Let me see if I understand our strategy correctly....

[DocJJ]

Sorry if my negativity irritates some. But I stand by my original post. "Hoping" for better from what you currently have is not a strategy.

[Frobby]

I can't speak for OP, but for me if the Orioles made the commitment necessary to acquire a comparable replacement to Chen that would quiet a lot of the "this team is cheap" crowd - including myself. If the O's can come away with a Kazmir or a Leake, or at least display a willingness to spend that kind of money, I think that would satisfy a lot of the detractors. If the Orioles come away with Vance Worley as the only potential addition to the rotation, I think a lot of people will be upset, and with good reason.

Well, I said at the outset of the offseason that I thought the O's needed to re-sign Chen or sign someone else of roughly equivalent talent. So, I agree that if Worley is the big starting pitcher acquisition this winter, we are taking a huge risk. I'd be surprised if that's what the Orioles do, but I do think the O's may go for someone who is significantly cheaper and riskier than Chen, e.g. Fister. That wouldn't thrill me, but I could swallow hard and live with it if the team made some other moves I liked.

[Phantom]

I get the frustration. I am worried that our two big signings so far have been at positions where we already had depth. It's difficult for me to imagine us having a team that looks better on paper than last years .500 group without signing a big money ace.

Honestly though, the most optimistic realistic situation (for next season at least) is that we bring back Crush, sign someone worse than Chen and see if we can upgrade a corner outfielder slot. Does that seem like a 90 win team? It's difficult to keep positive when the best case is so bleak.

Still, I think that DanD is good at this, when his head is in Baltimore so I'll be interested to see what happens.

[Es4M11]

I didn't say anything about organizational issues. I said just win.

I said organizational issues.

[mdbdotcom]

I said organizational issues.

Yes, in a statement in which you purported to agree with me.

[Es4M11]

Well, I said at the outset of the offseason that I thought the O's needed to re-sign Chen or sign someone else of roughly equivalent talent. So, I agree that if Worley is the big starting pitcher acquisition this winter, we are taking a huge risk. I'd be surprised if that's what the Orioles do, but I do think the O's may go for someone who is significantly cheaper and riskier than Chen, e.g. Fister. That wouldn't thrill me, but I could swallow hard and live with it if the team made some other moves I liked.

I agree with this. To be clear, I am not closing the book on this off season yet, but I am concerned with the allocation of resources to this point and where that leaves the budget for other needs. It's still early, but last off season left a pretty bad taste in my mouth.

[Frobby]

Sorry if my negativity irritates some. But I stand by my original post. "Hoping" for better from what you currently have is not a strategy.

Seems to me it is a strategy, if you have good reason to believe that the pitchers you had the year before are likely to do better. It is sometimes a mistake to panic when certain players have bad years.

I'm just playing devil's advocate here -- I do think we need to pick up a solid starter. But in the abstract, I don't think it's always wrong to have a strategy that in some part depends on certain players returning to form.

[Es4M11]

........

[Es4M11]

Yes, in a statement in which you purported to agree with me.

It should have been it's own line/paragraph.

I'm saying if the organization fixes it's issues they will kill two birds with one stone, as opposed to spending to stop complaining. This organization's unwillingness to spend for top talent is a problem, whether you agree or not.

[Horsepower]

DD got caught trying to go cheap (or he was still distracted by the Blue Jays) when he didn't resign Markakis last year. Sign Markakis and we probably make the playoffs last year as opposed to the circus of outfielders we wasted time and energy on. It killed us all year long

[MCO'sFan]

I don't think it is unreasonable to expect the infield defense to be better this year. Which should help the pitching.

But mostly they are seemingly expecting the guys they have to rebound, since they were magically better in 2014.

Unless your are going to replace the entire rotation, it seems logical that there has to be reliance on the returning starters improvement in 2015.

[Frobby]

I agree with this. To be clear, I am not closing the book on this off season yet, but I am concerned with the allocation of resources to this point and where that leaves the budget for other needs. It's still early, but last off season left a pretty bad taste in my mouth.

Last offseason didn't thrill me, but I also feel DD got kind of unlucky with the corner OF guys, and of course 4 of the 6 starting pitchers disappointed and I don't think anyone was really calling for starting pitching acquisitions last winter.

I think Dan has a real uphill battle this offseason, and will need some breaks to go his way with some of the cheaper acquisitions he makes in order for us to contend.

[Can_of_corn]

DD got caught trying to go cheap (or he was still distracted by the Blue Jays) when he didn't resign Markakis last year. Sign Markakis and we probably make the playoffs last year as opposed to the circus of outfielders we wasted time and energy on. It killed us all year long

Nick's 1.6 fWAR season turns last year's team into a playoff team?

I could see, if I squinted hard enough, a case that Cruz could have made that kind of impact but Markakis?

[Can_of_corn]

Unless your are going to replace the entire rotation' date=' it seems logical that there has to be reliance on the returning starters improvement in 2015.[/quote']

It's the only way they have a realistic shot at contention.

[24fps]

"That market's moving pretty quick," Duquette said. "The top end of the market, the prices are staggering, staggering. I don't know it sustains itself. We'll see. It tells me we need to develop Kevin Gausman and Mike Wright and Ty Wilson and do everything we can to help them become good major league pitchers."

"Gosh Molly, these new cars sure are expensive! Let's get a tune up and slap some new tires on the Chevy and see if we can drive her another year. Waddya say?"

Any Orioles fan of five years standing or longer will immediately recognize DD's quote as the opening salvo in a campaign to lower expectations. Whether it's true this year or not is almost beside the point. To me, what would be more refreshing than any single player acquisition this offseason would be for that reflex to have been permanently silenced by opening day.