Is the 2019 Season a Blatant Tank Job?

[wildbillhiccup]

Please feel free to combine this thread with another if it's appropriate, but I wanted to discuss the blatant tank job the team seems to be doing this season. I realize the team is in rebuilding mode, but it really feels like they are passive aggressively not trying to win games and that's something I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around. How else would you explain someone like Dan Straily still being on the active roster? I'm not putting this on the players or the manager because I think they're both doing the best with the talent they have to work with, but I am putting it on ownership the the GM. And my fear is if they don't make some level of effort to compete they are going to completely lose what's left of the fan base. Will the fans come back when/if they start winning again? Maybe, but it's not a definite. And by competing I'm not talking about major free agent signings. I'm talking about not continuing to put the same terrible product/players on the field. Straily is the poster child and gets the majority of my angst, but it's not limited to him. If a player isn't performing cut him or demote it's really that simple. I'm fine with losing, but don't insult my intelligence by continuing to play terrible players who show no hopes of being better. Rant over and stepping down off my soap box. 

[atomic]

There is no one to replace them with. Management decided to spend the winter relaxing instead of doing their job.  Who are the players we can replace them with at this point?  Our Triple A pitching is horrible, 

[Moose Milligan]

Is anyone going to be complaining in late May of next year when we're debating who to take at 1:1?

[eddie83]

1 minute ago, Moose Milligan said:

Is anyone going to be complaining in late May of next year when we're debating who to take at 1:1?

Yes.

[Moose Milligan]

Just now, eddie83 said:

Yes.

Really, you're going to be complaining about how miserable this team was in 2019?

[eddie83]

Just now, Moose Milligan said:

Really, you're going to be complaining about how miserable this team was in 2019?

I wasn’t referring to me. 

You said anyone.

[eddie83]

We should have strived to be better. Who says the 6th pick won’t outperform the number 1 anyway. 

Something along those lines.

[Oriole1940]

38 minutes ago, wildbillhiccup said:

Please feel free to combine this thread with another if it's appropriate, but I wanted to discuss the blatant tank job the team seems to be doing this season. I realize the team is in rebuilding mode, but it really feels like they are passive aggressively not trying to win games and that's something I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around. How else would you explain someone like Dan Straily still being on the active roster? I'm not putting this on the players or the manager because I think they're both doing the best with the talent they have to work with, but I am putting it on ownership the the GM. And my fear is if they don't make some level of effort to compete they are going to completely lose what's left of the fan base. Will the fans come back when/if they start winning again? Maybe, but it's not a definite. And by competing I'm not talking about major free agent signings. I'm talking about not continuing to put the same terrible product/players on the field. Straily is the poster child and gets the majority of my angst, but it's not limited to him. If a player isn't performing cut him or demote it's really that simple. I'm fine with losing, but don't insult my intelligence by continuing to play terrible players who show no hopes of being better. Rant over and stepping down off my soap box. 

AMEN|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||.

[baltfan]

I look at this year as one for experimentation and seeing what we have.  Numerous guys have been brought in or have been called up and given a chance.  If you didn't do it this way, maybe John Means or Smith don't emerge.  We have also learned that a ton of these guys just aren't major leaguers.

[jerios55]

46 minutes ago, wildbillhiccup said:

 

46 minutes ago, wildbillhiccup said:

Please feel free to combine this thread with another if it's appropriate,

 

40 minutes ago, atomic said:

There is no one to replace them with. Management decided to spend the winter relaxing instead of doing their job.  Who are the players we can replace them with at this point?  Our Triple A pitching is horrible, 

 

34 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

I wasn’t referring to me. 

You said anyone.

Yup, this is going to be all the same posts in a different thread.  Yay.

 

[wildbillhiccup]

45 minutes ago, atomic said:

There is no one to replace them with. Management decided to spend the winter relaxing instead of doing their job.  Who are the players we can replace them with at this point?  Our Triple A pitching is horrible, 

I just want to see someone different, even if they haven't performed at triple A. The definition of insanity is continuing to give innings to Dan Straily and hope for better results. At lease with someone new there's a chance (albeit a small one) they do better. 

[wildbillhiccup]

44 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Is anyone going to be complaining in late May of next year when we're debating who to take at 1:1?

The losses don't bother me. The not trying to win does. 

[wildbillhiccup]

12 minutes ago, baltfan said:

I look at this year as one for experimentation and seeing what we have.  Numerous guys have been brought in or have been called up and given a chance.  If you didn't do it this way, may John Means or Smith don't emerge.  We have also learned that a ton of these guys just aren't major leaguers.

I wish I shared your optimism. I don't think any of the players on our current roster will play a part in this team's long term future. And my big issue is with them continuing to roll out the players who aren't performing, like Straily, as opposed to giving someone else a shot. By rostering a player like Dan Straily it sends the message to me that they're not trying to win. That's something I have a problem with. 

[Slappy]

55 minutes ago, wildbillhiccup said:

Please feel free to combine this thread with another if it's appropriate, but I wanted to discuss the blatant tank job the team seems to be doing this season. I realize the team is in rebuilding mode, but it really feels like they are passive aggressively not trying to win games and that's something I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around. How else would you explain someone like Dan Straily still being on the active roster? I'm not putting this on the players or the manager because I think they're both doing the best with the talent they have to work with, but I am putting it on ownership the the GM. And my fear is if they don't make some level of effort to compete they are going to completely lose what's left of the fan base. Will the fans come back when/if they start winning again? Maybe, but it's not a definite. And by competing I'm not talking about major free agent signings. I'm talking about not continuing to put the same terrible product/players on the field. Straily is the poster child and gets the majority of my angst, but it's not limited to him. If a player isn't performing cut him or demote it's really that simple. I'm fine with losing, but don't insult my intelligence by continuing to play terrible players who show no hopes of being better. Rant over and stepping down off my soap box. 

The clarity of the team not trying to win comes from the off-season, when there were a lot of relatively low-priced, reasonable quality free agents out there and the FO opted to go with a lot of unproven but cheap players. I've actually felt like, Straily aside, Elias has put at least some effort into cycling through his (poor) options in-season.  Witness the Wright trade, Rickard DFA, Phillips, Kline, Yac, Stewart, Santander, Mullins being sent down, et. al.

Ultimately, given the rules in MLB today, opting to field a 50-win team instead of a 70-win team is a good decision for the club long-term. It allows Elias to stockpile high amateur draft slots, go first in Rule V, be at the head of the waiver wire, etc. I don't necessarily agree with the system and believe it does incentivize fan-unfriendly team building like this, but it is the system and it is the right strategy for the long-term health of the club.  It's also damn painful to watch.

As for the fans...  if we win, they will be back. This is a fanbase that has endured 14 year losing streaks and 25 years of gross mismanagement. A few years of a rebuilding project isn't going to do a whole lot more damage, and at least we are seeing a clear direction now.  Keep the faith! 

[mdoriolefan]