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Would we be a contender with Gallarado and/or Fowler in the fold for 2016?


Frobby

Would adding Gallardo and/or Fowler make us a contender in 2016?  

111 members have voted

  1. 1. Would adding Gallardo and/or Fowler make us a contender in 2016?

    • We are likely to be a contender with or without Gallardo and Fowler
    • We are not likely to be a contender regardless of whether we have Gallardo and/or Fowler
    • We need both Gallardo and Fowler to be likely to contend
    • We need only Gallardo to be likely to contend
    • We need only Fowler to be likely to contend


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I voted that we need both, but, to me, it doesn't necessarily have to be these two particular guys. I do think that the Orioles have to adequately fill these two holes in order to really contend. Minor, for example, could work out very nicely, IMO,

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For 2016 (and 2017) I like Fowler and Gallardo on this team.

Deep Depth.

Showalter and Duquette are masters are utilizing a deep roster. They get as much as possible out of league average talent. Fowler and Gallardo represent a higher quality roster to utilize. Less exposure for guys like Reimold and Flaherty and MacFarland who (I believe) will provide MORE value when their roles are kept small.

This team is built around a small core of everyday players:

Adam Jones

Manny Machado

Chris Davis

Chris Tillman

Ubaldo Jimenez

Hopefully Kevin Guasman plays his way into this category

Darren O'Day

Zach Britton

Bolstered by high quality secondary pieces

Matt Wieters (yes I'm downgrading him from the core, he earned it)

JJ Hardy (age and injuries downgrade him from the core)

Jonathan Schoop (like Gausman, hoping he moves up)

Mark Trumbo

Add Fowler Here

Add Gallardo Here

Miguel Gonzales

Brad Brach

Brian Matusz

Mychal Givens (hoping on this one)

Here is where the excess lies, deep quality depth

Caleb Joseph

Ryan Flaherty

Christian Walker

Dariel Alvarez

Hyun Soo Kim

Efron Navarro

Joey Rickard

Jimmy Paredes

Odrisamer Despaigne

Jason Garcia

T.J. McFarland

Chaz Roe

Andrew Triggs

Tyler Wilson

Vance Worley

Mike Wright

I'm not sure how to categorize Dylan Bundy and Hunter Harvey yet.

This last group features flexible low cost players who can do somethings very well but are not going succeed in a full time role (at least not yet for some of the younger players). These are the guys Buck knows how to utilize, maximizing their talents minimizing expose of their flaws. The deeper and higher quality of this overall group the better the Orioles will be. Adding Gallardo and Fowler do just this.

I do wish we had a TOR starter or 2. We have three guys who could be TOR, but consistency has been challenging. But the depth is there to eat innings at a higher quality then most teams will have.

My primary concern is having enough players with options to make full use of this depth.

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I think perception is, they believe, they have a contender in whatever decision they make, or they wouldnt have made the selection.

Like last year, they thought Snider was an addition and plus to the roster, and that De Aza was a good addition the previously season and they would build on the results of 2014.

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For 2016 (and 2017) I like Fowler and Gallardo on this team.

Deep Depth.

I was thinking about this last night. If we do sign Gallardo and Fowler, we really do look like a very deep team. Nice summary. As you note, the lack of a couple of top-flight starters is the big flaw, but I don't think it's necessarily fatal, especially during the regular season.

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I was thinking about this last night. If we do sign Gallardo and Fowler, we really do look like a very deep team. Nice summary. As you note, the lack of a couple of top-flight starters is the big flaw, but I don't think it's necessarily fatal, especially during the regular season.

At what point do we acquire a legit front end of the rotation starter or do we have to develop him?

Orioles are giving draft picks away to win now, but at some point do we need a TOR starter? If so I don't see how we can trade for one because of the depleted farm system. Don't see them paying for one either.

I guess the question is this: is a TOR a want or a need?

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It's extremely deep. Even though the rotation is not great, it's still deep with similarly skilled players in the wings with Wright, Wilson, Despaigne. It's still a far cry from the years where MacPhail had to pluck Russ Ortiz basically out of retirement to give us some innings.

It's a contending team without question. Can they hang in the post-season? With their pitching, I mean probably not, but it's certainly possible. I'd look for them to try and make a rotation upgrade mid-season somehow if they're close.

With what prospects do you intend to trade for a rotation upgrade? The system will be dead last if we do that. Not to mention we've seen a shift over the past few years. Teams don't want prospects they want ML ready talent.

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I was thinking about this last night. If we do sign Gallardo and Fowler, we really do look like a very deep team. Nice summary. As you note, the lack of a couple of top-flight starters is the big flaw, but I don't think it's necessarily fatal, especially during the regular season.

I think its a somewhat intentional flaw.

Home grown cost controlled TOR pitching is cost effective. Free agent TOR pitchers are a HUGE investment.

Given the failure to develop starting pitching, the better value is high quantity of average/above average starting pitchers with a lock down bullpen.

Our best chance to have the high end starters we want is Chris Tillman, Kevin Gausman, Dylan Bundy, and Hunter Harvey. And this isn't necessarily a bad thing, its just sad from a player development point of view.

With this rotation the playoffs do not follow the traditional approach a team with CC Sabathia can utilize. I think you go with a 3-4 innings each approach. Let the starters go 100% for a short stint, use two starters per playoff game.

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The fact that Stotle is in the group voting that we won't be contenders makes me nervous, because I don't consider him to be someone who leans towards pessimism and he is probably more objective than many of us. Still, I voted with the group that said we'll likely be contenders with these two acquisitions (but not if we make just one of the two).

(PS to the others who voted that we aren't likely to be contenders even if we make these moves -- don't feel hurt that I singled out Stotle. I can see reasons for anyone to be worried that these moves may not be enough to put us in contention.

I note that RZNJ hasn't voted, and I expect he might fall in the "not likely to be contenders" camp.

I just think it's a tight line to walk. The pitching concerns me and I think one or two injuries could blow up the season quickly. I took the question as binary, so even if it's just 49/51 I think the team is more likely not to be a competitor. I don't think this is a bad ball club. The same, I do believe it is built with little margin for error and with an expectation that there will not be regression/injury relating to any regular contributor.

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