Orioles' Starting Pitching Strategy Is Difficult to Decipher

[Can_of_corn]

I'm not sure how often this happens, if ever, but what was stopping us from trading Chris Davis for prospects and then bringing him back? We certainly could have had him back for what we paid. Then the blow of the #14 pick wouldn't have been much of anything

The front office's unwillingness to admit they were not a playoff team last year.

I also don't think he would have brought back a huge return.

I would have rather kept him and picked up the pick when he walked.

[Aristotelian]

It seems like the Orioles are playing like a small market team trying to play big market baseball. They are relying on free agents to fill holes, but they can't offer the money or the opt-outs to attract premium free agents. So they are left with a middling approach that neither does enough to win now, nor builds for the future.

I also wonder if we are going to bid against ourselves here. COL is out, KC went with Kennedy, White Sox signed Latos. I don't see why we should offer him 3/$40M at this point. Is there anyone left who would pay him anything close to that?

[Redskins Rick]

...and your best chance of getting one is with the 14th pick. It's a vicious cycle that every team has to go through.

It still shouldn't come to this.

I'd rather they roll with what they got than cough up the #14 for "consistently okay"

The front office's unwillingness to admit they were not a playoff team last year.

I also don't think he would have brought back a huge return.

I would have rather kept him and picked up the pick when he walked.

I totally agree, roll with what we have in-house.

2 weeks ago, DD pretty much said, he was more interested in keeping the 14th pick and seeing what became available in ST.

Which I thought at the time, IMO, made sense.

I guess, he has changed his mind.

[Can_of_corn]

I totally agree, roll with what we have in-house.

2 weeks ago, DD pretty much said, he was more interested in keeping the 14th pick and seeing what became available in ST.

Which I thought at the time, IMO, made sense.

I guess, he has changed his mind.

I am in the camp that thinks he has been keeping an eye on Gallardo all offseason waiting for his price to fall within his budget.

[Aristotelian]

I totally agree, roll with what we have in-house.

2 weeks ago, DD pretty much said, he was more interested in keeping the 14th pick and seeing what became available in ST.

Which I thought at the time, IMO, made sense.

I guess, he has changed his mind.

It was a pretty transparent bargaining ploy, in my opinion. Like the lowball offer to Cespedes. We have been rumored in on Gallardo this entire offseason. It's not like DD forgot about the draft pick, then remembered it, then forgot it again.

[backwardsk]

I am in the camp that thinks he has been keeping an eye on Gallardo all offseason waiting for his price to fall within his budget.

I listened to the interview referenced. He said they were not interested in surrendering the 14th pick "at this time." To me, that means his asking price was too high then.

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[Can_of_corn]

I listened to the interview referenced. He said they were not interested in surrendering the 14th pick "at this time." To me, that means his asking price was too high then.

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I never expect guys in his position to be completely honest.

[PressBoxOnline]

Paul Folkemer says the Orioles have put so many restrictions on the types of pitchers they'll sign that they're left with few options. http://www.pressboxonline.com/2016/02/10/orioles-starting-pitching-strategy-is-difficult-to-decipher

[Rockford]

It's still shocking that Dan got Mr. Angelos to OK a 4-year deal for Ubaldo Jimenez but then you see he has made at least 31 starts every year since his first full year in 2008.

Yovanni Gallardo has made at least 30 starts every year since his first full year in 2009, a fact Roch Kubatko and Steve Melewski each made sure to point out today.

I am starting to wonder if durability is the be-all, end-all for Orioles ownership when it comes to free agent starting pitchers and multi-year contracts. Or if it is just coincidence. I just have this image of Angelos not allowing Duquette to think about pursuing any starter, no matter how talented, who has missed more than a handful of games.

[Frobby]

I am in the camp that thinks he has been keeping an eye on Gallardo all offseason waiting for his price to fall within his budget.

Bingo. That may not be the only option Dan considered, but he was waiting for someone late at the dance.

[25 Nuggets]

I listened to the interview referenced. He said they were not interested in surrendering the 14th pick "at this time." To me, that means his asking price was too high then.

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Nailed it

[TINSTAAPP]

They have been in on Gallardo from the beginning. The strategy is to go for second tier guys that don't cost too much, sacrifice the draft pick if necessary to get a discount, and wait for the price to drop. To that extent the strategy has been clear. I don't agree with it but I think it has been consistent.

If the Orioles are going to sacrifice first round draft picks and refuse to invest in amateur international talent, how are they ever going to improve their farm system? The only way to do so is by pulling a MacPhail and making a bunch of blockbuster trades that end up turning out heavily in your favor. All of the stars will have to be aligned for that to work. It's just not a feasible long-term strategy.

[25 Nuggets]

If the Orioles are going to sacrifice first round draft picks and refuse to invest in amateur international talent, how are they ever going to improve their farm system? The only way to do so is by pulling a MacPhail and making a bunch of blockbuster trades that end up turning out heavily in your favor. All of the stars will have to be aligned for that to work. It's just not a feasible long-term strategy.

They do appear to be doing a good job at signing professional international talent. We'll see if Kim continues that trend.

[Can_of_corn]

If the Orioles are going to sacrifice first round draft picks and refuse to invest in amateur international talent, how are they ever going to improve their farm system? The only way to do so is by pulling a MacPhail and making a bunch of blockbuster trades that end up turning out heavily in your favor. All of the stars will have to be aligned for that to work. It's just not a feasible long-term strategy.

Dan isn't worried about that, he has just enough talent left to try and leverage it into playoff berths before his contract expires.

Going to be fun watching him trade stuff away if this team's roster is close enough to need a boost down the stretch.

[SteveA]

Is it correct that:

-- Buck is under contract through 2018?

-- Duguette is under contract through 2018?

-- Adam Jones is under contract through 2018?

-- Manny Machado is under team control through 2018?

-- Angelos is really old?

-- We are in a temporary period of some unknown duration where MASN (Os) has not had to pay much of anything to the Nats, but that period will have to end at some point and we will have to pay the piper, including some back money?

Kind of makes you wonder if, within the confines of a $140 or $150m payroll, the Orioles might be going all out to try to win big in the next two to three years, even at the expense of leaving a barren farm system and a team facing an Astro style complete groundup rebuild with new people at the top in 2019.

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