Tillman back. Are we happy?

[TonySoprano]

2 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

But this is the time of year the Orioles should be acquiring the talent that will make them a playoff contender, not just potentially marginally better than yesterday. If the Orioles go into the season with this starting rotation they are not trying to win, but rather trying to tread water for year and not to be horrible. That's the kind of thinking that got the Orioles 14 losing seasons in a row.

Whether if it was December or February, pick your year, Peter Angelos is not going to pay top dollar for pitching, never has, never will.  Flanagan, Sweater Vest, Showalter all have promoted the party line, "grow the arms."  To expect anything else after all these years is akin to Charlie Brown still believing Lucy won't pull the football.  This quote is from 2006, but he hasn't changed his spots since. 

Quote

For example, I was at a meeting in Milwaukee and everyone was talking about the most recent deal the Astros made giving [pitcher Roy] Oswalt $73 million for five years, $14.5 million a year. (chuckle) That is lunacy. He's going to pitch every fifth day. A good ballplayer and all that, but $14.5.million a year…now come on. 

https://www.pressboxonline.com/story/738/the-last-laugh-q-a-with-peter-angelos

[Satyr3206]

A week ago I was pretty down on this season. While I don't think Cashner and Tilly turn us into playoff contenders, at least it's progress. I'd like to see them add another starter. And I am a little surprised by all the negative outlooks. The Orioles have never been in on top of the rotation pitchers. Ever. To expect anything like that is to set yourself up for disappointment. It's Spring Training and I'll be slightly optimistic until I have a reason not to be.

[sportsfan8703]

1 year $3 million base salary.  With incentives it can get to $10 million. I’d say that’s a pretty good deal considering how good Tillman was before injury. 

DD hasn’t done anything that could hurt us long term, and has at least given us a shot at the WF next year. 

[25 Nuggets]

1 hour ago, Roy Firestone said:

I think its unlikely we will get Lynn...and we definitely won't get Cobb. He doesn't want to pitch in Baltimore.

 

I understand that, which is why I'm not saying "get Cobb".  Give Lynn the 4 year deal.  He is on a different level than Ubaldo.

Orrrr.    Trade Machado for one, not two young stud SP, plus stuff.  Then with the money saved on arbitration costs, you may or may not sign Moustakas.  Depends on if you want to compete in 2018 or start the reload for 2019.

Just please, don't go half way on this.  Boston just got JD Martinez.  This is not a good enough team on paper to compete, right now.

[mdbdotcom]

If Tillman is good, and makes all his starts, it's still subtraction by addition. He's not going to be with the club after this year. He's a rental. The spot in the rotation he is going to claim should be taken by a talented young prospect who can grow into the role over the course of the year and be ready to join Gausman, Bundy, Cashner and Harvey in the rotation next season.

I have nothing against Chris, but I hope he's gone before spring training ends so he doesn't take a youngster's spot. I wish him all the best, but not in an Orioles uniform this year.

[LookitsPuck]

13 minutes ago, mdbdotcom said:

If Tillman is good, and makes all his starts, it's still subtraction by addition. He's not going to be with the club after this year. He's a rental. The spot in the rotation he is going to claim should be taken by a talented young prospect who can grow into the role over the course of the year and be ready to join Gausman, Bundy, Cashner and Harvey in the rotation next season.

I have nothing against Chris, but I hope he's gone before spring training ends so he doesn't take a youngster's spot. I wish him all the best, but not in an Orioles uniform this year.

I'm not convinced the Orioles have anybody in the minors that can take the spot. People like Asher (26), Castro (23), Ynoa (24), Wright (28) etc. Would you even consider them the future from a starting pitching perspective? Who else would you put in there? 

I guess you could make an argument for Castro if you think he's SP material. He had a 5.2 SO/9 last year with a BB/9 approaching 4. I don't know how sustainable that'd be in the rotation. 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

11 minutes ago, LookitsPuck said:

I'm not convinced the Orioles have anybody in the minors that can take the spot. People like Asher (26), Castro (23), Ynoa (24), Wright (28) etc. Would you even consider them the future from a starting pitching perspective? Who else would you put in there? 

I guess you could make an argument for Castro if you think he's SP material. He had a 5.2 SO/9 last year with a BB/9 approaching 4. I don't know how sustainable that'd be in the rotation. 

I like Castro in long relief role.  Trying to convert him into a starter is going to break him.  

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, Roy Firestone said:

I think its unlikely we will get Lynn...and we definitely won't get Cobb. He doesn't want to pitch in Baltimore.

 

Per Dan Connolly on Wall to Wall Baseball, we’ve shown zero interest in Cobb this winter, while we have talked to Lynn’s agent.  

[now]

1 hour ago, TonySoprano said:

Whether if it was December or February, pick your year, Peter Angelos is not going to pay top dollar for pitching, never has, never will.  Flanagan, Sweater Vest, Showalter all have promoted the party line, "grow the arms."  To expect anything else after all these years is akin to Charlie Brown still believing Lucy won't pull the football.  This quote is from 2006, but he hasn't changed his spots since. 

https://www.pressboxonline.com/story/738/the-last-laugh-q-a-with-peter-angelos

As a basic principle - invest more in position players than in pitchers - it's hard to argue with the logic of going with the less injury-prone group. More likely the failure (to the extent the Orioles have failed) lies, not necessarily in the "grow the arms" philosophy, but in execution: drafting, scouting, evaluating, developing, and paradoxically, trading away young pitchers. Not to mention, wasting high draft picks to sign the lower-tier Gallardo-type FA pitchers. In other words, undermining and hedging on their own philosophy, along with not doing a very good job of it.

[now]

This just in from Gausman, as per Roch:

Quote

Yeah, he looked like the old Tilly that I know and we all know. Really good fastball command and he had that angle back and that’s a big thing for him.

Are we happy yet? 

[FanSince88]

1 hour ago, LookitsPuck said:

I'm not convinced the Orioles have anybody in the minors that can take the spot. People like Asher (26), Castro (23), Ynoa (24), Wright (28) etc. Would you even consider them the future from a starting pitching perspective? Who else would you put in there? 

I guess you could make an argument for Castro if you think he's SP material. He had a 5.2 SO/9 last year with a BB/9 approaching 4. I don't know how sustainable that'd be in the rotation. 

Yeah, everyone in the high minors stinks.  They all got lit up in AAA pitchers park last year.  We have a few decent prospects in single-A or Harvey who's coming off a major injury.  We have nothing to lose by letting Tillman be a placeholder in the #4 or #5 spot.  

[BohKnowsBmore]

I think Tilly back on a low guaranteed contract is great.  If we buy into mandates to pitch high salary guys, Buck won't be stuck with him necessarily.  All upside on the signing IMO.

[LookitsPuck]

12 minutes ago, BohKnowsBmore said:

I think Tilly back on a low guaranteed contract is great.  If we buy into mandates to pitch high salary guys, Buck won't be stuck with him necessarily.  All upside on the signing IMO.

The problem is Buck won't have anybody to pitch instead of Tillman.

[BohKnowsBmore]

Just now, LookitsPuck said:

The problem is Buck won't have anybody to pitch instead of Tillman.

Fair. Tough, but fair.

[Frobby]

54 minutes ago, now said:

This just in from Gausman, as per Roch:

Are we happy yet? 

I’ll be happy when I see it in a game.