We'll get it turned around if we get better at drafting pitchers.

[tntoriole]

I think the O's have drafted some decent pitchers, but they have a hard time keeping them healthy. I don't know enough to say whether that's just bad luck, bad development or problems with the medical staff.

One thing I feel confident in saying is that the Orioles are at a huge disadvantage relative to almost every other team in the majors because they refuse to compete for premium international amateur talent. Even the Twins were willing to sign Sano, and he looks like a future MVP candidate.

It's very hard for a mid-market team to compete long-term without an excellent farm system, and it's impossible to have an excellent farm system with one hand tied behind your back.

This is the one that I, and a number of others on this board, called for and called for and called for back in 2009 when the Twins signed him for 3.1 million. Many on this board were like.."oh, it's way too much, it's way too risky, it's not what the Orioles should do". Well, this kid is going to take over the Miggy title...years ago THE Miggy was Tejada, then THE Miggy has been Cabrera...but for the next decade it is going to be Sano. I just cry when I think of Sano and Manny and Schoop all in the same infield. 3.2 million and we would have had him because he WANTED to be an Oriole due to his worship of Felix Pie...lol.

[PaulFolk]

FWIW, last night 20 of the 30 starting pitchers were first round picks, per ESPN.

Not that it really matters in the grand scheme of things. But I would be interested to see how many of those 20 were still with the team that drafted them.

The answer: 11.

Kevin Gausman (Orioles), Kyle Gibson (Twins), Jon Gray (Rockies), Sonny Gray (Athletics), Matt Harvey (Mets), Taylor Jungmann (Brewers), Clayton Kershaw (Dodgers), Aaron Nola (Phillies), Henry Owens (Red Sox), Michael Wacha (Cardinals), Taijuan Walker (Mariners).

The other nine former first rounders who started: Trevor Bauer (Indians, drafted by Diamondbacks), John Danks (White Sox, drafted by Rangers), R.A. Dickey (Blue Jays, drafted by Rangers), Cole Hamels (Rangers, drafted by Phillies), Andrew Heaney (Angels, drafted by Marlins), Scott Kazmir (Astros, drafted by Mets), Ian Kennedy (Padres, drafted by Yankees), Mike Leake (Giants, drafted by Reds), Max Scherzer (Nationals, drafted by Diamondbacks).

[BradyBunch]

Feel free to research it yourself, as I don't have time right now. But of the more systematic studies I've seen in the past, I don't think the results are very different.

Eyeballing the 13 first rounders on my list, I'd say the vast majority had success with their original team: Kershaw, Sale, Scherzer, Greinke, Price, Bumgardner, Cole, Gray, Wacha, Hamels, Harvey, S. Miller, Kazmir. The ones who didn't were traded before reaching the majors.

But one has to pay attention to Orioles drafting spots and years of those drafts. For example some of those pitcers you list fall into if we would have drafted them we would have lost a few guys as well..

2002 draft.. it included Greinke, Hamels, Cain, and Kazmir. Orioles drafted Adam Loewen.

2007 draft.. it included Price and Bumgardner. Orioles drafted Matt Wieters.

2010 draft.. it included Harvey and Sale. Orioles drafted Manny Machado.

2011 draft.. it included Cole, Gray and Jos? Fern?ndez. Cole was the 1st pick and the Oriole had the 4th pick. Orioles drafted Dylan Bundy.

2012 draft... it had Wacha and Orioles took Gausman.

2002, 2007, 2010, and 2011 the Orioles drafted damn well in the 1st round. Injuries for Adam Loewn (broken elbow) and Dylan Bundy's TJ surgery and whatever is going on now.. really harmed their ability to be impact players. Yes there are other drafts where the Orioles missed badly such as draftedin Brandon Synder in 2005 which the Orioles missed out on Ellsbury and Matt Garza or 2006 when the Orioles could have drafted Scherzer.