How far are the O's away from being a winning team?

[wildcard]

82 win?

I don't think that far.

1) They have to find a 2B.  Whether that is Jones, Urias, Valaika or someone else.

2) They need to have 4th and 5th starters that are more consistent and good for at least 5 innings on a regular basis.  Kremer, Lowther look like the best bets in the near term. But Tyler Wells or Sceroler may fit at some point.

3) The catching needs to be solved.  Adley is the solution but when?

4) Mountcastle has to remember how to hit and be a good 1B/DH.

The pen is there already.  I like what I have seen of Means, Harvey, Zimmermann.   The outfield is good enough.   If Andrus can be the SS on a team that wins 13 in a row then I think Galvis can be a SS on a .500 team.   I think Franco is good enough at 3B to be a regular on a .500 team.   Trey looks like he will hit and play good defense at  1B.

I just don't see .500 off in the distance somewhere.   I think the O's are getting closer.

 

[orioles22]

The bigger question for me, and whether I give up baseball after 50 years following the Orioles, is are we going to continue to try to win after we get there. I'm tired of the constant need to save a dollar and making decisions based on money instead of baseball. Sell the team if you can't afford a MLB team.

[Frobby]

I think they can strive for .500+ next year.   They may need to make a “real” free agent acquisition or two in order to reach that goal.   They have plenty of space to do so.   

We’ll know much more by the end of 2021 about (1) how close we are to being a winning team, and (2) where the big holes are that can’t be filled internally in the near term.   
 

[waroriole]

Harvey and Zimmerman have been decent but they could easily fall apart and nobody would be surprised. SP, outside of Means, is a big weakness. As is IF

[Sports Guy]

It all depends on the young players they have and how quickly they develop.  Nothing else really matters.

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

It all depends on the young players they have and how quickly they develop.  Nothing else really matters.

One other thing matters.

[foxfield]

The answer is that the Orioles will measure success by wins beginning next year.  So the idea that seems to be they are trying to lose will no longer be available.  By the same token, everyone should be held to higher standards.

What that will mean is that some players will be given time to develop at the ML level and some may get rotated back and someone else gets a shot.  But producing and generating wins will be more at the top level of expectations.

That does not mean the O's are going to the WS, to challenge for the AL East or even a WC.  

It just means that we should begin to see progress over the course of time and measuring that will include wins.  That is progress.

How quickly we move from there will be clearer because.....well standings.

[oriole]

I know it’s unlikely but I’d love to see the O’s grab one of the top SS FA this coming offseason. I think next year is probably the first year where .500 is the goal. Then they’d just need to figure out a 2B and 3B and hopefully Adley is the full time C by then. So I’m going to say next year is the first run at winning games with low expectations and go from there. Of course there’s hope we could see a .500 team this year too but that’s wishful thinking. 

[Can_of_corn]

Or they won't and Elias will say they are still in the accumulating talent phase.

[Yardball85]

12 minutes ago, oriole said:

I know it’s unlikely but I’d love to see the O’s grab one of the top SS FA this coming offseason. I think next year is probably the first year where .500 is the goal. Then they’d just need to figure out a 2B and 3B and hopefully Adley is the full time C by then. So I’m going to say next year is the first run at winning games with low expectations and go from there. Of course there’s hope we could see a .500 team this year too but that’s wishful thinking. 

Agreed.  By next year, hopefully G-Rod and Hall will be up,  Means will still be as solid as ever, the outfield picture will be set with Heston set to join at some point in 2022, and an idea of which infielders we can potentially keep for the long haul (i.e. Bannon, Jones, etc.).  

[Frobby]

9 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Or they won't and Elias will say they are still in the accumulating talent phase.

That could happen.   But ownership patience won’t be infinite, nor will the fans’.     Nobody gets to stay in talent acquisition phase forever.   Elias (and ownership) have always resisted putting a timetable on how long it will take to return to contention (“it’s a process and there are no shortcuts”) but eventually a GM has to put up or shut up.   You can argue about whether that’s this year, next year or sometime after that, but I think it’s reasonable to expect to see measurable progress next year.  

[OFFNY]

o

 

Technically, the Orioles are 3 games away from being a winning team ...... they need to sweep this 4-game series with the Yankees in order to be sitting at 13-12 overall for the season.

 

o

[Sports Guy]

21 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Or they won't and Elias will say they are still in the accumulating talent phase.

It could happen but the development of the young players will likely dictate how he feels here.

[Ripken]

Spend.  Let's say GrayRod, AR, and, I dunno, someone like Gunnar, are ready to help next year.  Mountcastle will hit.  If they can ever keep Hays and Santander healthy, there are some decent OF pieces.  Mancini and a few other vets can stick around.  Means looks real.  Some of our prospect arms can occupy 4/5 and the pen.  What I want to see is spending on a legit SP and a legit middle infielder.  That Oriole team would be good and still have guys like Hall, Kjerstad, 5th pick this year, Westburg, and others in the system.

[wildcard]

7 minutes ago, OFFNY said:

o

 

Technically, the Orioles are 3 games away from being a winning team ...... they need to sweep this 4-game series with the Yankees in order to be sitting at 13-12 overall for the season.

 

o

Montgomery is a big obstacle for that to happen.