What if Greinke fell to the O's?

[Sports Guy]

11 minutes ago, Frobby said:

So, they’ll have to improve internally before Elias makes major acquisitions.   You can disagree with that strategy, but that’s his strategy.   

We don’t know thats his strategy because we don’t know what ownership will do and we have no idea if they will sign “‘major acquisitions”.

[Frobby]

8 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

We don’t know thats his strategy because we don’t know what ownership will do and we have no idea if they will sign “‘major acquisitions”.

I’ll amend it.  That is his stated strategy.  

[Sports Guy]

47 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I’ll amend it.  That is his stated strategy.  

I dont think he has ever stated that the Orioles would be acquiring major free agents.  If he did, I never saw that.

[Frobby]

3 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

I dont think he has ever stated that the Orioles would be acquiring major free agents.  If he did, I never saw that.

I don’t think he has said “major” free agents, whatever that means.  
“I’m looking forward to that day, which is coming closer and closer to where our odds of reaching the playoffs will be ticking up,” Elias said, noting that the club’s potential investment in free-agent reinforcements will align with that prolonged period of “maximizing playoff odds.”  https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-rebuild-timeline-20210821-gcumwqs5obhh5ihlthxvydaw7u-story.html?outputType=amp.  He has made statements like this a number of times and has said he’s confident the team will have the resources available.   We’ll see, if and when the time comes.   

[Sports Guy]

Well, signing free agents and signing major free agents are 2 completely different things.  

[Can_of_corn]

8 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Well, signing free agents and signing major free agents are 2 completely different things.  

Since we don't have a definitive definition of what a major free agent is it could be argued that it's the exact same thing. 

[Frobby]

44 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Well, signing free agents and signing major free agents are 2 completely different things.  

Which of these were “major” free agents when we signed them?

Chris Davis

Miguel Tejada

Albert Belle

Alex Cobb

Ubaldo Jimenez

Rafael Palmeiro

Roberto Alomar

Jimmy Key

Sidney Ponson

Javy Lopez

Aubrey Huff

BJ Surhoff

Yovanni Gallardo

Ramon Hernandez

Kevin Brown

Nelson Cruz

Randy Myers

[Sports Guy]

1 hour ago, Can_of_corn said:

Since we don't have a definitive definition of what a major free agent is it could be argued that it's the exact same thing. 

Well Frobby is the one who brought this up and used the term and he should the one who believes the Os will do it, so he should be defining it.

[Frobby]

57 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Well Frobby is the one who brought this up and used the term and he should the one who believes the Os will do it, so he should be defining it.

In my mind, in today’s market anything over $30 mm total commitment is pretty major.   I wouldn’t call a contract like Gallardo or Cashner major.   

[Sports Guy]

9 minutes ago, Frobby said:

In my mind, in today’s market anything over $30 mm total commitment is pretty major.   I wouldn’t call a contract like Gallardo or Cashner major.   

Your definition is a lot different than mine.  30M is a middling at best player right now.  Not really Anyone who will move the needle.  That’s like overpaid reliever money.

[Frobby]

Just now, Sports Guy said:

Your definition is a lot different than mine.  30M is a middling at best player right now.  Not really Anyone who will move the needle.  That’s like overpaid reliever money.

Obviously you can spend a lot more than $30 mm on a player.  Looking at the projections for Fangraphs’ top 50, about half were expected to get $30 mm+ in total.   For me that’s a reasonable line for what I call major.   I don’t think Elias will spend more than that on a player until he thinks the team is ready to contend.   How big he would go, I can’t say.   I’m certainly not saying $30 mm is anywhere near the top.   Certainly they should be able to afford one or more $100 mm contracts, if they make sense.   

[sportsfan8703]

Well the worrying part is we’re going to need to spend FA bucks on pitching. We know how much Daddy Angelos loved doing that. 

[Can_of_corn]

11 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Well the worrying part is we’re going to need to spend FA bucks on pitching. We know how much Daddy Angelos loved doing that. 

Daddy Angelos ain't signing any checks.

[wildcard]

The O's don't even know what long term pieces they need yet.  So they are not going to spend long term yet.  Short term maybe.  1 or 2 year contracts could happen after the lockout is over.

Over the next year plus the O's have:

Infielders:   Mountcastle, Mancini, Westburg, Henderson, Vavra, Mateo, Urias.

Catchers: Adley

Outfielder: Mullins, Stowers, Hays, Santander

Starters: Means, Grayson, DL Hall, Bradish, Baumann plus fill ins  Zimmermann, Lowther, Akin, Lyles.   Tyler Wells could be stretched out in ST.

Relievers:  Sulser, Lopez, Tate, Scott, Maybe T Wells.  Bautista, Baker. Plus the starters that are not in the rotation.  

Any of these players could be part of the O's next winning team.  Even contending teams.  Even Mancini if he returns to his 2019 form.   Yes they could trade him but depending on how the other players are developing  he could be an important part of the offense.

I just rewatched the August 31st game vs the Jays in Toronto.  The O's won 4-2.   Urias played 3B and looked good.    SS Mateo was also good with a great arm.  Akin pitched five innings giving up one.   Lopez as a reliever looked good throwing 97.  Wells follows throwing 97.  And Sulser closed out the game with no problem.

Can they do that consistently.  They haven't yet.  But can they with more experience?  That is what the O's want to know.

They O's have the payroll flexible to spend.   But on who?  Not on long term contracts for free agents that block guys the will be up in a year or so.  They really are not in a position yet to know  who are keepers and who they need to trade or spend on to acquire.    So we probably see some short term adds.   

Greinke?  There is only a small chance he falls to the O's. A more experienced reliever?  On a one or two year contract.  I can see that happening.  A one year contract for a 3B? Maybe.

But not long term contracts yet.  There have to figure out who to spend on first.   Elias has to find out what he has...  On the major league roster and in the high minors.

 

[AnythingO's]

1 hour ago, Can_of_corn said:

Daddy Angelos ain't signing any checks.

You can't honestly believe that PA has relinquished total control to John. The same JA that PA assigned to task of fixing the spring training situation in Fort Lauderdale and failed? The same JA that PA assigned the task of negotiating a deal for the move to the West coast and failed? Both times required PA to step in. Then there is the remarkable job JA did with running 
MASN and all the interesting programming he brought online - Not. If PA has relinquished control to JA then PA has truly, completely lost all his faculties, which I don't believe we know.