Will the next few weeks reshape the future of the organization?

[Sports Guy]

The Orioles are an undermanned team playing exceptionally well right now.  They have a very good farm system that is about to produce several new young players to the ML team.

Tomorrow, the team has what can be argued as the most important draft in team history. They have the first pick, a ton of draft pool money and lots of early picks.  

And then, we are only a few weeks away from the trade deadline, a deadline in which the team may trade off for future pieces but also add to the current and 2023 ML roster.

There is a pretty good chance that we will be look back in 2-3 years and say these couple of weeks were vital to the success or failure of future teams.

My personal hope is that we get Jones tomorrow, along with multiple other promising pieces, trade a few vets, bring up some of the kids who are ready and add to the starting rotation for this year and the future.

Either way, it’s an exciting time to be an Os fan and we haven’t been able to say that for quite some time.

[NelsonCruuuuuz]

We play the Rays, more Rays and the Yankees leading up to the deadline. We need to hold our own, tough challenges ahead. I think some upgrades are needed ST.

Nevin gotta go back down, who replaces him?

Chirinos: huge negative WAR (potential room for upgrade?)

Can Vavra help? 

Spot start Hall or use out of bp?

Any thoughts/suggestions?

 

[xmichaelx]

They need to replace Odor and Mateo with Westburg and Vavra. Hopefully, All Star break callups.

[Brooks The Great]

1 hour ago, Sports Guy said:

The Orioles are an undermanned team playing exceptionally well right now.  They have a very good farm system that is about to produce several new young players to the ML team.

Tomorrow, the team has what can be argued as the most important draft in team history. They have the first pick, a ton of draft pool money and lots of early picks.  

And then, we are only a few weeks away from the trade deadline, a deadline in which the team may trade off for future pieces but also add to the current and 2023 ML roster.

There is a pretty good chance that we will be look back in 2-3 years and say these couple of weeks were vital to the success or failure of future teams.

My personal hope is that we get Jones tomorrow, along with multiple other promising pieces, trade a few vets, bring up some of the kids who are ready and add to the starting rotation for this year and the future.

Either way, it’s an exciting time to be an Os fan and we haven’t been able to say that for quite some time.

This isn't an undermanned team. The fact you think this team is undermanned tells me that you're scarred from the Orioles' history (30+ years) of mediocrity, or you're not a good evaluator of talent. The AL East isn't all that great from talent perspective, despite every team having a .500+ record. The rest of the AL, even less so.

I've been on record on this board stating I think this team is just as/more talented as/than the rest of the division except for the Yankees. Once we promote Vavra, Westburg, Hall, Stowers, GrayRod, and Henderson, we're more talented than the Yankees. Without a doubt.

Also, we don't just have a "very good farm system". We have the BEST farm system in baseball. Once again, you are underrating the organization.

[Sports Guy]

1 minute ago, Brooks The Great said:

This isn't an undermanned team. The fact you think this team is undermanned tells me that you're scarred from the Orioles' history (30+ years) of mediocrity, or you're not a good evaluator of talent. The AL East isn't all that great from talent perspective, despite every team having a .500+ record. The rest of the AL, even less so.

I've been on record on this board stating I think this team is just as/more talented as/than the rest of the division except for the Yankees. Once we promote Vavra, Westburg, Hall, Stowers, GrayRod, and Henderson, we're more talented than the Yankees. Without a doubt.

Also, we don't just have a "very good farm system". We have the BEST farm system in baseball. Once again, you are underrating the organization.

They have a pitching staff that lacks true TOR guys.  The IF is pretty mediocre and the oFers aren’t exactly setting the world on fire.

They are in the toughest division in sports playing teams littered with all stats and elite talent.

They are absolutely undermanned.  It’s silly to argue otherwise.

We had the best farm system, rating wise, according to some when Adley was in it.

Right now, we still have a very solid top 8 guys and it gets sketchy from there.  I don’t know that we have the best right now although they may after tomorrow.  It’s not definite that’s for sure.

[RVAOsFan]

2 minutes ago, Brooks The Great said:

This isn't an undermanned team. The fact you think this team is undermanned tells me that you're scarred from the Orioles' history (30+ years) of mediocrity, or you're not a good evaluator of talent. The AL East isn't all that great from talent perspective, despite every team having a .500+ record. The rest of the AL, even less so.

I've been on record on this board stating I think this team is just as/more talented as/than the rest of the division except for the Yankees. Once we promote Vavra, Westburg, Hall, Stowers, GrayRod, and Henderson, we're more talented than the Yankees. Without a doubt.

Also, we don't just have a "very good farm system". We have the BEST farm system in baseball. Once again, you are underrating the organization.

Can I get a link for those orange colored glasses? I’m just messing I am excited about this team too.

That being said I keep seeing a lot of people on here who are ready to swap out our entire infield for the infield in Norfolk.  No way am I messing with this teams chemistry like that right now. 

As for what the OP had to say I think Elias is certainly going to earn his paycheck these next few weeks. Between the draft and trade deadline some big decisions will be made.

 

[NelsonCruuuuuz]

I want to hear what Wildcard thinks! I def am not getting rid of Mateo. Odor to a more pt role would make sense (Vavra audition?). 

[Jammer7]

A good post, SG. Definitely an under-manned group for the AL East and playoff contention. The rotation is pitching above their heads right now, and not any all star position players. No gold gloves, but Mateo surely has been a pleasant development at SS. We do have one silver slugger in Ced who is not going to repeat that level of output. We’re a very RH dominant offensive team, without one legitimate big time run producer. We do have a very solid pen. 

What they are is a slightly above average team with great chemistry that is learning to win games. They’re improving and entertaining. If everything goes right, and other teams have things go wrong, maybe we slide into the wildcard. We’re the fifth best team in the AL East, and probably somewhere around the 8-10 range in the AL overall rankings right now.

Adley is doing some very good things, but he still has a lot to learn about handling a staff. Westburg and Henderson are not going to come up and be some dominant force leading us to some long October playoff run in 2022. They have about 150 at bats in AAA, and it’s a big jump to the show. Mountcastle has regressed with his swing decisions. Santander has better decisions, but his bat speed looks down. Hays has made great strides, but his diving in  makes him a bit pull conscious. 

With the draft and trade deadline, we have a chance to solidify the future of this team for several years. 

[Oriole4Life]

So who are we drafting?  Brooks Lee is -500 to be drafted first, so maybe that guy?  Shortstop from Cal Poly.

[Aristotelian]

I agree, this is an exciting time, but we have been on a positive trajectory for a long time. Whoever we get in the draft will be adding incrementally to the organization's numerous positive developmental stories. Could be wrong but I don't see any big moves at the deadline. I am interested to see how Elias plays the next wave of prospects but whether Westburg and Henderson are promoted in late '22 or early '23 really doesn't affect the long term future. 

[oldfan]

If reshape means change, I say no, Elias should stay true to what his plan was before this latest run.

[Sports Guy]

5 hours ago, oldfan said:

If reshape means change, I say no, Elias should stay true to what his plan was before this latest run.

He should stay true.  Im not advocating some big shift.

The difference is that maybe he is more willing to look for rotation help, for now and the future than he was 2-4 weeks ago.  However, I feel he should have been doing that anyway.  The idea that he should just continue to sit and wait around to acquire talent, why he as the argument of many this offseason, was and is absurd.

When you have a chance to acquire good ML talent that can help you short and long term, you do it.  You don’t wait for some magical time when you believe the stars are aligning to improve your on field product.

[Pat Kelly]

Also yesterday’s game was a great example of how and why you pivot from veteranosity and go with the next gen as and when they are ready.

- Chirinos - GIDP, lost two WPs for runs.

- Odor PH - flies out on first pitch /picked off as an extra runner in 11th on first pitch

- Mancini took very few pitches, popped up or struck out with men on base / 

- Adley - ties the game on pinch hit HR, throws out a runner at 3rd which keeps the game tied, go ahead SF in 10th.

Mateo - Triple setup the win after the Odor PO. 
 

The point is - the vets have served their purpose, helped on board some the younger players, time to move on and let the kids play.    Stowers, Henderson or Westburg should come up.  Odor to the bench, Nevin sent down, Mancini traded, Santander traded. (Marmalard, dead,
Niedermeyer, dead!)

[sportsfan8703]

We need a SP and to upgrade the bench for a playoff run. 

[sportsfan8703]

5 minutes ago, Pat Kelly said:

Also yesterday’s game was a great example of how and why you pivot from veteranosity and go with the next gen as and when they are ready.

- Chirinos - GIDP, lost two WPs for runs.

- Odor PH - flies out on first pitch /picked off as an extra runner in 11th on first pitch

- Mancini took very few pitches, popped up or struck out with men on base / 

- Adley - ties the game on pinch hit HR, throws out a runner at 3rd which keeps the game tied, go ahead SF in 10th.

Mateo - Triple setup the win after the Odor PO. 
 

The point is - the vets have served their purpose, helped on board some the younger players, time to move on and let the kids play.    Stowers, Henderson or Westburg should come up.  Odor to the bench, Nevin sent down, Mancini traded, Santander traded. (Marmalard, dead,
Niedermeyer, dead!)

The expanded rosters for September being only 28 really hurts us. The vibe with the Buck teams at this point always felt like if we can just make it 6-7 more weeks till 9/1, then we can plug our holes. 
 

This year, I don’t know how much we can do to improve upon Chirnos, Util IF, McKenna, and Nevin.