Are the O's better than they were at the end of the 2017 season?

[backwardsk]

6 minutes ago, NCRaven said:

Cortes interests me.  I still think Castro is best suited for the pen.  Ynoa, Asher and Aquino do not impress.

I like Castro.  He deserves a shot.  Aquino is not a guy who can be a fixture in the rotation, but maybe he's someone that you can pick your spots with when the opponent is heavily left handed.  Of those four, Ynoa and Aquino did the best with a 4.31 ERA in six starts.

[clapdiddy]

5 minutes ago, NCRaven said:

Cortes interests me.  I still think Castro is best suited for the pen.  Ynoa, Asher and Aquino do not impress.

I would like to see more of Ynoa.   I've already seen enough of Asher and Aquino.

[Going Underground]

4 minutes ago, backwardsk said:

I like Castro.  He deserves a shot.  Aquino is not a guy who can be a fixture in the bullpen, but maybe he's someone that you can pick your spots with when the opponent is heavily left handed.  Of those four, Ynoa and Aquino did the best with a 4.31 ERA in six starts.

Castro pitched 90 innings last year. So this year he might get to around 107 or so, if they do the usual innings pitched from prior season.

[interloper]

Just watched some video of Cortes. He'll go side arm at times with breaking balls. I feel like that would be an easy tell at the big league level, but we'll find out. Definitely makes the overhand fastball seem more firm, and he can spot it pretty well.

[interloper]

24 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Bundy could be an ace this year.    He has that kind of ability and make up.

I sure hope so. There are days he looks unhittable and there are days his 91 mph 4-seamer is getting lofted out of the ballpark with regularity. Either way, love watching him pitch. Just hope he's more consistent this year.

[Beef Supreme]

On Wednesday, January 17, 2018 at 10:54 AM, osfan83 said:

So...if the team right now is as good as last years team, does that mean we will only be a game out of the second WC spot on Sept 1st?

Seems possible. For all the talk about last place (which is 20% of the league because of 5-team divisions), the 2017 was much like the 2016 wild card team, personnel-wise. The core of the 2016 and 2017 teams is much the same as the 2018 team. The only core player the Orioles have lost is Tillman -- and it looks possible they will re-sign him.

[Note: I realize that Hardy would qualify as a core player but the injuries limited his playing time so much that his absence won't be as noticeable as it might have been if he had been healthy, especially with the trade for Beckham.]