Jimenez is an Oriole

[rmt64]

To those upset about giving up a 1st rd pick. The following is the list of our 1st rd selections since 2000. Most of which were a good bit higher than 17th.

Beau Hale (14)

Tripper Johnsno (32 s)

Chris Smith (7)

Mike Fontenot (19)

Bryan Bass (31 s)

Adam Loewen (4, sigh)

Nick Markakis (7)

Wade Townsend (8)

Brandon Snyder (13)

Garrett Olson (48s)

Billy Rowell (9)

Pedro Beato (32s)

Matt Wieters (5)

Brian Matusz (4)

Matthew Hobgood (5)

Manny Machado (3)

Dylan Bundy (4)

Kevin Gausman (4)

So, aside from the past couple years where we haven't had worse than the 5th overall pick, it's a who's who of nobodies for the most part. Plus, we don't even know what Bundy or Gausman have in store for the future. Losing the 17th overall does very little in terms of bolstering our farm to help supplement the big club down the road.

[Can_of_corn]

To those upset about giving up a 1st rd pick. The following is the list of our 1st rd selections since 2000. Most of which were a good bit higher than 17th.

Beau Hale (14)

Tripper Johnsno (32 s)

Chris Smith (7)

Mike Fontenot (19)

Bryan Bass (31 s)

Adam Loewen (4, sigh)

Nick Markakis (7)

Wade Townsend (8)

Brandon Snyder (13)

Garrett Olson (48s)

Billy Rowell (9)

Pedro Beato (32s)

Matt Wieters (5)

Brian Matusz (4)

Matthew Hobgood (5)

Manny Machado (3)

Dylan Bundy (4)

Kevin Gausman (4)

So, aside from the past couple years where we haven't had worse than the 5th overall pick, it's a who's who of nobodies for the most part. Plus, we don't even know what Bundy or Gausman have in store for the future. Losing the 17th overall does very little in terms of bolstering our farm to help supplement the big club down the road.

Right and we certainly have the same GM and Scouting directer now that we had a decade ago. So those results are competently and totally more relevant then what the Astors did in 1999.

You totally shouldn't look at those numbers and say that the O's have only had one clear miss in the last seven drafts.

[rmt64]

Right and we certainly have the same GM and Scouting directer now that we had a decade ago. So those results are competently and totally more relevant then what the Astors did in 1999.

You totally shouldn't look at those numbers and say that the O's have only had one clear miss in the last seven drafts.

Understood. It doesn't change the fact that we've had a top 5 pick the last 4 years, though. The reality is that people selected around 17th in the first round more often than not don't pan out. Sure there's exceptions, but if we're looking at it from an "on average what will that pick produce" way, it's nothing to be terribly excited about. Ubaldo gives us a few good seasons of stellar ball more often than that 17th pick turns into a solid MLBer, imo.

[isestrex]

Interesting that 23 out of 66 voters said they did NOT want to sign Jimenez in a poll I started back on Dec 5th.

Only 14 of 190 (as of this moment) say they disapprove of the signing. I wonder what has changed?

[weams]

Interesting that 23 out of 66 voters said they did NOT want to sign Jimenez in a poll I started back on Dec 5th.

Only 14 of 190 (as of this moment) say they disapprove of the signing. I wonder what has changed?

I think the pick was something we all wanted to preserve if another alternative was available. Also, to get him for 12 million per year was not even in the speculation at that point.

[DrungoHazewood]

To those upset about giving up a 1st rd pick. The following is the list of our 1st rd selections since 2000. Most of which were a good bit higher than 17th.

Beau Hale (14)

Tripper Johnsno (32 s)

Chris Smith (7)

Mike Fontenot (19)

Bryan Bass (31 s)

Adam Loewen (4, sigh)

Nick Markakis (7)

Wade Townsend (8)

Brandon Snyder (13)

Garrett Olson (48s)

Billy Rowell (9)

Pedro Beato (32s)

Matt Wieters (5)

Brian Matusz (4)

Matthew Hobgood (5)

Manny Machado (3)

Dylan Bundy (4)

Kevin Gausman (4)

So, aside from the past couple years where we haven't had worse than the 5th overall pick, it's a who's who of nobodies for the most part. Plus, we don't even know what Bundy or Gausman have in store for the future. Losing the 17th overall does very little in terms of bolstering our farm to help supplement the big club down the road.

You wouldn't be stretching much if you said those failed picks were the primary reason the Orioles sucked for so long. Part of the way to fix that is to draft better, not give away picks.

[Can_of_corn]

Interesting that 23 out of 66 voters said they did NOT want to sign Jimenez in a poll I started back on Dec 5th.

Only 14 of 190 (as of this moment) say they disapprove of the signing. I wonder what has changed?

Burnett and Arroyo signed with other teams.

[FlipTheBird]

You wouldn't be stretching much if you said those failed picks were the primary reason the Orioles sucked for so long. Part of the way to fix that is to draft better, not give away picks.

The Orioles need to draft better in every round, not just 1 or 2. And then develop those picks. Losing one early pick - for a player who's already a Major League regular with upside - doesn't ruin a draft.

[Redskins Rick]

The Orioles need to draft better in every round, not just 1 or 2. And then develop those picks. Losing one early pick - for a player who's already a Major League regular with upside - doesn't ruin a draft.

Not every first and second round draft pick is going to make it as a regular MLB player.

This is why they are still called prospects.

[MrOrange82]

There's a difference between preference and approval. Most of us would have preferred Burnett, but that doesn't mean we disapprove of signing Jiminez after the options dwindled.

Also...how can we tell if the same people are answering the two polls? The fact a lot of people responded to both polls does not mean the same "lot" of people answered those polls. Perhaps all of the people who voted against Jimenez in December simply...didn't speak up this time around.

[scOtt]

Burnett and Arroyo signed with other teams.

And it got to be Feb. 17th and still no starter...

[Tony-OH]

The Orioles have a good young core but that includes players like Hardy, Davis and Wieters who will all be free agents after this year or next. As much as no one wants to give up first round picks, at the end of the day you can not continue to be risk adverse if you want to compete with this current core.

Adding Jimenez to a rotation for the next four years may not work out over the entire contract, but if he anchors a rotation that helps the Orioles make the playoffs over the next few seasons, is anyone going to complain if he's not an effective pitcher at 33? Jimenez is a risky signing due to his inconsistencies, but he has talent and if Wallace can work with him to improve his consistency, the Orioles may have a steal when you consider what some of the top pitchers have signed for.

Although Jimenez may be a bit of a risk, I applaud the Orioles for finally taking on some financial risk and for not looking five years into the future, but for the next few seasons first. Good organizations that believe they can compete worry about the upcoming season, not five years into the future. The Orioles in the past were always so worried about the "future" that the risk they were actually taking on was the risk of relaying almost solely on drafting and development. Although good organizations do very good jobs in both areas, there is a bit of luck that comes when using D&D as the primary means to build for the future. D&D should always be a big part of a successful year in and year out organization, but the top organization know when to augment their core with top free agents.

That's what Duquette did here and I'm glad to see him take on that risk.

[OFFNY]

The Orioles have a good young core but that includes players like Hardy, Davis and Wieters who will all be free agents after this year or next. As much as no one wants to give up first round picks, at the end of the day you can not continue to be risk adverse if you want to compete with this current core.

Adding Jimenez to a rotation for the next four years may not work out over the entire contract, but if he anchors a rotation that helps the Orioles make the playoffs over the next few seasons, is anyone going to complain if he's not an effective pitcher at 33? Jimenez is a risky signing due to his inconsistencies, but he has talent and if Wallace can work with him to improve his consistency, the Orioles may have a steal when you consider what some of the top pitchers have signed for.

Although Jimenez may be a bit of a risk, I applaud the Orioles for finally taking on some financial risk and for not looking five years into the future, but for the next few seasons first. Good organizations that believe they can compete worry about the upcoming season, not five years into the future. The Orioles in the past were always so worried about the "future" that the risk they were actually taking on was the risk of relaying almost solely on drafting and development. Although good organizations do very good jobs in both areas, there is a bit of luck that comes when using D&D as the primary means to build for the future. D&D should always be a big part of a successful year in and year out organization, but the top organization know when to augment their core with top free agents.

That's what Duquette did here and I'm glad to see him take on that risk.

I also believe that it buys time for the franchise to allow potential rotation mainstays such as Dylan Bundy, Kevin Gausman, Eduardo Rodriguez, and (eventually) Hunter Harvey to be groomed and brought along at a pace that isn't rushed.

[clapdiddy]

The 2015 rotation could be stupid good if Gausman and Bundy pan out. Big "if", but consider:

Tillman

Jimenez

Gausman

Bundy

Gonzalez/Eduardo, etc.

What happened to Chen? Remember, he has a 4.75M option for 2015. No way he's not in the rotation. Pretty good problem to have, eh?

[isestrex]

What happened to Chen? Remember, he has a 4.75M option for 2015. No way he's not in the rotation. Pretty good problem to have, eh?

If Jimenez, Gausman and Bundy all live up to expectations, he can absolutely miss the rotation in 2015. All 5 pitchers dan-O named are better than him.