A few tidbits.....

[bigbird]

With the exception of Albers, JJ and Sherrill am I the only person who thinks our bullpen options either stink or are unknown coming off injuries?

[LookinUp]

With the exception of Albers, JJ and Sherrill am I the only person who thinks our bullpen options either stink or are unknown coming off injuries?

Nope, see my post on page 5. Also, Albers may never be the same and may have actually been over performing when he was healthy. Unlike some people, I don't think he's going to be a long term rock of stabilization in our bullpen or as a spot starter.

So basically, we have JJ (who has great potential, but may be moved to starter), Sherrill, who over performed as well but will likely be solid, and Chris Ray, who was over rated, doesn't locate all that well, needs a better secondary pitch, has violent arm action and is coming off of a major injury.

Nope, we don't need bullpen help. :rolleyestf:

[Sports Guy]

With the exception of Albers, JJ and Sherrill am I the only person who thinks our bullpen options either stink or are unknown coming off injuries?

Yes...the pen is the least of our worries.

With this piss poor plan(if true), we aren't contending next year anyway, so we mine as well continue to see our better young arms out there...guys who may not make the rotation or aren't long term starters.(liz, hernandez, penn, etc...)

Now, if we trade Ramon or someone like that and happen to get a good young power arm in return, that is fine. No issues there.

But spending money on a FA reliever or something like that is beyond poor.

[bigbird]

Yes...the pen is the least of our worries.

With this piss poor plan(if true), we aren't contending next year anyway, so we mine as well continue to see our better young arms out there...guys who may not make the rotation or aren't long term starters.(liz, hernandez, penn, etc...)

Now, if we trade Ramon or someone like that and happen to get a good young power arm in return, that is fine. No issues there.

But spending money on a FA reliever or something like that is beyond poor.

Where did I say we would go after a free agent reliever????

[Satyr3206]

Yes...the pen is the least of our worries.

With this piss poor plan(if true), we aren't contending next year anyway, so we mine as well continue to see our better young arms out there...guys who may not make the rotation or aren't long term starters.(liz, hernandez, penn, etc...)

Now, if we trade Ramon or someone like that and happen to get a good young power arm in return, that is fine. No issues there.

But spending money on a FA reliever or something like that is beyond poor.

Totally agree. With all of the arms we have we will have a decent bullpen. It's in the numbers. And we all saw how well signing FA relievers works.

[TonySoprano]

We'll be looking at 2 year deals and may target players similar to Lohse in 2008.

Lohse signed a 4 year $41 million extension.

[LookinUp]

Yes...the pen is the least of our worries.

With this piss poor plan(if true), we aren't contending next year anyway, so we mine as well continue to see our better young arms out there...guys who may not make the rotation or aren't long term starters.(liz, hernandez, penn, etc...)

Now, if we trade Ramon or someone like that and happen to get a good young power arm in return, that is fine. No issues there.

But spending money on a FA reliever or something like that is beyond poor.

As long as people are not pissing and moaning next September when things go south again, I'm all in favor of this. I don't mind losing since I still think 09 is a rebuilding year, but anyone with expectations that our bullpen as currently projected for 09 will be even major league average, I think, is delusional.

[bigbird]

Lohse signed a 4 year $41 million extension.

What did he sign with the Cards for in 2008????

[Skeletor]

Totally agree. With all of the arms we have we will have a decent bullpen. It's in the numbers. And we all saw how well signing FA relievers works.

The quantity over quality approach to the bullpen didn't work this year and it won't work next year.

[Sports Guy]

Where did I say we would go after a free agent reliever????

You didn't and I didn't mean to imply that you did.

However, if the Orioles are unable to obtain an arm in a trade and they feel the pen needs more arms, then I could see them spending money on it.

[Sports Guy]

The quantity over quality approach to the bullpen didn't work this year and it won't work next year.

But we have quality, that's the difference.

As of now.....

Sherrill

JJ Johnson

Ray

Baez

Walker

D Hernandez

Penn

Liz

Sarfate

Albers

Hoey

We can keep listing some other options....Some of those guys have been hurt and some aren't use to being relievers but most of them are quality, power arms.

[LookinUp]

You didn't and I didn't mean to imply that you did.

However, if the Orioles are unable to obtain an arm in a trade and they feel the pen needs more arms, then I could see them spending money on it.

I think most on this board (and hopefully AM) would agree that we don't want more Baez/Walker types of bullpen contracts.

[TonySoprano]

What did he sign with the Cards for in 2008????

$4.25 million

[Sanfran327]

Totally agree. With all of the arms we have we will have a decent bullpen. It's in the numbers. And we all saw how well signing FA relievers works.

We have an organizational roadblock that doesn't allow us to put any of our minor league arms in the bullpen. Instead, of putting Liz, Burress, and similar arms in the bullpen where they belong, we're trying to become the first team with a 162-man starting rotation.

I agree... we have so many arms that we have to have something that at least resembles a bullpen when we have all of these guys to choose from:

Albers

Liz

Sarfate

Sherrill

Ray

Johnson

Baez

Walker

Bass (He MAY be able to be in the back end of the rotation if he can get stretched out)

Burress (I think his time in the rotation ought to be finished)

---AAA DEPTH---

Cherry

Mickolio

Bierd

Castillo

Cormier

Deza

Hoey

Miller

Simon

McCrory

That's too many arms to be as bad as we've been.

[Flosman]

Nope, see my post on page 5. Also, Albers may never be the same and may have actually been over performing when he was healthy. Unlike some people, I don't think he's going to be a long term rock of stabilization in our bullpen or as a spot starter.

So basically, we have JJ (who has great potential, but may be moved to starter), Sherrill, who over performed as well but will likely be solid, and Chris Ray, who was over rated, doesn't locate all that well, needs a better secondary pitch, has violent arm action and is coming off of a major injury.

Nope, we don't need bullpen help. :rolleyestf:

Well I think this is why you float Sherrill out there and see if somebody will overpay for him. I think he is a good reliever, not great and has good value. If some team wants to give 3 future contributors or a stud and another project type you have to make the deal IMO. We do not have enough talent. Turning our league average guys into several league average guys is what rebuilding teams have to do. His underlying stats indicate he is not dominant at all and history shows relievers like him can fall into the abyiss at any time. See Walker et al.