Roch's "Various improvements needed from these six Orioles"

[mdbdotcom]

In today's blog post, Roch says six O's need to make improvements. Read the post for the details. Here are the bullet points:

1. Kevin Gausman needs two good halves
2. Manny Machado needs a better first half
3. Trumbo needs to get right at the plate
4. Chris Davis needs to regain his eye at the plate
5. Tim Beckham needs to be closer to his August version than September
6. Zach Britton needs to be healthy

That's quite a list, and to it I would add: 7. Adam Jones needs to not be a defensive liability in center field.

I've got three questions for you:

1. Which of these do you think will happen?
2. Which won't happen? 
3. In addition to getting the four starting pitchers DD says we need, how much of the above need to happen for the O's to contend?

[Aristotelian]

In order of most likely to least likely: 2, 1, 6, 5, 3, 4. I think we could be pretty good with 2, 1, 6, and a little bit of 5 to go with some halfway decent pitching. I am hoping we get rid of Trumbo.

Honestly we should trade Manny. Getting nothing but a draft pick would be a travesty. In which case, the rest of these questions are moot.

[Can_of_corn]

Bundy needs to stay strong all season and put up 190+ innings.

[24fps]

1. Three good pitches = two good halves.

2. Should happen

3. Trumbo should improve.  Some.  

4. No longer a believer in CD's "eye".  There are times when I wonder if he even sees the pitch.

5. Give Beckham regular playing time and some position security and I'll bet he responds.  Probably not to August levels, but good enough.

6. Fingers crossed.

[Frobby]

15 minutes ago, mdbdotcom said:

In today's blog post, Roch says six O's need to make improvements. Read the post for the details. Here are the bullet points:

1. Kevin Gausman needs two good halves
2. Manny Machado needs a better first half
3. Trumbo needs to get right at the plate
4. Chris Davis needs to regain his eye at the plate
5. Tim Beckham needs to be closer to his August version than September
6. Zach Britton needs to be healthy

That's quite a list, and to it I would add: 7. Adam Jones needs to not be a defensive liability in center field.

I've got three questions for you:

1. Which of these do you think will happen?
2. Which won't happen? 
3. In addition to getting the four starting pitchers DD says we need, how much of the above need to happen for the O's to contend?

I don’t think Adam is magically going to improve in CF.    He’s just not as fast as he used to be, and that’s not going to reverse itself.    Thus, the team either needs to decide that his defensive shortcomings are something they can live with given that he’s still an above average player overall, or they need to take steps to move him to a corner OF spot.    It’s on the team, not Adam, to address this.

[El Gordo]

I am comfortable with Gausman and Manny. Have my doubts about CD and Trumbo. Hopefully one of them improves. Am more concerned with Beckham's glove than his bat. Think Britton should be healthy. The main thing is still acquiring 3 decent SP..

[mdbdotcom]

2 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I don’t think Adam is magically going to improve in CF.    He’s just not as fast as he used to be, and that’s not going to reverse itself.    Thus, the team either needs to decide that his defensive shortcomings are something they can live with given that he’s still an above average player overall, or they need to take steps to move him to a corner OF spot.    It’s on the team, not Adam, to address this.

I think the O's would move Adam to a corner if he would be willing to accept it. That's why I phrased the point the way I did. Adam is not going to become a better center fielder than he is, but he could be a decent or better corner outfielder. That's a move many CF don't like to make. 

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

I don’t think Adam is magically going to improve in CF.    He’s just not as fast as he used to be, and that’s not going to reverse itself.    Thus, the team either needs to decide that his defensive shortcomings are something they can live with given that he’s still an above average player overall, or they need to take steps to move him to a corner OF spot.    It’s on the team, not Adam, to address this.

 

I can't say that is necessarily the truth.

Jeter managed a discernible bump in his defensive ability in his mid 30's by changing his offseason training and his positiong.

Might something similar be possible for Jones?  Perhaps.

[Frobby]

6 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I can't say that is necessarily the truth.

Jeter managed a discernible bump in his defensive ability in his mid 30's by changing his offseason training and his positiong.

Might something similar be possible for Jones?  Perhaps.

Jones changed his positioning pretty dramatically this year, and it didn’t help.    Conditioning?     Maybe, but I’m skeptical.    

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, Frobby said:

Jones changed his positioning pretty dramatically this year, and it didn’t help.    Conditioning?     Maybe, but I’m skeptical.    

I'm skeptical as well.

But it is possible some degree of improvement is possible.

I don't think he can get all the way to good mind you, just closer to average.

[foxfield]

46 minutes ago, mdbdotcom said:

In today's blog post, Roch says six O's need to make improvements. Read the post for the details. Here are the bullet points:

1. Kevin Gausman needs two good halves
2. Manny Machado needs a better first half
3. Trumbo needs to get right at the plate
4. Chris Davis needs to regain his eye at the plate
5. Tim Beckham needs to be closer to his August version than September
6. Zach Britton needs to be healthy

That's quite a list, and to it I would add: 7. Adam Jones needs to not be a defensive liability in center field.

I've got three questions for you:

1. Which of these do you think will happen?
2. Which won't happen? 
3. In addition to getting the four starting pitchers DD says we need, how much of the above need to happen for the O's to contend?

I have a 4th question.  Assume for a minute that the baseball gods shine on the Orioles...

 

IF all of those things above happened, what changes would STILL be needed to be favored to win the AL East.

Now, what are the chances that all of the above occur?

[El Gordo]

2 minutes ago, foxfield said:

I have a 4th question.  Assume for a minute that the baseball gods shine on the Orioles...

 

IF all of those things above happened, what changes would STILL be needed to be favored to win the AL East.

Now, what are the chances that all of the above occur?

If they got the right SP they could get by with only one or two of the above.

[foxfield]

2 minutes ago, El Gordo said:

If they got the right SP they could get by with only one or two of the above.

By SP you mean collectively...as in the 4 SP DD has said he wants.  If you mean one SP and one or two of the above items...I think that is delusional.  1 would have to be Gausman, two would have to be Britton and of course Manny needs a better year and you cannot get by with both Trumbo and Davis being putrid.  

 

I think assuming we get pitching, if we do not move anyone from the roster, all of the above have to happen to meaningfully contend.  

[El Gordo]

1 hour ago, foxfield said:

By SP you mean collectively...as in the 4 SP DD has said he wants.  If you mean one SP and one or two of the above items...I think that is delusional.  1 would have to be Gausman, two would have to be Britton and of course Manny needs a better year and you cannot get by with both Trumbo and Davis being putrid.  

 

I think assuming we get pitching, if we do not move anyone from the roster, all of the above have to happen to meaningfully contend.  

By right SP I mean 3 decent SP(15 or more QS). with that .at we could win with the offense we got last season. One or two improvements would be even better.

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, El Gordo said:

By right SP I mean 3 decent SP(15 or more QS). with that .at we could win with the offense we got last season. One or two improvements would be even better.

There were only 24 pitchers in the entire American League who made 15 or more quality starts last year — an average of 1.6 per team.    We were fortunate to have two of them in Bundy (19) and Gausman (15).    There’s no way we’re picking up three more.