The Davis/Elias meeting

[SteveA]

2 hours ago, wildcard said:

So you would throw the Angleos Brothers under the bus over a bench player on a losing team?

 I doubt Elias even asks the Brothers to DFA Davis.  There is no real need for him to do that for a losing team. The O's will not win in 2020 without better pitching and the Bowie guys will spend the 1st half at AAA.   Elias will save his bullets with the Brothers until it really matters is my guess.

People keep talking about him "asking" them to DFA him.   That kind of implies that they haven't discussed it 100% fully and they haven't told him when/if he can release him, and he'd just wander into their office one day and ask about it for the first time.

He doesn't need to ask.   He has fully discussed it with them and knows EXACTLY what he is allowed to do and not do.   We don't know what that is.   But he knows.   He won't have to ask.

[Can_of_corn]

4 minutes ago, SteveA said:

People keep talking about him "asking" them to DFA him.   That kind of implies that they haven't discussed it 100% fully and they haven't told him when/if he can release him, and he'd just wander into their office one day and ask about it for the first time.

He doesn't need to ask.   He has fully discussed it with them and knows EXACTLY what he is allowed to do and not do.   We don't know what that is.   But he knows.   He won't have to ask.

It is possible he has been given a flat no when the topic has come up in the past.  In which case I could see him revisiting the question at a later date. 

[SteveA]

1 hour ago, Can_of_corn said:

Those players were useful as pinch hitters.

Who would you pinch hit Davis for?

Richie Martin.

Vs a tough RHP.

With the bases loaded (Chris is better at taking a walk).

In a 1 run game.

When the moon is full.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, SteveA said:

Richie Martin.

Vs a tough RHP.

With the bases loaded (Chris is better at taking a walk).

In a 1 run game.

When the moon is full.

I figured you would have gone with a pitcher.

I'm guessing Sisco is on the bench since Davis didn't start?

[DirtyBird]

2 minutes ago, SteveA said:

Richie Martin.

Vs a tough RHP.

With the bases loaded (Chris is better at taking a walk).

In a 1 run game.

When the moon is full.

You for got to mention that Davis would need to be the last available player on the bench also.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

Davis went out on a high note. Time to give him his gold watch and wish him the best.

[sportsfan8703]

On 9/20/2019 at 11:18 AM, interloper said:

I think this deserves its own thread because I'm seeing a lot of folks in a lot of different threads still thinking/hoping Davis will be released following this season.

Folks - it ain't happening.

Not only that, Elias has eluded to constructing a new offseason plan for Davis and has been quoted as saying he's "absolutely" committed to keeping him for now. 

The best case scenario for folks hoping Davis gets released is spring training of 2020 when it's clear that any offseason changes didn't work. But even then, a handful of ST ABs tells you basically nothing, and it's more likely he'll get a half-season's worth of ABs to see where he's at. 

Look, I know, it sucks. But it's time to face the facts that while Elias has full control of rebuilding the organization from the ground up (which he has made startlingly quick progress of doing this season), the ownership does not want to cut bait on Davis just yet. It just is what it is. Davis is a bizarre special case, and as I've been saying for more than a year, and other articles have pointed out, cutting a player with this much salary left is unprecedented in the game. There are similar cases, yes, but nothing that matches up quite to this level. Does that excuse it from not happening? No, not really. But it's a complicated ownership thing that really doesn't have much to do with Elias right now. 

Davis gets another half season, at least. Especially with the 26th man next season. Then? Who knows. But this saga is not yet over. 

26th man. Good point. 

[weams]

20 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

It is possible he has been given a flat no when the topic has come up in the past.  In which case I could see him revisiting the question at a later date. 

Or not. You don't know nor do I. I assume until proven that Mike can do what he wishes within a budget. I assume he knew that when agreeing to come here. He was quite in demand. And Sig on top as a team? It was not a easy catch. 

[mdbdotcom]

My fantasy version of what happened in the meeting. 

Elias said, "If you don't clean up your act, do your work every day and start being a positive influence on the young players, we will get rid of you, eat the money and let the reasons why you were let go become public."

Davis replied, "Yes, sir."

[Moose Milligan]

15 minutes ago, mdbdotcom said:

My fantasy version of what happened in the meeting. 

Elias said, "If you don't clean up your act, do your work every day and start being a positive influence on the young players, we will get rid of you, eat the money and let the reasons why you were let go become public."

Davis replied, "Yes, sir."

You've got a pretty boring fantasy.

In mine, Elias goes, "So I'm going to beam super strength aliens down from outer space that are like X-men.  They're shape shifters and can clone anyone, anywhere, at any time.  I'm going to have one be you next season and with his super human abilities he'll hit 75+ homers, drive in 200 runs, and hit .425.  At LEAST.  Best of all, everyone will think it's YOU.  All I need you to do is to go back home to Texas and don't leave the house.  I can't have your alien clone seen here in Baltimore slugging over .800 while you're being seen around Texas.  

Best of all, these guys work for nothing except for hot dogs.  So now I've gotta get Esskay back on the line to see if we can partner with them here again.  But that's what I need you to do this offseason, just lay low, tell everyone you're working hard...but really, just put your feet up and don't worry about this."

"Ok, sounds good."

"Great.  Hey, can you tell Givens to come in here on your way out?  I'd like to run this by him, too."

[bobmc]

15 minutes ago, mdbdotcom said:

My fantasy version of what happened in the meeting. 

Elias said, "If you don't clean up your act, do your work every day and start being a positive influence on the young players, we will get rid of you, eat the money and let the reasons why you were let go become public."

Davis replied, "Yes, sir."

In my fantasy, after hearing Mike's statement, Chris jumped to his feet and looked down at his diminished size.  Mike stripped down to his karate ghi and assumed the warrior pose as they squared off. 

Chris responded, "Yes sir"!  

This may have happened in your fantasy also, but your "copy editor" had to reduce the size of the digital footprint.  

[mdbdotcom]

4 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

You've got a pretty boring fantasy.

In mine, Elias goes, "So I'm going to beam super strength aliens down from outer space that are like X-men.  They're shape shifters and can clone anyone, anywhere, at any time.  I'm going to have one be you next season and with his super human abilities he'll hit 75+ homers, drive in 200 runs, and hit .425.  At LEAST.  Best of all, everyone will think it's YOU.  All I need you to do is to go back home to Texas and don't leave the house.  I can't have your alien clone seen here in Baltimore slugging over .800 while you're being seen around Texas.  

Best of all, these guys work for nothing except for hot dogs.  So now I've gotta get Esskay back on the line to see if we can partner with them here again.  But that's what I need you to do this offseason, just lay low, tell everyone you're working hard...but really, just put your feet up and don't worry about this."

"Ok, sounds good."

"Great.  Hey, can you tell Givens to come in here on your way out?  I'd like to run this by him, too."

Sorry, don't have a whole lot of time for colorful fantasies like this. Super models can be very demanding.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

16 minutes ago, bobmc said:

In my fantasy, after hearing Mike's statement, Chris jumped to his feet and looked down at his diminished size.  Mike stripped down to his karate ghi and assumed the warrior pose as they squared off. 

Chris responded, "Yes sir"!  

This may have happened in your fantasy also, but your "copy editor" had to reduce the size of the digital footprint.  

In my version of the fantasy, the part of Mike Elias is played by Bruce Lee.

[LookitsPuck]

On 9/21/2019 at 12:26 PM, Tony-OH said:

I only have one statement about the Davis situation, if Davis is still not released, then that tells me the sons have no intention of releasing their father's biggest mistake. That tells me that Elias will have to work around this albatross and that tells me more about the sons than it does Elias.

There is no magic bean that is going to turn around Davis. I know Elias is a smart enough baseball man to know this and I know he knows he's done.

 

It tells me that Elias didn't have the staff or processes in place when he took the position after 2018's season, so he's giving Davis 1 last go. It also tells me that whatever agreement/plan that Davis and Elias discussed must be results/outcome based now that Elias will have had a full regular season and a full offseason to drill home what the expectations are. I mean, Elias just literally cleaned house with what equates with nearly an entire organization. That tells me that the sons have given Elias control and I don't think an overpaid, aged star player matters much to them in the grand scheme of things. And he's not blocking anybody. This club is still going to stink in 2020.

Maybe I'm being optimistic here, but unless Davis has definitively put in the work, has shown markedly better results in the offseason and at spring training, I don't think he's long for the organization in 2020. He's not really blocking anybody in 2020. They can afford to take it slow.

He's cooked. Elias has control. Davis isn't with this club past 2020. :shrug:

[LookitsPuck]

On 9/22/2019 at 12:29 PM, FanSince88 said:

Let the prospect blocking begin.  Might as well trade three of Mountcastle, Nunez, DJ Stewart, and Mancini because Davis is apparently not going anywhere since the Angelos family can never admit they were wrong.  Awesome.  

lol. In what world is Nunez or DJ Stewart a prospect? I mean, come on.

Nunez was talked about being DFA'd in the middle of this year. He put up a 1.2 WAR. He put up a .773 OPS in a juiced ball year in a bandbox of a stadium. He'll be 26 in 2020.

DJ Stewart is not good.

Mountcastle needs more work.

Trey Mancini received a ton of AB in 2019.

And finally...Davis had 336 PA in 2019. It'll go down in 2020 if he even makes it out of ST.

My goodness.