Duquette Undecided about the Deadline

[Lucky_13]

Per Rosenthal: http://www.foxsports.com/mlb/video/988180547533

Interesting. Certaintly a change from a couple weeks ago.

[sportsfan8703]

Of course he is. There is three weeks till the deadline. I'm sure he's doing his due diligence to be a buyer or seller. 

[Bahama O's Fan]

Well, at least he is considering it. That's good news.

[Tx Oriole]

4 minutes ago, Bahama O's Fan said:

Well, at least he is considering it. That's good news.

Well I am sure he and Buck are talking with Angelos 

[DirtyBird]

34 minutes ago, Tx Oriole said:

Well I am sure he and Buck are talking with Angelos 

I doubt Buck is talking anybody into selling.

[ThomasTomasz]

Depends on who we sell, there are a couple pending FAs that could bring good return.  Even trading one of Smith/Kim opens up some more flexibility, and it could be something where we acquire another useful MLB piece.  Beef is another name that will keep coming up, though I think we could do a whole lot worse than have him and Caleb split the duties the rest of the year.  

The problem with the Orioles at the deadline is that we know what they need, as do other teams.  To succeed in the playoffs, we need a TORP in the vein of Gray, Quintana, Cole or Verlander.  In addition, we need another innings eater like a Jeremy Hellickson.  We don't have the prospects for the first three unless we decide to gut the system of what we have left, and we would have to eat a lot of the contract Verlander has left to make a deal happen with lesser prospects, something Angelos isn't going to do.  

So we essentially have to settle for acquiring 1-2 starters like Jeremy Hellickson and giving up decent prospects like we've done in the past for average SPs.  That's not going to do it unless our hitting goes back to 2014 form, and I don't think that's a strong likelihood.  

[25 Nuggets]

Based on what we've seen so far this season, the Orioles could trade Britton, Brach, Smith, Castillo and dump Kim and still finish with a better win% after the break than before the break.

[Lucky_13]

2 minutes ago, 25 Nuggets said:

Based on what we've seen so far this season, the Orioles could trade Britton, Brach, Smith, Castillo and dump Kim and still finish with a better win% after the break than before the break.

Honestly I agree, especially if they get mlb ready guys. Young teams under Buck have been known to succeed.  They  would at least be fun to watch. 

[eddie83]

So Rosenthal is basically saying they drafted "lesser" players in rounds 6-10 to save money to draft a 4th rounder they didn't sign?

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, eddie83 said:

So Rosenthal is basically saying they drafted "lesser" players in rounds 6-10 to save money to draft a 4th rounder they didn't sign?

We know they drafted college seniors in rounds 6-10 to save money.  To say they drafted them solely to sign Conlon is incorrect.  The Halls signed overslot deals.

We also do know that the O's ended this year's process with a significant amount of money available in their pool.

[Dr. Unk]

Not sure how it's even a decision.  We have nothing to buy with.

[Three Run Homer]

51 minutes ago, Dr. Unk said:

Not sure how it's even a decision.  We have nothing to buy with.

Fortunately (or unfortunately, depending on how you look at it) that is not true.  The O's have several well-regarded prospects--Chance Cisco, Austin Hays and Ryan Mountcastle are showing up on midseason top-100 lists, and Cedric Mullins would probably also be ranked had he not missed so much time to injury this season.  Tanner Scott is a legit power relief prospect.  Keegan Akin is a legit starting pitching prospect.  

The O's don't have enough prospects to get three good starting pitchers, which is what they would need to become a serious contender this season--so they shouldn't even think about buying at the deadline.  They also don't have viable starting pitcher prospects at AA or AAA, or prospects who project to remain at SS or 3B.  That's what they need to ask for when they sell.  

[NedFromYork]

I would be ok with trading Britton or Brach, Smith or Kim, and Castillo, but not all of them.  I think with what Blier, Castro, and Asher have shown in relief we'd be ok, especially with O'Day back.

[MDtransplant757]

I'd sell on Kim, Smith and Castillo. I'd start Caleb at catcher to let Sisco's defense get better (hopefully), and bring up Mullins to play RF. 

[El Gordo]

3 hours ago, 25 Nuggets said:

Based on what we've seen so far this season, the Orioles could trade Britton, Brach, Smith, Castillo and dump Kim and still finish with a better win% after the break than before the break.

If you are trading all of them I doubt it.