Matt Harvey close to minor league deal. (Update: signed)

[Sports Guy]

8 minutes ago, Pickles said:

I guess to some not losing my shit over these inconsequential deals and using them as an excuse to call everyone stupid or dumb, makes me a contrarian.  LOL.

The drug thing doesn't bother me.  At all.  It's a little contrarian to claim that it doesn't bother you, but then cite it as a reason to not sign him.  I suspect the vast majority of ML players use recreational drugs.  I personally ran into a very successful starting pitcher for the Rays about 10 years ago buying Swisher Sweets in Fort Worth Texas.

Again, the people who dealt with him on a day to day basis last year seem to have some appreciation for him.  That's honestly enough for me.

If they gave him a guaranteed contract, or a bunch of money, or a rotation spot, I'd criticize it.  As of now, this is a nothing move.  So forgive me for being contrarian, but I"m not going to get all worked up about it and start calling everyone a moron.

Compare it to the Odor signing.  I had the same reaction at the time: Eh.  Now, that he's made the roster, I'm less happy with it.  If he starts taking opportunities from Mateo and Urias, I'll be real unhappy about it.

But I'm not going to start calling everyone a moron the second they do something I'm not in full-throated agreeement with.

Can you show the posts where people called Elias dumb or a moron?  

[Matt Bennett]

2 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Well thank you for telling me how I should be thinking.  He's a terrible baseball player and shouldn't be here.  And yes, him starting means there is a day where Urias or Mateo isn't starting and, on this team, they should play everyday..at least until we get something from the guys in the minors.

But your question was, who else is here that does nothing for the 2022 Orioles.  He is the answer.

Eh. Every team has a backup infielder or 2. Same reason Owings is here. There's a reason there's players on the roster outside of the 9 on the field at any one time. 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

When you are a fringe ballplayer the last thing you need to bring to a team is controversy and trouble. Harvey is one of the worst pitchers in the league and in trouble for painkillers there is little upside to taking signing him, but there's plenty of downside to go around. 

[Pickles]

Just now, NelsonCruuuuuz said:

Prob correct but I didn’t make a decision to sign the retread linked to a death of a player. Not a good look. Better options out there. I miss the Buck Showalter era (minus Ubaldo decisions). 

We signed notorious anti-Semite and hate crime commissioner Delmon Young while Buck was here.  Thank God we did too.

Recreational drug use doesn't bother me.  At all.  It's unfortunate Skaggs died.  But that's not on Harvey.  And frankly, it's not even on the guy who sold the pills to Skaggs.  

[Sports Guy]

Just now, Matt Bennett said:

Eh. Every team has a backup infielder or 2. Same reason Owings is here. There's a reason there's players on the roster outside of the 9 on the field at any one time. 

Yes but normally those players aren't horrendously awful baseball players and most of those teams don't make those players starters or at least guys you expect to get significant at bats.

[Sports Guy]

BTW, I don't think the drug issue is anything.  No one is going to care.  If/when he is in Baltimore, its not like he is the focus or has a tough media to deal with or anything like that.

 

It isn't a PR nightmare and will be a zero distraction from anything.

[NelsonCruuuuuz]

6 minutes ago, Pickles said:

We signed notorious anti-Semite and hate crime commissioner Delmon Young while Buck was here.  Thank God we did too.

Recreational drug use doesn't bother me.  At all.  It's unfortunate Skaggs died.  But that's not on Harvey.  And frankly, it's not even on the guy who sold the pills to Skaggs.  

Wow. Forgot about Delmon Young…

Opiods a lot more serious than recreational drugs. Agree to disagree on that point. 

[Matt Bennett]

3 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Yes but normally those players aren't horrendously awful baseball players and most of those teams don't make those players starters or at least guys you expect to get significant at bats.

He should be better than why we trotted out for much of last year until Urias stepped up. Urias is probably needed elsewhere as well this year so someone will have to cover 2nd. Urias, Gutierrez, and Mateo won't play 162 games. Jahmai Jones or Rylan Bannon or Terin Vavra can push him to the curb if they want to play in the big leagues. 

[Tony-OH]

5 minutes ago, Pickles said:

We signed notorious anti-Semite and hate crime commissioner Delmon Young while Buck was here.  Thank God we did too.

Recreational drug use doesn't bother me.  At all.  It's unfortunate Skaggs died.  But that's not on Harvey.  And frankly, it's not even on the guy who sold the pills to Skaggs.  

Personal responsibility is lost on some out there. It's always someone else's fault.

As for Harvey, I'll wait to see if and how he will be used before complaining too much. I don't see the necessity for him, but he's better than Spenser Watkins as a break glass in case of emergency guy. 

If though he gets in the rotation over a Kremer, Lowther, Akin or Baumann then I'll have questions unless the team has decided to turn them into relievers. This is the evaluation year for them at the major league level. 

I will say the fact that there is a negotiation at all is crazy. Who is banging down his door besides Elias? 

[Moose Milligan]

Just now, Tony-OH said:

Personal responsibility is lost on some out there. It's always someone else's fault.

Two way street.  What about saying "Hey, no, I'm not going to support your habit and I'm not giving you these drugs."?

Would that be personal responsibility?  

[NelsonCruuuuuz]

1 minute ago, Tony-OH said:

Personal responsibility is lost on some out there. It's always someone else's fault.

As for Harvey, I'll wait to see if and how he will be used before complaining too much. I don't see the necessity for him, but he's better than Spenser Watkins as a break glass in case of emergency guy. 

If though he gets in the rotation over a Kremer, Lowther, Akin or Baumann then I'll have questions unless the team has decided to turn them into relievers. This is the evaluation year for them at the major league level. 

I will say the fact that there is a negotiation at all is crazy. Who is banging down his door besides Elias? 

California Penal

[NelsonCruuuuuz]

1 minute ago, Moose Milligan said:

Two way street.  What about saying "Hey, no, I'm not going to support your habit and I'm not giving you these drugs."?

Would that be personal responsibility?  

I am sure someone on here knows a family member of friend  impacted by the opioid crisis. And if you do, you know this is more than a personal responsibility debate. 

[Tony-OH]

Just now, Moose Milligan said:

Two way street.  What about saying "Hey, no, I'm not going to support your habit and I'm not giving you these drugs."?

Would that be personal responsibility?  

It's against the law to give someone prescription drugs that are not prescribed for that person. So that person has to take responsibility for that portion of the deal. 

The person who took the drugs is fully responsible for their own death.

But this is off subject. Let's get back to Harvey playing baseball.

[Tony-OH]

Just now, NelsonCruuuuuz said:

I am sure someone on here knows a family member of friend  impacted by the opioid crisis. And if you do, you know this is more than a personal responsibility debate. 

Let's get this back on subject, thanks.

[NCRaven]

1 hour ago, Ripken said:

I have an advanced degree from Johns Hopkins.  I wouldn't have signed Harvey.

 

Spend another fifteen years as a major league scouting and player development director and a few more as a general manager and I might start to be impressed.