O's need to take a hard, hard look in the mirror this offseason

[25 Nuggets]

Oh please. If I told you in 2011 that the next 4 years would result in winning seasons, a Division Title but no championships you'd be upset? Everyone wants a title but only one team goes home 100% happy each year.

This is an Orioles board but I'll paraphrase the Ravens: "Our goal is to make the playoffs each year -- after that, let the chips fall where they may". I think that's a fine policy in baseball too, especially with this wild card format. Anyone can win in the playoffs.

[DrungoHazewood]

Oh please. If I told you in 2011 that the next 4 years would result in winning seasons, a Division Title but no championships you'd be upset? Everyone wants a title but only one team goes home 100% happy each year.

At the end of the 2011 season you could have found people willing to build an altar to false gods and sacrifice innocent kittens for what's happened over the last three-and-a-half seasons.

[sportsfan8703]

DD is always going to be able to manufacture us into not being completely out of it. But as an MLB team we have to stop relying on the whole let's hope someone has a "career year" plan. Like hoping MW and Pearce would have big years. We've had huge years so far from Machado and Davis and we're still short. This team put together it's best stretch when Parades was killing. We're sitting here in August on option number 12, for guys that we hoped would get hot and have career years.

1.Pearce

2.De Aza

3.Snider

4.Young

5.E.Cabrera

6.Lough

7.Parades

8.Reimold

9.Parmelee

10.Lake

11.Urrutia

12.Clevenger

To win over the the course of a 162 games season you have to have the horses. If we had a guy like Cruz, Markakis, Parra, then we wouldn't have been in this situation. It's really laughable when you see all the failed options and wasted (dead) money.

[LookitsPuck]

Let's not forget that Duquette was also the one that signed Ubaldo Jimenez to a 4 year contract. That cost us a #1 pick.

[olehippi]

The Orioles can stare in the mirror all they want, but it won't help. They are going to lose too many key players to free agency to be a player in the AL East next year. And we have no one in the minors ready to step up big. And I don't see any major FA signings coming our way.

The team is now in free fall as they head towards the end of this season. The chance of a wild card slot is fading and all but gone barring a miracle. I think we better prepare ourselves for another long dry spell of being competitive.

[clapdiddy]

Let's not forget that Duquette was also the one that signed Ubaldo Jimenez to a 4 year contract. That cost us a #1 pick.

I hate to say this, but I almost feel like just cutting bait with this guy right now. He is a bullpen killer.

[kakesmvp]

The Orioles can stare in the mirror all they want, but it won't help. They are going to lose too many key players to free agency to be a player in the AL East next year. And we have no one in the minors ready to step up big. And I don't see any major FA signings coming our way.

The team is now in free fall as they head towards the end of this season. The chance of a wild card slot is fading and all but gone barring a miracle. I think we better prepare ourselves for another long dry spell of being competitive.

I'm absolutely petrified that this might indeed be true. I never thought I would be saying this... but we realistically might should look into trading Adam Jones and Zach Britton next year to build our farm back up. I only say this, because I have zero faith in the Orioles front office signing any of our free agents or any free agents of value to make this a competitive team next year. I really fear that just as I thought there was light at the end of the tunnel.. well the light might up being a train coming right for us.

[Nevermore]

The Orioles can stare in the mirror all they want, but it won't help. They are going to lose too many key players to free agency to be a player in the AL East next year. And we have no one in the minors ready to step up big. And I don't see any major FA signings coming our way.

The team is now in free fall as they head towards the end of this season. The chance of a wild card slot is fading and all but gone barring a miracle. I think we better prepare ourselves for another long dry spell of being competitive.

If the O's are going into a long dry spell, then they have to do a complete rebuild. They can't just sit there and hope one (or more) of DD's AAAA guys will somehow miraculously bloom into an All-Star. O's management has to have a plan for this rebuild. They have to plan carefully and deliberately.

This would mean trading just about all of the veteran All-Stars such as Adam Jones, Zach Britton. It means rebuilding our minor league system, so let all of the FAs walk so that we can get compensatory picks. There will be a season or two of rebuilding and possibly losing seasons, such as what the Braves are doing right now. And then, in a year or a few, a phoenix will arise out of the ashes for a new era of Orioles' victories.

This is extreme. But it just might be what is needed. I'd like to think that the O's can put together competitive teams without such extreme measures. But I just don't know.

[kakesmvp]

If the O's are going into a long dry spell, then they have to do a complete rebuild. They can't just sit there and hope one (or more) of DD's AAAA guys will somehow miraculously bloom into an All-Star. O's management has to have a plan for this rebuild. They have to plan carefully and deliberately.

This would mean trading just about all of the veteran All-Stars such as Adam Jones, Zach Britton. It means rebuilding our minor league system, so let all of the FAs walk so that we can get compensatory picks. There will be a season or two of rebuilding and possibly losing seasons, such as what the Braves are doing right now. And then, in a year or a few, a phoenix will arise out of the ashes for a new era of Orioles' victories.

This is extreme. But it just might be what is needed. I'd like to think that the O's can put together competitive teams without such extreme measures. But I just don't know.

This is exactly where I am with my thoughts of the team now and I've never been a blow it up guy. After watching this offseason take place though... I just don't have any faith whatsoever in the Orioles building a winning team through resigning some of our guys and adding other free agents of value. We have no one in our farm that excites me.. it's sad.

[24fps]

DD is always going to be able to manufacture us into not being completely out of it. But as an MLB team we have to stop relying on the whole let's hope someone has a "career year" plan. Like hoping MW and Pearce would have big years. We've had huge years so far from Machado and Davis and we're still short. This team put together it's best stretch when Parades was killing. We're sitting here in August on option number 12, for guys that we hoped would get hot and have career years.

1.Pearce

2.De Aza

3.Snider

4.Young

5.E.Cabrera

6.Lough

7.Parades

8.Reimold

9.Parmelee

10.Lake

11.Urrutia

12.Clevenger

To win over the the course of a 162 games season you have to have the horses. If we had a guy like Cruz, Markakis, Parra, then we wouldn't have been in this situation. It's really laughable when you see all the failed options and wasted (dead) money.

In what universe was it possible to throw away Matt Wieters prior to the 2015 season? After Pearce's 157 OPS+ 2014 he stole a whopping 3% of the Orioles' budget from an innocent and unsuspecting Dan Duquette. Or was it a corrupt and scheming Toronto-bound Dan Duquette. I'm having a hard time keeping the narratives straight.

[Nevermore]

This is exactly where I am with my thoughts of the team now and I've never been a blow it up guy. After watching this offseason take place though... I just don't have any faith whatsoever in the Orioles building a winning team through resigning some of our guys and adding other free agents of value. We have no one in our farm that excites me.. it's sad.

And if it turns out to be a complete rebuild, I don't believe that DD is the guy who will be able to do this. He's too impatient for a complete rebuild job. It has to be someone who can put together a very deliberate plan, without looking at AAAA players and hoping that they'll somehow bloom into All-Stars. DD would be good for a team that needs some "tweaking." But not good for a team that needs a complete, structural rebuild. Not sure who is available for such a job.

[Nevermore]

In what universe was it possible to throw away Matt Wieters prior to the 2015 season? After Pearce's 157 OPS+ 2014 he stole a whopping 3% of the Orioles' budget from an innocent and unsuspecting Dan Duquette. Or was it a corrupt and scheming Toronto-bound Dan Duquette. I'm having a hard time keeping the narratives straight.

Another narrative: Dan Duquette would be quite suited for a team that needs a bit of tweaking. However, at this point, the Orioles may very well be a team that needs a complete rebuild. I'm just not sure that DD is the person who can do this careful, patient, and deliberate rebuilding process.

[24fps]

Another narrative: Dan Duquette would be quite suited for a team that needs a bit of tweaking. However, at this point, the Orioles may very well be a team that needs a complete rebuild. I'm just not sure that DD is the person who can do this careful, patient, and deliberate rebuilding process.

I suspect the notion of a complete rebuild hasn't entered the mind of anyone in ownership or management. Nor will it between now and the first of April, 2016. We will just have to suffer through another attempt to put a team on the field actually capable of winning baseball games in the here and now rather than some idealized and doctrinally pure future. May God have mercy on our souls.

[Nevermore]

I suspect the notion of a complete rebuild hasn't entered the mind of anyone in ownership or management. Nor will it between now and the first of April, 2016. We will just have to suffer through another attempt to put a team on the field actually capable of winning baseball games in the here and now rather than some idealized and doctrinally pure future. May God have mercy on our souls.

The problem is that this strategy (putting a team on the field actually capable of winning baseball games in the here and now) may not work. It will possibly bring nothing but frustration among O's fans for years to come.

I'm not saying that a complete, deliberate rebuild is necessary. It's just a possibility that I'm exploring.

[Orioles1954]

I wonder if Buck is also taking a long hard look at the offseason and planning accordingly.