The Duquette Conundrum

[Can_of_corn]

It's going to be armageddon around these parts when five of the first seven picks are spent on players outside of Baseball America's Top 100 and another pick is traded, haha.

Yea, I get a bit...involved...with the picks.

In my defense I have a pretty good track record with my initial reactions.

[Stotle]

Yea, I get a bit...involved...with the picks.

In my defense I have a pretty good track record with my initial reactions.

I love a fan base getting invested in the draft. If only we could get the media to treat the process with more nuance...

[weams]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pedro on Dan Duquette: "He was crazy enough to trade twice for the same little player. Both times he ended up looking great."</p>— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) <a href="

">July 26, 2015</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"You wanted to trade for me a third time, but I was too old."

[backwardsk]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pedro on Dan Duquette: "He was crazy enough to trade twice for the same little player. Both times he ended up looking great."</p>? Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) <a href="

">July 26, 2015</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"You wanted to trade for me a third time, but I was too old."

Was this from his HOF speech?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[weams]

Was this from his HOF speech?

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Yes. Indeed it was. Big shout outs to Dan and of course Ramon. And Chris Correnti.

[eddie83]

Yes. Indeed it was. Big shout outs to Dan and of course Ramon. And Chris Correnti.

I didn't watch. I thought Dan was suppose to go.

[MrOrange82]

I have no objection with anything you wrote here although it is worded a little more strongly than I would. Your initial opinion didn't come across as "I think he has done the following things right, but I think we have a problem coming in the future because of these things I think he did wrong". If it had, I wouldn't have blinked.

I'm not saying you've got to qualify every statement, but when so many people are thrashing around looking for someone to blame anytime something doesn't go as planned, it is difficult to determine who has a nuanced opinion such as the one expressed above versus the mad villager sharpening the pitchfork.

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Understood. FWIW, I'd go so far as to say that the O's needed someone like DD (i.e., someone willing to take risks, wheel/deal a bit) to really take advantage of the current window. I'm not sure that AM could've done the same, regardless of how many core contributors he acquired. But I'm sorely disappointed with the team's ongoing, developmental deficits, and I'm wary of what the future holds because of them.

[Il BuonO]

Understood. FWIW, I'd go so far as to say that the O's needed someone like DD (i.e., someone willing to take risks, wheel/deal a bit) to really take advantage of the current window. I'm not sure that AM could've done the same, regardless of how many core contributors he acquired. But I'm sorely disappointed with the team's ongoing, developmental deficits, and I'm wary of what the future holds because of them.

There's no way AM could have done the same, people like to romanticize his ability to trade but he moved like the seasons. That's not to say DD is perfect, but he's worked well within a system known to have humbled lesser men.

[spiritof66]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Pedro on Dan Duquette: "He was crazy enough to trade twice for the same little player. Both times he ended up looking great."</p>— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) <a href="

">July 26, 2015</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

"You wanted to trade for me a third time, but I was too old."

Is Pedo interested in coming back after the rosters expand? He might do better than some of what we've had out there.

[LookitsPuck]

My problem with Duquette is he really did jack squat in this offseason to replace Markakis, Miller and Cruz. I understand why they didn't resign those guys, but going into this season by signing AAAA replacements is inexcusable. Especially with so many players walking in 2016. This was his year to go for it and he didn't. He had one foot out the door and then had to scramble back and do damage control once he was being held onto.

[Herman]

I don't think the offseason was a disaster at all. The way some players have not lived up to their career averages has been disastrous. I don't know how you blame anyone but the players for that.

You're right, it is the players' fault. The problem is, DD was the one who brought in the players. It was a disastrous offseason b/c a lot of core players will be gone after this season

[mdbdotcom]

You're right, it is the players' fault. The problem is, DD was the one who brought in the players. It was a disastrous offseason b/c a lot of core players will be gone after this season

Herman, you crack me up.

[Machado13]

My problem with Duquette is he really did jack squat in this offseason to replace Markakis, Miller and Cruz. I understand why they didn't resign those guys, but going into this season by signing AAAA replacements is inexcusable. Especially with so many players walking in 2016. This was his year to go for it and he didn't. He had one foot out the door and then had to scramble back and do damage control once he was being held onto.

I concur. The corner outfielder replacements are unacceptable. Don't sign Cruz, I get it but at least find a more viable solution than the crap we have in corner outfield positions

[Herman]

Career OPS vs 2015 w/O's

Steve Pearce .756 vs. .682

Travis Snider .711 vs. .671

Alejandro De Aza .734 vs. .636

JJ Hardy .728 vs. .617

Matt Wieters .740 vs. .659

Career ERA vs 2015 w/O's

Miguel Gonzalez 3.56 vs. 3.99

Chris Tillman 4.09 vs. 4.71

Bud Norris 4.40 vs. 6.79

IMHO, adding one big free agent in the off-season would not have compensated for this drop in production from eight ballplayers. With career average production from these guys we'd be in the driver's seat in the AL East. We saw that in June.

I'm not trying to be a smart ass, but most of the drop-offs from the hitters aren't surprising at all. These guys are good examples of why stats shouldn't be the only way to measure a player's value before the season starts and that's why I was so skeptical before the season started. Concerns about these guys could be identified by watching them play and recognizing their limitations (De Aza, Snider, Wieters). Pearce played well last year but it was unreasonable to expect him to put up similar numbers this year.

actually watching these guys play and recognizing their limitations

I really don't understand the statement (and I'm not going to get into the "he inherited lots of core players" argument). DD's been good at finding relatively cheap, ML and AAA drifter-talent to patch holes, and he's taken some intelligent risks (e.g., Cruz), all of which have helped the O's experience their best competitive streak in recent memory. And few people (myself included) would trade that streak for anything.

But, while that's been going on, DD's done a lousy job with the things I mentioned above. That's left him with a paucity of tradeable talent and (what appears to be) a rapidly closing competitive window for the current core. Again, if he's in a no-win situation now, he's helped to create it. Pointing out that's he's done some things badly doesn't mean he's done everything badly. His failings are just being felt more strongly right now.

Solid post

[Herman]

Career OPS vs 2015 w/O's

Steve Pearce .756 vs. .682

Travis Snider .711 vs. .671

Alejandro De Aza .734 vs. .636

JJ Hardy .728 vs. .617

Matt Wieters .740 vs. .659

Career ERA vs 2015 w/O's

Miguel Gonzalez 3.56 vs. 3.99

Chris Tillman 4.09 vs. 4.71

Bud Norris 4.40 vs. 6.79

IMHO, adding one big free agent in the off-season would not have compensated for this drop in production from eight ballplayers. With career average production from these guys we'd be in the driver's seat in the AL East. We saw that in June.

Herman, you crack me up.

Common sense isn't common and that cracks me up!