Hey! KoolAid

[owknows]

2 minutes ago, Ripken said:

I'm good with everything that Elias has done to date.  Sure, I'd have drafted differently but it looks like he added some nice talent, so, whatever.  I'm good with not adding (FA/trade) any vet position players or bullpen arms this year.  I am excited for all these kids to graduate.  All of that aside, they need to add at least one, and probably two, veteran starters in the next year, starting now.  Most of the deals handed out so far have been awful but I'd have happily given EdRod 5/80.  They are not going to win anything solely with the arms in the org and they aren't going to draft any pitchers going forward that can help by 2023.

We're at that awkward stage as a rebuilding franchise... where you have to overpay to attract FA's to what people consider a perpetual loser. So you are at a handicap when trying to attract mid tier FA's. And top tier isn't even going to pick up the phone.

Even rehab players think twice about coming here.. just because of the park.

I think you've got to turn the corner before you can add noteworthy talent.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, owknows said:

We're at that awkward stage as a rebuilding franchise... where you have to overpay to attract FA's to what people consider a perpetual loser. So you are at a handicap when trying to attract mid tier FA's. And top tier isn't even going to pick up the phone.

Even rehab players think twice about coming here.. just because of the park.

I think you've got to turn the corner before you can add noteworthy talent.

The agent is always going to pick up the phone, they tend to have more than one client.

 

I think the park thing is overrated.  The decision makers understand park effects.  Not they might have other reasons for not coming, but I don't think the ballpark is a significant factor.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

37 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

It wasn't Kool-Aid, it was Flavor-aid.

It’s not Jim Jones’ fault Flavor-Aid is all the stores had for sale in Jonestown. 

[owknows]

Just now, Can_of_corn said:

The agent is always going to pick up the phone, they tend to have more than one client.

 

I think the park thing is overrated.  The decision makers understand park effects.  Not they might have other reasons for not coming, but I don't think the ballpark is a significant factor.

Let's just agree that a home-run heavy park, and a losing team are not things that people seek out when looking for a place to land as a SP free agent.

They're not helpful.

The degree to which they are unhelpful is subject to debate

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, owknows said:

Let's just agree that a home-run heavy park, and a losing team are not things that people seek out when looking for a place to land as a SP free agent.

They're not helpful.

The degree to which they are unhelpful is subject to debate

Sure.  I just think folks blaming the park is kinda lazy.  I think the lack of fans in the park is a bigger issue for instance.

[fitzi22]

2023 would be the absolute earliest and thus fairly unlikely year we are good again.  The Bluejays had a hell of a team this year and didn’t make the playoffs.  2024 or 2025 is probably more realistic

[HowAboutThat]

1 hour ago, owknows said:

Thin...with not quite right color, a metallic aftertaste?

A really terrible advertising campaign in the 80s was a Texas Rangers drink called “rangerade” Invented by a famous doctor or some such BS like that I think it was red and blue and rare.

But I definitely remember the original Kool-Aid commercials, and I loved them.

And if you remember them too, you are definitely not a young whippersnapper

[Orioles0615]

26 minutes ago, fitzi22 said:

2023 would be the absolute earliest and thus fairly unlikely year we are good again.  The Bluejays had a hell of a team this year and didn’t make the playoffs.  2024 or 2025 is probably more realistic

Not being good because of other teams are good is a poor excuse. 

[Sports Guy]

This is smoking crack, not drinking koolaid.

[HowAboutThat]

There are several parallels with the Rangers, who just gave Simien 7/175 and John Gray about 55 and Kole Calhoun something(don’t know what yet)

The Rangers are stupid. I don’t want whatever they are drinking, and they are going to be expensively bad next season(I wouldn’t give Gausman what the Jays gave him, either) but it will be interesting to see how the Rangers do.

I DO like that they are doing something but flinging too much money at one guy is stupid.

[Yossarian]

16 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

I think it's more me than you.

 

I'll explain, in a roundabout way.

What's the story behind the drink the kool-aid saying?

In that incident they didn't actually drink Kool-aid.

It was Flavor aid.

 

That had to be the worst product placement case in history.  You talk about a damaging reputation hit that Kool-Aid still can't shake this many years later.  How do you distance yourself from such a thing?

[spiritof66]

18 hours ago, owknows said:

Here's a thumbnail analysis/prediction thread from a dyed-in-the-wool Kool Aid drinking optimist.

By 2023... Without adding any notable free agents...

GRod and Means will be the top of the rotation.

Two of the following, will be solid (better than .500) middle/back end starters.. Hall, Lowther, Bradish, Baumann, Zimmermann

Pushing at their heels will be Rom, Baumler, Young, Pinto

Lot of long relief potential in the crew that doesn't make the rotation.

Other-worldly monster Felix Bautista as the stopper

Outfield will consist of Hays, Mullins, Stowers..  with Vavra as a util inf/outf (Kjerstad as an ever hopeful)

Infield Mountcastle, Urias, Henderson/Westburg, Mayo/Westburg

Adley behind the plate.

Mundy DH

 

This is a 90+ win team

Looks to me like a .500 team at best, without major injuries or disappointments. 

While it's a strange way to build a winning team in a few ways, the one that hits me is the modest contribution of international players. Maybe Peter Angelos would like that, but it doesn't appeal to me as the best way to go.

[owknows]

Just now, spiritof66 said:

Looks to me like a .500 team at best, without major injuries or disappointments. 

While it's a strange way to build a winning team in a few ways, the one that hits me is the modest contribution of international players. Maybe Peter Angelos would like that, but it doesn't appeal to me as the best way to go.

Modest contribution of international players?

Ramon Urias _-- Mexico

Felix Bautista -- Dominican Republic

Jose Pinto -- Venezuela

Not bad at all if you ask me... particularly since we only just improved our focus on the international scene. Plenty more coming behind these guys.

 

 

[Aristotelian]

6 minutes ago, spiritof66 said:

Looks to me like a .500 team at best, without major injuries or disappointments. 

While it's a strange way to build a winning team in a few ways, the one that hits me is the modest contribution of international players. Maybe Peter Angelos would like that, but it doesn't appeal to me as the best way to go.

The international program is just barely up and running. We've got three international prospects in the top 15. That is significant progress from where we've been. 

I agree 90 wins is perhaps excessive of an expectation but I like OP's thought process. Even if you can get to 80 wins without outside help then you just need to fill a couple of holes with smart FA signings at the right time to get us in contention. I'm OK with letting it play out before signing a Kris Bryant that we may not even need. 

[owknows]

3 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

The international program is just barely up and running. We've got three international prospects in the top 15. That is significant progress from where we've been. 

I agree 90 wins is perhaps excessive of an expectation but I like OP's thought process. Even if you can get to 80 wins without outside help then you just need to fill a couple of holes with smart FA signings at the right time to get us in contention. I'm OK with letting it play out before signing a Kris Bryant that we may not even need. 

And the likelihood of being able to sign quality FA's without paying a premium increases with your winning percentage.