Seth Smith is now off the market

[MemorialStadKid]

Signing a 35 year old player coming of his career year for 4 years/$50 million is a common sense signing? WOW. Just wow. That a trade for a 32 year old platoon guy coming off his career year by far who is owed $13 million over the next two years would inspire this post is incredible. Suffice it to say, you are welcome to your opinion. Just as you were last season.

Cruz's signing at the last minute wasn't a stroke of genius. It was a massive stroke of luck.

You can't build a contender by consistently hoping a last-minute signing turns in a career year.

That's not wise at all. It might happen once, it might happen twice, but three or more times is pressing our luck severely.

A lot of you guys keep talking about our record in 2014 while totally ignoring the total regression of the Red Sox and Rays and the injuries to the Yankees (who hung in there until the end) and the fact that we don't have three of the guys who helped us attain that record.

What's hard to grasp about that?

MSK

[baltimoreO's22]

We won the division by 12 games. We don't need mega big moves, just tweaks.

We also lost 2 key players from that team, and other teams in the east are getting better. Last year is last year.

[DrinkinWithFermi]

Cruz's signing at the last minute wasn't a stroke of genius. It was a massive stroke of luck.

You can't build a contender by consistently hoping a last-minute signing turns in a career year.

That's not wise at all. It might happen once, it might happen twice, but three or more times is pressing our luck severely.

A lot of you guys keep talking about our record in 2014 while totally ignoring the total regression of the Red Sox and Rays and the injuries to the Yankees (who hung in there until the end) and the fact that we don't have three of the guys who helped us attain that record.

What's hard to grasp about that?

MSK

Over the last 4 years, Nelson Cruz has been worth 9 total wins.

Over the next 4 years, he will need to be worth 9-10 total wins to break eve(in terms of value) on his deal.

He will turn 35 in June.

(0_o)

"Danger, Will Robinson!"

[Number5]

Cruz's signing at the last minute wasn't a stroke of genius. It was a massive stroke of luck.

You can't build a contender by consistently hoping a last-minute signing turns in a career year.

That's not wise at all. It might happen once, it might happen twice, but three or more times is pressing our luck severely.

A lot of you guys keep talking about our record in 2014 while totally ignoring the total regression of the Red Sox and Rays and the injuries to the Yankees (who hung in there until the end) and the fact that we don't have three of the guys who helped us attain that record.

What's hard to grasp about that?

MSK

I'm not sure that you are in the best position to be questioning other posters' grasp on reality.

[MemorialStadKid]

I'm not sure that you are in the best position to be questioning other posters' grasp on reality.

Bottom line: the AL East is not the same as it was. There's no "Nelson Cruz" out there this time around. Trying to pin an entire season on finding another guy who will magically have a career-season is a not a good team-building strategy.

MSK

[scOtt]

We also lost 2 key players from that team' date=' and other teams in the east are getting better. Last year is last year.[/quote']

I'm just saying, we started ahead of the game.

Cruz's signing at the last minute wasn't a stroke of genius. It was a massive stroke of luck.

SO WHAT? He still made the move! Which 29 other GMs didn't!

[MemorialStadKid]

We also lost 2 key players from that team' date=' and other teams in the east are getting better. Last year is last year.[/quote']

Exactly. But according to many of these dudes, that doesn't matter AT ALL.

MSK

[MemorialStadKid]

I'm just saying, we started ahead of the game.

SO WHAT? He still made the move! Which 29 other GMs didn't!

HE HAD to make the damn move! We needed that bat and if we didn't get him, and IF he didn't have that year, we wouldn't have ended up where we did.

IF, IF, IF, IF, IF.

Where's the signing of the guy who is a sure-thing?

MSK

[scOtt]

Exactly. But according to many of these dudes, that doesn't matter AT ALL.

MSK

We lost two GOOD players. Not key. Tillman is key. Chen is key. Jones is key. Britton is key. I can go on...

[24fps]

Bottom line: the AL East is not the same as it was. There's no "Nelson Cruz" out there this time around. Trying to pin an entire season on finding another guy who will magically have a career-season is a not a good team-building strategy.

MSK

Who is "trying to pin an entire season on finding another guy who will magically have a career season?"

[MemorialStadKid]

Right this second on MLB Network, they have the Orioles profiled under "Which Team Might Regret This Offseason Down The Road?"

I'm not making that up.

Apparently, I'm a troll who doesn't understand baseball yet the baseball analysts (folks that get PAID to talk baseball professionally) all seem to understand that the Orioles may have made some huge mistakes letting Cruz and/or Markakis walk.

Not only has MLB Network said this, but I've heard this on ESPN, 105.7 THE FAN, WBAL and other sports sources.

But it's just crazy ol' MSK.

MSK

[scOtt]

Right this second on MLB Network, they have the Orioles profiled under "Which Team Might Regret This Offseason Down The Road?"

I'm not making that up.

Apparently, I'm a troll who doesn't understand baseball yet the baseball analysts (folks that get PAID to talk baseball professionally) all seem to understand that the Orioles may have made some huge mistakes letting Cruz and/or Markakis walk.

Not only has MLB Network said this, but I've heard this on ESPN, 105.7 THE FAN, WBAL and other sports sources.

But it's just crazy ol' MSK.

MSK

You're not crazy. Just crazy pessimistic.

[MemorialStadKid]

Who is "trying to pin an entire season on finding another guy who will magically have a career season?"

Dan Duquette and the Orioles FO.

We're doing the same old thing of waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting. We've been doing that since the dark times. You'd figure they'd realize that this isn't a good way of doing things.

They did that in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and got lucky 2012, 2013 and 2014. When we balance the winning seasons with the losing seasons using that same strategy, my confidence will be there.

MSK

[MemorialStadKid]

You're not crazy. Just crazy pessimistic.

By that logic, MLB Network, ESPN, 105.7 THE FAN, WBAL and other sources are crazy pessimistic too?

What has to happen for some of you to get what I'm saying? *edited*

MSK

[scOtt]

Dan Duquette and the Orioles FO.

We're doing the same old thing of waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting. We've been doing that since the dark times. You'd figure they'd realize that this isn't a good way of doing things.

They did that in 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011 and got lucky 2012, 2013 and 2014. When we balance the winning seasons with the losing seasons using that same strategy, my confidence will be there.

MSK

3 years running goes past "lucky". Especially in our division.