I'm not bemoaning the loss of Reynolds, but...

[NewMarketSean]

Sounds like you are hedging your bet. So he's a good bet to peform when he's healthy but he'll hurt the team when he misses time. How much time does he have to miss, in your book, to be a total minus for the season? How little time missed is still acceptable to you? If Reimold misses 20 games due to injury but puts up an .850 OPS in the time he plays and finishes the season healthy, does that justify counting on him this season?

Well he's played 142 total games in the last 3 years and is already dealing with a nagging injury this year, after playing in 5 games.

You tell me how many games he will play this year. That is on you to convince me.

[jtschrei]

Hilarious. Steve Pearce was hitting the stuffing out of the ball 2 weeks ago and everybody was so happy about our depth. C'mon. He's gotten off to a slow start. He is what he is... a decent bat against LH pitching. He was not supposed to face guys like Bucholz, so he is limited in that regard... but he's your bench guy... and I repeat, he was the Orioles best hitter in Spring Training. Steve Pearce is not the reason we are 3-4. We have actually played pretty poor defense, which was supposed to be one of our strengths, and we have 2 injured starters, and that is the reason we're below .500.

If we DFA Pearce, I think he'll be picked up in a second by the Yankees or somebody else.

[NewMarketSean]

Mclouth, Reimold, and Betemit between LF and DH. You wanted a better contingency plan than Steve Pearce as the RH platoon in the DH spot? Well, the O's went low cost and got Canzler and Conor Jackson as their contingency plan. Did you want them to trade for Morse just to use him as the RH platoon DH? Sign Swisher for that? What would your contingency plan be?

I don't know how many teams let their best OBP player walk and not replace him with equal production. Especially after a 93 win season. I would have been OK with keeping Reynolds, signing Swisher or trading for Morse. I would have been OK doing 2 of the 3, actually. Depth is good. It's a good problem to have too many players who are good enough to play.

Who did they think would put up Reynolds OBP and produce that power? Reimold? He cant stay healthy. Pearce, Jackson, Canzler, Ford? Those guys are Ken Phelps all-stars who are unlikely to produce far above replacement level.

[NewMarketSean]

Hilarious. Steve Pearce was hitting the stuffing out of the ball 2 weeks ago and everybody was so happy about our depth. C'mon. He's gotten off to a slow start. He is what he is... a decent bat against LH pitching. He was not supposed to face guys like Bucholz, so he is limited in that regard... but he's your bench guy... and I repeat, he was the Orioles best hitter in Spring Training. Steve Pearce is not the reason we are 3-4. We have actually played pretty poor defense, which was supposed to be one of our strengths, and we have 2 injured starters, and that is the reason we're below .500.

If we DFA Pearce, I think he'll be picked up in a second by the Yankees or somebody else.

Then why is Pearce hitting against RHP?

Where is the guy who can hit RHP? Oh yeah, one guy is hurt and the other guy is unable to get into games right now.

So what is the plan? Just wait until 2 injury-riddled players are healthy enough to play again?

[Dr. FLK]

Mclouth, Reimold, and Betemit between LF and DH. You wanted a better contingency plan than Steve Pearce as the RH platoon in the DH spot? Well, the O's went low cost and got Canzler and Conor Jackson as their contingency plan. Did you want them to trade for Morse just to use him as the RH platoon DH? Sign Swisher for that? What would your contingency plan be?

I guess the problem is we didn't have a LH contingency. Our DH platoon options - Pearce/Jackson/Canzler - all his RH. So, when Bememit went down, there really is no one.

I would have liked Swisher for sure.

[NewMarketSean]

Having Nolan for 100 games would be great. Anything over that is even better. But since he hasn't done that since 2009, history is against him.

[NewMarketSean]

Yes, that's the plan. Reimold is supposed to be ready by Thursday. Can you wait?

Let's talk when Nolan lands on the DL. Hopefully we wont have that talk this year, but history tells me we will, and soon.

[jtschrei]

Then why is Pearce hitting against RHP?

Where is the guy who can hit RHP? Oh yeah, one guy is hurt and the other guy is unable to get into games right now.

So what is the plan? Just wait until 2 injury-riddled players are healthy enough to play again?

Well. You keep answering your own questions, so I don't know how to answer.

1. Pearce was hitting against RHP yesterday because, I assume, Buck had a feeling. He was the best hitter in spring training. Buck could have left Pearce on the bench, played Casilla at 2B and had Flaherty DH, but he didn't.

2. You answered your own question.

3. You answered your own question.

For the record, it was pretty unpredictable that Betemit would sustain such a serious injury running the bases.

[NewMarketSean]

Well. You keep answering your own questions, so I don't know how to answer.

1. Pearce was hitting against RHP yesterday because, I assume, Buck had a feeling. He was the best hitter in spring training. Buck could have left Pearce on the bench, played Casilla at 2B and had Flaherty DH, but he didn't.

2. You answered your own question.

3. You answered your own question.

For the record, it was pretty unpredictable that Betemit would sustain such a serious injury running the bases.

I know that, but what did they do when that happened? Nothing.

Im not mad at anyone, just frustrated that the team didn't do much this offseason and in 7 games, we're starting to see some of that rear its ugly head.

But, if Reimold stays healthy and Pearce starts to hit, it will all be for naught.

[NewMarketSean]

So wer'e just going total hindsight here? If Reimold gets hurt then the team was wrong and you were right. If Reimold stays healthy and puts up a good season, the team was right and you were okay with it?

No, then they were lucky and as a fan, I am happy.

They should have acquired another front-line bat this offseason. Thats my stance. Take it for what it is.

[Going Underground]

No, then they were lucky and as a fan, I am happy.

They should have acquired another front-line bat this offseason. Thats my stance. Take it for what it is.

Most baseball writers and alot of Orioles fans agree with you.Some players were available that would not have broken the bank in money or trade. Duquette before the winter meetings said the same thing. What changed?

Duquette said the Orioles are targeting specific players to add as a power bat, and not as worried about what position they might play: ?It really depends on the bat. I know that we have some flexibility in some other areas.?

The decision not to tender first baseman Mark Reynolds a contract makes it more imperative to add another home run hitter, Duquette said.

?We have some other players that we can take a look at in the spring but we don?t have the established home run hitter on the team that Reynolds was, so that?s right.?

http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2012-12-02/sports/bal-highlights-from-dan-duquette-interview-at-winter-meetings-20121202_1_winter-meetings-gausman-orioles

[SteveO]

So wer'e just going total hindsight here? If Reimold gets hurt then the team was wrong and you were right. If Reimold stays healthy and puts up a good season, the team was right and you were okay with it?

Thats why it sucks being the GM lol.

In all seriousness I think the job DD has done since arriving here has been pretty damn good in the areas over which he has control.

My personal opinion is that DD is making the best of a tough situation. Until the whole MASN/Nats TV fees thing starting being thrown around and Scrooge McAngelos starting crying poor the O's were in the market for a MOO bat or some bat of some type. Even DD said that. Pete is a lawyer and its all about appearances with lawyers, trust me I deal with them all the time. Facts dont matter it just what the appearance of the truth is. Signing a guy or bringing a guy to the tune of 7-12 million dollar a year deal does not jive with the picture Pete was trying to paint. Thus DD was left to make the best with what he had to work with.

On the bright side I would rather deal with these issues than some of the other ones we have had with Pete interfering in the past.

[Ommaculate]

Obviously should have brought back Reynolds and had Davis DH. Let Reimold play AAA and earn his way up.

[DrungoHazewood]

Of course it's April 8th. And it's early. But here is the problem, all the complaints people had with the offseason and concerns about "how" they won last year have shown themselves in the first 7 games.

No upgrades and loss of Reynolds - We were sold a bill of goods that the upgrades would be internal via a healthy Reimold and Roberts, well shockingly they are both hurt. Now we have Steve Pearce and Flaherty getting regular at bats. This emphasizes the loss of Reynolds, plus Reynolds is hitting well.

The bullpen couldn't repeat their performance - which they haven't though they have pitched decently over the past few games

The starting pitching couldn't repeat the performance - Short of Gonzalez and Chen they have regressed

One run record couldn't be repeated - 0-3 in 1 run games

Chris Davis Defense - Hasn't been horrible but botched a ball in a close game

Its like the perfect storm for those who believed last years team played over their skis, that the offseason was a failure and that this team was headed for .500 or worse. There is a long way to go of course, but no one should be surprised by the results thus far, nor should they be surprised by the reaction to those results.

Of course it's April 8th, it's early, and I'm going to make a bunch of fairly definitive statements based on this microsample.

[OFFNY]

Reynolds didn't have his 4th home run until June 12 last year.

Go freaking figure.

That was partially because he missed almost 3 weeks with an injury in May.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.cgi?id=reynoma01&t=b&year=2012