Does this team represent the best chance we are going to have to go to the World Series for a while?

[weams]

Where is SirLoin these days, we need more information.

[wildcard]

Its too hard to project whether this years team is the best chance the O's will have for a while.

Last year at the break I didn't know the O's would have Trumbo, Pedro, Gallardo or Kim. I thought Davis, O'Day and Wieters were probably gone through free agency.

How does anyone know what the 2017 or 2018 team will be like?

I think they try to add a starter at the deadline. Be willing to give up Wright or Wilson, a minor league catcher not named Sisco and a pitcher like Matt Grimes for a two month rental starter. See what kind of a deal that can bring back.

[Redskins Rick]

Its too hard to project whether this years team is the best chance the O's will have for a while.

Last year at the break I didn't know the O's would have Trumbo, Pedro, Gallardo or Kim. I thought Davis, O'Day and Wieters were probably gone through free agency.

How does anyone know what the 2017 or 2018 team will be like?

I think they try to add a starter at the deadline. Be willing to give up Wright or Wilson, a minor league catcher not named Sisco and a pitcher like Matt Grimes for a two month rental starter. See what kind of a deal that can bring back.

I think the number of teams in the hunt looking for SP, is going to drive the market price up.

[Bahama O's Fan]

I think as long as Duquette is around, we are competitive (Wow! sounds good to say that)

[Spy Fox]

As others have said, I see a chance that next year's rotation is notably better than this year's. That should help make the team more well rounded. I think that with just a couple tweaks we have a contender or borderline contender for at least couple more years.

But to answer the question in a strict yes/no, probably yes, this team is the best chance. Most simply because we've already gone 51-36 and it is difficult to win games in the Major Leagues so we can't count on going quite 51-36 in the future even with a similarly talented roster.

[weams]

Which was already astronomical this past offseason.

Less than half off them still are in the market. The other half would like to sell one.

[InsideCoroner]

We have a punchers chance. We need a couple pitchers.

I think this is what holds me back from wanting them to go for broke this year. Right now, we have a puncher's chance. Empty the farm system, and I still am in doubt we could beat the Cubs or Giants... maybe not even the Rangers. So basically in my mind even if we did all that, we would still just have a slightly better puncher's chance. Maybe we don't get many better opportunities in the coming years, but we don't have enough to offer as trade bait where I think we could more or less bank on getting to the Series. I think I would rather let it ride than deal off Sisco and/or Mancini for the next Feldman or Saunders.

[weams]

I think this is what holds me back from wanting them to go for broke this year. Right now, we have a puncher's chance. Empty the farm system, and I still am in doubt we could beat the Cubs or Giants... maybe not even the Rangers. So basically in my mind even if we did all that, we would still just have a slightly better puncher's chance. Maybe we don't get many better opportunities in the coming years, but we don't have enough to offer as trade bait where I think we could more or less bank on getting to the Series. I think I would rather let it ride than deal off Sisco and/or Mancini for the next Feldman or Saunders.

Joe Saunders 2012 gives you far more than a punchers chance. Bud Norris 2014 gives you a far better than punchers chance.

[Tx Oriole]

I got to thinking, I'm not very confident that the Orioles are going to have a better team than this one in the next few years.

1. We have a few 2017 free agents who will be hard to replace, or will cost more money to retain, and they are over 30 and more likely to decline than improve (Wieters, Trumbo).

2. We have some key players who are aging and declining either a little or a lot (Hardy, O'Day, Jones and arguably Davis).

3. We don't have minor leaguers who look like they are ready to step in and have a huge impact right away.

4. We only have Tillman for one more year.

This leads me to the question -- is that a reason to go ahead and strip the farm system in a "win now" strategy?

Counterpoints:

1. If Gausman develops and Bundy is able to become a TOR starter, maybe the pitching is better in 2017-18 than in 2016.

2. Schoop and Manny are still in their upswing years.

3. We really don't know what we have in Sisco, Mancini, and Harvey. They might have more impact than expected in the not distant future.

And of course, if we do "go for it," we can expect things to get worse pretty fast after this season.

I think it is this team even though the pitching is suspect.

[weams]

I think it is this team even though the pitching is suspect.

How many Schoops are you gonna find?

[hoosiers]

A proper rebuild would take three to four years and might go quicker depending on what players we trade.

I still don't believe in this year's team because the SP is extremely weak and we have some divisional competitors not so far behind us with better minor league resources to move - especially the BoSox.

I guess the question is how much better can we get next year. Can Gausman improve? Can we get Bundy into the rotation? Can we re-invest the $ going to Wieters/Trumbo on the pitching side to create better balance in next year's team? Can we package some prospects for an above-average, cost controlled SP? I think our SP could get better in a hurry next year to the point that we are a better team.

I also think we could look out three years at a rotation that includes Tillman, Gausman, Bundy, Harvey, Peralta with an acquired SP and believe we could be more competitive than today, but that requires a heavy % of our top prospects succeeding in the majors.

[Redskins Rick]

Which was already astronomical this past offseason.

Seriously!

[sportsfan8703]

Joe Saunders 2012 gives you far more than a punchers chance. Bud Norris 2014 gives you a far better than punchers chance.

We're very similar to the Royals last year just minus Cueto. They're SP was good last year but crap overall. Obviously we need to make a move for 1-2 SP's.

We overate other SP's and have underrated Tillman so far. In the playoffs he might be the 2nd or 3rd best starter in the AL depending on who makes it. Our backend of the bullpen, IF defense, and overall offense is better than any of the playoff teams. Not just the AL but the MLB.

I don't think we get the "big" guys that are out there like Gray, Hill, Teheran, Pomeranz. But we could/will get F.Liriano and Feldman types. DD will make some moves, and that's cool with me.

[jtschrei]

The OP didn't even mention that Buck might not be around that much longer. Yes, the window is now. That's what I'm more worried about than anything.

Although the window is now, I don't think we should trade Mancini, Harvey, or Cisco. We don't have much else, admittedly, but we have already traded EdRod and Hader. I don't want to trade those 3 mentioned.

I think the O's have just as good a chance to win the WS with the team they have as with a team and another starting pitcher.

If we are able to make it to the playoffs, anything can happen -- especially with our lineup. If Davis is swinging a hot bat in the playoffs, we can beat anyone. So, I say roll with the guys we have.

[TradeAngelos]

For some reason it seems like people WANT this team to fail. WANT to have this imaginary "window" of competitiveness. Want to believe that the ENTIRE building will come crashing down at any minute now.

Where the hell have you been for the last 4 years? Watching some other team? Do you not get it yet?

This team is perfectly set up for the next few years (salary wise, if Pete wants to maintain the current payroll), how about we worry about 2016 and not 2018.....or 2019....this is getting ridiculous.