Correa (Update, signs with Twins)

[Sports Guy]

Again, I know this isn’t going to happen so this is just hypothetical talk.

An opt out would almost definitely be included in this deal.  Unlike most people, I love the idea of an opt out but I would want the opt out to be at the right time.  I would need at least 4 years, preferably 5.  I don’t think I would do the deal for less.

[Yardball85]

1 hour ago, oriole said:

I would be ecstatic to see a bold move like this. Next years FA SS class isn’t great and all the infielders coming up through the system could be delegated to 2B and 3B, creating more competition. Obviously 2022 would still be a bad year, but the guys would come into an environment where winning is the actual goal and I can’t think of any reason why that wouldn’t be a positive influence. 

 

I have absolutely no expectations this could actually happen btw. This is the exact approach I support though. Imagine Rutschman, Correa, and Mullins up the middle and hitting 1, 2, 3 with Mountcastle in cleanup. It’d be awesome. That doesn’t fix the pitching…but at least the offense and defense would be fun.
 

 

It's like the Padres signing Machado just as their window was opening.  It makes sense, but is not something I expect the risk averse (risk terrified) Orioles to do. 

[wildcard]

If the O's are going to spend it should be on pitching, pitching, pitching.

[Matt Bennett]

Perhaps this take is not justified under  thorough analysis but I am a little hesitant to call Carlos Correa the superstar deserving of a contract of the magnitude people have been throwing out there. 

Durability concerns. Inconsistency concerns with his offense. He has been surrounded by elite hitters throughout his career. Not really seeing an elite tool. He was very good defensively but that may change in just 2 years.

I suppose a lot of the same can be said about Corey Seager and he got the massive contract. IDK, just a feeling I get. 

[LookinUp]

14 minutes ago, wildcard said:

If the O's are going to spend it should be on pitching, pitching, pitching.

If the O's sign a short stop with:

Henderson, Westburg, Ortiz, Mayo, Norby, Prieto and Vavra in the organization, you can bet that 2-4 from that list would be moved in a trade for pitching.

All of those guys could play 2nd or 3rd, but only 2 can on a daily basis.

[Sports Guy]

24 minutes ago, wildcard said:

If the O's are going to spend it should be on pitching, pitching, pitching.

No it shouldn’t….the “spending” on pitching should come in the form of trading assets for younger, cheaper guys.

[Sports Guy]

12 minutes ago, Matt Bennett said:

Perhaps this take is not justified under  thorough analysis but I am a little hesitant to call Carlos Correa the superstar deserving of a contract of the magnitude people have been throwing out there. 

Durability concerns. Inconsistency concerns with his offense. He has been surrounded by elite hitters throughout his career. Not really seeing an elite tool. He was very good defensively but that may change in just 2 years.

I suppose a lot of the same can be said about Corey Seager and he got the massive contract. IDK, just a feeling I get. 

I worry  about the durability although he has been healthy the last few years.

[wildcard]

10 minutes ago, LookinUp said:

If the O's sign a short stop with:

Henderson, Westburg, Ortiz, Mayo, Norby, Prieto and Vavra in the organization, you can bet that 2-4 from that list would be moved in a trade for pitching.

All of those guys could play 2nd or 3rd, but only 2 can on a daily basis.

If the O's keep Henderson, Westburg and Mayo what kind of pitching would they get or Ortiz, Norby, Prieto and Vavra?

[Sports Guy]

Just now, wildcard said:

If the O's keep Henderson, Westburg and Mayo what kind of pitching would they get or Ortiz, Norby, Prieto and Vavra?

You deal Mullins for it.  

And you may not keep all 3 of those guys although Mayo may end up at first or the OF anyway.

 

[wildcard]

5 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

You deal Mullins for it.  

And you may not keep all 3 of those guys although Mayo may end up at first or the OF anyway.

 

Said another way the O's probably do keep Henderson, Westburg and Mayo because Mayo may be in the outfield.

Mullins has to stay until Cowser is ready.   Can't depend on Hays to stay healthy.

[Sports Guy]

1 minute ago, wildcard said:

Said another way the O's probably do keep Henderson, Westburg and Mayo because Mayo may be in the outfield.

Mullins has to stay until Cowser is ready.   Can't depend on Hays to stay healthy.

No, he doesn’t HAVE to.  You can trade him at what is his potential peak value to get the pitching you need.

If you sign Correa, you still aren’t contending.  You are still building towards something.  Sacrificing some now (if it’s even a sacrifice) for more later is still the goal.  
 

You can win more games now and field a better product while also still looking for the long term.

And you can still add a CFer, perhaps even the guy on the Red Sox that’s available in the rule 5. (As your 5th guy/defensive replacement type guy)

[DrinkinWithFermi]

11 minutes ago, Matt Bennett said:

Perhaps this take is not justified under  thorough analysis but I am a little hesitant to call Carlos Correa the superstar deserving of a contract of the magnitude people have been throwing out there. 

Carlos Correa is a good-but-not-elite hitter (.279/.366/.485 in 2021, which is almost exactly in line with his career .277/.356/.481 line) and a ton of his value is derived from defense at an extremely demanding, difficult position (#1 in MLB in defensive WAR in 2021 per bbref), plus he's missed significant time with injuries in 3 of his 7 MLB seasons. That is not really the profile of a guy I want my mid-market team guaranteeing $35 million dollars a year to through age 37.

I strongly suspect that whoever gives him what he wants will regret it in the end.

[Aristotelian]

15 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

You deal Mullins for it.  

And you may not keep all 3 of those guys although Mayo may end up at first or the OF anyway.

 

Hays would also be a possibility. 

[LookinUp]

12 minutes ago, wildcard said:

If the O's keep Henderson, Westburg and Mayo what kind of pitching would they get or Ortiz, Norby, Prieto and Vavra?

Well, who's the odd man out? If they keep those 3 then the trade value seems to diminish afterwards, though I don't rule out Norby and Ortiz's trade value increasing this year. 

I could definitely see a scenario where we keep the more prominent 4 all and move Mayo to RF or 1B, Henderson to 3B, and leave Westburg at SS and Norby at 2B. Hard to complain if that happens, but now it gets you into what to do with Hays, Kjerstad, Cowser and Mullins.

I'm probably forgetting folks too, but the bottom line is that drafting higher probability bats in lieu of pitching is likely a key to Elias's strategy to eventually trade for pitching. So don't get too attached is all I'm saying.

[Yardball85]

49 minutes ago, wildcard said:

If the O's are going to spend it should be on pitching, pitching, pitching.

Eh, I think it should be on talent.  Whether it is offense or pitching, spend the money on talented players.  Correa qualifies.