TT: Let's face it, this team is not a playoff caliber team

[Frobby]

The Yankees were 17-11 in August and 30-24 since July 1st. Are they really a weak team?

I've been astounded at their resilience. They have a winning record so I don't see how you can classify them as a weak team. I have a lot of respect for how Girardi has kept them playing hard.

[Frobby]

Call me crazy, but $155m should buy you a consistent playoff team if you handle your finances properly and have the necessary young, impact depth in the minors.

The Red Sox had a $184 mm payroll last year and finished in last place. I'm not going to cry about being 11 games over .500.

I will save my post-mortems until after the season is over. There's lots of legitimate criticisms of this team and the front office, but it will all be viewed in the prism of how the season ends, not where we were on August 31.

[LookitsPuck]

The Tigers have spent more than that, and may not make the playoffs. The Cardinals have spent more than that, and may not make the playoffs. The Yankees and the Angels, too. The Mets and Mariners are just a hair below the O's, and nobody would call them "consistent playoff teams."

Managing an organization is not easy. It's why there are only so few people that are well-regarded in the job.

Tigers:

2012: 88

2013: 93

2014: 90

2015: 74

2016: 88*

*on pace

The Cardinals are consistently a playoff team. They're a talent machine, too. Pretty much the model franchise.

I do agree that it's seemingly not easy to manage an organization. But that's the point of discussion here. I bring up the payroll because people (for some odd reason) think that Angelos doesn't open his pocketbook. And he's apparently the reason for all the "losing". The Orioles spend. We shouldn't be claiming that we're the A's or the Rays. Either of those clubs with our payroll (YIYO) would be the Cardinals, IMHO.

[Camden_yardbird]

My question is what changes for the better next season. All of the departure I anticipate (Trumbo, Wieters, Alvarez) probably make this team worse. Add in that you can't expect career years from Britton and Brach, and you would expect decline from Davis, Jones, and Hardy and you have three extremely mediocre, relatively expensive starting pitchers locked in for next year. Yuck.

[Can_of_corn]

My question is what changes for the better next season. All of the departure I anticipate (Trumbo, Wieters, Alvarez) probably make this team worse. Add in that you can't expect career years from Britton and Brach, and you would expect decline from Davis, Jones, and Hardy and you have three extremely mediocre, relatively expensive starting pitchers locked in for next year. Yuck.

And Jones, O'Day, Hardy and Davis will all be a year older.

[Frobby]

And Jones, O'Day, Hardy and Davis will all be a year older.

As will you and everyone else who is alive today and doesn't die in the meantime. In some cases, players like Bundy, Gausman and Schoop may benefit from having an extra year of experience under their belts. I'd put Manny on that list except it's hard to imagine him getting much better than he already is.

[fansince71]

I think we miss this year and try to improve again for next when we should really be selling off our best pieces like Manny, Britton, Jones and probably Schoop and KG.

Like others have said you gotta have the pitching.

[Tx Oriole]

Call me crazy, but $155m should buy you a consistent playoff team if you handle your finances properly and have the necessary young, impact depth in the minors.

The Orioles would be in a much better spot if they could call up some real talent when Tillman got hurt. Or when Gallardo seemingly turned into a pumpkin again. Or when they went out and acquired Miley.

But it shouldn't shock anyone that no new starters were called up this year.

Who would they have called up?

[Can_of_corn]

Who would they have called up?

Davies, maybe Hader.

[slakattack]

I've been astounded at their resilience. They have a winning record so I don't see how you can classify them as a weak team. I have a lot of respect for how Girardi has kept them playing hard.

Yes, I wouldn't be surprised to learn that Girardi went on a mind blowing bender the night after A Rod's last game, knowing the sun was about to rise again in the Bronx. Next year, their only position veteran will be Gardy, with Gregorious as a young veteran. They will be young, hungry and they will be coming after this division with money to spend on pitching. It makes me wonder just how much more Buck has in the tank?

[25 Nuggets]

I've been astounded at their resilience. They have a winning record so I don't see how you can classify them as a weak team. I have a lot of respect for how Girardi has kept them playing hard.

That is your mistake. I will never be astounded by them again.

:vader:

[spiritof66]

I agree this isn't a "playoff-caliber" team, especially without Jones, Tillman and O'Day.

But teams make the playoffs that aren't "playoff caliber." There aren't five "playoff-caliber" in the AL, IMO, but there will be five AL teams playing in the post-season. We could be one of them.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

I think we miss this year and try to improve again for next when we should really be selling off our best pieces like Manny, Britton, Jones and probably Schoop and KG.

Like others have said you gotta have the pitching.

Why would you blow up the team? Players like Schoop and KG still have years of control. Doing a fire sale just to look like you're doing something reeks of the Syd Thrift era.

[Frobby]

We could have an above average rotation next year, if things come together with Tillman, Gausman and Bundy. That's really the best hope for the Orioles to be a contender in 2017. Gausman seems to have made some strides lately, and Bundy is showing some signs of fatigue but gave us a pretty good idea of what he might be able to do next year.

[FlipTheBird]

We could have an above average rotation next year, if things come together with Tillman, Gausman and Bundy. That's really the best hope for the Orioles to be a contender in 2017. Gausman seems to have made some strides lately, and Bundy is showing some signs of fatigue but gave us a pretty good idea of what he might be able to do next year.

Agreed, 2017's early forecast isn't nearly as doom and gloom as some folks around here would have you believe. There are posters here who make it seem like you need 5 Cy Young candidates to have a respectable staff.