O's Fans Held Hostage - Day 18

[Sports Guy]

Wow this is a good one. I have been saying it would be no playoffs until 2012 since they trade Bedard and you have been telling me I was wrong. Does this mean you changed your mind?

My thing is we shouldn't be waiting this long...But maybe we will...As I said, AM is not the right GM for what we need to do in the next 2-5 years...He is the right GM for 5 years and beyond but he doesn't seem to have the ability to concentrate on the short and long term on any consistent basis.

Really, our only chance is if we get lucky and all of our young pitchers reach their ceilings.

[Crazysilver03]

Wow...See, this is the type of thing when I say people are missing the point and letting it go over their heads.

If you truly believe this, you are not understanding what BB has had to say for the last year or so.

What is going over my head oh glorified master?

There are always going to be people who complain about someone, and BB consistently complains about MacPhail.

Just like there would be posters that would complain that MacPhail wasnt doing anything if he took a week vacation in January, instead of now.

[Lucky Jim]

He should be, but we should be happy if we can buy out 3 years of his FA.

I think it's unlikely we get those extra years. We've already given him upfront money, seriously diminishing his risk. As the contract is structured now, he'll still get a shot at FA while near his prime. Every player - once they satisfy their risk aversion - is going to want that shot at the open market, even if they plan on re-signing. Further, as much as he might value the present over the future value of money, it's possible that beyond six year contracts will go up to such a point that he'd be making an enormous sacrifice.

[Sports Guy]

I am pissed we haven't acquired a long-term SS option and a long-term 1B option. I would have dealt Sherrill if given the chance. The short term FAs don't make me upset because of Bergeson, Arrietta, Matusz, and Tillman.

You said dump Hernandez. You think that was a bad deal?

It was ok but its not a deal that i think AM should be praised for either.

I am glad Ramon is gone though.

[Crazysilver03]

My thing is we shouldn't be waiting this long...But maybe we will...As I said, AM is not the right GM for what we need to do in the next 2-5 years...He is the right GM for 5 years and beyond but he doesn't seem to have the ability to concentrate on the short and long term on any consistent basis.

Really, our only chance is if we get lucky and all of our young pitchers reach their ceilings.

Luke Scott (FA 2011), Matt Albers (FA 2012), and Adam Jones (FA 2013) say hi.

[scOtt]

JT, this is GOOD news. This deal will obviously get done if the starting points are that close. So he finishes up at 6/66 or the like. Two words, JT: mood stabilizers.

It's got to be tiring to bounce around like you do.

Was gonna say... I'm quite happy that the figures are that close, I hadn't heard any specifics before. 10 million? Hell, that's practically a done deal.

[Fairfax Bird]

My thing is we shouldn't be waiting this long...But maybe we will...As I said, AM is not the right GM for what we need to do in the next 2-5 years...He is the right GM for 5 years and beyond but he doesn't seem to have the ability to concentrate on the short and long term on any consistent basis.

Really, our only chance is if we get lucky and all of our young pitchers reach their ceilings.

Is if you are named GM. I am not even being a jerk. I would love to see you go at it. If nothing else we could not complain about a lack of activity.

[Sports Guy]

You know what is funny, when Duquette was GM and you hammered him, you and BB had some of the greatest arguments you could have. Now you are defending him cause he is hammering the current GM and the rest of us can't understand it cause it is over our heads.

I think BB gave Duq too much leeway...the same way you guys are doing with AM.

Its the same argument.

[Fairfax Bird]

It was ok but its not a deal that i think AM should be praised for either.

I am glad Ramon is gone though.

Wow, we disagree. Ramon is addition by subtraction and the guys we got back have some upside. I think Freel will be valuable at the deadline if he is healthy.

[Palmer Esque]

I think BB is Duquette. :mwahaha:

[ChaosLex]

Around the trade deadline, AM said things weren't to his liking, which is why nothing got done. Will he be given a pass if he uses the same excuse this offseason?

[Fairfax Bird]

I think BB gave Duq too much leeway...the same way you guys are doing with AM.

Its the same argument.

What would you do if Theo Epstein was our GM?

[Lucky Jim]

AM seems to be putting all his eggs in one basket with regards to the young pitching. This is high risk/high reward philosophy and hopefully it pans out.

If it does not, yahtzee.

But this offseason will not determine the fate of the Orioles going forwards.

That distinction lies with our young pitchers.

I think this is only high-risk/high-reward if you think that he's counting on only Tillman, Arrieta, and Matusz.

I think the pitchers individually are moderate-to-high risk. But AM is working on numbers: sleepers (Britton, Bundy, Drake); guys coming off injuries with ML stuff (Spoone, Patton); guys with great stuff but a single issue (Erbe, Hernandez); average stuff guys with a singular outstanding trait (Bergesen); and just "pitchers" (Berken, Olson).

He's diversifying his risk. It's really not the end of the world if all of our "Big Three" don't pan out. We've got a lot of shots t filling out our staff behind them. Some of those guys will surprise.

[Sports Guy]

AM seems to be putting all his eggs in one basket with regards to the young pitching. This is high risk/high reward philosophy and hopefully it pans out.

If it does not, yahtzee.

But this offseason will not determine the fate of the Orioles going forwards.

That distinction lies with our young pitchers.

The problem is, this is where we have rested our fate for the last several years.

Now, don't get me wrong...I am all about developing pitching..It is a great idea.

The problem is, we don't have enough depth and talent. We need much much more.

I continue to believe that many people on here really don't get how far behind the 8 ball we are. I have believed that for years on here because we have heard so many times that we are on the verge...We aren't even close to being on the verge.

[Fairfax Bird]

Around the trade deadline, AM said things weren't to his liking, which is why nothing got done. Will he be given a pass if he uses the same excuse this offseason?

Probably not.