Looking back now, did the Orioles actually have a plan? Or still nah?

[interloper]

I can't decide. Certainly the body of work this offseason seems decent right now, if you put aside for a moment the potential stupidity of "going for it".

• Cobb
• Cashner
• Tillman
• 3 Rule 5's, two of whom seem like they could help
• Rasmus
• Alvarez/Valencia/Gentry/Presley/Vielma/Sardinas
• Joely (another classic Castro/Brach under-the-radar bullpen snipe?)

The rotation is rebuilt, the bullpen looks solid enough despite the loss of Zach, the lineup looks solid, and the defense will have to try hard to be worse than last year. Also, the Manny/Beckham switch seems to have worked out so far.

**HOWEVER**

• Still don't know the status of Dan, Buck, Jones, Manny, Britton, or Brach for next year.
• Still haven't succeeded in extending a single arb player like Schoop or Gausman.
• Still couldn't sign Flaherty, weirdly.

So... were we right early in the offseason? Did they lack a plan and stumble ass backwards into retooling the team? Or was this a consistent, planned effort to retool with hopes of contending this year?

I have no idea.

 

[LookitsPuck]

At the end of it all, this team looks like a prototypical Dan Duquette team.

• Average (at best) rotation
• Homer or die offense (feast or famine)
• Above average bullpen*

So...if that's the model, it *appears* there was a plan here. It's not the sexiest, but it seems like the ole "We won't spend as much, but maybe we can luck our way into the playoffs". 

*I certainly think this bullpen has the potential to be bad if Brach doesn't regain form or O'Day. We're playing w/ fire with Britton out.

[interloper]

5 minutes ago, LookitsPuck said:

At the end of it all, this team looks like a prototypical Dan Duquette team.

• Average (at best) rotation
• Homer or die offense (feast or famine)
• Above average bullpen*

So...if that's the model, it *appears* there was a plan here. It's not the sexiest, but it seems like the ole "We won't spend as much, but maybe we can luck our way into the playoffs". 

*I certainly think this bullpen has the potential to be bad if Brach doesn't regain form or O'Day. We're playing w/ fire with Britton out.

I, too, have Brach concerns. I'd almost like to see them go ahead and sign Holland while they're at it. I mean why not?

But yeah, agreed. Still feel like Gausman is the main key to this team. If he has a more consistent year, that provides such a big boost.

[Beef Supreme]

Looks like they had a plan. The choreography was a bit rough, however.

[interloper]

1 minute ago, Beef Supreme said:

Looks like they had a plan. The choreography was a bit rough, however.

If they did, it sure seems like the rug could have been pulled from under them at any time. All it takes is an aggressive team or two. Hard to say how all this stuff works though.

[MikeAD]

Maybe it just percolated in our favor 

[Beef Supreme]

Just now, interloper said:

If they did, it sure seems like the rug could have been pulled from under them at any time. All it takes is an aggressive team or two. Hard to say how all this stuff works though.

It's hard for me to wrap my head around the claim that the Cobb deal had been in the works for months while Opening Day is next Thursday. Failing to sign Cobb would have been the rug being pulled out from under them.

[jabba72]

Buck is likely coming back now he has a legit staff for the first time. Duquette im not really sure still. 

[interloper]

Just now, Beef Supreme said:

It's hard for me to wrap my head around the claim that the Cobb deal had been in the works for months while Opening Day is next Thursday. Failing to sign Cobb would have been the rug being pulled out from under them.

Exactly.

My gut says they got hella lucky, but then again this is in line with a typical Dan offseason, except more extreme due to the crazy market tumble.

[Beef Supreme]

10 minutes ago, interloper said:

I, too, have Brach concerns. I'd almost like to see them go ahead and sign Holland while they're at it. I mean why not?

But yeah, agreed. Still feel like Gausman is the main key to this team. If he has a more consistent year, that provides such a big boost.

Guessing that payroll is @ $155MM with Cobb. Can they afford to sign Holland? Seems to me that they could.

[interloper]

Just now, Beef Supreme said:

Guessing that payroll is @ $155MM with Cobb. Can they afford to sign Holland? Seems to me that they could.

Seems like they could, yeah. But it would cost another pick, I believe.

[Beef Supreme]

9 minutes ago, interloper said:

Seems like they could, yeah. But it would cost another pick, I believe.

Re. Signing Greg Holland: Looks to be #87 would be the next pick for the Orioles that they would lose.

[theocean]

49 minutes ago, interloper said:

I can't decide. Certainly the body of work this offseason seems decent right now, if you put aside for a moment the potential stupidity of "going for it".

• Cobb
• Cashner
• Tillman
• 3 Rule 5's, two of whom seem like they could help
• Rasmus
• Alvarez/Valencia/Gentry/Presley/Vielma/Sardinas
• Joely (another classic Castro/Brach under-the-radar bullpen snipe?)

The rotation is rebuilt, the bullpen looks solid enough despite the loss of Zach, the lineup looks solid, and the defense will have to try hard to be worse than last year. Also, the Manny/Beckham switch seems to have worked out so far.

**HOWEVER**

• Still don't know the status of Dan, Buck, Jones, Manny, Britton, or Brach for next year.
• Still haven't succeeded in extending a single arb player like Schoop or Gausman.
• Still couldn't sign Flaherty, weirdly.

So... were we right early in the offseason? Did they lack a plan and stumble ass backwards into retooling the team? Or was this a consistent, planned effort to retool with hopes of contending this year?

I have no idea.

 

There's a difference between the O's knowing the status of Dan, Buck, Jones, Manny, Britton, and Brach and what us plebeians know about Dan, Buck, Jones, Manny, Britton, and Brach.

Just because we don't know the plan doesn't mean there isn't a plan.

[murph]

I don’t know but @Frobby can now finally grade the off-season.  ?

[weams]

7 hours ago, LookitsPuck said:

At the end of it all, this team looks like a prototypical Dan Duquette team.

• Average (at best) rotation
• Homer or die offense (feast or famine)
• Above average bullpen*

So...if that's the model, it *appears* there was a plan here. It's not the sexiest, but it seems like the ole "We won't spend as much, but maybe we can luck our way into the playoffs". 

*I certainly think this bullpen has the potential to be bad if Brach doesn't regain form or O'Day. We're playing w/ fire with Britton out.

I fear closing games.