Who are you willing to trade for real improvement?

[tilgaham]

I'm willing to trade every prospect short of Bundy. I'd wait to trade Harvey until he puts up better numbers in his first full season. That's the only people who wouldn't be on the table RIGHT NOW.

Ike Davis is laughable for EdRod though. He's no Bundy, but Mets are out of their mind there.

[theobird]

I'm willing to trade every prospect short of Bundy. I'd wait to trade Harvey until he puts up better numbers in his first full season. That's the only people who wouldn't be on the table RIGHT NOW.

Ike Davis is laughable for EdRod though. He's no Bundy, but Mets are out of their mind there.

I agree, I would not trade EdRod for him. But for crying out loud, we got posters on here that would not trade Zach Britton for Ike. That is laughable in the other direction,

[Hallas]

I'm willing to trade every prospect short of Bundy. I'd wait to trade Harvey until he puts up better numbers in his first full season. That's the only people who wouldn't be on the table RIGHT NOW.

Ike Davis is laughable for EdRod though. He's no Bundy, but Mets are out of their mind there.

Harvey isn't tradable until at least the next draft per MLB rules.

[Hallas]

Trading Weiters would not keep us from the playoffs IMO.

Without adding solid additional starting pitching, we are 5 years out now.

We're coming off an 86 win season and you are saying we are 5 years out?

Our window with the current players closes in 2 seasons. You either have a fire sale for top prospects or you go for broke now. We are one or two impact players or 3-4 complimentary pieces away (assuming we can cover the gap left by Johnson in the pen.)

[sevastras]

We're coming off an 86 win season and you are saying we are 5 years out?

Our window with the current players closes in 2 seasons. You either have a fire sale for top prospects or you go for broke now. We are one or two impact players or 3-4 complimentary pieces away (assuming we can cover the gap left by Johnson in the pen.)

You are exactly right. But we wont have a fire sale or add what we need. We need starting pitching, and cant really count on Gausman and Bundy right now. This is why you sell off Weiters, Hardy, Davis, O'day and you build around Bundy, Gausman, Machado, Jones for a year or two from now.

[Il BuonO]

We're coming off an 86 win season and you are saying we are 5 years out?

Our window with the current players closes in 2 seasons. You either have a fire sale for top prospects or you go for broke now. We are one or two impact players or 3-4 complimentary pieces away (assuming we can cover the gap left by Johnson in the pen.)

This is what should happen but won't.

You are exactly right. But we wont have a fire sale or add what we need. We need starting pitching, and cant really count on Gausman and Bundy right now. This is why you sell off Weiters, Hardy, Davis, O'day and you build around Bundy, Gausman, Machado, Jones for a year or two from now.

I'd be for selling the first three if they weren't going for it now. O'Day is cheap so he isn't going anywhere. The reality is the Oriole are stuck in the middle. They have no direction, no plan. They can't decide on who they want to be. And that is very frustrating to watch as a follower of the team.

[El Gordo]

I think the plan is to sign one of Burnett, Arroyo, Capuano, or Hammel and add a bat like Morales or Cruz. Don't see them signing a CL. Maybe another RP to compete for CL with Hunter, O'Day, Gausman, Wright, S.Johnson etc.

[sevastras]

Mariners are going for it and have some good arms coming up in the minors and also have DJ Peterson who would play 3B for us and Machado could move over to SS or if he doesnt end up being able to play 3B seems as a stable 1B option. They have no one at C. Chris Taylor at 2B?

Weiters for Julio Morban, DJ Peterson, Carson Smith?

A proven GG catcher for some decent prospects? Not getting Wil Myers, but not giving up Shields either.

[El Gordo]

If you want to improve the team short term your best trade chips are Manny and Crush. You could get Price for Manny. Maybe even get TB to throw in a 3B like Sean Rodriguez. Want to do that? I don't. Davis? What team has a TOR they are willing to give up for a 1B? Long term blow it up, sure. Trade everybody and wait 6-7 years.

[Hallas]

If you want to improve the team short term your best trade chips are Manny and Crush. You could get Price for Manny. Maybe even get TB to throw in a 3B like Sean Rodriguez. Want to do that? I don't. Davis? What team has a TOR they are willing to give up for a 1B? Long term blow it up, sure. Trade everybody and wait 6-7 years.

I don't think you can possibly get good value, for tomorrow or for 5 years from now, by trading Manny. He's got 2 pre-arb years left, he's 21, and he's already put up a 6+ WAR season. The only possible way you win that is by trading him for Buxton/Sano, and the Twins are in no position to be trading for ML-ready talent. Either that or it's a Harper/Trout swap, and we both know that's a complete pipe dream.

[El Gordo]

I don't think you can possibly get good value, for tomorrow or for 5 years from now, by trading Manny. He's got 2 pre-arb years left, he's 21, and he's already put up a 6+ WAR season. The only possible way you win that is by trading him for Buxton/Sano, and the Twins are in no position to be trading for ML-ready talent. Either that or it's a Harper/Trout swap, and we both know that's a complete pipe dream.

The key is to improve the team. If short term then Manny for Price/Rodriguez does that. No doubt with a long term view Manny for Price is crazy.

[Hallas]

The key is to improve the team. If short term then Manny for Price/Rodriguez does that. No doubt with a long term view Manny for Price is crazy.

Even short term I don't think it's a good value. If you like RA9-WAR, then Price has had 1 season better than Machado's 2013. If you like Fangraphs WAR, then Machado's 2013 was better than anything Price has ever put up. Price, Rodriguez, and half their farm might break even. Might.

I don't really believe that you need value in one place over another, and I am certainly not willing to sacrifice an area of such cost-controlled strength for pitching.

[wildcard]

I'd sign Burnett 1/12-13M.

I would try to sign Balfour 1/7.5M with a vesting option at 7.5M. I don't think there is a market for Balfour to get two years and be a closer. The O's may have the best offer. Yanks wouldn't. Giants wouldn't. I have not heard another team that would match that offer.

I would trade McFarland for a DH hitter. Something like the Lough/Valencia deal. I don't really want to trade McFarland but you have to trade something to get something. I would probably wait until close to Opening Day to see if the trade is required or if Reimold, Pearce or Peguero are good DH options.

I think the O's have to make a run at signing Davis, Wieters and Hardy. Signing all of them will not cause the 2014 payroll to go up. Davis 10m, Wieters 8M and Hardy is already signed for 8M. The impact of signing all three hits the 2015-2020. As long as there are limited trade clauses in 2016-2020 I would try to sign them.

Davis - 10M, 17M, plus 5 yrs at 20M equals 127M. I say do it.

Wieters - 8M, 12M, 4 yrs at 17M plus a 15M option. That deal is one year longer than McCann got but patterned after his deal. Its 6/88M guaranteed plus a 15M club option. This deal in close to the Adam Jones deal and I think the O's management values Wieters as much as Jones.

Hardy should be the easiest to sign. 3 for 13M/yr or 39M starting in 2015.

If any of them will not sign for that I think you have to trade them between Jan and July for the best deal that can be gotten. To wait only decreases their value.