Has our competitive window closed???

[sportsfan8703]

Oooh. Look! We have 3 good players out of 25! And none is a pitcher! Whahooo! Start printing World Series tickets!!!

Sometimes I wonder if people like you are even fans. What do you want superstars at every position? If you need to be reminded of players like Brach, Givens, etc. then you aren't a real fan. Tell me why we're going to suck next year?

[TheDirtyBird]

Sometimes I wonder if people like you are even fans. What do you want superstars at every position? If you need to be reminded of players like Brach, Givens, etc. then you aren't a real fan. Tell me why we're going to suck next year?

I do agree pessimism is annoying, however there are noticeable holes in LF, RF, most likely 1B, Hardy is solid defensively but that's assuming he can stay in the field and I for one don't think much of Caleb Joseph (back up QB syndrome). Chen is arguably our best starter and he's good as gone. Are we really going to place our faith in an erratic Ubaldo and everyone else is who knows.

Yea we have good things in CF, 3B, 2B and our closer but that won't compete with Toronto (man I hate them) and I wouldn't expect the rest of the division to lie down either.

Being reminded of Givens and Brach doesn't really inspire anything, no offense of course

[weams]

I do agree pessimism is annoying, however there are noticeable holes in LF, RF, most likely 1B, Hardy is solid defensively but that's assuming he can stay in the field and I for one don't think much of Caleb Joseph (back up QB syndrome). Chen is arguably our best starter and he's good as gone. Are we really going to place our faith in an erratic Ubaldo and everyone else is who knows.

Yea we have good things in CF, 3B, 2B and our closer but that won't compete with Toronto (man I hate them) and I wouldn't expect the rest of the division to lie down either.

Being reminded of Givens and Brach doesn't really inspire anything, no offense of course

Ubaldo is pretty consistently a frustrating and occasionally brilliant pitcher. Chris Tillman will revert to form. Gausman will be a big 2016 winner.

[Three Run Homer]

The O's were a .500 team in 2015, fair and square. The money they have to spend in free agency will in expectation not be enough to replace the value of the players that are leaving, considering how much surplus value they got from O'Day, Chen and Davis this season.

Could they contend in 2016? Sure. Tillman, Gonzalez and Hardy could regain their 2014 form. Gausman and Schoop could take a step up. Duquette could find a couple of bargains in free agency These things could happen, but are they likely to happen? No.

Is it wise for the organization to try to contend in 2016, rather than commit to a rebuild, given that contention is possible but not likely in 2016? That's the hard but interesting question.

[Roll Tide]

The Orioles were really competitive this year. They were obviously out of the division before the break. They managed to hover around 6-8 games out of the wild card but they were behind too many other teams.

[Frobby]

I've given up on predicting what will happen in baseball. I didn't see 2012 coming, at all. I didn't expect the 2014 team to win 96 games, either. We need some good moves and some pleasant surprises to be a playoff team in 2016. I can't say if those things will happen or not.

[weams]

The Orioles were really competitive this year. They were obviously out of the division before the break. They managed to hover around 6-8 games out of the wild card but they were behind too many other teams.

I am so sorry you feel this way. Must suck all the joy out of it. With Cespedes or Price, the Orioles would have made the playoffs.

[weams]

I've given up on predicting what will happen in baseball. I didn't see 2012 coming, at all. I didn't expect the 2014 team to win 96 games, either. We need some good moves and some pleasant surprises to be a playoff team in 2016. I can't say if those things will happen or not.

Prediction is just mostly guessing anyway.

[Camden_yardbird]

In 2016 we will have:

An All Star playing CF

A future HOFer at 3b

One of the best 2b in the AL

One of the best closers in baseball

The best defensive SS in baseball

One of the best managers in baseball

We will have all of that before making any moves in the off-season. And we have about 40-50 million dollars to use to sign talent. Not a bad place to start from. No guarantees, but an average GM could get this team in contention late in the year.

And the Blue Jays have perennial all star/ MVP top 10 candidates at RF, 3B, SS and 1B, to go along with perhaps the best catcher in the AL and a young 2B that could be better than Schoop.

You are excited about 2 all stars (let's not call anyone future hall of famers) and they have 4 hitters arguably better than the O's top two.

This is going to have to be maybe the Orioles best off season in the last 30 years to make this team a contender.

[Frobby]

And the Blue Jays have perennial all star/ MVP top 10 candidates at RF, 3B, SS and 1B, to go along with perhaps the best catcher in the AL and a young 2B that could be better than Schoop.

You are excited about 2 all stars (let's not call anyone future hall of famers) and they have 4 hitters arguably better than the O's top two.

This is going to have to be maybe the Orioles best off season in the last 30 years to make this team a contender.

A lot of Blue Jays had excellent years in 2015. I don't think they'll score 891 runs next season. If they do, well god bless them and there's not a darned thing we can do about it. We need to improve our team, but I don't feel the Jays are invinceable by any means.

[TheDirtyBird]

Ubaldo is pretty consistently a frustrating and occasionally brilliant pitcher. Chris Tillman will revert to form. Gausman will be a big 2016 winner.

It's going to be hard to ever put faith in someone like Ubaldo, it's too hit-and-miss. Also, I love Gausman as much as the next guy and have been so frustrated how he's been toyed with, but he hasn't done anything to suggest being a big winner yet. Tilly....IDK what happened to him this season, so I would also assume a bounce back.

I will get myself psyched up for the winter like I do every year in hopes something different happens.

[Roll Tide]

I am so sorry you feel this way. Must suck all the joy out of it. With Cespedes or Price, the Orioles would have made the playoffs.

Yeah ...well they may have made the playoffs. Problem is that our minor league system didn't have the talent to get anything other than Parra.

[Roll Tide]

I am so sorry you feel this way. Must suck all the joy out of it. With Cespedes or Price, the Orioles would have made the playoffs.

Weams , with all due respect I can't believe you viewed this team as competitive. The basically got buried early in the division. The were only really in the thing because of the second "one game playoff" wild card slot.

Most people here thought the team should sell at the deadline. And if they were smart they would have. I'm as much a fan as anyone here, but for petesake can't we atleast keep it real? The Orioles had a zero chance of winning it all even if they squeaked into the playoffs.

Perhaps it's just that competitive means different things to different people.

[Babypowder]

In 2016 we will have:

An All Star playing CF Who was 6-7th best CFer in the AL by WAR and has declined offensively for 3 straight years

A future HOFer at 3b Who the Orioles won't pay the price to keep past 2018

One of the best 2b in the AL Who saw his defense oddly fall off a cliff this year by the metrics and was only worth .8 wins because of it, had a 2.8% walk rate, and probably isn't a .279 hitter going forward. BTW, where's your cutoff for "one of the best"? Even if you crudely extrapolate his WAR to a full season there are probably 10 guys who were better.

One of the best closers in baseball Who is about to get expensive, paying relievers top dollars is not wise.

The best defensive SS in baseball Who hit like a NL pitcher this season.

One of the best managers in baseball

We will have all of that before making any moves in the off-season. And we have about 40-50 million dollars to use to sign talent. Not a bad place to start from. No guarantees, but an average GM could get this team in contention late in the year.

Just playing devil's advocate a bit.

[DrungoHazewood]

Weams , with all due respect I can't believe you viewed this team as competitive. The basically got buried early in the division. The were only really in the thing because of the second "one game playoff" wild card slot.

Most people here thought the team should sell at the deadline. And if they were smart they would have. I'm as much a fan as anyone here, but for petesake can't we atleast keep it real? The Orioles had a zero chance of winning it all even if they squeaked into the playoffs.

Perhaps it's just that competitive means different things to different people.

Your last sentence is clearly, obviously true. My goal for the Orioles each year is to play meaningful baseball until late in the year, to have hope for a playoff birth. Others are bitterly disappointed by anything short of a championship. Some see 2015 as a horrible season, I put it in the somewhat-disappointing-but-still-reasonable category. They had their moments but too many things went wrong. It happens. Let's move on.