What is the likely fate of the the three longest tenured Orioles for next season?

[Redskins Rick]

There has been talk on several off-seasons about him starting again. Forget it if was from him, the front office, or what, but it has been put out there before. Heck, it might have been talked about two offseasons ago before we brought in Wada and Chen.

Sorry, I dont recall any of that.

Seam there is plenty of starters in and in the minors, and a ton of closers sitting around.

So I really dont know why they would want to do this.

[EagleOriole]

You want to pay Johnson 8 million + to see if he can start?

I have no problem paying the man to be our closer. Unlike most, I think he has done the job. If DD thought that he should be a starter and wanted to try to convert him into a starter, I would be ok with that too.

[harp6]

More to it then Saves. Most teams want a real closer not a pitch to contact and get lucky closer.

Just saying O'day or Hunter could be doing what Jim Johnson is doing. You don't pay that guy 8m a year.

Your logic is flawed. You want to replace Jim Johnson because he is a pitch to contact pitcher and therefore, should not be a closer and then you suggest that Hunter could take his place. Hunter has a lower K/9 than Jim Johnson. Hunter is also a flyball pitcher who gives up plenty of homeruns. I like Hunter, but I do not want Hunter coming in the ninth inning with a one run lead because of his tendency to give up homeruns.

[EagleOriole]

Sorry, I dont recall any of that.

Seam there is plenty of starters in and in the minors, and a ton of closers sitting around.

So I really dont know why they would want to do this.

JJ wanted to start a few years ago. He asked to prepare as a starter in the off-season. I think Buck made the decison for him to remain a bullpen guy.

[weams]

Losing Roberts, Markakis and Jim Johnson is a blessing. They are barely producing above replacement level as a group. That much money for AAA quality is a disaster.

Markakis and JJ are AAA quality. Did you see Ascensio, who is doing great in AAA, when he pitched up here? Roberts is fine, but Markakis and Johnson are quality ML veterans.

This is a very strange statement. And a very polite response.

[EagleOriole]

JJ himself was an "unproven talent."

A closer approaching a 4 ERA is not worth 8 million smackaroos.

3.31 ERA - not approaching 4.

ERA by month:

April - 0.64

May - 9.75

June - 2.08

July - 1.04

August - 2.25

ERA's two previous years - 2.67 and 2.49.

He is not an elite closer, but he is pretty damn good.

[EagleOriole]

This is a very strange statement. And a very polite response.

Who you calling polite? Thanks - I get that we live and die by these guys and they are having down years for them, but don't understand the hate they get.

[harp6]

JJ himself was an "unproven talent."

A closer approaching a 4 ERA is not worth 8 million smackaroos.

Please look closer at a stat when throwing it out there. Reliever ERA can be deceiving. 9 of 19 earned runs that Jim Johnson gave up were in two bad outings. One outing was 4 runs in 2/3 of an inning. The other outing was 5 runs in 1/3 of an inning. Both of those games most of us would rather forget. These two outings have skewed Jim Johnson's ERA. Remove those two outings and his ERA is 1.78.

[Can_of_corn]

3.31 ERA - not approaching 4.

ERA by month:

April - 0.64

May - 9.75

June - 2.08

July - 1.04

August - 2.25

ERA's two previous years - 2.67 and 2.49.

He is not an elite closer, but he is pretty damn good.

Pretty damn good shouldn't be worth 8 million + for a team with a 100 million-ish budget.

[Redskins Rick]

Pretty damn good shouldn't be worth 8 million + for a team with a 100 million-ish budget.

paying him 6.5 this year, pretty much middle of the pay scale, and getting more bang from their bucks, than the Phillies are.

[Rene88]

Roberts gone

No one is trading for Jim Johnson just look at his numbers even last year all his numbers sucks. Only good stat he had in 2012 was BABIP and that is coming back to earth in 2013.

Markakis Gone after 2014.

I went though until I agreed with one. I wouldn't say JJ sucks....50/50 he is either traded or kept 1 more year.

Roberts gone. You can invite him back as a backup on a spring training invite if you really want but I would turn that page.

Markakis-love the guy, but wow he is one pricey singles hitter. Gone after 2014, but could come back at a cheaper price. We need more power out of RF.

[Can_of_corn]

paying him 6.5 this year, pretty much middle of the pay scale, and getting more bang from their bucks, than the Phillies are.

Hard not to look good if you are going to spending the day comparing contracts with the Phillies.

[Redskins Rick]

Hard not to look good if you are going to spending the day comparing contracts with the Phillies.

Very true! Very true.

But, they are the ones paying 12.5 million for the clown.

[Aristotelian]

Johnson has good stuff it's just not closer (swing and miss type) stuff. I'd still like to see what he can do in the rotation. You saw Norris get lit up in the 1st yesterday then settle down and keep the club in the game until the bats fired up. I think Johnson can do the same thing, it's just tough when those ground balls find holes and a bad inning leads to a loss instead of just being a bad inning the club can come back from.

He does not have "starter stuff" either. He is basically has one pitch, a sinker/fastball with great movement that he can locate when he is on. I have a hard time seeing how he could make it multiple times through a batting order.

I will give you a similar pitcher that has had a successful career as a closer...Mariano Rivera is another guy who has one pitch that does not overwhelm you with velocity but he throws it very effectively due to movement and pinpoint location. JJ's control is obviously not on Mariano's level, but I think Mariano shows that being a closer is not about "stuff" as much as mentality.

I am fine with JJ as a closer, but I would not pay him $7-8 million. I wonder if he would take an extension in the range of 4 yrs/$16 million. He would be getting a pay cut but increased security after a year in which his effectiveness has slipped.

[Redskins Rick]

He does not have "starter stuff" either. He is basically has one pitch, a sinker/fastball with great movement that he can locate when he is on. I have a hard time seeing how he could make it multiple times through a batting order.

I will give you a similar pitcher that has had a successful career as a closer...Mariano Rivera is another guy who has one pitch that does not overwhelm you with velocity but he throws it very effectively due to movement and pinpoint location. JJ's control is obviously not on Mariano's level, but I think Mariano shows that being a closer is not about "stuff" as much as mentality.

I am fine with JJ as a closer, but I would not pay him $7-8 million. I wonder if he would take an extension in the range of 4 yrs/$16 million. He would be getting a pay cut but increased security after a year in which his effectiveness has slipped.

He is already at 6.5 million, so 8 isn't really that out of line from 6.5, especially, if he finishes out the season as the saves leader.