Slugger Pedro Alvarez Signs w Orioles (1 yr: 5.75 + 1.5 potential bonuses) OFFICIAL

[MDtransplant757]

We should have just signed Upton instead of Chris, then the Trumbo/Alvarez signing would look good. But woulda shoulda coulda. I won't live in the past [emoji28]

We should have gotten Cespedes!

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[DrungoHazewood]

If you think that the way the offense is constructed is acceptable than that will be more proof that you don't actually watch the games and instead keep up with the box scores and fangraphs.

Nah, it just means I'm a little less of an angry reactionary than you are. I actually enjoy watching baseball even when the GM doesn't follow my exact plans in the offseason.

[24fps]

And there's your problem. Once you start carefully looking at all the available evidence in a systematic way you might be forced to reevaluate the conclusions you made a long time ago and that's just waffling and going back on your convictions. Being factually wrong is better than being a flip-flopper.

I need to go back to ignoring politics.

Right now American politics are every bit as entertaining as the 1962 Mets.

[Can_of_corn]

Right now American politics are every bit as entertaining as the 1962 Mets.

What was their spring training record?

[riprulz8]

The current team has been constructed like a beer league softball team. For the first time in 14 years the team built a solid nucleus of players that they could win with and they did just about everything wrong to not take advantage of it. As a fan that's disappointing.

And then there are people like you. Almost every single argument you make or position you take could be conceived without watching a single game. Instead of thinking for yourself your opinion is based almost entirely on stats or analytic equations.

As far as the Orioles are concerned, I might not be right but I do know that they are wrong.

If you're going to be critical of the team, at least be original. Posted one day ago: http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/mlb-big-league-stew/pedro-alvarez-turns-o-s-into-your-local-beer-league-softball-team-175716235.html

Are you Chris Cwik?

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[Frobby]

Last year they lost 13 of 15 games and in all 13 games they scored less than 3 runs. That's just one example off the top of my head. If you think that the way the offense is constructed is acceptable than that will be more proof that you don't actually watch the games and instead keep up with the box scores and fangraphs.

There's a reason why Alvarez was available in March, was Kim was available for $7 million and why no other teams were bidding on Chris Davis. There's also a reason why Pedro Alvarez was not in the starting lineup in the Wildcard game last year.

As I said, I agree last year's team had some terrible cold streaks, but I don't know that this streakiness was caused by the way the team was constructed. As to Kim and Alvarez, I can't disagree with what you say. That said, sometimes the guys you buy cheap turn out to be bargains. There's a reason why we were able to sign Wei-Yin Chen for 3/$12 mm plus a team option, but look how that worked out.

[MDtransplant757]

Right now American politics are every bit as entertaining as the 1962 Mets.

Or like a nuke going off in Norfolk? If that does happen, I'm one of the first ones to go. Hope playing Fallout 3 is as fun in real life as it was on Xbox.

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[OFFNY]

Sorry to disappoint you but I have better things to do than spend a lot of time on an Orioles message board in the offseason. Or in the regular season for that matter

Why do you spend ANY time on an Orioles message board?

You show nothing but disdain for the team.

The current team has been constructed like a beer league softball team. For the first time in 14 years the team built a solid nucleus of players that they could win with and they did just about everything wrong to not take advantage of it. As a fan that's disappointing.

You quoted me again by lumping my post in with that of 2 others ..... and you still have not answered the question.

You have ALWAYS shown nothing but disdain for the team. The Orioles were a .500 team last year, and you were always pouncing on them when they lost, and you were almost always conspicuously absent when they won.

Why do you bother posting here at all when it is clear that your sole agenda is to undermine the team at every possible chance that you can?

[Frobby]

Wei-Yin Chen was one of the top pitchers in Japan. Kim was one of the top hitters in Korea. Big difference. Starting to look like the same guys who scouted Yoon, scouted Kim. Just kidding, but we've made some pretty poor decisions in Korea, amateur and professional. 28 homers in Korea is like 10 here.

I agree with you that there is likely a more consistent level of talent in the Japanese leagues than in the KBO, which makes it a bit easier to scout a player. I'm by no means suggesting that because we succeeded with Chen, we've made a good judgment on Kim. That said, the fact that judging KBO talent is riskier also means that the talent comes cheaper. We'll see how it works out. For now, a swinging bunt single from Kim would be welcome, as he certainly has done nothing in the early going to suggest he's going to pan out.

[Since'54]

No, I used Jeter as an example of why winning a Gold Glove is not necessarily proof of defensive excellence.

For the record I think Nick won his Gold Gloves in large part to name recognition and his strong defensive play earlier in his career.

Not a comment I'd want on the record. Name recognition among what group? These awards are voted on by league managers and coaches. Are you trying to suggest that these guys don't know all the right fielders and don't have valid opinions about their fielding abilities?

[Can_of_corn]

Not a comment I'd want on the record. Name recognition among what group? These awards are voted on by league managers and coaches. Are you trying to suggest that these guys don't know all the right fielders and don't have valid opinions about their fielding abilities?

Yes.

Look at the past history of Gold Glove winners. As often as not a star or a guy with a big bat gets the award. They also had a tendency to give it to one guy year after year even if his defense was declining.

I have no idea how much Mike Scioscia watched Nick play, but if I had to hazard a guess I'd say not very much.

[Since'54]

Yes.

Look at the past history of Gold Glove winners. As often as not a star or a guy with a big bat gets the award. They also had a tendency to give it to one guy year after year even if his defense was declining.

I have no idea how much Mike Scioscia watched Nick play, but if I had to hazard a guess I'd say not very much.

So what your position boils down to is that your opinions are more valid than those of the professionals who see more ball games than anyone else does. Okay...........

[terps19]

So what your position boils down to is that your opinions are more valid than those of the professionals who see more ball games than anyone else does. Okay...........

That's what it boils down to... yes.

But I think as a fan we see more games by the Os than most other managers would see (at least outside of the AL East).

[murph]

So what your position boils down to is that your opinions are more valid than those of the professionals who see more ball games than anyone else does. Okay...........

In 1999, Raffy won the gold glove for first base only playing 28 games at the position.

[OFFNY]

No, I used Jeter as an example of why winning a Gold Glove is not necessarily proof of defensive excellence.

For the record, I think Nick won his Gold Gloves due in large part to name recognition, and his strong defensive play earlier in his career.

Not a comment I'd want on the record. Name recognition among what group? These awards are voted on by league managers and coaches. Are you trying to suggest that these guys don't know all the right fielders and don't have valid opinions about their fielding abilities?

Yes.

Look at the past history of Gold Glove winners. As often as not a star or a guy with a big bat gets the award. They also had a tendency to give it to one guy year after year even if his defense was declining.

I have no idea how much Mike Scioscia watched Nick play' date=' but if I had to hazard a guess I'd say not very much.[/quote']

So what your position boils down to is that your opinions are more valid than those of the professionals who see more ball games than anyone else does. Okay...........

That's what it boils down to ... yes.

But I think as a fan we see more games by the Os than most other managers would see (at least outside of the AL East.)

I suspect that some of us Orioles fans see more Orioles games than even the A.L. East managers do, save for Buck Showalter.

I believe that that gives us an inside track of sorts on the kind of fielders that the Orioles' position players are.

But ....... assuming that we DO NOT also see the majority of games of the other 14 American League teams, it's kind of difficult to compare those Orioles position players to that of all of the other position players throughout the league, based on actually witnessing the games and the plays.