I'm glad Elias called this out

[interloper]

3 minutes ago, Enjoy Terror said:

There was not a consensus about signing Cruz long term. He was getting four years from someone, and given his age and previous track record, it wasn't a sure thing. It just so happens that the Orioles were wrong, and we criticize the Orioles now with the benefit of hindsight. I don't think they made an incorrect decision.

I don;t blame them for letting him walk at all. Dude's old! But they definitely picked the wrong slugger to re-up (Trumbo). And that's an extra bummer in hindsight. 

[Enjoy Terror]

Just now, interloper said:

I don;t blame them for letting him walk at all. Dude's old! But they definitely picked the wrong slugger to re-up (Trumbo). And that's an extra bummer in hindsight. 

Orioles did some dumb stuff indeed. Trumbo re-up was dumb. Gallardo for a draft pick was dumb. Jimenez for four years was dumb.

[oriole]

37 minutes ago, Enjoy Terror said:

There was not a consensus about signing Cruz long term. He was getting four years from someone, and given his age and previous track record, it wasn't a sure thing. It just so happens that the Orioles were wrong, and we criticize the Orioles now with the benefit of hindsight. I don't think they made an incorrect decision.

 

EDIT: Here's the Poll thread.

 

75% of OHers voted to let Cruz walk.

I’d like to know how I voted in that poll if I voted at all. I probably voted in the 75%. Signing Davis and Trumbo were two of the dumbest moves in all of baseball. Very easy to see their regression a mile away. Cruz not so much, he had a consistent track record. So yeah, hindsight is 20/20 but also it was easy to see the Trumbo and especially Davis extensions winding up awful. It was also easy to see signings like Jimenez and Gallardo going south. Just a bad track record in free agency overall. 

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, Dipper9 said:

We did have the best overall record in the AL during that five year span, so even though it didn't result in a ring (injuries and suspensions derailed the 2014 team) I'd call that pretty successful, especially for a team as completely unsuccessful as we were during those 14 prior years.  

I’d certainly call it successful, just not “wildly” successful.    I’ll reserve that for 1966-71 or 1979-83.    

And though I may be tarred and feathered for saying this, I think having the best record in the AL over 2012-16 is kind of an overrated accomplishment.    I think there were 3 NL teams that bettered that record (including the Nats), and if you chose any random 5 year period, there would probably be a couple of teams in each league that bettered the Orioles’ 444 wins.   Just for example, in the last five years:

LAD 485

HOU 481

CHC 471

NYY 465

CLE 461

BOS 456

WAS 450

STL 448

By the way, the 1979-83 O’s won 443 games, only one less than the 2012-16 O’s — despite playing 60 fewer games due to the ‘81 strike and a few missed games in ‘79.    

[bobmc]

25 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I’d certainly call it successful, just not “wildly” successful.    I’ll reserve that for 1966-71 or 1979-83.    

And though I may be tarred and feathered for saying this, I think having the best record in the AL over 2012-16 is kind of an overrated accomplishment.    I think there were 3 NL teams that bettered that record (including the Nats), and if you chose any random 5 year period, there would probably be a couple of teams in each league that bettered the Orioles’ 444 wins.   Just for example, in the last five years:

LAD 485

HOU 481

CHC 471

NYY 465

CLE 461

BOS 456

WAS 450

STL 448

By the way, the 1979-83 O’s won 443 games, only one less than the 2012-16 O’s — despite playing 60 fewer games due to the ‘81 strike and a few missed games in ‘79.    

Good stuff and not sure about "tar and feathers" but I feel like @weams might raise his scepter and smite you for that comment!  

[weams]

1 hour ago, bobmc said:

Good stuff and not sure about "tar and feathers" but I feel like @weams might raise his scepter and smite you for that comment!  

No Smote. 

[Luke-OH]

4 hours ago, atomic said:

Kept Bundy and Villar and traded Hall and Rodriquez for veteran pitchers.

Yep, that would add 33 wins.

[CallMeBrooksie]

4 minutes ago, Luke-OH said:

Yep, that would add 33 wins.

He doesn't care.. he prefers a 65 win team with bottom-tier farm system.

[weams]

7 minutes ago, Luke-OH said:

Yep, that would add 33 wins.

Sounds like what San Diego did the first year PReller was there. I think they lost 33 more games.