Is it ok to give up on Miguel Gonzalez?

[LookitsPuck]

Did he though? Outperforming your FiP three years in a row is impressive and maybe even informative, but I think Gonzo really got helped by the fact that those were his first (and only) three years to that point. The fact that he didn't outperform his peripherals in his fourth year (and now his fifth so far), combined with the fact that he never showed that ability in the minors, makes this seem more likely luck than skill.

The CBA is awful to anyone that peaks at the wrong time. They need more performance bonuses.

Well, he was also outpitching his peripherals until he got hurt last year.

[Malike]

Did he though? Outperforming your FiP three years in a row is impressive and maybe even informative, but I think Gonzo really got helped by the fact that those were his first (and only) three years to that point. The fact that he didn't outperform his peripherals in his fourth year (and now his fifth so far), combined with the fact that he never showed that ability in the minors, makes this seem more likely luck than skill.

The CBA is awful to anyone that peaks at the wrong time. They need more performance bonuses.

Guy has made over 4M dollars in 5 years. Pardon me for not crying about his financial stability.

[Phantom]

Guy has made over 4M dollars in 5 years. Pardon me for not crying about his financial stability.

You can not cry about while still understanding that he is getting screwed compared to his actual value. I make more money than anyone really needs, but would still get upset if my employer formed a collective with other tech companies to screw me out of what I was worth.

[Malike]

You can not cry about while still understanding that he is getting screwed compared to his actual value. I make more money than anyone really needs, but would still get upset if my employer formed a collective with other tech companies to screw me out of what I was worth.

I'm pretty sure you are worth what someone pays you in baseball. If every player were paid by what WAR says they are worth, the sport would be bankrupt.

[Phantom]

I'm pretty sure you are worth what someone pays you in baseball. If every player were paid by what WAR says they are worth, the sport would be bankrupt.

Actually, the opposite. The reason a win above replacement is worth so much money now is because there are so few wins on the open market. If there were a more equitable system, the same amount of money would be spread across the league, but more would be going to younger players.

[tntoriole]

It wasn't an odd spring. They were both terrible. Here's the plan for next spring. Play well, and you make the team.

That is fine. But a veteran who has been a major contributor for years and won games in playoffs and in NY and Boston should get more than a requirement to win their job each spring. Was that the case for Ubaldo? Or Darren ODay who had a bad spring? Or Gallardo who had an ERA worse than Miggy? No,,it was strictly a money decision and appallingly shortsighted given their weak starting pitching with no depth at all. I hope Miggy wins 15 games and shuts us down regularly.

[tntoriole]

I'll never understand signing Matusz for $4m to be a LOOGY when we have better options, but cutting Gonzo to save $3m when we don't have better options. Just weird, dumb decisions by this org. Then we have to give up a comp pick to try and "right" the wrong.

Exactly. This was simply a bad mistake in judgement by Duquette. Period.

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[Redskins Rick]

Thanks. Man, the memory is failing. I checked his game log and he did have a decent start vs the Yankees two games prior to the game vs the Braves. 2 earned in 4 IP.

This gets back to RZ's post and the fact that he did have an option, a reasonable contract and a history with the team. Why the big push to sign Gallardo, who could only be considered a marginal upgrade, when it would cost a pick and much more money than Miggy was making? And I've never been a big supporter of his, but the DFA after a good performance didn't make sense especially since Buck (and Frobby) doesn't give much weight to ST results.

I still think his dismal 2nd half of 2015 and then the very bad ST all played a role in the decision.

[Frobby]

Good catch. I wasn't trying to revise anything though. Do you remember his last game in ST? He pitched pretty well vs a Yankees team with many regulars. I find it curious that a team who throw away a guy with an option when the guy they signed isn't a marked improvement. And neither is Jimenez, especially for team with as little depth as the Orioles have. I claim it was dumb!

You won't get an argument about that from me. At a minimum, they badly misjudged what Gonzalez had left in the tank.

[Frobby]

Thanks. Man, the memory is failing. I checked his game log and he did have a decent start vs the Yankees two games prior to the game vs the Braves. 2 earned in 4 IP.

This gets back to RZ's post and the fact that he did have an option, a reasonable contract and a history with the team. Why the big push to sign Gallardo, who could only be considered a marginal upgrade, when it would cost a pick and much more money than Miggy was making? And I've never been a big supporter of his, but the DFA after a good performance didn't make sense especially since Buck (and Frobby) doesn't give much weight to ST results.

I don't think Gallardo was intended as a replacement for Gonzalez, he was basically taking the rotation spot vacated by Chen. Gonzo's not making the 25-man roster can only be explained by the O's deciding that Wright and/or Wilson were expected to be better than Gonzo. But the choice to release him, as opposed to stashing him in AAA and hoping he could regain his form, had to have been purely a financial decision.

[Can_of_corn]

I don't think Gallardo was intended as a replacement for Gonzalez, he was basically taking the rotation spot vacated by Chen. Gonzo's not making the 25-man roster can only be explained by the O's deciding that Wright and/or Wilson were expected to be better than Gonzo. But the choice to release him, as opposed to stashing him in AAA and hoping he could regain his form, had to have been purely a financial decision.

I disagree. I think that decision, as well, could have been about the money.

[Frobby]

I disagree. I think that decision, as well, could have been about the money.

Not sure I follow that. The O's had three choices:

1. Keep Gonzo on the 25-man roster. Cost: $5.1 mm.

2. Keep Gonzo on the 40-man roster and give Wright or Wilson his spot on the 25-man roster. Cost: $5.6 mm (Gonzo's guaranteed salary plus $500k league minimum for Wright or Wilson).

3. Release Gonzo. Cost: $1.8 mm (45 days pay for Gonzo, plus league minimum for Wright or Wilson).

I don't see how the decision not to go with Option 1 was anything other than a baseball decision. Otherwise, the O's would have shooped him in the offseason or non-tendered him.

[Can_of_corn]

Not sure I follow that. The O's had three choices:

1. Keep Gonzo on the 25-man roster. Cost: $5.1 mm.

2. Keep Gonzo on the 40-man roster and give Wright or Wilson his spot on the 25-man roster. Cost: $5.6 mm (Gonzo's guaranteed salary plus $500k league minimum for Wright or Wilson).

3. Release Gonzo. Cost: $1.8 mm (45 days pay for Gonzo, plus league minimum for Wright or Wilson).

I don't see how the decision not to go with Option 1 was anything other than a baseball decision. Otherwise, the O's would have shooped him in the offseason or non-tendered him.

It is pretty simple, they could have come to the conclusion that Gonzo wasn't 3.3M better. That the financial flexibility was potentially more impactfull than the difference in the pitchers.

[SteveA]

Gonzo today: 5.1 innings, 10 hits, 8 runs, 3 walks, 2 strikeouts, 1 HR.

[McLovin]

It's funny. I work for a mid-cap company, and we make just over $500M a year (revenue). A quick and dirty Google search has the O's making about $300M a year.

If I saved my company $3.3M in a year - forget employee of the year - they would throw me a parade.