Ok, so now what?

[bird watcher]

Everybody just needs to take a deep breath an realize that this is what the Yankees do, its no big deal they do this all the time. How many WS have they won recently? they have had the highest payroll all of these years and havent won them all.

The Rays last year had one of the smallest payrolls in baseball. They built from within and they almost won it all, And they have a young team with lasting power. The same can be said about the Phillies, for the most part they have built from within and they have a small payroll compared to the Yanks.

We should all be looking at the Rays and Phillies as examples of what the Orioles can become in the near future and stop wishing the Orioles were the Yankee JRs.

You can be delusional if you want to be. The playoffs are a crapshoot. It is more statistical anomaly than anything else that they have not won a world series. It you had to bet right now on who will win the Al east, who would it be? If you don't say the Yankees then I want what you are smoking. The Rays are more than likely a 3rd place team this year.

[PaulBako]

Respectfully, I partially disagree. I think if he doesn't extend with BAL, he gets traded to ATL for a very nice package and ends up extending there for a very solid deal as the new "foundation" of the franchise (replacing Chipper).

If Makakis is traded to Atlanta, we better get Jason Heyward and Tommy Hanson included in a package.

[33rdst]

It's time to deal with the matter(s) at hand.

Sign Makakis to an extension

Do not sign either of Hendickson or Redding.

Maybe sign Looper or Kawakami for 2 years or less.

Trade Roberts for a mlb ready starter, a replacement and a prospect. I like Floyd/Danks Ely and Getz of the White Sox or Trade Scott for Hill, Pie and Marquis.

Pitch some of our young guys Bergenson, Birkens, Penn, Liz, Bass etc.

Let Tillman, Matusz and Arrieta develop in AAA and bring up when ready.

Start Weiters.

Make a commitment to developing from within and promise never to be held hostage by any player or agent.

It's better to trade a year too early then a year too late, especially if you can get two or three top prospects.

[Crazysilver03]

What makes you bring up Atlanta?

I agree that trading Markakis should be explored now. If he can bring back 3-4 potential studs he should be let go. Maybe this is why AM was looking at Pie?

We really have no choice now but to linger in mediocrity or make wholesale changes akin to the marlins of the past.

He brings up Atlanta because there were rumors that Markakis will bolt for the Braves as soon as he gets a chance since he is from Georgia.

[Crazysilver03]

If Makakis is traded to Atlanta, we better get Jason Heyward and Tommy Hanson included in a package.

And then we have a no deal, because getting Hanson alone would be hard enough.

[jcroemer]

I don't think Markakis is gonna stay for 3 years. He's gonna probably make a stink about it and decide to leave.

Well he'd be in trouble with MLBPA if he did. He is under team control. Nothing he can say about it. Sorry. Rules are rules.

[YaBoyTopher]

You can be delusional if you want to be. The playoffs are a crapshoot. It is more statistical anomaly than anything else that they have not won a world series. It you had to bet right now on who will win the Al east, who would it be? If you don't say the Yankees then I want what you are smoking. The Rays are more than likely a 3rd place team this year.

Im not smoking anything. I honestly feel the Rays will be the team to beat in Al east.

They still have the better rotation. Burnett will be a huge bust, Sabathia will be solid but not perform anywhere near his 2nd half of last year.

And to say the Playoffs are a crapshoot is a little bold, yes anything can happen in the playoffs but that is because the playoffs are the best teams playing each other, thats kinda the point.

[ChaosLex]

Trade BRob for Mills and Miller of the Indians.

[Snuffles]

We are the worst team in a ridiculously talented and crowded AL East. Unless you can magically eradicate five or so players from each of the other teams in our division, then the playing field is going to be unbalanced and we'll be fighting with Toronto for fourth.

Tampa Bay waited 10 years to have a winning season, and they've been accruing talent and players the entire time. They won't be a 97-65 team agains this year most likely but they now have the infrastructure in place to compete on a regular basis.

Baltimore has not been following the proper organizational mold over that same time frame. Call me an apologist or whatever, that's fine, but the only thing we can have for right now is patience and hope. Because until we have home-grown two-thirds of a starting lineup or a rotation, we're not going to be competing because we don't have the money that the Red Sox and Yankees possess.

[PaulBako]

Trade BRob for Mills and Miller of the Indians.

Mills and Cabrera sounds right. Miller is an injury plagued guy. I would stay away from him.

[Flosman]

The Orioles have to at all costs somehow lock up Matt Wieters, I don't care if the Orioles have to fire MacPhail for it to happen, but Wieters must have some FA years bought out and a LT deal.

He is going to be the next big thing, and possibly the next Teixeira if the Orioles aren't careful...

I really do not think you can risk a 10 year deal on MW. HE IS A CATCHER!!!!

Maybe if you can move him to 1st you make this type of move but catchers do not last as long as other positions, IMO. I think you pull the one year delay move this season and probably end up trading him in 2014 unless the landscape really changes in baseball or Boras dies.

[olehippi]

IMO, MacPhail and Angelos know they have to do something at least a little dramatic to attempt appeasing a now very disgruntled fan base. They may make a play for Dunn, but I doubt it. And an appealing offer to Ben Sheets would definitely stir some souls. But I think we are going to see a couple of trades that will likely raise as much furor and it does hope.

[ChaosLex]

Mills and Cabrera sounds right. Miller is an injury plagued guy. I would stay away from him.

I doubt the Indians would trade Cabrera straight up for BRob, but I could be wrong.

[jcroemer]

Im not smoking anything. I honestly feel the Rays will be the team to beat in Al east.

They still have the better rotation. Burnett will be a huge bust, Sabathia will be solid but not perform anywhere near his 2nd half of last year.

And to say the Playoffs are a crapshoot is a little bold, yes anything can happen in the playoffs but that is because the playoffs are the best teams playing each other, thats kinda the point.

Plus they have David Price starting this year. That guy is incredible!

[birdsncrabs]

I agree, give him a Longoria-type contract after he comes up this year.

Not going to happen, unless like Guthrie he drops Scott Boras as an agent. Weiters is gone after 2015, when Boras plays these same Teix games for Wieters.