O's Fans Held Hostage - Day 18

[Lucky Jim]

When I hear that the O's could be on the verge of signing Mark Hendrickson it tells me AM just doesnt get that the O's are in the AL East. We cant beat teams in the divison with guys like Hendrickson. This isnt the Cubs or Twins AM. Between this offseason and last offseason it feels like we took one step forward and two steps backward again.

Do you think AM think Hendrickson is going to "beat" AL East teams? Do you think the O's are building to compete in the (likely) one year of Hendrickson's contract?

I mean, how many legitimate "winning" AL East starting pitchers are floating out there on the market?

Answer: not many. And none of them make sense to the O's right now.

If the O's win in the AL East, it will be on the arms that are in the minors. Not who they sign as a stopgap.

[Wind Rider]

By 2011 we need a whole new infield. Three fourths of it by 2010

[Crazysilver03]

By 2011 we need a whole new infield.

Correction, 2010.

And, Thank You Captain Obvious.

Would you like to string a few of your posts together so you can make a coherent argument?

[Peace21]

Do you think AM think Hendrickson is going to "beat" AL East teams? Do you think the O's are building to compete in the (likely) one year of Hendrickson's contract?

I mean, how many legitimate "winning" AL East starting pitchers are floating out there on the market?

Answer: not many. And none of them make sense to the O's right now.

If the O's win in the AL East, it will be on the arms that are in the minors. Not who they sign as a stopgap.

Hendrickson is far down the list though. Why lower our standards for guys like this? How do we improve with this plan?

[Wind Rider]

I was referring back to a previous reply that stated the obvious.

[Crazysilver03]

I was referring back to a previous reply that stated the obvious.

Then how about you use the quote function so people can actually figure out what you are talking about.

I am trying to follow your logic but it is hard to do so when you have 8 sentences spread out over 9 pages of the thread.

[SrMeowMeow]

By 2011 we need a whole new infield. Three fourths of it by 2010

You're really losing coherence. I'm sorry I touched off some unnecessarily harsh criticism by some other posters, but you're just stating the obvious and asking rhetorical questions now. We know what needs to be done; you seem to think that AM should have "found stud players at our positions of need" already. That's unrealistic, and you're not taking a very constructive approach.

[Wind Rider]

My apologies.

[Crazysilver03]

My apologies.

Okay.

Then what is your argument?

That is all I am trying to find out.

[Lucky Jim]

Hendrickson is far down the list though. Why lower our standards for guys like this? How do we improve with this plan?

We don't. But we don't sacrifice any improvement by signing them. They allow us to focus on other things. And develop our pitchers at their own place.

If you've got two holes in a floodwall, and one of them is serious and will take a ton of time to address, and the other can be stopped temporarily with a bit of chewing gum, there's no reason not to take care of the one short-term and easily, and devote your time to the other issues.

It's a satisficing technique. That's it. Hendrickson is "good enough" for what we need in the role of a fifth starter for 2009 and by taking care of that, we can focus on other issues moving forward (while conserving our long-term plan.)

[Wind Rider]

My real point was to say we haven't done enough rebuilding. We've done more reducing payroll. I truly believe there were trades or free agents we could have gotten this year that represent rebuildiing. An example Adam Dunn. Another obvious point we have plenty of money to do it.

[Crazysilver03]

My real point was to say we haven't done enough rebuilding. We've done more reducing payroll. I truly believe there were trades or free agents we could have gotten this year that represent rebuildiing. An example Adam Dunn. Another obvious point we have plenty of money to do it.

That is a fair and true point.

As Lucky Jim pointed out above though, reducing payroll is one of the first steps of rebuilding, because we are going to need money to retain players like Markakis, Jones, Scott, Guthrie, Albers, Ray, and Johnson, not to mention Wieters, Arrieta, Tillman, and Matusz if/when they develop.

[Lucky Jim]

My real point was to say we haven't done enough rebuilding. We've done more reducing payroll. I truly believe there were trades or free agents we could have gotten this year that represent rebuildiing. An example Adam Dunn. Another obvious point we have plenty of money to do it.

You're just spinning wheels here.

See my point above for the flaw in your logic.

[BaltimoreTerp]

Hendrickson is far down the list though. Why lower our standards for guys like this? How do we improve with this plan?

We don't. However, we give a reason for the guys we do have to compete in spring training and in AAA: if they out-pitch him, they get his spot, if not, we wait until someone does.

[Wind Rider]

If we are serious, why not take a chance on Sheets instead of what looks like our latest signing.