The Sooner They Start the Rebuild, The Sooner I'll Watch More Games

[mdbdotcom]

It's hard to watch this team while they pretend to be playing for something. There is nothing for them to play for. They are a bad baseball team, and they are bad television.

Throw in the towel and start the rebuild, already. There won't be much winning, but I would be more inclined to watch a team that is building for its future as opposed to one that is letting Buck and Brady's over-the-hill-gang play out the string. 

I hope to see some movement in early June. 

[Aristotelian]

You mean you aren't rooting for Manny to see how high he can get his next contract?

[mdbdotcom]

2 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

You mean you aren't rooting for Manny to see how high he can get his next contract?

I'm rooting for him to be traded for as big a haul as possible.

[wildbillhiccup]

2 hours ago, mdbdotcom said:

It's hard to watch this team while they pretend to be playing for something. There is nothing for them to play for. They are a bad baseball team, and they are bad television.

Throw in the towel and start the rebuild, already. There won't be much winning, but I would be more inclined to watch a team that is building for its future as opposed to one that is letting Buck and Brady's over-the-hill-gang play out the string. 

I hope to see some movement in early June. 

I agree with this take 100%. No more starts for Alvarez / Valencia types. They're wasted at bats that should be used to give younger players a look to see what we have to work with. Davis needs to be benched too. i don't care what he's making or how long we're stuck with him. He's not part of this team's future. Sure he'll be on the roster, because he's virtually untradeable, but he should be permanently burred at the end of the bench.

[JR Oriole]

I agree with this completely.  We have to be the only outfit in sports where a .300 winning percentage doesn't get anybody fired or released if they are bad.  There are zero ramifications for being awful at your job in this organization....which I guess makes them an ideal employer from a job security standpoint.  And Davis is a sunk cost....who cares what you paid him or owe him.  It is irrelevant.  He will never get better.  Same with Wright and Tillman.  They are all finished.  Give up on them already and give the playing time to young players who haven't thrown in the towel themselves and aren't mentally broken. 

[Yardball85]

3 hours ago, mdbdotcom said:

It's hard to watch this team while they pretend to be playing for something. There is nothing for them to play for. They are a bad baseball team, and they are bad television.

Throw in the towel and start the rebuild, already. There won't be much winning, but I would be more inclined to watch a team that is building for its future as opposed to one that is letting Buck and Brady's over-the-hill-gang play out the string. 

I hope to see some movement in early June. 

But but but... Manny might win the triple crown! And that's the kind of player you want on your team, regardless of record!! 

[glenn__davis]

I certainly agree with the OP, though I think it's hardly a unique opinion.  Even without making any trades there are a number of moves that I think could be made right now that would make the team more compelling to watch:

• Promote DJ Stewart as the LF on most days
• Promote Cedric Mullins as the CF on most days
• Move Adam Jones to RF
• Joey Rickard becomes the 4th OF.  Rickard/Gentry can replace the LH bat of Stewart (and Mullins as a switch-hitter) against tough lefties

The outfield defense is immediately improved considerably.  Jones is moved out of CF to RF, where he should be at least average if not above average.  Mancini is removed from the OF entirely:

• Mancini plays 1B against lefties, while Davis sits.  Davis can earn his spot back if he ever starts hitting.  Mancini can also take ABs from Trumbo at the DH spot depending on who is hitting.

As for the IF, move Manny back to 3B.  Find a SS that can field the position adequately.  The bat is not important right now.

And finally, stop automatically sitting Sisco against LHP.  Sisco's on pace to start 71 games this year.  I realize you want to overload him during his rookie year particularly at catcher, but he needs to get regular playing time.  He's shown so far that the defense is not going to be the issue that everyone feared, but the bat needs to get going.  He needs to play.

None of the things listed above will happen (except that I assume Sisco will play more now and will be the automatic catcher against RHP), but it would sure be a lot more fun to watch.

[wildbillhiccup]

1 minute ago, glenn__davis said:

I certainly agree with the OP, though I think it's hardly a unique opinion.  Even without making any trades there are a number of moves that I think could be made right now that would make the team more compelling to watch:

• Promote DJ Stewart as the LF on most days
• Promote Cedric Mullins as the CF on most days
• Move Adam Jones to LF
• Joey Rickard becomes the 4th OF.  Rickard/Gentry can replace the LH bats of Stewart/Mullins against tough lefties

The outfield defense is immediately improved considerably.  Jones is moved out of CF to RF, where he should be at least average if not above average.  Mancini is removed from the OF entirely:

• Mancini plays 1B against lefties, while Davis sits.  Davis can earn his spot back if he ever starts hitting.  Mancini can also take ABs from Trumbo at the DH spot depending on who is hitting.

As for the IF, move Manny back to 3B.  Find a SS that can field the position adequately.  The bat is not important right now.

And finally, stop automatically sitting Sisco against LHP.  Sisco's on pace to start 71 games this year.  I realize you want to overload him during his rookie year particularly at catcher, but he needs to get regular playing time.  He's shown so far that the defense is not going to be the issue that everyone feared, but the bat needs to get going.  He needs to play.

None of the things listed above will happen (except that I assume Sisco will play more now and will be the automatic catcher against RHP), but it would sure be a lot more fun to watch.

Have you given up on Austin Hays? 

[glenn__davis]

Just now, wildbillhiccup said:

Have you given up on Austin Hays? 

Not at all, but he is struggling at AA.  I think he'll get it together and still think he'll be a long term solution for us, but Stewart and Mullins seem more ready to contribute now, and for as important as he is to the franchise I'm not willing to just jettison Jones in the middle of the year.  He needs somewhere to play.