Tankathon

[hutchead]

Well, the Orioles got off to a terrible start in what is hopefully Elias' final tankathon season. They owned the 28th pick in the 2022 MLB draft upon leaving Boston. However, they've now rallied up to the number four pick, just two games behind Colorado. The Elijah Green sweepstakes are under way!

[UMDTerrapins]

As much as I hate losing, a 2021 season where we secure one last high draft slot and develop a number of guys into productive ML regulars would be fine with me. 2021 isn’t going to provide a playoff push, so winning isn’t the metric I care about. I care about player development, ML and MiL. And I want to replenish our system with presumably a decent number of our top prospects moving out of the minors. Losing 2-1 games actually is completely five with me. After this season, they’ll drive me mad again. Strange things, these rebuilds. 

[Camden_yardbird]

I'm pretty quickly going from "what is hopefully elias' final tankathon season" to "what is hopefully Elias' final season".

I just don't see it.  I honestly think we see another 2 years of very mediocre team play until he is fired or the team is sold and he is fired by a new owner.

[Frobby]

I was going to post a thread saying we now have the worst record in the AL (5-8, .385), but I’ll just add that tidbit here.   

I am not drawing any grand conclusions yet about how bad the team will be in 2021, but I expect them to be bad.   .385 is actually just about where I’d put them (that projects to 62 wins, and I pegged them for 61-65 wins in the preseason poll).

Nevertheless, this season is all about seeing how individual players progress, both in the majors and the minors.   I’m just keeping my focus there.     
 

[scOtt]

1 hour ago, UMDTerrapins said:

As much as I hate losing, a 2021 season where we secure one last high draft slot and develop a number of guys into productive ML regulars would be fine with me. 2021 isn’t going to provide a playoff push, so winning isn’t the metric I care about. I care about player development, ML and MiL. And I want to replenish our system with presumably a decent number of our top prospects moving out of the minors. Losing 2-1 games actually is completely five with me. After this season, they’ll drive me mad again. Strange things, these rebuilds. 

I agree with this. I put my orange tinted glasses on and predicted 70 wins. That would probably still be a top 8-ish pick, which would be ok. You'd like to see some of the young guys step it up this year. Don't want them just losing every single day. Just begin to see a little progress this year.

[Orioles0615]

Part of  the gloom is minor leagues hasn't started, so we can't track anything that there is to look forward to later in the year. 

[Can_of_corn]

17 minutes ago, scOtt said:

I agree with this. I put my orange tinted glasses on and predicted 70 wins. That would probably still be a top 8-ish pick, which would be ok. You'd like to see some of the young guys step it up this year. Don't want them just losing every single day. Just begin to see a little progress this year.

I mean they should win more than 25 games this year so that would be progress right?

 

[foxfield]

3 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I mean they should win more than 25 games this year so that would be progress right?

 

Now THATS what I am talking about.  A man who knows how to set the bar, honestly and unabashedly while providing for the overwhelming outperformance to follow. 

[webbrick2010]

I really don't see any base to build from

I don't see a single guy on the ML roster that will be a key contributor to the next competitive team

That means we are still at a point where we need to add 15 to 20 new players to the roster and I just don't see that quantity of talent in the system.

We have had a 1-1 and a 1-2 and those guys should have been impact guys but I don't have high hopes for either pick. 

[eddie83]

Serious question. 
 

What do people think they should have done different?  Not trade away Bundy, Cobb, Iglesias etc, spend more money in FA? Combo? 
 

If you look at when Buck arrived in his second year the team in 2011 was solid into June. The pitching fell apart and collapsed, the team lost over 90 games again. Chen, Tillman, Gonzalez and Hammel all arrived the next year.  

[eddie83]

2 minutes ago, webbrick2010 said:

I really don't see any base to build from

I don't see a single guy on the ML roster that will be a key contributor to the next competitive team

That means we are still at a point where we need to add 15 to 20 new players to the roster and I just don't see that quantity of talent in the system.

We have had a 1-1 and a 1-2 and those guys should have been impact guys but I don't have high hopes for either pick. 

You may be the only person in America without high hopes for Adley. 

[sevastras]

1 hour ago, Camden_yardbird said:

I'm pretty quickly going from "what is hopefully elias' final tankathon season" to "what is hopefully Elias' final season".

I just don't see it.  I honestly think we see another 2 years of very mediocre team play until he is fired or the team is sold and he is fired by a new owner.

Meh, you are just sick of losing. This team goes from bad to pretty good fairly easily. Hays and Harvey back, Mancini/Mountcastle 1B DH, send Severino anywhere that will have him and put Adley at catcher(I don’t care if he hits a single ball, he has to have greater value behind the plate than Severino). Bring up Jamhai, Lowther, Baumann. 
I would rather see Hyde go than Elias. Besides, if Davis gets healthy and back to form.....

[eddie83]

The Orioles were 69-93 in 2007. 
The Rays were 66-96. 
 

In 2008 the Rays went 97-65 and were in the World Series and the Orioles went 68-93.
 

 The Orioles went 69-93 in 2011 and 2012 went 93-69 and in the playoffs. 
 

A teams W-L record is not the only measure of talent. It’s not remotely a good one. 

[UMDTerrapins]

No kidding, I’m looking forward to Tuesday May 4th more than any other day this season. I’m really tired of only seeing the iceberg that’s above water. No minor league baseball for a year and a half during a rebuild is infuriating. 

[sevastras]

5 minutes ago, webbrick2010 said:

I really don't see any base to build from

I don't see a single guy on the ML roster that will be a key contributor to the next competitive team

That means we are still at a point where we need to add 15 to 20 new players to the roster and I just don't see that quantity of talent in the system.

We have had a 1-1 and a 1-2 and those guys should have been impact guys but I don't have high hopes for either pick. 

I think you are mistaking having a base and having a superstar or household name.  A guy like Machado not only gives you his performance but also elevates the players around him. This team really isn’t that far from competing.