Still in contact with Morales...

[Ripken]

The offense was poor in the second half and Dan traded Valencia who was the best hitter the last month or so. I'm not saying Valencia would repeat that but the offense needs to be improved. There is a real problem with plate discipline that DD repeatedly laments yet has done noting to address. IF a few of Markakis, Wieters, Flaherty, Lough, Urrutia, and the new guys improve their numbers from last year then, yes, the offense will be good. And that's assuming there is little/no regression from CD/AJ.

I'm very concerned about LF, RF, and DH, and that's with the understanding that 2B and C may not be big producers. A 2-3-4 of Manny-Davis-Jones is really nice, and Hardy has good power for SS, but outside of CD I'd like to see all of them improve at getting on base. Add to that the only real depth is Schoop and a ton of AAAA types. Another good (e.g. .800 OPS) bat would really be nice.

--I can't edit and had a bad grammar mistake.

[CA-ORIOLE]

The offense was poor in the second half and Dan traded Valencia who was the best hitter the last month or so. I'm not saying Valencia would repeat that but the offense needs to be improved. There is a real problem with plate discipline that DD repeatedly laments yet has done noting to address. IF a few of Markakis, Wieters, Flaherty, Lough, Urrutia, and the new guys improve their numbers from last year then, yes, the offense will be good. And that's assuming their's little/no regression from CD/AJ.

I'm very concerned about LF, RF, and DH, and that's with the understanding that 2B and C may not be big producers. A 2-3-4 of Manny-Davis-Jones is really nice, and Hardy has good power for SS, but outside of CD I'd like to see all of them improve at getting on base. Add to that the only real depth is Schoop and a ton of AAAA types. Another good (e.g. .800 OPS) bat would really be nice.

Yep, we had 2 starters last year with an OPS+ above 100. I actually do think we have several guys with more upside that can do better than last year (even if marginally) on offense. I'd also have to assume that Davis will drop off some (hopefully not too much).

[tntoriole]

ERA+ and OPS+ both sat around average last year. People overrate the offense and underrate the pitching imo. Both need to improve. Tillman/Gonzo/Chen are a good 3. Norris will have to step in now and we may need another SP if Britton/Gausman/Aceves/Yoon etc.(among others) aren't up to par. I might go with a Saunders type to start the year.

I'd have loved to have gotten Burnette (I really wanted him) but the SP situation isn't as dire as it's being made out to be. Under the current circumstances, it looks Kendrys Morales would provide the better value (especially when considering cost/risk) to the team than Santana/Jiminez imo.

Last year we had Tillman/Gonzo/Chen and basically did nothing in the offseason after 2012 except go get Garcia, Jurrgens who were disasters, then we had to go get Feldman and Norris during the season. Heaven forbid that Duquette would have learned this lesson last offseason. That the AL East is murderous on pitchers and that your bullpen will also start to blow up if you don't eat innings. And this assumes that Tillman is going to be just as good as he was last year without any more ups and downs (which was his first full good year). And it assumes that our bullpen is not going to be significantly worse due to the ripple effect of removing Johnson and moving Hunter out of his role and into another and maybe moving Matusz and not having Patton. And it assumes that there are no injuries anywhere to any of the starters you mentioned because we have nothing in reserve on the farm, nothing. It may work out, but I doubt it. I would have taken as much veteran starting pitching as I could possibly afford and keep the offense I have right now. But that's just me. I think pitching will once again, as it has every year that I have been watching baseball, decide who wins and who loses.

[Guest]

Get Morales , Emilo and Yoon and call it a day.

1 part done.

[weams]

Kendrys Morales and Stephen Drew have no such plans to do, agent Scott Boras tells ESPN's Jerry Crasnick. Instead, the two plan to continue working out while awaiting multi-year deals, and could hold out until after the June amateur draft to do so (after which the draft compensation will no longer apply).

Boras feels that the qualifying offer system has "basically prevented them from free agency," opining that the system has instead placed both players "in jail." He offers criticism both of the system and of those who feel that his clients simply made a poor decision by not accepting a qualifying offer. Says Boras:

"Everybody talks about these players turning down these (one-year) qualifying offers like they're village idiots.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/

[sportsfan8703]

It's time to shut up, reporters. I don't want to hear about "interest" anymore. Report something when the Orioles actually acquire a player or else find out what's up with JJ Hardy's favorite flavor of ice cream or something.

Probably whatever his gf tells him to like in NY next year. Because See Ya.

[oriolediehard]

Why do wd need K.Moralez when we have Nelson Cruz? It will be waisted roster spot. We don't need 2 DH's.

[Il BuonO]

Boras feels that the qualifying offer system has "basically prevented them from free agency," opining that the system has instead placed both players "in jail." He offers criticism both of the system and of those who feel that his clients simply made a poor decision by not accepting a qualifying offer. Says Boras:

"Everybody talks about these players turning down these (one-year) qualifying offers like they're village idiots.

Eh, no, Scott, we just simply think they turned down too much money for a one year deal on the advice of someone who purports to be somewhat smarter than the village idiot.

[Rene88]

Signing Morales makes Cruz ft LF, nooooooooooo!

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[incubus]

Signing Morales makes Cruz ft LF, nooooooooooo!

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Actually it wouldn't necessarily, Cruz could spell Lough in LF, Morales could spell Davis, and a combination of Cruz, Morales, and Davis could DH depending on who needs rest.

[TheBee]

This thread is old...Weams just updated Morales' overall status. There aren't any reports I am aware of that link the Orioles currently to Morales...at all...so the "We don't need Morales," comments aren't necessary.

[El Gordo]

This thread is old...Weams just updated Morales' overall status. There aren't any reports I am aware of that link the Orioles currently to Morales...at all...so the "We don't need Morales," comments aren't necessary.

We may be in on Morales after the June draft. Who knows what our injury situation will be by then? Right now Cruz is our CF. :rolleyestf:

[TheBee]

We may be in on Morales after the June draft. Who knows what our injury situation will be by then? Right now Cruz is our CF. :rolleyestf:

You had better change that cf to a lf before somebody has a thundering apoplexy.

[El Gordo]

You had better change that cf to a lf before somebody has a thundering apoplexy.

Have you checked out todays lineup?

[weams]

Have you checked out todays lineup?