Why we could be "good again" sooner than many expect

[Bradysburns]

I realize we're in for a long road ahead. 

It will be years before we compete for the playoffs again. 

However, I suspect we'll be fun to watch -- even GOOD -- sooner than expected. 

Why? Two words: pitching and defense. 

Cobb, Cashner and Bundy will form the top of our rotation next season. There's reason to think they'll all have much improved years. Bundy's older and a year further removed from injury. Cobb is finding his footing in Baltimore. Cashner has mid-rotation stuff, easily. AND... our defense should be markedly improved when the likes of Mullins, Hayes and Diaz are patrolling the outfield. 

We're essentially going to have three center fielders out there. And that should be both unusual, and fun to watch. 

Imagine all those "doubles" from Yankee hitters... magically getting caught, with highlight-reel catches, night after night. 

If we improve our infield defense, which should not be difficult... we could have an elite defense, behind a young but veteran rotation. 

If guys like Dillon Tate and Luis Ortiz can come up and perform... we could be fun to watch as soon as the second half of next year. 

I don't see us winning more than 70 games next year. But I do think the second half could be legitimately enjoyable. 

Agreed? Or do you see multiple years of ugly baseball ahead? 

[99ct]

I appreciate the sentiment and would love for it to be true. But pointing to Bundy, Cobb and Cashner, and concluding that we now "have pitching," is a huge mistake, IMO. Those three are decent, but far from exceptional. Further, the chance of all three improving next year is a long-shot, though I admit its a possibility. The real problem is that even then, its only 3/5.

Remember how hard it was to find a fifth starter who wasn't an automatic loss in '16-'17? Now try finding a fourth and fifth starter, while also hoping that Bundy, Cobb and Cashner are good.

In short, the odds are slim.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

Maybe if half the Yankees and Red Sox rosters get long term PED suspensions.

Embrace the rebuild and if the Orioles actually do things right they should be good again in three or more years.

[wildbillhiccup]

The title of this thread sounds like the title of a a Barbara Streisand song. 

[oriole]

I think you're making infield defense sound easier than it really is. There is no one knocking on the door for 2B, SS, or 3B unless you count Mountcastle as a 3B but that's not going to do anything for defense. Also, a Mullins, Diaz, Hayes OF might be good defensively but especially this early they could be the worst hitting OF in the majors. I think 70 wins next year is the ceiling and an unlikely one at that. It's gonna be ugly. May as well embrace it.

[wildbillhiccup]

18 minutes ago, Bradysburns said:

I realize we're in for a long road ahead. 

It will be years before we compete for the playoffs again. 

However, I suspect we'll be fun to watch -- even GOOD -- sooner than expected. 

Why? Two words: pitching and defense. 

Cobb, Cashner and Bundy will form the top of our rotation next season. There's reason to think they'll all have much improved years. Bundy's older and a year further removed from injury. Cobb is finding his footing in Baltimore. Cashner has mid-rotation stuff, easily. AND... our defense should be markedly improved when the likes of Mullins, Hayes and Diaz are patrolling the outfield. 

We're essentially going to have three center fielders out there. And that should be both unusual, and fun to watch. 

Imagine all those "doubles" from Yankee hitters... magically getting caught, with highlight-reel catches, night after night. 

If we improve our infield defense, which should not be difficult... we could have an elite defense, behind a young but veteran rotation. 

If guys like Dillon Tate and Luis Ortiz can come up and perform... we could be fun to watch as soon as the second half of next year. 

I don't see us winning more than 70 games next year. But I do think the second half could be legitimately enjoyable. 

Agreed? Or do you see multiple years of ugly baseball ahead? 

Three more words. Mancini, Davis, Trumbo. 

[HelenaEngineer]

Why not? We went from an 0-21 start with 107 losses in 1988 to heading to Toronto for a season ending series one game out in the AL East in 1989, with improved outfield defense being a huge part of that improvement, and in 2012 went from a team that Buster Olney claimed would still likely lose 100 games in a "best case scenario" where Zach Britton and Brian Matusz blossomed into top level pitchers. Neither had a good year and both ended up being demoted to the minors, yet the Orioles won over 90 games and advanced to the ALDS. I think the gap between a competitive team and one that is not is a lot smaller than people make it out to be. I can't see next year's team being a contender, but they should be improved and if the Orioles have more than a couple of years of "ugly baseball" ahead it will be because they have continued to do a poor job of drafting and player development.

[scbalt52]

3 minutes ago, wildbillhiccup said:

Three more words. Mancini, Davis, Trumbo. 

Beckham

[Ruzious]

Our pitching and offense will be awful the next couple of years - and the defense will have holes - no getting around that.  The enjoyment will be in tracking the improvement of the young players.  

[wildbillhiccup]

So who's hosting the house party when Chris Davis' contract expires? 

[Grt 2BA FL Gator]

48 minutes ago, Bradysburns said:

I realize we're in for a long road ahead. 

It will be years before we compete for the playoffs again. 

However, I suspect we'll be fun to watch -- even GOOD -- sooner than expected. 

Why? Two words: pitching and defense. 

Cobb, Cashner and Bundy will form the top of our rotation next season. There's reason to think they'll all have much improved years. Bundy's older and a year further removed from injury. Cobb is finding his footing in Baltimore. Cashner has mid-rotation stuff, easily. AND... our defense should be markedly improved when the likes of Mullins, Hayes and Diaz are patrolling the outfield. 

We're essentially going to have three center fielders out there. And that should be both unusual, and fun to watch. 

Imagine all those "doubles" from Yankee hitters... magically getting caught, with highlight-reel catches, night after night. 

If we improve our infield defense, which should not be difficult... we could have an elite defense, behind a young but veteran rotation. 

If guys like Dillon Tate and Luis Ortiz can come up and perform... we could be fun to watch as soon as the second half of next year. 

I don't see us winning more than 70 games next year. But I do think the second half could be legitimately enjoyable. 

Agreed? Or do you see multiple years of ugly baseball ahead? 

I don't think what you're saying is crazy as far as the starting pitching. Cobb does look to be settling back in some and has a pedigree. Cashner could be about the same (he's been about as good as you could expect on his contract). Bundy is an enigma at this point. But the top 3 out of our rotation could give us decent turns each time out. And then the latter two could be interesting young pitchers as early as second half next year. 

The problem is our bullpen will be very inexperienced and our lineup will likely be the worst it's been in years. The defense could certainly be better, but it's hard to be worse. I just don't think we are going to have near enough offense. And then the defense has it's question marks too with Beckham, Davis, Mancini, Trumbo and even Sisco you could say. 

All that adds up to a Tampa Bay Rays type performance, but their rotation is better and deeper. So if lots of things go right, maybe we win 70-ish games. And the problem is, the Yankees and Red Sox are as good as they've been in years. And the Rays and Jays both have top 5 farm systems. 

Anything could happen, but there are more things stacked up against us than for us. 

 

 

[foxfield]

17 minutes ago, wildbillhiccup said:

So who's hosting the house party when Chris Davis' contract expires? 

Camden Yards?  Everyone's invited.

[Ruzious]

39 minutes ago, wildbillhiccup said:

So who's hosting the house party when Chris Davis' contract expires? 

Hopefully we'll be alive when the deferred payments are fully paid.  

[Tx Oriole]

1 hour ago, Bradysburns said:

I realize we're in for a long road ahead. 

It will be years before we compete for the playoffs again. 

However, I suspect we'll be fun to watch -- even GOOD -- sooner than expected. 

Why? Two words: pitching and defense. 

Cobb, Cashner and Bundy will form the top of our rotation next season. There's reason to think they'll all have much improved years. Bundy's older and a year further removed from injury. Cobb is finding his footing in Baltimore. Cashner has mid-rotation stuff, easily. AND... our defense should be markedly improved when the likes of Mullins, Hayes and Diaz are patrolling the outfield. 

We're essentially going to have three center fielders out there. And that should be both unusual, and fun to watch. 

Imagine all those "doubles" from Yankee hitters... magically getting caught, with highlight-reel catches, night after night. 

If we improve our infield defense, which should not be difficult... we could have an elite defense, behind a young but veteran rotation. 

If guys like Dillon Tate and Luis Ortiz can come up and perform... we could be fun to watch as soon as the second half of next year. 

I don't see us winning more than 70 games next year. But I do think the second half could be legitimately enjoyable. 

Agreed? Or do you see multiple years of ugly baseball ahead? 

I think it will be fun.  With new players coming up to watch from the minors. 

[25 Nuggets]

It's only going to be fun for so long.

2019 is going to be brutal, most likely.

2020 I expect from the team to see some steps starting to show fruit.

2021 I would like the team to be competitive again.