Failure Is The Best Option

[Camden_yardbird]

Is it in the teams long term best interest to fail competitively this next season? With a potential 11 free agents the fire sale the Orioles could put on at the trade deadline could net a plethora of young prospects ready to build the team toward a more lasting success. I believe the Orioles best chance to win it all since 1997 was last year. While I believe that they have a good shot this year I foresee a more competitive division and AL overall.

While we all want to see the Orioles succeed and without devolved into a "this was the worst off season ever" thread, I honestly am asking the question, is the best case scenario for the Orioles organizational chances of winning a world series over the next few years to fail competitively this year?

[ExileAngelos]

Surely you can't be serious.

[TouchemAll]

Semi legit question with Free Agency but its not reality.

Man it's hard to wrap your head around tanking a season to hopefully hold on to a few guys, and I don't think there's one guy in the club house that thinks that.

So I say no play hard and let the chips fall I doubt there's any MLB baseball player that comes to play each day hoping to lose.

I have already accepted that the O's roster will LOOK VERY different next year I don't think we will re-sign any Boras cleint in FA. JMHO

[VeveJones007]

It's a fair thought, but I would counter with this:

The best option is to compete in 2015 & for the young players/prospects to make strides this year. If Bundy and Gausman (and even Harvey) look like top starters, then the window remains open. Paying peanuts to those guys would allow them to fill in positional holes with more expensive, established players.

[Frobby]

I honestly am asking the question, is the best case scenario for the Orioles organizational chances of winning a world series over the next few years to fail competitively this year?

The best case scenario for winning a world series over the next few years is to win it this year. And yes, I am serious.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Not the "best" but might not be the worst thing in the long run to tank early.

[Camden_yardbird]

Semi legit question with Free Agency but its not reality.

Man it's hard to wrap your head around tanking a season to hopefully hold on to a few guys, and I don't think there's one guy in the club house that thinks that.

So I say no play hard and let the chips fall I doubt there's any MLB baseball player that comes to play each day hoping to lose.

I have already accepted that the O's roster will LOOK VERY different next year I don't think we will re-sign any Boras cleint in FA. JMHO

To clarify, I am not suggesting that the Orioles tank the season, I am merely suggesting that failure, if it happens, may not be so bad. That may also help put this off season. Sure winning is important, and I think this group can do it, but losing may also not be terrible either. I think it would take some pitching injuries for that to happen though.

[oriole]

Failure is never the best option.

That being said, I'd rather see them out of the race completely rather than 8 games back of the second wild card with a shimmer of hope that the unlikely late season super surge can push them into the playoffs. That way we are not hanging in limbo. That's definitely not the best option still.

The best option is for all our free agents to have career years with continued growth from our younger players and more of the same from our veterans. That way we can stay confident in the players we keep and hand out QO to our free agents at end of the World Series parade in Charm City.

[TouchemAll]

Failure is never the best option.

That being said, I'd rather see them out of the race completely rather than 8 games back of the second wild card with a shimmer of hope that the unlikely late season super surge can push them into the playoffs. That way we are not hanging in limbo. That's definitely not the best option still.

The best option is for all our free agents to have career years with continued growth from our younger players and more of the same from our veterans. That way we can stay confident in the players we keep and hand out QO to our free agents at end of the World Series parade in Charm City.

:agree: Failure is never the best option.

[VeveJones007]

Failure is never the best option.

That being said, I'd rather see them out of the race completely rather than 8 games back of the second wild card with a shimmer of hope that the unlikely late season super surge can push them into the playoffs. That way we are not hanging in limbo. That's definitely not the best option still.

The best option is for all our free agents to have career years with continued growth from our younger players and more of the same from our veterans. That way we can stay confident in the players we keep and hand out QO to our free agents at end of the World Series parade in Charm City.

Losing can be the best option--it just isn't the best option for the 2015 Orioles. As a Colts fan, I would never classify the below season as a "failure." In fact, they made the most of it.

http://www.pro-football-reference.com/teams/clt/2011.htm

[MiggyNBRob1]

It's a fair thought, but I would counter with this:

The best option is to compete in 2015 & for the young players/prospects to make strides this year. If Bundy and Gausman (and even Harvey) look like top starters, then the window remains open. Paying peanuts to those guys would allow them to fill in positional holes with more expensive, established players.

Or....continue to be cheap and look for bargain types in the field, because we are winning with a low payroll, so why not continue to do that.

[markdublya]

The best case scenario for winning a world series over the next few years is to win it this year. And yes, I am serious.

Sadly, I think the best case scenario was to win it....LAST year....

[UpstateNYfan]

Sadly, I think the best case scenario was to win it....LAST year....

Seriously?? Best case and missing 37.5% (during post season) of everyday starters and no truly TOR guy. If the pitching holds up this year and the others come back with reasonable performances the team will be OK.

[FanAddict]

Next year isn't necessarily a "lost" year even when you consider the pending departure of several of our guys to FA. I envision us being more reliant on pitching and defense in the several years that follow this one. Obviously there is some hope built into this prediction but with a rotation built around KG, Tillman, and possibly Bundy and a defense that retains GG's at 3rd, SS, and CF, I don't see any reason why we won't be competitive in the AL East, possibly poising ourselves for a playoff run with a team constructing similarly to the Giants.

Definitely agree with the consensus that the team will look MUCH different but I'm interested to see how we re-tool. There will be money to spend, that's for sure.

[orioles119]

Who let the "lose on purpose" crowd out? I would think the last three years would extinguish the whole debate between lollipoppers and doom-and-gloomers.

The best plan is to keep going. If the O's lose free agents, then so be it. I do think that they should trade 2 of the pending free agents for something, but in moves that can maintain competitiveness.