Chen: Sophomore jinx, exceeded his normal innings pitched count, was wearing down at end of year.

Gonzalez:Sophomore jinx, greatly increased his work load last year

Tillman: battled elbow issues at end of year

Britton: Shoulder has never been fully healthy

Arietta: I still like, but needs to make jump this year.

Matusz: Can't get out RH batters, probably a situational LH'er out of bullpen for the rest of his career

Bundy/Gausman : Oriole pitching prospects.. how has our developement record been?

Give me some Porcello!!

I agree with pretty much everything you say here, except the bolded. Comparing JJ to Armando Benitez is like comparing a Corvette to a Chevette.

[Frobby]

I'd trade JJ for Porcello in a heart beat...

2. JJ was ineffective in the playoffs. The last time the O's went to the playoffs Armando Benitez was the goat and he was never the same again.

I'm not very worried about this. JJ was last seen getting a 1-2-3 inning to preserve a one-run, extra inning game in Game 4, the day after he blew Game 3. I don't think he'll bear any big psychological scars.

As to the statement that Benitez "was never the same again," he pitched another 11 seasons and saved 274 games after losing the 1997 playoff game. He had seasons where he saved 47, 43 and 41 games. So, I think the extent that he was affected by allowing one HR in a 1997 playoff game is greatly exaggerated.

That said, for reasons completely unrelated to his playoff performance last year, it's unlikely that JJ will have 54 save opportunities in 2013, and it's unlikely that he'll make good on 94% of his opportunities.

[fearthenoodle]

A bullpen with Lindstrom/O'Day/Hunter/Ayala/Patton/Matusz/Strop is pretty strong in it's own right.

[clarence]

I think Detroit would have to add another piece/ prospect. At that point, I probably would make the move.

[Can_of_corn]

I'll pass on trading the best closer in baseball in his prime.

I wouldn't trade Kimbrel for Porcello either but that wasn't the question.