Yoon, Santana & Morales-Good Offseason?

[DoubleStufOriole]

Morales has been consistent since the big injury, but Kubel is still available, too. Ervin Santana allows a ton of homers. Jimenez gives up way too many BBs. Both have been inconsistent. Those factors are more important than the draft pick when determining their likely contributions. Saunders makes sense (Patton suspended = need another lefty in the pen + Saunders can spot start) but what about taking a chance on Johan Santana!?

Actually, Kubel re-signed with the Twins in December.

Also -- Does anyone think Urrutia could come anywhere close to matching Morales' production as our left-handed DH this season? I realize that would be asking a lot from the youngster, especially in the power department, but reports have indicated that he put on a lot of muscle over the past few months.

It would be great, though probably unlikely, to see him breakout as a major bat in our line-up this year.

[Il BuonO]

I think there is a plan, and it starts with flexibility. Let's pretend Britton breaks out this year and we sign Santana, our starting pitching depth starts with Tillman, Bundy, Gausman, Santana, Chen, Gonzalez, Britton, Rodriguez, Norris, Johnson, McFarland, Harvey, Wright, Yoon, and I'm missing a bunch.

That's some awesome depth and great trade bait.

Assuming Davis and Weiters are traded, that's potentially some serious youth coming to the organization.

If Schoop and Urrieta are for real, we are going to be young, talented and have great payroll flexibility.

It gives us a shot at 2014 but sets us up beautifully for the near future.

Sorry, but signing FA to multi year contracts is not flexible. It is the antithesis of flexible. The Orioles with their constraints of payroll flexibility have little room for one of these signings to go bad and while I'd like to have them, without our payroll climbing to the $130mil range it's just not a good move.

There were various moves to be made that would have. improved the team while allowing us to keep our draft picks in tact and that didn't happen. Now I think we hope for the best. Throwing good money after bad isn't going to help.

[LA2]

Much easier to get all kinds of drugs here in NYC than in BAL, in spite of what The Wire would have you believe..

And a lot more people going back and forth to Miami from here (NYC).

[DrinkinWithFermi]

I would not be happy with that offseason because I don't think Santana or Morales is worth a draft pick, and judging from the fact that pitchers and catchers are reporting and they're still unemployed, apparently most of of baseball agrees with that sentiment to some degeee.

[ricowiz]

If our plan is to ride Wieters and Davis out to the end then picking up Santana and Morales make sense. Santana would automatically be our 2nd best pitcher, Morales would improve our DH by a ton also. Whats not to like? Losing the draft pick would sting, sure, but I am tired of waiting for draft picks at this point. One season of punting a draft isnt going to kill us, especially if we are truly in win now mode.

If the plan is to build for the future then it makes no sense to get Santana and Morales. It would also then make sense to deal both Wieters and Davis...as well as Hardy.

I really just wish they would come out and pick a direction, because if they tow the middle and not sign these free agents, and not deal Davis or Wieters, then next year we are going to have another Jim Johnson situation on our hands.

These arent the ideal guys to sign, Garza and Hart or David Murphy are two guys I would have been all over.

[Stotle]

I think there is a plan, and it starts with flexibility. Let's pretend Britton breaks out this year and we sign Santana, our starting pitching depth starts with Tillman, Bundy, Gausman, Santana, Chen, Gonzalez, Britton, Rodriguez, Norris, Johnson, McFarland, Harvey, Wright, Yoon, and I'm missing a bunch.

That's some awesome depth and great trade bait.

Assuming Davis and Weiters are traded, that's potentially some serious youth coming to the organization.

If Schoop and Urrieta are for real, we are going to be young, talented and have great payroll flexibility.

It gives us a shot at 2014 but sets us up beautifully for the near future.

Just to be clear, your plan for flexibility boils down to "don't do much now, maybe someone breaks out, and trade Wieters and Davis."

I have to think there is a better way to stay flexible.

[Rene88]

Random interesting tidbit-Tampa Bay is about to ink Erik Bedard to a minor league deal. For a minor league deal, I would sign him too!

[Sanfran327]

There's an ESPN Insider article talking about how Morales isn't worth $1M/year. Anybody got any insight? Has it been discussed already?

[BillySmith]

Just to be clear, your plan for flexibility boils down to "don't do much now, maybe someone breaks out, and trade Wieters and Davis."

I have to think there is a better way to stay flexible.

I personally don't see Weiters and Davis being here much longer. Trading them now versus next offseason is certainly something that is debatable, but the return should be good either way. When you start being able to move relatively young starting pitching in trades as well, you are stocking your organization with a bunch of youngsters. There's the flexibility. A chance to win in 2014 while you reload for 2015.

[Stotle]

I personally don't see Weiters and Davis being here much longer. Trading them now versus next offseason is certainly something that is debatable, but the return should be good either way. When you start being able to move relatively young starting pitching in trades as well, you are stocking your organization with a bunch of youngsters. There's the flexibility. A chance to win in 2014 while you reload for 2015.

So like 80% of MLB teams have "flexibility"?

[gpolee]

These arent the ideal guys to sign, Garza and Hart or David Murphy are two guys I would have been all over.

And, you get the screw in Garza's elbow for free!

[gpolee]

As some have been saying for two years, I think Bedard could be a valuable lefty out of the pen. He's probably at the point in his career where he's ready to accept such a role. IMO, good signing by the Rays.

The Orioles remember Bedard as someone who quit on the team. There is slim chance they even considered Bedard.

[mdbdotcom]

Unsigned pitchers are now competing against youngsters trying to earn a job. Somewhere out there, a GM is looking a non-roster invitee and thinking, "Maybe I don't have to give up a draft pick after all." The flip side is some GMs might be so scared by what they see that they'll go running to Santana and Jimenez.

[El Gordo]

Unsigned pitchers are now competing against youngsters trying to earn a job. Somewhere out there, a GM is looking a non-roster invitee and thinking, "Maybe I don't have to give up a draft pick after all." The flip side is some GMs might be so scared by what they see that they'll go running to Santana and Jimenez.

No one seems to be running scared yet.

[gpolee]

No one seems to be running scared yet.

It's not like Santana and Jimenez are going to go unsigned this season, regardless that no team has signed them yet. Some GMs will come running - sooner than later, I'll bet.