This is A Mess (Mega RANT Thread)

[TonySoprano]

Sigh.

I guess I need to go back through the posts from Nov 2014 - March 2015 to find the multiple threads of snark.

I'm not making it up, it's ALL there.

What am I supposed to say that's new when the team keeps losing because of the fact that DD did nothing of note during the offseason? Please explain that to me.

We're not losing because of some mystical problem, it's because of one thing: DD's lack of moves during the offseason.

Sorry if I don't deify the man.

MSK

Nobody is deifying the man. Knock off the hyperbole. I asked you earlier for specifics about who you would bring up after your salary dump but you'd rather stick with bumper sticker slogans. I've seen over and over from you how Dan supposedly mailed it in because of Toronto and frankly I'm tired of it. Try and address this post, since you ignored this also weeks ago. What was so special about the prior offseasons that led to the success we've had the past three years?

Here are the 2013 offseason transactions. Until Jimenez was signed on Feb, 19, and Cruz was signed 5 days later, the biggest move was acquiring Davis Lough on December 18. Given how 2014 went, the only move that really paid off was Cruz. There was no talk of Toronto then. Ditto, the 2012 offeason when the biggest name still on the team is McFarland .

Contract extensions and arbitration increases added to payroll this year. After that, we don't know what payroll flexibility Dan had left. Pay no attention to the body of work from Tillman, and Norris to date, or that Hardy has missed over half of the games played. Instead, we'd rather point to conspiracy theories, and disparage Dan's work ethic. Whatever.

[25 Nuggets]

So, since the other poster didn't answer, I will ask you. Are you saying that we need a manager other than Buck? If so, you're saying you would fire him?

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It was inevitable. Eventually somebody would start the fire Buck bandwagon. Thank goodness it's still pretty empty.

[edit - actually I saw rumblings much earlier in the year]

[25 Nuggets]

The love for Travis Snider continues. He is in the lineup again tonight. Playing RF.

He's still our best corner outfielder (moving Davis from 1B aside). Not saying much, but statistically it's true.

[25 Nuggets]

This thread should me moved to the rants forum at this point.

I do think DD and the Orioles front office was affected by the Toronto mess, and I am still angry at the Blue Jays for tampering. That was only a portion of the off season however, not the entirety of it.

The Orioles, again, have an above average OPS+ and an above average ERA+ as a team. They've scored more runs than they've given up. They're not far from being a contending team, despite their up-and-down season. Nothing has changed from the arguments we had earlier this year:

- Matt Wieters hasn't produced / was injured. He is likely no longer an all-star caliber player.

- Chris Tillman has been worse. Bud Norris has been worse. Together they've really hurt the rotation.

- Both JJ Hardy and Jonathan Schoop missed significant time, and Everth Cabrera was an awful replacement.

- The team was not able to replace Nelson Cruz (or super-Steve Pearce for that matter) in the lineup.

Blame Duquette sure, the off season doesn't look like it was a good one. This is still not the Orioles of ten years ago.

[brooksfrankjim]

It starts with how he handled DD. The fact is DD wanted out to go to Toronto, yet PA doesn't allow him to leave. Set compensation aside, why would PA want to keep someone who didn't want to be here? How could PA trust any decision DD made from that point forward? Trades, signings, draft, and so on. How do you trust DD....I'm not saying DD lacks integrity. I'm just saying as the owner of the business that I would find it impossible to trust DD with decisions.

We should have either gone all in for 2015 by bringing our free agents back or we should have traded guys this past offseason. Like DD, we have a bunch of free agents with their feet out the door.

All of this uncertainty damages an organization but that is par for the course under PA. He mishandled DD. He mishandled free agents. He has little to no commitment to winning. You think Adam Jones will be a happy camper when we arrive at spring training next year? Will Manny sign long term deal with an owner not committed to winning?

[Tx Oriole]

It starts with how he handled DD. The fact is DD wanted out to go to Toronto, yet PA doesn't allow him to leave. Set compensation aside, why would PA want to keep someone who didn't want to be here? How could PA trust any decision DD made from that point forward? Trades, signings, draft, and so on. How do you trust DD....I'm not saying DD lacks integrity. I'm just saying as the owner of the business that I would find it impossible to trust DD with decisions.

We should have either gone all in for 2015 by bringing our free agents back or we should have traded guys this past offseason. Like DD, we have a bunch of free agents with their feet out the door.

All of this uncertainty damages an organization but that is par for the course under PA. He mishandled DD. He mishandled free agents. He has little to no commitment to winning. You think Adam Jones will be a happy camper when we arrive at spring training next year? Will Manny sign long term deal with an owner not committed to winning?

Wow! You are so offbase. IMO

[Can_of_corn]

I'm not sure how this qualifies as a "Mess"?

Team is two games under 500 and appears to have been unlucky with solid run differential and pythag. They have a ton of money coming off the books, one of the best young players in the game and no bad contracts.

There was a solid decade where I would have been pleased as punch to have the team be in this situation.

[Rich Mac]

I'm not sure how this qualifies as a "Mess"?

Team is two games under 500 and appears to have been unlucky with solid run differential and pythag. They have a ton of money coming off the books, one of the best young players in the game and no bad contracts.

There was a solid decade where I would have been pleased as punch to have the team be in this situation.

I agree ... except there might be two exceptions with the contracts. Ubaldo and Hardy. Hopefully Ubaldo gets out of this little funk, gets back on track and remains there. I fear that age may creep up on Hardy, but that is just my opinion, and I hope I'm wrong because I love the O's and really like JJ.

[Can_of_corn]

I agree ... except there might be two exceptions with the contracts. Ubaldo and Hardy. Hopefully Ubaldo gets out of this little funk, gets back on track and remains there. I fear that age may creep up on Hardy, but that is just my opinion, and I hope I'm wrong because I love the O's and really like JJ.

I don't think they are good contracts but as it currently stands they are not bad by today's standards. They shouldn't impede the team going forward.

[TINSTAAPP]

I'm not sure how this qualifies as a "Mess"?

Team is two games under 500 and appears to have been unlucky with solid run differential and pythag. They have a ton of money coming off the books, one of the best young players in the game and no bad contracts.

There was a solid decade where I would have been pleased as punch to have the team be in this situation.

That's a pretty optimistic way of looking at things. I look at this team and I see a team that needs two starting pitchers maybe three if Kevin Gausman continues to tank and four new position players (C, 1B, LF, RF) next year. That's a lot of holes for this team to replace this off-season.

[Can_of_corn]

That's a pretty optimistic way of looking at things. I look at this team and I see a team that needs two starting pitchers maybe three if Kevin Gausman continues to tank and four new position players (C, 1B, LF, RF) next year. That's a lot of holes for this team to replace this off-season.

Ubaldo, Tillman, Gonzo, and Gausman will be back. Why do they need two starting pitchers?

[mdbdotcom]

Our season hasn't gone as well as hoped or expected. Must be someone's fault.

[Rich Mac]

I don't think they are good contracts but as it currently stands they are not bad by today's standards. They shouldn't impede the team going forward.

True. Just look at the Phillies.

[Can_of_corn]

Thanks, now I don't have to type it.

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Now next year at this time it might be a mess.

There is certainly a chance this does go bad quickly.

[Can_of_corn]

I agree. The offseason could go a lot of ways and some of them could be awful. For the first time in a long time we better spend some significant money on FA (even if they are own FA to keep them here). No matter what happens next year we will have some talented players, but we certainly will need to add some significant pieces are it won't be pretty.

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Think of the damage a poor draft could do.