House released! (Headed To Boston?)

[mweb]

Fahey is up because he can play SS. Neither Knott or House can do that.

You can say he deserves a roster spot more than Gibbons but realistically Gibbons is not going to be released this early with his contract. Not by a well run franchise and not by a poorly run franchise.

Unless House was a competent receiver Knott was/is a much better fit to be on the roster and unless the Orioles make some trades there wasn't/isn't room for both.

Gomez and Bynum can play SS, we don't have anymore of a need for Fahey on the roster than we do for House. Actually, probably less of a need, since we need guys who can hit decently.

[geschinger]

Minor league numbers predict major league performance equally as well as past major league numbers. J.R. House was the Baltimore Orioles 5th, 6th, 7th-best hitter. Somewhere in that range. I have absolutely no reservations making that statement.

Where do you rank a healthy Knott?

[olehippi]

And guess what? A roster spot likely just opened up. Bynum looks like he pulled a hamstring. Perfect timing for House....uh...nope, too late.

[geschinger]

Gomez and Bynum can play SS, we don't have anymore of a need for Fahey on the roster than we do for House. Actually, probably less of a need, since we need guys who can hit decently.

Unfortunately considering the playing time that Fahey has gotten since being recalled I don't know that Trembley agrees.

[DrungoHazewood]

Fahey is up because he can play SS. Neither Knott or House can do that.

You can say he deserves a roster spot more than Gibbons but realistically Gibbons is not going to be released this early with his contract. Not by a well run franchise and not by a poorly run franchise.

Unless House was a competent receiver Knott was/is a much better fit to be on the roster and unless the Orioles make some trades there wasn't/isn't room for both.

A well run franchise wouldn't have signed a below-average DH to a long-term contract to begin with. Now they're stuck in the absurd spot of having to release much better players.

My Lord, what does this say to minor league free agents? We all know major league free agents only come to Baltimore under very specific circumstances (no other options, or the O's are the only team that'll give them a starting job). Now with House getting zero chance, and Knott being treated like Freddy Bynum's caddy, and the sordid history of Cust, Terrero and others, why would a minor league free agent ever sign with the Orioles again? I mean, unless he's a little fast guy who hits .219...

[DrungoHazewood]

Where do you rank a healthy Knott?

Similarly, if he's healthy. This is a guy who lead all of AAA in homers last year.

[glenn__davis]

And guess what? A roster spot likely just opened up. Bynum looks like he pulled a hamstring. Perfect timing for House....uh...nope, too late.

Nah, we're holding onto Eider Torres for a reason, you know.

I'm one of those that's irritated that the O's couldn't see his value, but not irritated that he was released, because we all know he was never going to be up here.

[geschinger]

A well run franchise wouldn't have signed a below-average DH to a long-term contract to begin with. Now they're stuck in the absurd spot of having to release much better players.

I can't argue with that but again once a team has that kind of obligation on the books they don't just release the player this early on.

My Lord, what does this say to minor league free agents? We all know major league free agents only come to Baltimore under very specific circumstances (no other options, or the O's are the only team that'll give them a starting job). Now with House getting zero chance, and Knott being treated like Freddy Bynum's caddy, and the sordid history of Cust, Terrero and others, why would a minor league free agent ever sign with the Orioles again? I mean, unless he's a little fast guy who hits .219...

Again, can't argue with anything you say here although I'm not sure the Orioles are unique in this regard.

[geschinger]

Similarly, if he's healthy. This is a guy who lead all of AAA in homers last year.

Yup, he's the guy I think should be up w/the big club moreso than House. And realsitcally, barring a trade that gets rid of some of the expensive dead weight there wasn't/isn't room for both on the roster.

[mweb]

Unfortunately considering the playing time that Fahey has gotten since being recalled I don't know that Trembley agrees.

Well obviously he probably doesn't agree, but I stand by my statement. We don't need two backup middle IF's.

[DrungoHazewood]

I can't argue with that but again once a team has that kind of obligation on the books they don't just release the player this early on.

If the want to win more games they do. If they want to continue their 10th consecutive losing season by trying to salvage some kind of value out of one of their most egregious mistakes, then by all means, keep Gibbons for a few more years.

At some point someone has to step up and say "I screwed up, big. I handed out an entirely unreasonable contract to someone who's being outperformed by any number of players on Norfolk's roster. I'm owning up to my mistake, and I'm making this a better team by cutting Jay Gibbons. We'll make more money by making smart decisions and winning ballgames than we'll lose eating the rest of the deal." I'm looking right at you, Mr. Flanagan.

[DrungoHazewood]

You know, I envy JR House. When the Orioles crap on him, he can ask for his release. Now that it's been granted he can go elsewhere and find an organization who appreciates his talents and skills, and his life is better.

As fans we're stuck. We can't get let out of our deals - we were born Oriole fans and most of us will die Oriole fans. We can no more change teams than we could change religions or families. So while House will probably be off to bigger and (much) better places, we're all forced to live Groundhog Day over and over and over, stuck forever in the scene where Bill Murray throws himself off clock towers, jumps into the bathtub with the toaster, and on and on.

[DrungoHazewood]

Well obviously he probably doesn't agree, but I stand by my statement. We don't need two backup middle IF's.

Until Tejada got hurt I didn't think we needed one. Mora was more than capable of playing short for one game until they got Fahey or Bynum on a bus from Norfolk.

[geschinger]

If the want to win more games they do. If they want to continue their 10th consecutive losing season by trying to salvage some kind of value out of one of their most egregious mistakes, then by all means, keep Gibbons for a few more years.

At some point someone has to step up and say "I screwed up, big. I handed out an entirely unreasonable contract to someone who's being outperformed by any number of players on Norfolk's roster. I'm owning up to my mistake, and I'm making this a better team by cutting Jay Gibbons. We'll make more money by making smart decisions and winning ballgames than we'll lose eating the rest of the deal." I'm looking right at you, Mr. Flanagan.

Albeit overpaid, he was serviceable last season. Certainly not a player dragging the team down w/his ineptitude. So you would be writing off somewhere along the lines of $12-14m based on 200 ABs. That just isn't realistic no matter how smart or dumb the GM is.

[mweb]

Until Tejada got hurt I didn't think we needed one. Mora was more than capable of playing short for one game until they got Fahey or Bynum on a bus from Norfolk.

So you do think we need all 3 of Gomez, Bynum, and Fahey now? We always have at least one on the bench, plus Huff can play 3rd if need be.