DFA Ubaldo

[FlipTheBird]

20 minutes ago, FanSince88 said:

Instead of a DFA, I would rather trade him to an NL team in exchange for small cash considerations or a PTBNL.  I don't want him staying in the AL, just in case he gets better and helps a WC contender (like he helped us make the WC last year in September).  

But yes, I do think it's time to fold on Ubaldo.  

But we probably won't do anything until June as we an skip his next start.  

If he stays on our roster until July 1, we're probably stuck with him, because after that we'll hear the "but we're only X weeks away from rosters expanding" excuse from the FO.  

What CoC said. I can't even imagine an NL team with a spot on their immediate roster for Ubaldo right now. He has below zero value. 

A team would certainly give him a look if he was out and out released and they could bring him into whatever kind of deal they wanted (since he's getting paid by the O's anyway), but that's it. No one is trading for him.

[FlipTheBird]

1 minute ago, ReclaimTheCrown said:

And that's an important point....I want to be rid of Ubaldo, but I'm concerned we may see a trade where we send Ubaldo, his entire remaining contract, and a useful prospect to a team for nothing.  That team will essentially be buying that prospect (or, say, a draft pick) by eating Ubaldo's salary. 

I unfortunately think this may be the mostly likely way that we get rid of Ubaldo.  Which would be ironic and depressing because he'd still be screwing us even as we offload him...

 

If the O's are desperate to save what's left on his contract (which diminishes with each passing day, mind you, as the O's are actively paying him), then I guess that's plausible. I don't see it being likely, however, as the O's have too few prospects as it is and DD will probably have to part with a few if the team needs to make moves before July 31.

Just release the guy and cut losses.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

1 minute ago, ReclaimTheCrown said:

And that's an important point....I want to be rid of Ubaldo, but I'm concerned we may see a trade where we send Ubaldo, his entire remaining contract, and a useful prospect to a team for nothing.  That team will essentially be buying that prospect (or, say, a draft pick) by eating Ubaldo's salary. 

I unfortunately think this may be the mostly likely way that we get rid of Ubaldo.  Which would be ironic and depressing because he'd still be screwing us even as we offload him...

 

This is why I am in favor of DFA or an "arm injury" that lands Ubaldo on the disabled list.  I don't want the O's to give up a decent prospect just to get out of paying Ubaldo another $9M.  

[LA2]

Last year, Ubaldo started out with 3 good games in his first 6 starts, then was even worse than he's been this year all the way *through July 8th*, after which he was DL'd with an ERA of 7.38 (currently 7.17). He came back with a 5-inning, one-run performance on July 28 and pitched remarkably well the rest of the season all the way up to Buck's stupid late-inning decisions in the tie-breaker game. He put in a good 2014.

Unfortunately, Ubaldo's a bad bet for high-leverage relieving because of his wildness, first-inning problems, and what would probably be a poor inherited-runners stranded percentage. So he's a mop-up long reliever and spot starter. Considering how shaky the rest of the rotation is going to be, I think there'll be enough opportunities to justify keeping him until we see if he can pull off yet another post-ASB comeback (he's done it several times in his career).

Or package him with Kim in a trade, one of my favorite players, but a wasted spot on our poorly constructed roster and someone who would become even more redundant if Buck insists on Bourn.

[ReclaimTheCrown]

34 minutes ago, FlipTheBird said:

If the O's are desperate to save what's left on his contract (which diminishes with each passing day, mind you, as the O's are actively paying him), then I guess that's plausible. I don't see it being likely, however, as the O's have too few prospects as it is and DD will probably have to part with a few if the team needs to make moves before July 31.

Just release the guy and cut losses.

I agree with you, and hope that's the direction we take.  I'm just concerned that, depending on how miserly Angelos is feeling, that there may be pressure to jump at a chance to save some of that sunk money in exchange for something of value.  As CoC stated, we did it with Matusz and Webb; wouldn't be at all surprised to see us do it with UJ.

[LookitsPuck]

14 hours ago, TINSTAAPP said:

No, it's Peter's. You don't think both of those guys badly wanted to get rid of Ubaldo last year? Only reason he stuck around was Petey wouldn't pony up the money to eat that contract. 

Oh please. They cut Norris after a few months and a decent chunk of salary still left. 

This is a Duquette decision. Not Peter. 

[Can_of_corn]

4 minutes ago, LookitsPuck said:

Oh please. They cut Norris after a few months and a decent chunk of salary still left. 

This is a Duquette decision. Not Peter. 

I agree that it is a Duqette decision at this point.  But Dan has shown a willingness to trade picks for salary relief.

[weams]

35 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I agree that it is a Duqette decision at this point.  But Dan has shown a willingness to trade picks for salary relief.

Dan does have a budget. If he chooses to cut bait then Ubaldo is replaced with someone that does not add salary. 

[weams]

41 minutes ago, LookitsPuck said:

Oh please. They cut Norris after a few months and a decent chunk of salary still left. 

This is a Duquette decision. Not Peter. 

I agree. Peter would not be making this decision. 

[Ruzious]

Ubaldo seems like a likable guy, but ultimately you lose if you depend on him, so I would have cut ties with him a long time ago.  If he wasn't such a good guy, I think he'd be gone... a long time ago.  

[weams]

8 minutes ago, Ruzious said:

Ubaldo seems like a likable guy, but ultimately you lose if you depend on him, so I would have cut ties with him a long time ago.  If he wasn't such a good guy, I think he'd be gone... a long time ago.  

I think if he did not have months of being an unhittable stopper interspersed with his sheer awfulness that he would be gone. Yes. 

[weams]

 

[tntoriole]

It appears there are two separate questions.   1.  Keep him in the rotation-  I think there is no way  he stays out there much longer and that Asher will take a start or two and permanently if he doesn't get absolutely clobbered.   2.  DFA-  Much higher likelihood than this time last year when it would have cost an additional 13 million or so.   But, all in all, I think they send him to the pen again, unless Dan can work out a trade of some sort. 

[Nevermore]

I am wondering whether Ubaldo's "good guy" reputation with his teammates is a factor in Os management not cutting him outright. I have read many people here and in other places talking about how Ubaldo and his performances are supposedly ruining team morale. It's possible that cutting him outright might negatively affect team morale. Yep, I  know that these guys are professionals and therefore are used to seeing nice, favorite teammates get cut, traded, etc. I am wondering whether Alan Mills can really convert Ubaldo into a long reliever.  This would be a last resort rather than cutting him right now

 

[O's84]

He's awful and needs to go, plain and simple.