Dan Duquette and the search for OF stability

[Frobby]

Dan Duquette has been the GM for 5 seasons, or about 810 regular season games.   How many outfielders do you think have played in 300 of the 810 games?

The answer is two -- Adam Jones (770) and Nick Markakis (419).   Third on the list (this includes all games, not just those in the OF) is Steve Pearce at 291.   Fourth is Nolan Reimold at 221, and fifth is Nate McLouth at 201.   It's been quite the revolving door.   

Compare that to the other spots -- Davis 743, Flaherty 429, Schoop 390, Machado 608, Hardy 687, Wieters 517.

 

[wildcard]

I think Dan realizes that in Camden Yards he can't attract free agent starting pitchers so he has to draft them.  That is a priority. When he does get a FA pitcher or trades for one its a 4th or 5th starter.

Having the players in the infield that he inherited he hasn't had to add much there.  

The outfield seem to be a lesser priority for him.  A lot of flyers taken out there.  Probably  mostly because of the offense he has in the infield.

 

[FlipTheBird]

31 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Dan Duquette has been the GM for 5 seasons, or about 810 regular season games.   How many outfielders do you think have played in 300 of the 810 games?

The answer is two -- Adam Jones (770) and Nick Markakis (419).   Third on the list (this includes all games, not just those in the OF) is Steve Pearce at 291.   Fourth is Nolan Reimold at 221, and fifth is Nate McLouth at 201.   It's been quite the revolving door.   

Compare that to the other spots -- Davis 743, Flaherty 429, Schoop 390, Machado 608, Hardy 687, Wieters 517.

 

Thing is, prior to acquiring Trumbo and then extending him for 3 years, Dan hadn't added any longterm bats. Jones, Markakis, Davis, Schoop, Machado, Hardy and Wieters all predated him. I suppose you can count Flaherty if you want, but he's played in a lot more games than I think might have been anticipated, due to assorted injuries.

I'm not blaming Dan. A lot of it is situational. Typically to acquire longterm positional talent, you either have to draft it or pay a boon for it. The Orioles have proved ineffective at drafting players... though we certainly can't blame Dan for the poor drafts prior to his arrival. 

The team has also had to be thrifty with its budget - so signing a high-profile youthful bat hasn't been in the cards. And, because the O's have been in the race his entire tenure, he's never been in a position to sell established talent for younger players who may become cornerstones.

As such, the year-to-year approach has in, some ways, been forced upon him by his own success.