How good can the 2019 Orioles be?

[Frobby]

14 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I wouldn't say that.

I think losing is a byproduct of the start of the process, not the goal.

And I don't think we have to worry about it either.

I agree.    If the team turns out to be a bit better than expected, I don’t expect Elias to look for ways to sabotage it.    Though I do expect him to look for ways to turn older players who are having good seasons into younger players/prospects, and that could mean the team plays worse when those trades are made.  

[jrobb21613]

8 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I agree.    If the team turns out to be a bit better than expected, I don’t expect Elias to look for ways to sabotage it.    Though I do expect him to look for ways to turn older players who are having good seasons into younger players/prospects, and that could mean the team plays worse when those trades are made.  

Or by trading some those guys in would allow for younger more talented players to come up who might excel.

[Can_of_corn]

21 minutes ago, jabba72 said:

It will be interesting to see what he does with the roster. 

I agree.

[LookinUp]

36 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Well show me what free agents would really get this team moving from the 47 win disaster last year to a 62 win crap-fest this year?  I mean, is that what you really want?  Sure, sign some FAs but they'll still be a terrible team.  

 

You almost have to try to lose as much as the O's did last year. It will be very hard to be as bad. A team that plays hard, has decent defense and maybe prepares better (e.g., analytics) than in year's past has a chance to not lose 100 games. I think they still will, but getting better than 47 wins has little to do with FA, IMO.

[now]

35 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I want as many slots on the 25 man roster open for young players as possible.

Elias concurs:

Quote

"We’re going to be taking a fresh look at really every position on the diamond. As you can see there are a lot of competitors for each spot and this camp’s going to be essentially an open competition wherever you look, so it’s excited for a lot of the young guys and the new guys here because they know they’ve got a chance to win a job.”

We hear that message every year in spring training. For the first time I can remember, it seems to be actually believable.

[theocean]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

First of all, I’ve been a fan long enough to know that sometimes a team surprises you.    1989 and 2012 being two great examples.   

That said, the veteran players on this team are, as a group, not very good, and our best young players for the most part aren’t ready to contribute in the majors.    I think we win 55-60 games, because it’s damned hard to win fewer than that even though we managed to do it last year.   

What I’m really looking for this year is to identify some nuggets who can be part of the core of our next good team.    

I'd also say 55-60 games because that's usually the floor for a bad team. But, this team is bad. Really bad. I wouldn't be surprised at all if they didn't even get 50 wins.

[survivedc]

I’m saying between 65-70 with a nice run in September to get there. Hoping there will be some exciting reinforcements on the roster by then.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, survivedc said:

I’m saying between 65-70 with a nice run in September to get there. Hoping there will be some exciting reinforcements on the roster by then.

They win 70 games Hyde should get MoY.

[Ohfan67]

1 hour ago, jabba72 said:

I honestly haven't paid much attention to whats out there to even know. Just figure the markets bad enough that even the O's should be in play for something decent. 

What if the Orioles signed THE best or second best free agent on the market? How much better would the Orioles be? Just look at their first half record from last season when they had Machado and you have your answer. 

[Ohfan67]

1 minute ago, Can_of_corn said:

They win 70 games Hyde should get MoY.

And we should all be ticked about how that pushed them ninth or tenth pick or whatever. 

[Il BuonO]

1 hour ago, Can_of_corn said:

I wouldn't say that.

I think losing is a byproduct of the start of the process, not the goal.

And I don't think we have to worry about it either.

Losing? “As contagious as polio.” “....Ah! But curable.”

 

[eddie83]

It really comes down to the starting pitching. The years where the Orioles fell apart the last couple of months of the year the starting pitching collapsed. Not saying they were great earlier those years but they also were fairly serviceable. I don’t see this team having a 2012 pen that performs miracles either.  

I think the position players will play with much more energy and better defense. I think that will translate into a modest amount of more runs produced and runs saved on defense. 

The rotation could be real ugly. There is no depth. 

[Bmorebirds24]

What’s crazy is I’m only expecting a 55-65 win season and I’ll still cry and complain when they lose cause I somehow expect them to win most of the time. Part of being a fan I guess  

[Il BuonO]

Better than last year?

[drjohnnyfeva]

1 minute ago, Bmorebirds24 said:

What’s crazy is I’m only expecting a 55-65 win season and I’ll still cry and complain when they lose cause I somehow expect them to win most of the time. Part of being a fan I guess  

This is where I am too.  Winning only 47 games is almost impossible, yet we proved it is.   I just don't think they are going to reach that level of suck this year.  But I do agree that anyone doing well in the first half will not be on the team if we can find a trade partner.  I'm thinking there are 3 starters available... and then there's anyone else that is showing signs of life.  Next year might be worse than this year.  If anything it will be we don't do as well as we might have because we've traded our performers away for return.