Villar Traded to Marlins for LHS Easton Lucas

[Aglets]

The Shorebirds had 15 pitchers (over half) that were age 23-26 this year.    Seems like a virtual lock that Easton will start out there.

[Number5]

3 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Thanks. Seems like a pretty positive review of him.  He fits the type of pitcher that Elias drafted last year, once he finally did draft a pitcher. College starter. He was 22 last year in Aberdeen, a bunch of the SP we drafted were 21-23 in the GCL. 

A funny thought for anyone that thinks we should’ve kicked in money for Villar to buy a better prospect... I wonder how much Miami would have sold us their Competitive Balance pick for?  Probably not the 2-3 million that DD was handing them out for. 

I don't believe the competitive balance pick was available.  IIRC, competitive balance picks can only be traded in-season.  I'm not certain about that, though.

[interloper]

Just now, Aglets said:

The Shorebirds had 15 pitchers (over half) that were age 23-26 this year.    Seems like a virtual lock that Easton will start out there.

Interesting. Thanks for the info. 

[interloper]

On milb.com, he's listed for Aberdeen, FWIW. Probably doesn't mean much. 

[Just Regular]

1 hour ago, NCRaven said:

FWIW, I think that Elias’ “this gives us a chance to use younger players” is total BS.  Who?  Richie Martin?  Can’t wait.  But, he was determined to cut payroll and he accomplished that.

I imagine Rylan Bannon's turning cartwheels this morning and will do a little fist pump anytime Starlin Castro, Jason Kipnis, Jonathan Schoop, etc. sign anywhere other than Baltimore.  Unlike Mountcastle/Diaz, he probably isn't young/good enough for Opening Day to be any obstacle, so I think he might end up with a clean shot in spring.

[interloper]

Maybe Chris Davis can play 2B. 

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, interloper said:

Maybe Chris Davis can play 2B. 

He doesn't have the bat for 2B.

[Nite]

To those saying Villar was given up for nothing need to realize they had already decided to give him up for nothing, and were able to get a scratch off ticket in the end. I'll take that over nothing. 

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, Roll Tide said:

Besides we’ve discussed at Nausea... The National TV share is 110 million and the broadcast rights are $59 million 3 or 4 years ago.

Surely there is enough additional revenue in tickets, concessions, memorabilia, corporate sponsorships, and other secondary sources of income to cover the operating expenses. I posted a link earlier in this discussion about all the money that MLB was raking in that had nothing to do with the team winning games.
 

That’s not including receiving money awarded by the luxury tax process. 
 

I don’t think they really need a cash infusion from the Angelos family coffers anyway.

Last year they had a $70 million payroll. By the math they should have a 80* million dollar surplus (160-70=90MM). That would include 10 million for the international process, adding additional scouts, paying newly created executive positions etc.

This year they will have at least that number again.

Heck they could probably pay off Davis and move him off the roster

I’d quibble with several of your points here, while agreeing with your overall point that the Orioles probably turned a very healthy profit in 2019.    My quibbles are:

1.   The $59 mm/yr in rights fees are what the RSDC panel awarded, but the part contested by MASN hasn’t been paid yet while the court challenges are still pending.    If/when it eventually gets paid, it will be an extra $95 mm or so to the O’s for 2012-16.     But, it means the O’s 75/80% ownership of MASN will be less valuable by about $150 mm, so a net loss to the Orioles.    

2.   Forbes reported the O’s 2018 revenues at $251 mm.    That includes the national TV money, the MASN rights fees, gate receipts and whatever else.    The only thing it should exclude are the O’s share of MASN’s profits, which as mentioned, are in flux due to the  arbitration and court proceedings; and whatever additional rights fees MASN has to pay.   

3.    The payroll figure I’ve seen for 2019 was $83.6 mm, not $70 mm.    Because of benefits, the costs of the players are actually higher.   For example, in 2018 Bb-ref pegged payroll at $141 mm but Forbes pegged “player costs” at $161 mm due to benefits.    So I’d guess the 2019 figure is probably $95 mm or so.

4.   Gate receipts will be down for 2019, roughly in proportion to the attendance drop.    Probably $8 mm in lost revenue there compared to the year before.    

5.   How much the team spent on non-payroll stuff is anybody’s guess.    I assume it went up a lot per Elias’ remarks when he took the job.    Whether “a lot” is $10 mm, $25 mm or $50 mm is a complete unknown (though I really doubt it’s $50 mm).     

All in all, there’s a lot we don’t know, but yes I think the team probably turned a good profit in 2019.     

[wildcard]

16 minutes ago, OrioleDog said:

I imagine Rylan Bannon's turning cartwheels this morning and will do a little fist pump anytime Starlin Castro, Jason Kipnis, Jonathan Schoop, etc. sign anywhere other than Baltimore.  Unlike Mountcastle/Diaz, he probably isn't young/good enough for Opening Day to be any obstacle, so I think he might end up with a clean shot in spring.

I think Bannon has a clean shot at being in Norfolk on OD.

[sportsfan8703]

20 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

He was old for short season ball last year.

You can say that about 90% of the pitchers we drafted last year.  He'll start in Delmarva, and Delmarva will have another really good pitching staff.  In fact, all of our full season clubs will have good-really good rotations.  We might see "piggybacking" to start the season at multiple levels.  Elias really built up the depth of the full season clubs in 2020 by targeting only NCAA pitchers.  

[Luke-OH]

18 minutes ago, OrioleDog said:

I imagine Rylan Bannon's turning cartwheels this morning and will do a little fist pump anytime Starlin Castro, Jason Kipnis, Jonathan Schoop, etc. sign anywhere other than Baltimore.  Unlike Mountcastle/Diaz, he probably isn't young/good enough for Opening Day to be any obstacle, so I think he might end up with a clean shot in spring.

When he does make the show, he’s  going to be a fan favorite I bet.

[Just Regular]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

I don’t know if the O’s are capable of always being in the top 15, but they’ve shown they can and will do it for sustained stretches if they think they’re in a competitive window.     And it’s easier to do that if they strip payroll low while they’re not competitive.      

The bigger picture we won't get any information on for another year or two is are we paying off the credit card bill for the Machado teams or building a nest egg for the Rutschman teams?  

With enough progress this year, it isn't inconceivable that next offseason we're bidders for DJ LeMahieu or Justin Turner to be a '21-'23 infielder while we see what Henderson/Hall/Hernaiz/Bannon/Grenier grow into.  Those two guys hit me as not as onerous as the Werth/Hosmer whoppers it took for other decrepit teams to demonstrate their return to FA relevance (and of course in the end Werth did endure nicely for Washington).  At SS next offseason, Semien and Simmons are probably too hot, and Villar/Profar too cold.

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

You can say that about 90% of the pitchers we drafted last year.  He'll start in Delmarva, and Delmarva will have another really good pitching staff.  In fact, all of our full season clubs will have good-really good rotations.  We might see "piggybacking" to start the season at multiple levels.  Elias really built up the depth of the full season clubs in 2020 by targeting only NCAA pitchers.  

They will probably perform well but I'm not certain that having a bunch of old for their level guys performing well is all that useful past posting good won/loss records.

[wildcard]

Finding a 2B is not a problem for the O's.  Alberto probably gets a chance in ST to show he can hit lefties and righties.   How he does may decide whether he plays everyday or is  platooned vs lefties.

Wilkerson came through the O's system as mainly a 2B and hit well vs righties in the majors last season.   He too will probably get the opportunity to show he can hit lefties in ST.

Valaika can also play 2B as well as SS and he hit pretty well vs lefties though that was in Colorado so he as to prove it in Baltimore.

What the O's need in the infield is a veteran SS and probably some help at 3B.