Trade Jim Johnson to the Tigers

[DrinkinWithFermi]

Yes, my assumption is that the O's will fall out of contention... I don' know how anyone watching this pitchins staff could think otherwise.

and I can't see a team with a 100 million dollar payroll spending 8 million on a close who has lets face had some issues this year.

I mean we got Tommy Hunter and Chris Davis for Koji

If we could pull off something like that for JJ sholdn't we be trying to???

Gonzo and Tillman are pretty solid, and Chen will be back soon. Hammel has been up and down but has the talent to get back on track. Garcia has been better than expected and Britton appears to be getting it together. Plus, several solid starters should be available for trade very soon(Nolasco, Norris, etc.). So yeah, I think otherwise.

[glenn__davis]

Which again defeats the whole purpose of the Tigers acquiring Johnson when they could just plug him in if they felt so inclined. It wouldn't make sense for the Tigers. They're going to win the Central, the Indians will fade and the Tigers rotation is too good, there's no reason for them to trade what little they have in the farm for a closer.

Actually, I think the fact that they're going to win the Central makes Johnson more attractive to them, not less. They're going to need someone to close out playoff games. They do not want Valverde doing it.

And their owner is old and wants to do anything at all to win now.

I agree with webbrick that if the O's fall out of contention, and with JJ's escalating salary, there may be an opportunity to make a deal with the Tigers. But I do not expect that to happen.

[OriolesFaithful]

Valvere had another blown save yesterday.

The O's starting pitching won't keep them in contention this year.

The O's aren't going to pay JJ 8+ million to be their closer next year.

What do the Tigers have at 2B or Starting Pitcher in their system??

I'm thinking of a 4-1 type trade with one ML ready player coming back to the O's.

If we are out of it, I'm okay with dangling him out there for something. However, I don't think this will be an issue.

[ShaneDawg85]

Actually, I think the fact that they're going to win the Central makes Johnson more attractive to them, not less. They're going to need someone to close out playoff games. They do not want Valverde doing it.

And their owner is old and wants to do anything at all to win now.

I agree with webbrick that if the O's fall out of contention, and with JJ's escalating salary, there may be an opportunity to make a deal with the Tigers. But I do not expect that to happen.

That's one way of looking at it, but again then can just use the kid if they feel he's ready for it, and if they're going to win why spring for someone if they don't need it, especially when they don't have much to give up anyway? The Tigers starting rotation will get them to October, it's done it before and will again.

[GoldGlove21]

Yes, my assumption is that the O's will fall out of contention... I don' know how anyone watching this pitchins staff could think otherwise.

and I can't see a team with a 100 million dollar payroll spending 8 million on a close who has lets face had some issues this year.

I mean we got Tommy Hunter and Chris Davis for Koji

If we could pull off something like that for JJ sholdn't we be trying to???

Isn't Roberts coming off the payroll after this season and is the Orioles payroll $100M right now. I think that we would be a $100M team with Johnson making $8M in 2014. We did well by dealing Koji for Davis and Hunter, but we were not contenders when that deal was made. If the Orioles were to trade JJ for a Davis/Hunter type pairing now we would be fools IMO. You trade a strength for a weakness, not a weakness for a weakness. As bad as our starters have been (they have been better as of late) the pen has given away 4-6 games as well and if we win half of those than we are right there near first. The AL East is too even to see any team running away with the division and even if they do, the second wild card should go to the AL East (Oakland possibly getting the other). You don't trade JJ without a replacement and the Orioles should start by dealing for a reliever IMO.

[GoldGlove21]

That's one way of looking at it, but again then can just use the kid if they feel he's ready for it, and if they're going to win why spring for someone if they don't need it, especially when they don't have much to give up anyway? The Tigers starting rotation will get them to October, it's done it before and will again.

Yeah, I think only the top two prospects in the Tigers system are premium type talents. They have some guys with ability, but dealing JJ doesn't make sense for the Orioles right now and the O's asking price would be too high IMO.

[webbrick2010]

If we are out of it, I'm okay with dangling him out there for something. However, I don't think this will be an issue.

Well I hope you guys are correct and the O's stay in contention

Still will you be on board for paying JJ 8 million next year.

Would you give a closer (who I think is pretty shaky) a 3/30 type deal??

I of course am on record as not liking the whole closer concept... and would love to add the the O's talent level by trading JJ and moving O'day to closer, Hunter to 8th inning and Matusz to 7th inning.

The tigers don't have a good system... maybe there is another playoff team that needs a closer. The Red Sox come to mind and their system is loaded and blocked by an extremely good ML roster.

[Ruzious]

Jim Johnson is a helluva closer, and I love having him on the O's. Howevuh, you gotta make a decision. It comes down to - Do you want to pay him 10 mil a year - maybe more considering what Soriano got? Or would trading him for something valuable be a better option? I think he can be replaced with Hunter or O'Day. The problem is - who replaces Hunter or O'Day? I don't think that person is currently on the roster. Maybe it'll eventually be Arrieta.

This is a business decision that's gotta be made - even though it's unpopular to talk about.

[webbrick2010]

Isn't Roberts coming off the payroll after this season and is the Orioles payroll $100M right now. I think that we would be a $100M team with Johnson making $8M in 2014. We did well by dealing Koji for Davis and Hunter, but we were not contenders when that deal was made. If the Orioles were to trade JJ for a Davis/Hunter type pairing now we would be fools IMO. You trade a strength for a weakness, not a weakness for a weakness. As bad as our starters have been (they have been better as of late) the pen has given away 4-6 games as well and if we win half of those than we are right there near first. The AL East is too even to see any team running away with the division and even if they do, the second wild card should go to the AL East (Oakland possibly getting the other). You don't trade JJ without a replacement and the Orioles should start by dealing for a reliever IMO.

JJ himself has given away 4 of those games.

In his last game he came in with a two run lead gave up a double, run scoring single... got the save

Was that success

I hate the whole save concept

[Ruzious]

Btw, I don't think Johnson is shakey. He went through a bad stretch, but every reliever - other than maybe a couple of HOFers has gone through that. He's one of the top relievers in baseball. The questions are - how replacable he is - and how much you're willing to pay him.

[LookinUp]

You don't trade JJ unless someone is willing to really overpay. If they want to offer Porcello or Castellanos (or more, obviously), go for it. Outside of that, no thanks.

The O's have the option of moving Gausman to the pen as well. I know the bullpen is in flux right now, but you cannot convince me that we don't have enough good arms to still have a solid pen even w/o JJ. Still, he's very valuable to us and that must be considered if we're ever approached by another org.

[Can_of_corn]

I saw this thread title and figured it was from January and wondered why I hadn't chimed in. Then I saw it was current.

You can't trade one of the few fairly reliable members of a shaky bullpen off of a contender.

Now if the O's are out of the race at the trade deadline we can pick this conversation back up.

[glenn__davis]

That's one way of looking at it, but again then can just use the kid if they feel he's ready for it, and if they're going to win why spring for someone if they don't need it, especially when they don't have much to give up anyway? The Tigers starting rotation will get them to October, it's done it before and will again.

But again, they don't really care about getting to October. They care about winning once they're there. They already know that they're almost a lock to win the division.

Having Jim Johnson would certainly upgrade their playoff roster, and I don't think their owner very much cares about giving away a few potential future pieces to do that.

[Can_of_corn]

One of the more overlooked non-acquisitions of this past off season wasnt Joe Sauders or Loshe. It was the NON acquisition of Koji

who wanted to come back to Baltimore and would have been an easy sign.We could have really used his stability this season.

Roy, who would you have cut/traded to make room for Koji and his salary?

I think, in a vacuum, everyone wanted Koji back, but he isn't cheap for a RP and there was no obvious holes in the BP during the offseason.

[Can_of_corn]

I think we trade Hammel befor we trade JJ.

I fully expect JJ to be a highly overpaid member of the Orioles next season.