This is A Mess (Mega RANT Thread)

[Stotle]

I was actually thinking that Chris Davis would be attractive to the Cubs. But, he's going nowhere right now.

They have all the corner bats they need.

[Tryptamine]

They have all the corner bats they need.

Yeah, ideally they're looking for a Ben Zobrist or a left hander who can play CF to platoon with Dexter who has been truly disappointing.

[Tryptamine]

Cubs are looking at relievers.

Yeah, they're looking at guys like Papelbon who take money and not talent. No one above Vogelbach on the prospect tree is being moved for a reliever so any mentions of McKinney,Gleyber,Schwarber,Baez,Castro etc can be thrown out.

[Aristotelian]

And what possible interest would the Red Sox have in three months of Bud Norris? We couldn't get anything for Bud this offseason, we sure as heck are not going to get a replacement for Adam Jones when Bud has been sent to the bullpen with a 6.98 ERA.

[luismatos4prez]

I would not trade Adam Jones for any package that would reasonably be offered for him.

[Aristotelian]

Oops...I see the scenario is preseason.

[weams]

Other thread closed while I was trying to respond to questions about trades. Summary of what I was writing:

Machado is young, impactful, and cost controlled. Not an asset I look to trade unless I'm getting same back. I advocated trading Jones rather than extending him. He has been better than I expected, for sure. I would have been open to trading him this offseason when San Diego was clearly in need of a CF if it meant bringing back Myers and one or two other cost controlled pieces. Add Britton while we're at it.

BAL - Jones, Britton

SD - Myers, Wisler, Renfroe

And trade for Upton with Harvey anchoring the deal:

ATL - Harvey, Sisco, international money

BAL - Justin Upton

And trade for Jackie Bradley Jr as a down-order bat that will provide plus defense in center field and hopefully grow into an okay bat eventually.

BAL - JBJ

BOS - Norris (BAL paying half of contract)

2015

C - Wieters/Joseph

1B - Davis

2B - Schoop

SS - Hardy

3B - Machado

LF - Myers

CF - JBJ

RF - Upton

DH - Same collection of candidates

SP01 - Tillman

SP02 - Chen

SP03 - Gonzalez

SP04 - Jimenez

SP05 - Gausman

(AAA - Wisler, Wright, Wilson, Davies)

I don't believe that team is any worse than the team Baltimore has now, allows for more roster flexibility because you have everyday players rather than platoons (including cost controlled and cheap Myers and JBJ), and has added to your upper-minors a long term RF solution that could be ready by 2016 (Renfroe) and a potential mid-rotation arm that is ready in 2015 if needed (Wisler, who is also your ready replacement for Chen).

I think the Orioles missed an opportunity to load up on collegiate talent that could be ready to help out much more quickly than the HSers. We'll see how it shakes out.

Next year's QO picks, likewise, we'll see how many are in play and what comes of them.

Machado and Schoop are long term pieces for me, with the latter being available in a deal if the right deal comes along and I have another decent option at 2B. Not a believer in Paredes as a long term solution.

I think you can get one of their low minors arms (Cease would be my target) plus Vogelbach, McKinney, or Almora -- potentially Javier Baez or Castro straight up.

I take whatever deal is best overall value and give the closer job to Will Smith. If I get Baez I'm rotating him, Schoop, Hardy, and Machado through the DH spot to keep legs fresh, and then making a decision as to whether or not he or Machado is the long term shortstop once Hardy leaves.

I really hate a lot of this.

[Redskins Rick]

I would not trade Adam Jones for any package that would reasonably be offered for him.

Dang, so AJ for Trout and Pujols, is out of the question?

[Stotle]

What I don't get. I see some moves with the future in mind. The Upton move doesn't really fit. Why are we trading two of our top 5 prospects for a one year rental? The team you built is arguably pretty comparable to the current team. With Myers, Bradley, Renfroe, we have some future pieces. Why give up two more future pieces for Upton?

Price of replacing the Jones production in the "now", and hopefully you are in a position to lock him up long term (though that can't be the deciding factor in making the move). Neither Sisco nor Harvey is contributing in the next two years and both still have developmental questions attached to them. Ultimately, I feel like I'm better off in the aggregate with Myers/Renfroe/Wisler and then having to sign Upton to the extension or as a FA than having Jones/Sisco/Harvey.

But clearly that's not a slam dunk -- could turn out very poorly.

[Stotle]

Yeah, they're looking at guys like Papelbon who take money and not talent. No one above Vogelbach on the prospect tree is being moved for a reliever so any mentions of McKinney,Gleyber,Schwarber,Baez,Castro etc can be thrown out.

If you say so, but I'd be a little less sure of myself were I in your shoes.

[Stotle]

I really hate a lot of this.

Fortunately for everyone I'm in no danger of finding myself in charge of decision-making for the Orioles!

[Tryptamine]

Whoever trades for Cameron Maybin is going to get a heck of a deal. His LD% is up, MED% is way up, he's going opposite field more than he ever has before. There's a lot of information suggesting the improvements he has made at the plate this year are real.

[hoosiers]

Well, let's be fair. Trading the veterans for prospects is a great way to build the system. We MIGHT be better off today. Would we have won 96 games and made the playoffs in 2014 if we had traded Hardy, Wieters, etc.? Maybe. But that clearly wasn't the intention of the guy who wanted to to that in December of 2013

This also assumes that the prospects would have been ML regulars. That is far from certain.

All correct.

The PRIMARY intention was to sell high on cost controlled star players. As I note repeatedly with the Bedard trade, there should be the possibility of including in the prospects acquired one or two major league ready guys who could put up quality WAR numbers right away to reduce the impact of the talent lost.

Clearly, there is a bit of hindsight saying we would have competed anyway, but I will say that I do not think it is a coincidence. Similarly, trading the players was not made with the thought the team would languish at the bottom of the division. There was a core of Jones, Tillman, Machado, Bundy, EdRod and others in the organization.

Dealing cost controlled players for prospects brings financial flexibility, reduced injury risk and an accumulation of talent that has a way of working into competitiveness quicker than expected.

[weams]

Fortunately for everyone I'm in no danger of finding myself in charge of decision-making for the Orioles!

You are a smart guy. Just a bit too creative for my codgerly tastes.

[Stotle]

JBJ. Not saying he won't ever hit. But with a .543 OPS in 509 career AB's, how long would he have actually lasted in CF for this team. He'd be in Norfolk right now and David Lough or someone would be our CF. What's the latest on Myer's wrist? He's been having problems with it for two years now.

No question there is risk with the bat, but he's a legit potential 2 win defender, so there is room for him as a eight- or nine-hole hitter so long as he's chewing up grass in a value-friendly CF like Baltimore. Tough for me to say what he'd be doing and whether it would be in Norfolk or Baltimore.

Myers had surgery in June to remove a bone spur in the wrist -- currently working slightly ahead of schedule on rehab. Supposedly back around mid-August.