Connolly: Six Moves the Orioles Should Make

[weams]

20 hours ago, Il BuonO said:

The Orioles got an even bigger red flag when he didn’t pass the physical and they still signed him.

Kinda had to at that point. 

[Redskins Rick]

On 1/5/2018 at 4:11 PM, Frobby said:

Your memory is still flawed.    Ubaldo did not pitch well in 2014, and Tillman was never injured.    

Okay, so it was 2016.

Ubaldo pitched his arse off, last 6 starts, the team went 5-1 and threw a CG.

 

[Frobby]

54 minutes ago, Redskins Rick said:

Okay, so it was 2016.

Ubaldo pitched his arse off, last 6 starts, the team went 5-1 and threw a CG.

 

It was great that he did that.   However, if he hadn’t gone 5-11 with a 6.62 ERA before that point in the season, we wouldn’t have needed him to pitch so well in his final six starts for the team to make the playoffs.   His overall season was still pretty horrific despite his hot finish.

[Redskins Rick]

4 minutes ago, Frobby said:

It was great that he did that.   However, if he hadn’t gone 5-11 with a 6.62 ERA before that point in the season, we wouldn’t have needed him to pitch so well in his final six starts for the team to make the playoffs.   His overall season was still pretty horrific despite his hot finish.

Point taken.

Ubaldo never came close to consistent enough for the money paid him.

[foxfield]

I really didn't like Connollys article that much.  I mean it's off season so any speculation is fun, but the six items were just sorta meh.  I would have been interested in his thoughts on say how his six ideas would or could work.

1) Extend Schoop - Ok what would that look like?  Im in for 6/85 or so but many in Frobbys Poll think the number required would be higher.  Of course extending Schoop is a reasonable move....but cost would factor in too right?

2)  Sign/Trade Manny is probably his most complete thought.  I think most of us are on board even if we are sea sick.

3)  Sign Cashner.  Well, I think this is debatable, but here he at least puts some numbers in.  He thinks Cashner is the best starter available for 3 years.  I just do not agree.

4)  Tillman - I was in the let him walk camp, but given the numbers, I think a 1 year deal ASAP is the easiest to accomplish of the 6 moves in Connolly's article.  Whether it is smart is debatable, but if we down to grasping straws, this is at least a potentially cheap one with upside.

5) Sign Jon Jay, his argument is reasonable I guess, given the O's stated interest in a LH bat, but the team has a bunch of kids they need to play and too many batters they have to keep.  Adding another old guy hurts way more than it helps. Even if

6)  Trade Mark Trumbo.  The Orioles traded for him and his 9MM salary for a third string catcher.  His 13MM salary is not being moved in a trade unless its part of a $ deal where we pay anyway (Which I would be ok with) or we take someone elses bad deal.  I will agree that the bloated number looks more reasonable if as Connolly suggests his numbers are in-between his last two years.  The Trumbo problem is simply this.  His acquisition to replace Davis was brilliant.  His resigning after the 161MM commitment to Davis is suspect and having them both seemingly bolted to the lineup daily requires a suspension of rationality.  Sure they could both be massively better in 18 than 17.  But no rational team should invest 36MM or so to count on that, and fact is that moving him should be the number 2 priority on the team, after of course coming up with pitching.

There is no path forward in my opinion competitive or rebuilding, where Trumbo/Davis together make sense.  And I really like both of them.

[gtman55]

Sad to say but when the Orioles finally do something, I guarantee 90% of what they do will be useless.