The This Team IS Done, We are Dumb and Nothing can Fix it MEGA THREAD

[TiredofLosing20]

What position player that might leave is actually performing well now? Davis? Wieters? De Aza?

Good Point....

That's $25mm a year in just bleh. Throw in Norris's contract and wow that is $33mm in horrible.

[Dipper9]

I posted this at the end of the game thread but also thought I'd include it here since it is more relevant to this thread than the game thread.

This team just flat out isn't very good.

We look like a bunch of spare parts lazily thrown together, which odds are, that is exactly what we are. No cohesion, no game plan, just throwing junk against the wall and hoping something sticks.

Davis looks like a total loss. We simply can't keep running out a 1b who can't get on base or drive a baseball other than once every two weeks or so.

We have a revolving door of players at the corner outfield spots who on any given night range from mediocre to indefensibly bad.

The bullpen is in disarray outside of oday, Britton and a AAA call up.

I simply don't see where this team gets better to the point that they win the east or even make the playoffs.

Sorry, but this is on Duquette. This team looks like a scrap heap and even Buck can't work his magic on this group.

The Orioles were 6 games back last summer before running away with the division, and the AL East is in worse shape this year than last. I'm not ready to throw in the towel just yet, but I will concede that this offense looks dead. If they don't hit a homer we don't score.

[Dipper9]

I expect to see Hardy back on the DL soon. He still looks hurt and can't hit.. which means more playing time for Cabrera

De Aza and Snider have not played well enough to get consistant playing time.

We won't make any significant moves to beef up our roster during the season.

Just wait for the next off season when all those position players leave and we replace them with all of our AAAA fodder. Pretty sure the Toronto issue will come back up and wouldn't be suprised if he leaves.

I fear the 2016 version of the Orioles is going to make this current group of guys look like the Dynasty Bronx Bombers.

[Aristotelian]

I can see why DD stayed pat. Between Pearce and Davis, it was very reasonable to assume that one of these guys would produce. We have also gotten nothing out of 2B or SS. He also did not expect Norris to have a 10+ ERA and Tillman to be 2-6 with 5+ ERA. Gausman was looking like the 7th inning bridge guy who could match up against anyone and replace Miller. It was a sound plan. Unfortunately DD has gotten some rotten luck with injuries and slumps.

The pitching is working itself out. Tillman looks OK, and Wright is stepping up. Hopefully Norris will be on a tight leash when he comes back. DD has built enough depth that the slumps and injuries haven't been fatal.

All we are missing right now is an extra bat. AJ will heat up. The question is will Pearce or Davis. Get Schoop back, get Wieters back. Not sure what the plan is with Gausman, but hopefully we get him back and move Wright to the pen or vice versa. We are still only 2.5 games back. We are capable of playing better just with the guys we have. Make a move in July if we are in it.

Long term, 2016 is going to be incredibly interesting. Only a few big contracts holding us back. Less money tied up in arbitration guys. A core of promising young pitchers. Upton will be there for the taking. DD did not go "all in" for this year, but he has also set us up to retool and stay competitive for years to come.

[Mayor McCheese]

I can see why DD stayed pat. Between Pearce and Davis, it was very reasonable to assume that one of these guys would produce. We have also gotten nothing out of 2B or SS. He also did not expect Norris to have a 10+ ERA and Tillman to be 2-6 with 5+ ERA. Gausman was looking like the 7th inning bridge guy who could match up against anyone and replace Miller. It was a sound plan. Unfortunately DD has gotten some rotten luck with injuries and slumps.

The pitching is working itself out. Tillman looks OK, and Wright is stepping up. Hopefully Norris will be on a tight leash when he comes back. DD has built enough depth that the slumps and injuries haven't been fatal.

All we are missing right now is an extra bat. AJ will heat up. The question is will Pearce or Davis. Get Schoop back, get Wieters back. Not sure what the plan is with Gausman, but hopefully we get him back and move Wright to the pen or vice versa. We are still only 2.5 games back. We are capable of playing better just with the guys we have. Make a move in July if we are in it.

Long term, 2016 is going to be incredibly interesting. Only a few big contracts holding us back. Less money tied up in arbitration guys. A core of promising young pitchers. Upton will be there for the taking. DD did not go "all in" for this year, but he has also set us up to retool and stay competitive for years to come.

You make some good points.

However, I do not agree that Gausman should be used as a 7th inning man. Kid has too much talent to be a bullpen arm this early in his career. He should either be starting for the Orioles are down in AAA when he's ready to return.

The Orioles will never go "All-in".. If that were the case, this season was the year to do it. We have the core in place and some key guys who were returning (Machado / Wieters). Please don't expect the Orioles to open up the check book and sign big name FA's just because we have money coming off the books....

[24fps]

I don't know if this team was as good as their record last year, but they were close. Add in Wieters and Machado, Cruz and perhaps Miller, along with a competent RF who could bat lead off, and imo this was a WS winning team. But DD 100% dropped the ball. Or he didn't try because he was pissed off at PA. Either way, what happened to the team, and in turn the fans, this off season was a travesty. The WS was there for the taking. We balked.

Or he was told by PA to STFU while he (PA) figured out whether tampering occurred, identifiable damage was done to the Orioles and whether some formal action was required. You know, the sort of things that might occur to a tort lawyer. I can't say I'm overjoyed with DD's conduct this offseason, but the notion that he got in a snit and actively undermined the team is ludicrous.

[Aristotelian]

What position player that might leave is actually performing well now? Davis? Wieters? De Aza?

Chen. But otherwise I fully agree with your point. We have a lot of dead weight right now. Some of it could have been anticipated (De Aza, Matusz, possibly Norris to some extent) and DD deserves some heat for that. The fact that we are treading water with this much dead weight makes me think 2016 could be a very interesting year.

[Il BuonO]

I expect to see Hardy back on the DL soon. He still looks hurt and can't hit.. which means more playing time for Cabrera

De Aza and Snider have not played well enough to get consistant playing time.

We won't make any significant moves to beef up our roster during the season.

Just wait for the next off season when all those position players leave and we replace them with all of our AAAA fodder. Pretty sure the Toronto issue will come back up and wouldn't be suprised if he leaves.

Done, done, done!

MEGA THREAD

[salpollock]

Because nobody else wants him. I don't understand he could make a great Bat Boy with any organization even ours.:

[25 Nuggets]

"This is the adversity stage," says Adam Jones. "How do you respond to this?"

I think there may be more to that than poor on-field execution. Things are different this year. Team has a different feel to it. Here are some things I've observed:

- Losing Nick Markakis apparently disappointing a number of people in the organization. Possibly the same with Cruz.

- The Dan Duquette to Toronto saga.

- Matt Wieters still not playing even though we were told he could be back by opening day.

- Manny Machado acting like a brat.

- The aforementioned comment by Jones.

- Contract year for many players on the team, with conventional wisdom saying they won't stay.

- Lapses in concentration by the defense.

- Buck looking frustrated quite often.

- Overall body language from the team.

By all means correct me if I'm wrong, or add something to the list. It's only a gut feeling, not based on fact but circumstantial evidence. I'm just a guy that believes in the power of momentum. You want to know the one thing that can be done to get immediate results, I believe it is improving clubhouse atmosphere.

[vab]

Winning breeds chemistry, not the other way around. They have to win.

[El Gordo]

I suspect it has more to do with poor performance from COF, Tillman and Norris, than chemistry.

[Ruzious]

Having a big bat in the lineup like Cruz gave the rest of the team confidence. Not having him - and not really replacing him - makes a difference. They know a guy like Paredes was playing over his head. I don't think letting Nick go really has much of an effect.

[Rene88]

Having a big bat in the lineup like Cruz gave the rest of the team confidence. Not having him - and not really replacing him - makes a difference. They know a guy like Paredes was playing over his head. I don't think letting Nick go really has much of an effect.

Spot on. But they didn't want to go 4 years...not giving Matusz and De AZa would have helped with that. Frustrating.

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[Orioles1954]

I also wonder how the clubhouse is feeling? Make an ALCS appearance and do NOTHING to resign the guys who got you there and not replace them with anything meaningful. I would like to see us make a run at Trumbo or Gomez....but this is the Orioles.