What Would You Have Done Differently?

[mdbdotcom]

I'd have ordered the veal.

[Scrat1]

I'd have ordered the veal.

Trust me, you don't want Boog's veal.

[mcgraw238]

Miller!!! Shortening games is huge with our rotation. I like Kemp on 5/75 but not sure we have the pieces to match up.

[Oriole1940]

In the "do nothing" thread, there was an interesting post challenging the critics of the O's offseason to say what specifically they would have done differently.

So here's your chance. What free agent should the O's have signed, assuming that we would have to pay the same years and dollars? What trade should they have made, assuming we would have had to give up comparable talent?

To get the ball rolling: I think we should have traded for Michael Saunders. Coming into his prime, good outfielder, has potential for power and OBP, moving from a terrible hitters park; does have an injury history Seattle traded him to the Jays for J.A. Happ, so I think it's reasonable to think that we could have gotten him for Bud Norris or Miguel Gonzalez.

A no brainer. Keep Nick and Nelson at prices they signed very quickly at. Hell, if Nicks body spontaneously combusts the last year or two of the contract, offer him a job in the organization. He loves the club and the area. It is his home. As for Miller, I would have signed him for the same amount he signed with, guess who, the Yankees, for. It is easy to down play losing all that talent in December. It will not be so easy to explain it in April, unless comparable talent replaces them.

[33rdst]

Cruz is going to be a risk at his age and he may not have success in that ballpark.

The Jays made several good moves but I think the Saunders move will really help them. Especially if they spend the money the saved from letting Melky go on pitching.

Getting Saunders would have been a nice get for right field.

Snider seemed to have been a nice move. We blew it when we let the Pirates get out of the room without making the deal.

I 'm still hopeful though and have a lot of faith in Dan. We'll compete for the division championship again this year.

[Reboulet'sStache]

Trade Davis for Heaney if the offer was on the table.

Try to trade one of Chen or Norris for Cespedes.

Give Markakis a QO.

Sign Masterson as a buy low candidate that I can hopefully trade at the deadline or give a QO at the end of next year.

[Guest rochester]

Cruz only. He is a professional hitter - and believe that he would be worth it as, at worth a FT DH. Of course, three years would have been perfect but....

Nick was tough - not from a production perspective necessarily but the intangibles I believe he brings to the clubhouse and Baltimore area - not enough though. It may have been worth PA adding an exception to the budget. I have this gut feeling that he will have a resurgence after the neck surgery - I can imagine that it hurt his production at the plate a good amount.

I am glad we did not trade any pitching and as much as it would have been great to have Miller, that is just insane money. Our BP will be fine if the SPs have a similar season, although I think Gausman will be a huge contributor this year on his way to becoming a true ace in 2016.

[SouthRider]

I would have resigned Miller. There was a time when no one wanted to pay for one inning closers. Then LaRussa created the 'Eck' and everyone had to have a 'closer'. The price for guys who could do it shot way up. Last year we saw a similar phenomenon with middle relievers. Baltimore rode Miller, O'day & co. to 96 wins. KC rode their bullpen all the way to the world series. People love the production but they don't want to pay for it.

The key though is Buck. Under Buck a guy like Miller is extremely valuable. I guess Girardi is okay, but Buck really gets he most out of his pitchers.

[Reboulet'sStache]

I would have resigned Miller. There was a time when no one wanted to pay for one inning closers. Then LaRussa created the 'Eck' and everyone had to have a 'closer'. The price for guys who could do it shot way up. Last year we saw a similar phenomenon with middle relievers. Baltimore rode Miller, O'day & co. to 96 wins. KC rode their bullpen all the way to the world series. People love the production but they don't want to pay for it.

The key though is Buck. Under Buck a guy like Miller is extremely valuable. I guess Girardi is okay, but Buck really gets he most out of his pitchers.

Baltimore rode Britton, O'Day, and guys like Brach to 96 wins. Miller they picked up at the last rest stop. Britton was a failed starter they didn't pay much. O'Day they got off the scrap heap, Brach they got off the scrap heap, Tommy Hunter, etc. That is why you don't pay Miller. Teams see the value in the bullpen now more than ever, but that doesn't mean you pay for it. Most teams still aren't. Instead they are changing their drafting and development.

[clapdiddy]

Without knowing who is available and what we would have had to given up to acquire the available, it's impossible to make a play here.

I would like to see us be buyers and sellers, to be perfectly honest. I would have liked to see us try to move Chen or Norris, but only if the return was cheap, young controllable talent, although I would have probably done the Chen for Kendrick deal if it were offered. I would also like to see us move De Aza and acquire an outfielder that will play 150 games in either right or left with Pearce/Lough platooning in the other.

I definitely would have addressed the bullpen, but I think some groundwork was probably laid for that. I would have liked to see us acquire a starter with options. I would have loved to have gone after Heaney who was just dealt to the Dodgers.

I think the two Rule 5 guys were good picks, but I hope we're able to figure out a way to trade for Garcia so he can get some more seasoning.

After all this....

[spiritof66]

As for Miller, I would have signed him for the same amount he signed with, guess who, the Yankees, for. It is easy to down play losing all that talent in December. It will not be so easy to explain it in April, unless comparable talent replaces them.

What makes you think the Orioles could have signed him at that price? I think it's likely he NYY would have offered him more if they'd had to -- according to press reports, they really preferred him to Robertson because of his flexibility about closing and the draft pick.

[Guest]

Gave Cruz the 4th year.

[luismatos4prez]

I would have traded a C prospect for Antonio Bastardo and tried to trade Norris and a prospect or 2 for Cespedes. I liked the trades for Ike Davis, Adam Lind and Brandon Moss earlier, too.

[weams]

I would have traded a C prospect for Antonio Bastardo and tried to trade Norris and a prospect or 2 for Cespedes. I liked the trades for Ike Davis, Adam Lind and Brandon Moss earlier, too.

We had traded a c prospect for Bastardo. And Philadelphia gave him to Pittsburgh instead.

[backwardsk]

Hindsight being 20/20, I'd pick up LaRoche for what the White Sox gave him.

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