Failure Is The Best Option

[OFFNY]

o

I'm not going to concede this season until the Orioles lose at least one game.

Let them lose one game before we start talking about throwing in the towel, and thinking in terms of rebuilding for the future. I think that the defending A.L. East champs have earned that much leeway.

[Babypowder]

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.

The Orioles do not have a low payroll.

[atomic]

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?

That is a terrible attitude. You can offer a bunch of guys QO's and get a ton of picks and hope that pans out. We could trade Bundy for a proven outfielder and try to go all in this year. I would go that route before trading everyone away.

[oriole]

The Orioles do not have a low payroll.

It amazes me that people still seem to think the team won't spend despite rising pay rolls while in line to have the highest pay roll in franchise history and that's without signing any major free agents.

[Tx Oriole]

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?

I don't think that would be the best course.

[weams]

That is a terrible attitude. You can offer a bunch of guys QO's and get a ton of picks and hope that pans out. We could trade Bundy for a proven outfielder and try to go all in this year. I would go that route before trading everyone away.

I am excited about this team and the flexibility that we gain next season. I want the picks.

[srock]

Best interest? Absolutely not.

Backup plan? Yeah I can see that.

Lets assume this team is decimated by injuries. AJ is out, Manny is out, Hardy is out, Tillman, etc etc.

Then, I could see a pending free agent fire sale designed to build around AJ, Manny, Hardy, Schoop, Gausman, and Bundy.

[weams]

It amazes me that people still seem to think the team won't spend despite rising pay rolls while in line to have the highest pay roll in franchise history and that's without signing any major free agents.

It surprises me as well. While we are involved in major litigation and assault from all quarters.

[markdublya]

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.

That's my point though. I mean last year's team/roster. Give me any two of Manny/Davis/Matt and we take that KC series.

[McLovin]

The OP is a bit out there, but in reality, the O's have until July 31st to decide. Wieters, Chen, Davis, Pearce, and Norris are gone next year. All are tradeable assets. De Aza, Hunter and O'Day will have trade deadline value. Wieters, Chen, and Davis could all warrant a tender in the offseason. It will be a really interesting 12 months to be an O's fan..

And at the same time, they will still have a core of Jones, Machado, Hardy, Britton, Gausman, Bundy, Britton, and Schoop (I have hope). That's a good core to build around. ~$50 million in shed contracts, that core, an extra first rounder this year, maybe three extra next year - the sky is not falling.

[25 Nuggets]

After the Ravens lost to the Houston Texans with one game left, there were a couple Ravens fans that stated they hoped the team would lose to the Browns so they could miss the playoffs. They couldn't bear the thought of the Ravens having a weak showing in the post season. Well, they beat the Browns, then Beat the Steelers and fought the Patriots to the last second.

So, the Orioles are still a big playoff contender in 2015. Who would want to trade those memories for the chance at a better draft pick? This ain't the NBA.

[AdamK]

Failure is not the best option, but I do believe it is the easiest in the case of the 2015 Orioles to determine what to do.

But it would take an epic amount of games back to enable the FO to go into sell mode, IMO, and if that is the case its probable that the epic amount of games back could be a direct result of the performances of players we'd want to deal.

Value established later, if at all:

- Davis needs to prove he can hit again, so max value comes later (if at all).

- Wieters needs to prove he can throw again, so max value comes later (if at all).

- De Aza needs to take a step forward to be attractive to other teams, and while it helps he is a lefty, will someone want that enough to pay dearly? No. He becomes part of a package deal.

Assumed to have enough value now to move:

- If you want to get max value on a guy like Chen, do it now.

- Bud Norris is plucky, and it would be good to get something for him. Perhaps he is gone sooner than later for a player who may be De Aza like in contract? Who knows.

Needs to go now, but probably at low value to other clubs, if any:

- Matusz should probably be dealt sooner than later, but if he were valued by other teams he'd be gone already. Looking for some move before 25 man is set.

- Webb, same boat. Kinda need to deal him before 25 man is set but what kind of return? Not much.

Who else?

All the more reason I want Dan Duquette's heart and soul into it for this year, next year and beyond. If the Os are "out of it" somehow, and it could happen, that makes life a tad easier for the GM. If they are "in it" and hold on to most guys, it creates more difficult questions heading into FA - not with who to keep? But who/how to viably replace them?

Too much to foresee and too many things can change this. How do guys like Walker, Gausman, Bundy, Harvey, Alvarez, Hasaan, Parades look? Does that matter? Who. Knows.

[Number5]

Surely you can't be serious.

[video=youtube;0A5t5_O8hdA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0A5t5_O8hdA

[Camden_yardbird]

Best interest? Absolutely not.

Backup plan? Yeah I can see that.

Lets assume this team is decimated by injuries. AJ is out, Manny is out, Hardy is out, Tillman, etc etc.

Then, I could see a pending free agent fire sale designed to build around AJ, Manny, Hardy, Schoop, Gausman, and Bundy.

This is where I was hoping someone would get to when I wrote the opening post. I am actually pretty level headed about the whole thing, I don't have negative attitude toward the whole thing, really quite the opposite, though some people don't seem to be getting that. The OP was supposed to stretch the yo-yo in the other direction to point out that even if the Orioles off season has been horrible, even if they have a ton of injuries and don't compete this year they could still end up in a good place, arguably a better place in 2016-18 than if they are competitive this year.