“Don’t worry, we will spend next year”

[Sports Guy]

This is the mantra of many people on here and on social media.

Ok, let’s go with that.

Which of these FAs are you thinking the team would and should go after?

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/08/2022-23-mlb-free-agents.html

[Sports Guy]

2 best FAs, if/when they opt out, are DeGrom And Boegarts.  How high are you going for them?  You giving DeGrom 40ish a year?  Going 7-10 years for Xander?  Of course, this assumes they even make it to free agency, which they may not.

If not them, who?  

[Tryptamine]

Two teams with super deep pockets. I'd call it 50/50 at best that either reach FA.

[Big Mac]

8 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

This is the mantra of many people on here and on social media.

Ok, let’s go with that.

Which of these FAs are you thinking the team would and should go after?

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2021/08/2022-23-mlb-free-agents.html

I think this a very reasonable thing to think about.  You're typically the first to point out that FA is not the only way to spend money/acquire established talent.  This can be done through trades and I think (and hope) that comes into play the next couple of offseasons. 

[Nite]

Exactly why we need to get our SS THIS year. A 3B would be nice too.

[wildcard]

Elias probably trades Santander for a SP next off season after Santander has a good season and Stowers is ready to take over RF.

[Roll Tide]

3 hours ago, wildcard said:

Elias probably trades Santander for a SP next off season after Santander has a good season and Stowers is ready to take over RF.

Hopefully at the deadline of a healthy and productive season by Sand-Tan-Daire

[Explosivo]

We already have a SS in Gunnar Henderson. Why overpay for something we already have? We already have a couple of top flight SPs in Hall and Rodriguez. Why overpay for something we already have? We already have a 3B in Mayo. We already have a 2B in Westburg. We will be buyers but this is not the year to do so. Maybe next year but not for the names you suggest. Two years. Be patient and then be thankful for the next great Orioles club that brings home a World Series.

[Sports Guy]

3 minutes ago, Explosivo said:

We already have a SS in Gunnar Henderson. Why overpay for something we already have? We already have a couple of top flight SPs in Hall and Rodriguez. Why overpay for something we already have? We already have a 3B in Mayo. We already have a 2B in Westburg. We will be buyers but this is not the year to do so. Maybe next year but not for the names you suggest. Two years. Be patient and then be thankful for the next great Orioles club that brings home a World Series.

We do?  Wow, that’s awesome.  It’s so great that every prospect is going to work out.  I mean, that happens all the time, so we should definitely be planning for that!

[Sports Guy]

1 hour ago, Explosivo said:

We already have a SS in Gunnar Henderson. Why overpay for something we already have? We already have a couple of top flight SPs in Hall and Rodriguez. Why overpay for something we already have? We already have a 3B in Mayo. We already have a 2B in Westburg. We will be buyers but this is not the year to do so. Maybe next year but not for the names you suggest. Two years. Be patient and then be thankful for the next great Orioles club that brings home a World Series.

Btw, sarcasm aside, I do believe in the young talent this organization has.  I look forward to these guys coming up.

I just don’t think you can assume they all produce and everything turns out great.

Hall has a potential reliever profile and can’t stay healthy.  Most don’t believe Henderson can’t stay at SS (but maybe Westburg can?).  
 

We just don’t know.

But even beyond that, this thread is more focused on the idea of the “we will spend next year crowd”.  I’m asking what they would like to spend on?  To me, this is a pretty crappy list of free agents.

[Sports Guy]

6 hours ago, Big Mac said:

I think this a very reasonable thing to think about.  You're typically the first to point out that FA is not the only way to spend money/acquire established talent.  This can be done through trades and I think (and hope) that comes into play the next couple of offseasons. 

Sure…except people will say we can’t trade player X!  He’s got potential. 
 

Of course, one of us saying that doesn’t mean anything..it only matters what Elias thinks but until he does it, I’m skeptical of him as well. 

[maybenxtyr]

11 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Sure…except people will say we can’t trade player X!  He’s got potential. 
 

Of course, one of us saying that doesn’t mean anything..it only matters what Elias thinks but until he does it, I’m skeptical of him as well. 

I'm not as skeptical of Elias as I am of ownership. He took the job because it's a stepping stone most likely. We will probably not get a chance to really grade him on his GM acumen for his time in Baltimore. 

[Sports Guy]

1 minute ago, maybenxtyr said:

I'm not as skeptical of Elias as I am of ownership. He took the job because it's a stepping stone most likely. We will probably not get a chance to really grade him on his GM acumen for his time in Baltimore. 

For sure..definitely far more reason to be skeptical about ownership.

But Elias has yet to prove that he is a good ML GM.  The jury is still out on any player he has brought in.  He hasn’t made any moves that upgrade the talent.  That can be done without spending much money.  There are always moves out there.

He is obsessed with the idea of having the #1 ranked farm system.  He can’t wait to bring it up.  What I find amusing is how much weight he puts in that and yet the same sites that rank the top draft prospects, he laughs off and acts like they don’t know anything.

[Explosivo]

I think it’s fair to say that the system he set up in Houston has done well. Projections are not what they used to be and the percentages of hitting the right players via scouting, analytics, coaching and measurables are not being fairly weighed by long time baseball fans. This is a new era where it’s far easier to track and project future talent. Because of this influx of day to day data, teams that incorporate this new found technique are able to hit on more top talent players than not. They are able to clearly show how certain players will do over time. I understand the trepidation but this really will be a golden era of Orioles baseball. 
 

I don’t think we need to worry about ownership either. I think they are very aware of what Elias is doing. The main reason I believe that is look at the facility they built in the Dominican. That facility cost some serious money and it was done with the forethought of it taking years to see dividends. They understand the long game and are spending their money accordingly. Elias is setting up a monster and there’s little reason for someone to leave once his plan comes to fruition. 
 

As to your point about spending money on free agents next year, you’re right, there really isn’t that much proven talent out there that will be available. Perhaps instead we see some trades, utilizing our very deep farm system. 

[Aristotelian]

I think you are arguing against a straw man. Pretty much everyone I have seen including myself is on board with a higher payroll starting this year. I just think Bryant would be idiotic. I would love to see at least one good pitcher. Next year the plan may be to trade one of our OF prospects and/or Mullins or Hays.