Cobb to Orioles (Confirmed by Roch Kubatko)

[25 Nuggets]

1 minute ago, Oriol3s said:

 

Hays, Mullins, Stewart, and Mountcastle yes - and also Mancini, Sisco, and Santander.  There is plenty of promising positional talent available.

[eddie83]

30 minutes ago, Babypowder said:

He's projected for replacement level production. If they see him as important, they probably shouldn't.

My bad. Misread. Thought you were referring to Cobb. 

[25 Nuggets]

2 minutes ago, backwardsk said:

Is tomorrow the day he shows up in the Cubs camp to give Maddon a hug ala Fowler?

sorry backwardsk, joke's already been made. 

[SteveA]

40 minutes ago, MDK02 said:

Wow well done DD. One last stand boys, let’s see what we can do! I’m ready to get this show rollin’!

Is it really a "last stand" anymore?

We are looking at what could be at least a respectable rotation this year of Cobb/Bundy/Gausman/Cashner/someone.  (I didn't say great or even good, but certanly respectable).

All 4 will be back next year, with Harvey added in the mix.

All but Gausman likely back the next year, and Akin could be ready.

Yes, we are going to lose Manny, probably Adam.   But we suddenly have quite a few quality bats in the pipeline.   I think we have some solid bullpen arms coming up in the next few years too.

I remember in 2012 when lots of people thought that if "tried to win" that year, we'd be in trouble because our window would close by 2014.   Then the window was going to close in 2015.   Then it was for sure going to close in 2018.   Absolutely no doubt about that.   Yet somehow Duquette keeps pushing that window further away.   A few months ago probably everybody on here would have been pretty certain we were going to suck in 2019.   Now... not so sure.   I think we could lose Manny, Adam, Brach, Britton, or at least 3 of the 4, and still have some reasonable shot to be winners in 2019 if our young hitters live up to their potential.

I'm not saying we're going to be great in any of those upcoming years.   (Although we could if the right combination of young guys comes up and turns out to be really good).

But I think it's time to put to rest the idea that you definitely have to blow it up because if you try to compete with a marginal team in any given year, utter doom, 14 years of winter,  looms just around the corner.   The rebuild purists who think that complete destruction of the team is the only way to avoid years of losing will probably never be convinced.   And we certainly aren't guaranteed to be over .500 this year (hey, a little secret -- no team is!).    Yeah, you gotta avoid the idiotic Parra-type deals.   But no matter what longterm strategy you adopt, at a tactical level you have to avoid really stupid deals of any flavor.   That's kind of obvious.

[orioles119]

21 minutes ago, MrOrange82 said:

Fee crabcakes? It's a trap.

[25 Nuggets]

SteveA, in my opinion the priority next step is extending Schoop.  They missed the boat on Machado but with Schoop there is still a chance.  They do that, and maybe even extend a couple other youngsters (Givens, Mancini, Beckham) and yes they are looking ok for the future.

[Teddy OBP]

1 minute ago, Roy Firestone said:

3rd round pick..not horrible...

Pssst. Hey Roy, this would be a good time to start an auction.  LOTS of optimism right now!

[esmd]

 

Me when I heard about the Cobb deal a few minutes ago, lol.........Woot!!!!! He was the guy I wanted from the start of this offseason.  I just hope he lives up to the deal.  We're due some good karma after Ubaldo, right?

[scOtt]

2 minutes ago, SteveA said:

Is it really a "last stand" anymore?

We are looking at what could be at least a respectable rotation this year of Cobb/Bundy/Gausman/Cashner/someone.  (I didn't say great or even good, but certanly respectable).

All 4 will be back next year, with Harvey added in the mix.

All but Gausman likely back the next year, and Akin could be ready.

Yes, we are going to lose Manny, probably Adam.   But we suddenly have quite a few quality bats in the pipeline.   I think we have some solid bullpen arms coming up in the next few years too.

I remember in 2012 when lots of people thought that if "tried to win" that year, we'd be in trouble because our window would close by 2014.   Then the window was going to close in 2015.   Then it was for sure going to close in 2018.   Absolutely no doubt about that.   Yet somehow Duquette keeps pushing that window further away.   A few months ago probably everybody on here would have been pretty certain we were going to suck in 2019.   Now... not so sure.   I think we could lose Manny, Adam, Brach, Britton, or at least 3 of the 4, and still have some reasonable shot to be winners in 2019 if our young hitters live up to their potential.

I'm not saying we're going to be great in any of those upcoming years.   (Although we could if the right combination of young guys comes up and turns out to be really good).

But I think it's time to put to rest the idea that you definitely have to blow it up because if you try to compete with a marginal team in any given year, utter doom, 14 years of winter,  looms just around the corner.   The rebuild purists who think that complete destruction of the team is the only way to avoid years of losing will probably never be convinced.   And we certainly aren't guaranteed to be over .500 this year (hey, a little secret -- no team is!).    Yeah, you gotta avoid the idiotic Parra-type deals.   But no matter what longterm strategy you adopt, at a tactical level you have to avoid really stupid deals of any flavor.   That's kind of obvious.

 

So our most important FA is DD?

[Teddy OBP]

1 minute ago, 25 Nuggets said:

SteveA, in my opinion the priority next step is extending Schoop.  They missed the boat on Machado but with Schoop there is still a chance.  They do that, and maybe even extend a couple other youngsters (Givens, Mancini, Beckham) and yes they are looking ok for the future.

YES.  One thousand times (or several million in this case) yes.

[Beef Supreme]

 

7 minutes ago, weams said:

 

 

7 minutes ago, Mountain Bird said:

Sounds like sour grapes to me!

And if Cobb signed elsewhere, Sherman would have tweeted that the Orioles wasted the chance to compete this year while they still had Britton, Machado, Jones, Brach...

[tntoriole]

2 minutes ago, Roy Firestone said:

3rd round pick..not horrible...

Our 3rd highest pick...likely to be #51...second round.    Not horrible at all...Cobb for a pick...i will take it every single day

[Aristotelian]

16 minutes ago, weams said:

 

Shut up, shut up, shut up. You're right, but shut up.

[SteveA]

57 minutes ago, mdbdotcom said:

We don't need a 5th starter until April 9th. He should be ready by then.

Don't we need one April 4?

[25 Nuggets]

1 minute ago, Beef Supreme said:

 

 

And if Cobb signed elsewhere, Sherman would have tweeted that the Orioles wasted the chance to compete this year while they still had Britton, Machado, Jones, Brach...

Eh -- they are still behind the Yanks and Sawx on paper.  But they just got a lot more competitive with them.  Perhaps within margin for error.  And if they still finish 3rd in the AL East, they're in better position for that 2nd Wild Card.

I expect, if they make it, that they will play that one game either in Fenway Park or Yankee Stadium.  We all know anything can happen in one game.