Getting Ready To Raise the White Flag

[Bahama O's Fan]

I'm not saying I've raised it yet, it's not attached to the rope either. But I'm taking it out.

[MDK02]

Yeah it's getting close. I can't see how being buyers is going to improve the club.

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[Bird Dog]

Time to root for whoever's playing the MFY.

[Hank Scorpio]

Yeah... they'd be wise to sell.

But they won't.

[FanSince88]

This team is not going to be the New York Giants of the Shot Heard Round the World season. For one thing, there are two other teams besides the Yanks in their division alone who are also capable of taking the division. Not to mention several other fairly good AL teams like Houston and Minnesota (who have both kicked our behinds so far this year) competing for the WC.

Seven games out at the end of July is not going to get it done. Selling is what any competent FO should be doing if there is a loss tomorrow. A hold with a win tomorrow would be acceptable -- 7 games out is a whole lot different than 5.

I know there are many of you who keep saying "this FO isn't going to sell so why discuss it?" Well, if that's true, then they aren't a competent FO. Especially with huge concerns about how to replace all the talent that's inevitably going to depart after this season.

How many of us really think that we're going to say to ourselves at the end of the year when Chen, Davis, Wieters, etc are all long gone, "Gee I'm really glad we held on to those guys so we could go 82-80! That's SO much better than going 77-85!"

[FanSince88]

This team is not going to be the New York Giants of the Shot Heard Round the World season. For one thing, there are two other teams besides the Yanks in their division alone who are also capable of taking the division. Not to mention several other fairly good AL teams like Houston and Minnesota (who have both kicked our behinds so far this year) competing for the WC.

Seven games out at the end of July is not going to get it done. Selling is what any competent FO should be doing if there is a loss tomorrow. A hold with a win tomorrow would be acceptable -- 7 games out is a whole lot different than 5.

I know there are many of you who keep saying "this FO isn't going to sell so why discuss it?" Well, if that's true, then they aren't a competent FO. Especially with huge concerns about how to replace all the talent that's inevitably going to depart after this season.

How many of us really think that we're going to say to ourselves at the end of the year when Chen, Davis, Wieters, etc are all long gone, "Gee I'm really glad we held on to those guys so we could go 82-80! That's SO much better than going 77-85!"

BTW, just so I'm clear, I'm not rooting for a loss tomorrow. I'm simply saying if that's what happens, this team MUST sell. Full stop.

[oriolediehard]

If we lose tomorrow it is white flag day. Thanks to the lack of trying hitters. I wonder

how happy the fans will be when we lose half the team this offseason? I am a fan who doesn't

tolerate losing. Back to the pre 2012 team. I know many of you are going to blast me,

Losing to me is like being smacked in the head, so you blasting me feels better than losing.

[theobird]

This team is not going to be the New York Giants of the Shot Heard Round the World season. For one thing, there are two other teams besides the Yanks in their division alone who are also capable of taking the division. Not to mention several other fairly good AL teams like Houston and Minnesota (who have both kicked our behinds so far this year) competing for the WC.

Seven games out at the end of July is not going to get it done. Selling is what any competent FO should be doing if there is a loss tomorrow. A hold with a win tomorrow would be acceptable -- 7 games out is a whole lot different than 5.

I know there are many of you who keep saying "this FO isn't going to sell so why discuss it?" Well, if that's true, then they aren't a competent FO. Especially with huge concerns about how to replace all the talent that's inevitably going to depart after this season.

How many of us really think that we're going to say to ourselves at the end of the year when Chen, Davis, Wieters, etc are all long gone, "Gee I'm really glad we held on to those guys so we could go 82-80! That's SO much better than going 77-85!"

Of course, you are absolutely correct. But it will not be met with a lot of acceptance on here. I will go one stp further and say that we should be sellers right now, no doubt about it. I am an Orioles fan! Not just a 2015 Oriole Fan. The only reasonably intelligent course of action in the position we are in is to build the organization up the best we can to fight again in 2016 and beyond. I fear that we won't and that we will have another long run of lost summers.

[Bmorefan24]

Agreed. I really don't yhjnk this team is a left fielder away from contending. Other than the 2-3 week run in June, the chemistry just seems to be lacking this year.

Ton of holes to fill next year, and getting all you can for Davis, Weiters, and Chen would be head start.

[Rich Mac]

You're probably going to take some heat for this post, but I have to stand by you.

I would never have thought that we would be in this position only 2 weeks ago, but it is now becoming painfully obvious that we aren't going to win the World Series this year. DD took the gamble last year and traded for Miller. The difference between seasons is that we had a legitimate shot at winning the WS last year. You are only fooling yourself if you think we can do that this year. We are more than one player away from playing at that level and we barely have the minor league talent to get one impact player.

I believe that DD could make a bold and profitable move by selling now. The lack of sellers and plethora of contenders would mean that our veterans could haul in some serious prospects.

Anyhow, I know this isn't going to happen, but typing this seems therapeutic.

[Three Run Homer]

They can't sell, because this is the last year the team has a chance to be competitive in the next few years.

Even if they sell all of their pending free agents, they don't have the front-line talent to land a blue-chip prospect. I can see a contender giving up a top 50 prospect for David Price or Johnny Cueto, but not Chris Davis or Wei-Yin Chen.

[HokieOs]

They can't sell, because this is the last year the team has a chance to be competitive in the next few years.

Even if they sell all of their pending free agents, they don't have the front-line talent to land a blue-chip prospect. I can see a contender giving up a top 50 prospect for David Price or Johnny Cueto, but not Chris Davis or Wei-Yin Chen.

Exactly. We'll be better off (most likely) taking the picks that will come with Davis and Chen's departures in the offseason than what we would land for them now. But sacrificing too much of our farm system to "put the club over the top" is looking less and less prudent. We have fallen to 6 games back now for the division and 4 for the Wild Card. Not insurmountable. But the Os aren't exactly on fire of late. 5-13 in the last 18 games.

Outside of a steal of a deal, we should stand pat IMO. And IMO, that's what we will do, outside of a relatively inconsequential deal or two.

[sportsfan8703]

We're not going to lose. For some reason this team wins games like this. Schoop hits a big HR off Tanaka and we leave yankee stadium only losing 1 game in the standings.

[Rich Mac]

They can't sell, because this is the last year the team has a chance to be competitive in the next few years.

Even if they sell all of their pending free agents, they don't have the front-line talent to land a blue-chip prospect. I can see a contender giving up a top 50 prospect for David Price or Johnny Cueto, but not Chris Davis or Wei-Yin Chen.

I hate to inform you, but we AREN"T competitive this year.

There are a lot of contenders competing for the likes of Price and Cueto. When those guys get sold there will be desperation buying. I think we all would be very surprised at the amount of talent our veteran FAs could haul in. The alternative is letting them walk after a failed season and getting god-knows-what for them with the extra draft picks.

[24fps]

If I ever found myself the owner of a truly ugly dog, I think I would name him Strategic Capitulation. He wouldn't be interesting or fun or friendly, in fact he wouldn't do much of anything. The only thing notable about him would be that in some bizarre and unnerving way it would appear at times that he thought he was smarter than all the other dogs who were out having fun.

Maybe he's on to something. I wouldn't be surprised if this cause needed a mascot.