What is Dan Duquette's strategy for 2016?

[Can_of_corn]

Almost never. Unless things really are set for the player. Like his long term captainship, of a crafty righty being paid like an Ace.

Or if you are a pitcher from one of the Asian leagues coming off an injury.

[El Gordo]

I dont think we will really sign free agents. At least not guys on this least. Maybe some non tenders.

You think we go with Joseph at catcher?

[wildcard]

You think we go with Joseph at catcher?

Buck appears to be more about how a catcher calls a game, is defensively and whether he can control the running game then how he hits. I could see Joseph sharing catching duties with another catcher the way he did in 2014 with Hundley.

[wildcard]

I dont think we will really sign free agents. At least not guys on this least. Maybe some non tenders.

Remember: DD signed Manny Ramirez in Boston. If its the right player and he has money to spend I wouldn't count a big signing out.

[weams]

Buck appears to be more about how a catcher calls a game, is defensively and whether he can control the running game then how he hits. I could see Joseph sharing catching duties with another catcher the way he did in 2014 with Hundley.

Maybe we will go with Brian Ward. Or Mike Ohlman after a superb 2015. Or Larvarway after Don Wernerism.

[baltfan]

Plan should be to make as many qualifying offers as possible. If a couple take it, screw it, it is just a year. Hope that some that you don't want turn it away and you get the comp pick

[mdbdotcom]

Plan should be to make as many qualifying offers as possible. If a couple take it, screw it, it is just a year. Hope that some that you don't want turn it away and you get the comp pick

How many players in the draft's top 50 do you think the Orioles would be able to afford to sign? That's a lot of bonus money.

[weams]

How many players in the draft's top 50 do you think the Orioles would be able to afford to sign? That's a lot of bonus money.

It's slotted. So all of them.

[Frobby]

I dont think we will really sign free agents. At least not guys on this least. Maybe some non tenders.

So you think that if we lost Wieters, Davis, Chen, Norris, O'Day, De Aza, Pearce, Young, Webb and Hunter, we wouldn't sign a single guy on that list? That's something like $53 mm and 40% of the team coming off the payroll. Dan's going to fill all of that in with the Wesley Wrights of the world? Respectfully, I think you're crazy if you believe Dan would be that extreme in his actions.

[Orioles0615]

Remember: DD signed Manny Ramirez in Boston. If its the right player and he has money to spend I wouldn't count a big signing out.

and Johnny Damon

[weams]

So you think that if we lost Wieters, Davis, Chen, Norris, O'Day, De Aza, Pearce, Young, Webb and Hunter, we wouldn't sign a single guy on that list? That's something like $53 mm and 40% of the team coming off the payroll. Dan's going to fill all of that in with the Wesley Wrights of the world? Respectfully, I think you're crazy if you believe Dan would be that extreme in his actions.

I think he might sign someone on that list before FA.

[Can_of_corn]

His strategy is to wait. Wait out other teams. Wait out free agents. Wait until there is no one else competing for a player's services. Wait until they can have no place else to go.

He moves somewhat quickly when he is targeting bullpen arms.

I think they know exactly who they are looking for in the pen.

[wildcard]

His strategy is to wait. Wait out other teams. Wait out free agents. Wait until there is no one else competing for a player's services. Wait until they can have no place else to go.

Yes that is part of the strategy of this year. But that is because he is acquiring gap fillers on one year contracts. Wesley Wright, Delmon Young and an outfielder.

But his strategy is to sign his key players to long term contracts - Jones and Hardy.

Keep all his arbitration players from his 96 win team.

Add fill-ins on one year contracts waiting for his farm system players to mature - Walker, Alvarez and Bundy.

Make additions in July and August to position for the playoffs.

Because next year he will have about 53M after accounting for the players on long term contracts, arbitration players and O-3 year players he may act very differently. 53M is a lot of money and allows him to go get an impact player or two to make up for Wieters and Davis leaving. He can sign those players long term because the only long term contracts he will have are Jones, Jimenez, and Hardy.

[33rdst]

Yes that is part of the strategy of this year. But that is because he is acquiring gap fillers on one year contracts. Wesley Wright, Delmon Young and an outfielder.

But his strategy is to sign his key players to long term contracts - Jones and Hardy.

Keep all his arbitration players from his 96 win team.

Add fill-ins on one year contracts waiting for his farm system players to mature - Walker, Alvarez and Bundy.

Make additions in July and August to position for the playoffs.

Because next year he will have about 53M after accounting for the players on long term contracts, arbitration players and O-3 year players he may act very differently. 53M is a lot of money and allows him to go get an impact player or two to make up for Wieters and Davis leaving. He can sign those players long term because the only long term contracts he will have are Jones, Jimenez, and Hardy.

I agree that DD will be using the revenue saved from the departures of free agents to sign additions but I think a substantial part of those dollars will be used to resign some of our guys. The free gent market doesn't look to appealing. Sure Heyward will be out there if STL doesn't e tend him but generally speaking the pool is filled with older mediocre players.

Weiters is a key for us. He would solidify the core and anchor the middle of the diamond. I could see the O's going hard for him. We're also losing two high quality arms from the rotation. We'll need to replace Chen or resign him. There are a few left handers out there but I'd try to resign Chen. As far as right handed starters go we could be okay if Bundy develops as hoped and one of Wilson or Drake steps up.

Not seeing too many younger corner outfielders. Hopefully Lough is given a chance to develop and steps up. Perhaps Alvarez will develop as DD hopes he can and he becomes a piece of the puzzle.

Another key will be replacing Davis' production at first base. It would be an upset if Walker can do the job. More likely we"re going to have to dip into a shallow free agent pool. Maybe the O's can convince Pearce to return on a two to three year deal to help solve the first base need.

The bull pen will be the hardest hit by free agent departures. Of the four departing players I think tommy Hunter is the most likely to return. O'day will be too expensive. Lucky for us this pool is deep so the O's will be able to players at the right price.

I'm very interested to see how Duquette handles this transition. I'm optimistic that he'll keep us competitive.

[VeveJones007]

2016 Nuggets:

CF Jones

SS Hardy

3B Machado

SP Tillman

SP Gausman

RP Britton

2016 Glue Guys:

SP Gonzalez

2B Schoop

C Joseph

UTIL Flaherty

2016 Question Marks:

SP Bundy

SP Davies

OF Alvarez

1B Walker

OF Lough

(I'm sure DD will add some more)

Whether they get them internally or externally, the O's will contend if they can get 1-2 more nuggets, a couple more 2nd tier guys, and rebuild the pen. As I said earlier in the thread, I'm optimistic they'll have the flexibility to do that with the cheap SP on the horizon, but obviously 2015 will give us a clearer picture.