Seth Smith is now off the market

[scOtt]

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? Jesus Christ. :angryfire:

MSK

Name one of them who picked us last year.

[BohKnowsBmore]

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? Jesus Christ. :angryfire:

MSK

You realize stations like 105.7 The fan purposely take contrarian negative positions to get the call board lit up, right? "Relax, team is fine, trust in management." doesn't sell very well for talk radio. That's why they have to invent topics for Ravens because Ozzie and Harbaugh have proven pretty much above reproach to reasonable observers (small things yes, but #HOTTAKES don't make too much sense with regard to that organization).

[weams]

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

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']

We won by 12 games. With a DH who slumped for two entire months, a League HR leader who never batted above .200 for any length of time, an all star catcher with Tommy John surgery, a right fielder with a neck that needed fused, a shortstop who had his own back issues that limited his power, and a left fielder that never overcame his concussion syndrome and a platinum glove young phenom out for the second half of the season with a devastating knee injury. Part of Cruz being who he was for all but those two months last year was playing on our team with our power hitting lineup protecting him. Buck kept him healthy. It was his best year at age 34. Lucky for him, lucky for us.

[OrangeJerseys]

Seattle is building for a championship run.

That's how you do it.

Sign a big name (R. Cano) - build around him.

Make a common sense signing (N. Cruz) for additional protection and power.

Make sure you retain your ace pitcher (which we still don't have).

Make good trades for solid players (something that hasn't happened - ironically - since MacPhail).

2015 is going to be an ass-whoopin' for our boys. The Orioles are going to be outclassed, hard.

MSK

Chin up B!

We got this!

[24fps]

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

Dan Duquette? Are you sure it's not some straw man pretending to be Dan Duquette for the purposes of this thread?

[weams]

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

We don't need a Nelson Cruz. It's fine buddy. No need to expire.

[MemorialStadKid]

You realize stations like 105.7 The fan purposely take contrarian negative positions to get the call board lit up, right? "Relax, team is fine, trust in management." doesn't sell very well for talk radio. That's why they have to invent topics for Ravens because Ozzie and Harbaugh have proven pretty much above reproach to reasonable observers (small things yes, but #HOTTAKES don't make too much sense with regard to that organization).

I agree with this. I listen to Rob and Vinny and they always seem to look for a reason to piss off Joe Flacco fans. Then the very next week, they look for reasons to piss off Joe Flacco haters. I do agree they try to get people riled up.

But what about the other sources? MLB Network tends to have some of the best analyses out there with a very fair hand at breaking down each team's strengths and weaknesses.

They also seem to feel that we should be making some kind of move to shore up the team for 2015.

Nothing expensive. Nothing flashy. But something better than NOTHING.

MSK

[weams]

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

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

He was worth maybe seven actual wins over the season. Maybe. Not WAR. actual wins. Maybe.

[scOtt]

We don't need a Nelson Cruz. It's fine buddy. No need to expire.

We could stand to add 15-20 HRs. Or not. We did lead the majors. Otherwise we're good.

[Guest rochester]

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? J**** C*****. :angryfire:

MSK

Nice.... guess that helps make your point.

[24fps]

We could stand to add 15-20 HRs. Or not. We did lead the majors. Otherwise we're good.

I'd love to have a solid lead-off/OBP guy as the last piece, but otherwise I agree with the notion that rumors of the Orioles' demise have been greatly exaggerated. Mainly by sports media types with too much airtime/copy to fill.

[weams]

We could stand to add 15-20 HRs. Or not. We did lead the majors. Otherwise we're good.

Or Chris Davis and Manny could just hit them. Or Matt. Or De Aza. He used to hit some.

[BohKnowsBmore]

I'd love to have a solid lead-off/OBP guy as the last piece, but otherwise I agree with the notion that rumors of the Orioles' demise have been greatly exaggerated. Mainly by sports media types with too much airtime/copy to fill.

Yea. "They'll probably still compete as they have a lot to be happy about despite not making a ton of splashy moves." just doesn't sell copies or drive clicks.

[lint06]

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

MSK, you aren't crazy; you just happen to be a sky-is-falling kind of fellow. There's nothing wrong with that, but over the years, it has become clear you are more of a pessimist. Again, that is fine. I think in large part that posters are responding to the historical context of your posts. You have a history of these kinds of worried/pessimistic posts. It makes sense that people respond to you in this way. My own problem with constant negative posts is that pessimistic posts are the easiest to make. If you are right, then you get to back yourself on the back and crow; if you are wrong, you get to enjoy the pleasure of winning Orioles baseball. Aside, from people saying you are "crazy," there is no real downside.

[BohKnowsBmore]

Or Chris Davis and Manny could just hit them. Or Matt.

I'm on record here that I expect Manny to hit 30 bombs this year based on how he looked last year.