As Expected, Orioles Offseason Graded a "D"

[MurphDogg]

When the O's acquired Andrew Miller they had a 1/1/2 game lead. They ended with a 12 game lead. Was he responsible for 10 and a 1/2 games? No. But his loss is an enormous loss. As I have said before I have been an O's fan for 52 years and a lifelong college and high school coach. Miller had the best stuff of any reliever we have had in the time period I have been an O's fan. They did not replace Andrew Miller.

The Orioles did not have a 1 and a half game lead when they acquired Andrew Miller. As an Orioles fan of 20+ years, I don't know how you can think that Andrew Miller had better stuff than Armando Benitez, to name just one.

[scOtt]

When the O's acquired Andrew Miller they had a 1/1/2 game lead. They ended with a 12 game lead. Was he responsible for 10 and a 1/2 games? No. But his loss is an enormous loss. As I have said before I have been an O's fan for 52 years and a lifelong college and high school coach. Miller had the best stuff of any reliever we have had in the time period I have been an O's fan. They did not replace Andrew Miller.

Miller was VERY good but he was not the reason we went to the playoffs. If you have a Ferrari and a Porsche and a Corvette and a Jag and a Super Bee in your garage, and you sell the Ferrari, then you still have an impressive garage. Our pen was very good before Miller, otherworldly with him.

[OFFNY]

When the O's acquired Andrew Miller they had a 1/1/2 game lead. They ended with a 12 game lead.

The Orioles did not have a 1 and a half game lead when they acquired Andrew Miller.

Yes they did.

The Orioles acquired Miller on July 31st, with a 1 and-a-half game lead.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BAL/2014-schedule-scores.shtml

Miller pitched the very next day (August 1st), the Orioles beat the Mariners, and their lead increased to 2 and-a-half games.

[MurphDogg]

Yes they did.

The Orioles acquired Miller on July 31st, with a 1 and-a-half game lead.

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BAL/2014-schedule-scores.shtml

Miller pitched the very next day (August 1st), the Orioles beat the Mariners, and their lead increased to 2 and-a-half games.

The Orioles traded for Andrew Miller before the July 31st games occurred. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/07/orioles-to-acquire-andrew-miller.html They had a 2.5 game lead at the time of the trade, and the Blue Jays won and the Orioles lost that night. And the team they were leading was the Blue Jays so clearly Miller made a 11.5 game difference since they beat Toronto by 13 games. The Orioles were on a 92 win pace at that time and they ended up winning 96 games. The idea that Miller was worth more than a couple games is foolish.

[El Gordo]

I think I would've tried to re-sign Cruz, even at his high asking price. He was the MVP of the team last year IMO and his bat will be sorely missed.

Cruz wouldn't replace Cruz' 2014 offense, you'd still have to sign someone else, plus pretty much count on eating most of the last two years of his contract.

[OFFNY]

The Orioles traded for Andrew Miller before the July 31st games occurred. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2014/07/orioles-to-acquire-andrew-miller.html They had a 2.5 game lead at the time of the trade, and the Blue Jays won and the Orioles lost that night. And the team they were leading was the Blue Jays so clearly Miller made a 11.5 game difference since they beat Toronto by 13 games. The Orioles were on a 92 win pace at that time and they ended up winning 96 games. The idea that Miller was worth more than a couple games is foolish.

Murph, I apologize about making a big deal over a single game.

I take myself too seriously sometimes.

I'll delete my previous post.

[MurphDogg]

And for that, you pointed it out in the first place, without elaborating?

Your point about Miller not necessarily being worth a 10-game improvement simply because they improved their lead by that many games after they acquired him is well-taken, but to simply state "The Orioles did not have a 1 and-a-half game lead when they acquired Miller" without at least saying "it was 2 and-a-half games" is not.

When a rebuttal statement is made such as that ...... without elaborating ...... it infers that the original comment that you were disputing was well off the mark, which it wasn't, which was the reason why I quoted your assertion.

Meh. Andrew Miller had about the best 20 innings that one could hope for. But the idea that even 20 perfect innings could be worth more than a couple wins is silly. As far as your posting etiquette concern, I feel like jumping in as a third party to attempt to correct someone who is correct is sillier than what I did, but different strokes I suppose. I was posting from my phone and was shooting for brevity, sorry.

[Russsnyder]

The Orioles did not have a 1 and a half game lead when they acquired Andrew Miller. As an Orioles fan of 20+ years, I don't know how you can think that Andrew Miller had better stuff than Armando Benitez, to name just one.

Is this a serious post or is this meant to be a joke?

[BohKnowsBmore]

I would like to see these bright lights take the bull by the horns and tell us what would have constituted an A offseason. And include the cost in money and prospects spent and justify why it would be worth it. No one could do it.

The ravens consistently had "bad" off seasons. Eventually pundits caught up.

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[El Gordo]

The ravens consistently had "bad" off seasons. Eventually pundits caught up.

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What do the Ravens have to do with the Orioles?

[BohKnowsBmore]

What do the Ravens have to do with the Orioles?

Lots of good players on the roster. Inability to resign all the guys coming up for pay days. Orioles had great success in 2014. Losing markakis, Cruz and miller for 2015 don't make then talent devoid.

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[Frobby]

Here's a look at the Orioles' bullpen, by month:

March/April: 4.02 ERA, 7 saves, 2 blown saves

May: 3.48 ERA, 10 saves, 6 blown saves

June: 3.35 ERA, 6 saves, 3 blown saves

July: 2.34 ERA, 11 saves, 5 blown saves

August: 2.00 ERA, 10 saves, 1 blown save

September: 3.12 ERA, 11 saves, 2 blown saves

First four months: 3.03 ERA (4th in the AL), 44 saves (most in the AL), 16 blown saves (3rd most in the AL). That's pretty respectable. You could argue that if the pre-Milller 73.3% save rate had applied in the last two months, the O's might have won three fewer games. The pen went from above average to great with the Miller acquisition. We'll probably have to settle for above average this year, unless Duquette makes another deadline move (which he probably will, if we are in the thick of things in August).

[AlbionHero]

Is this a serious post or is this meant to be a joke?

Just because Miller had one amazing year doesn't mean he'll replicate it. Benitez had a couple years as good as Miller over his career, too. I don't think its an unfair comparison, since relief pitchers are so volatile. Thats why I never would give big money to a relief pitcher.

[Can_of_corn]

Here's a look at the Orioles' bullpen, by month:

March/April: 4.02 ERA, 7 saves, 2 blown saves

May: 3.48 ERA, 10 saves, 6 blown saves

June: 3.35 ERA, 6 saves, 3 blown saves

July: 2.34 ERA, 11 saves, 5 blown saves

August: 2.00 ERA, 10 saves, 1 blown save

September: 3.12 ERA, 11 saves, 2 blown saves

First four months: 3.03 ERA (4th in the AL), 44 saves (most in the AL), 16 blown saves (3rd most in the AL). That's pretty respectable. You could argue that if the pre-Milller 73.3% save rate had applied in the last two months, the O's might have won three fewer games. The pen went from above average to great with the Miller acquisition. We'll probably have to settle for above average this year, unless Duquette makes another deadline move (which he probably will, if we are in the thick of things in August).

For that to be the case you would have to believe that Miller's presence was the deciding factor in the improvement from Matusz and Hunter. I suppose some folks would try to make that case.

[fearthenoodle]

Grading the Offseason: AL East

I think he's underrating the addition of Travis Snider, thinking of his days in Toronto and not Pittsburgh last year. He's also not considering any in-house replacements. I would rather call the off season a "C", if anything because no bad contracts were handed out. Knowing Markakis has neck surgery, I think resigning him would have lowered my grade.

I guess because it happened just before the Orioles off-season technically started, nobody seems to mention in these pieces that the Orioles resigned Hardy, who was the most important of their potential free agents, and at 3/40 might have been one of the steals of the off-season. For that reason, I'd have the grade in the C/C- range.