Eovaldi vs Bassitt

[Yardball85]

LOL - great, so the Jays might get both Bassitt and Lopez.  While the Orioles sit on their hands looking like idiots (as usual). 

[Moose Milligan]

5 minutes ago, Pickles said:

You wanted to give Bassitt that kind of contract?

This is the same franchise that gave Ubaldo 4/50 nearly 10 years ago. If they can’t do one less year and 13 million more in this day and age for a better pitcher, it’s pathetic. 

[interloper]

2 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I'm just thinking back to when Elias was hired and folks were telling me that he wouldn't have taken the job if ownership wasn't willing to spend and how he'd have total control and so on and so forth.

These jobs are hard to come by.

So I'm guessing you don't think we'll be signing both Rodon and Correa?

[Frobby]

3 minutes ago, HakunaSakata said:

Last season was a feel good story. This year expectations will be higher (and rightfully so). If they don't improve their starting rotation I'd say there's a very good chance they regress. 

I think there’s a chance of some regression whether or not they upgrade their rotation.  

As @Sports Guywill tell you, the vast majority of tickets are sold before the season starts.  Last year we were coming off a 52-win season and nobody was expecting the team to contend.  I can almost guarantee you that season ticket sales will be much better this offseason, since the team was better and expectations are higher.  Walk-up sales could drop if it turns out the team falls out of the race earlier than last year, but I’d still expect overall attendance to be up in 2023 even if the team’s record isn’t as good.  

Back to @Can_of_corn’s post commenting that the team will wait until attendance goes up to spend more, I f don’t think that’s Elias’ intent.  I do think the long-term plan is to fund payroll increases with increased attendance as the team gets more competitive, but I don’t think that’s an obstacle to a significant payroll increase now.  He’s said what he planned to do, and we’ll see what he’s done when the dust clears.  


 

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, interloper said:

So I'm guessing you don't think we'll be signing both Rodon and Correa?

Maybe if he's still the GM in 2027.

[tabletop]

1 minute ago, Yardball85 said:

I think Elias said what he really thought/hoped ownership would let him do, and had to backtrack when the Angeloses called him into their office to say, um, actually, we don't want to spend any of our money on improving the team via free agency. 

Either it’s this or he just keeps kicking the can down the road while pretending, and in some cases convincing others, it’s the “smart” thing to do because he has been in on it from the start. When someone signs a crazy contract everyone says it was too expensive or too many years. Then when you see a reasonable free agent signing like when Bassitt signs for 3/63 you see the pivot to remaining free agents. Eventually, when they all sign, it’ll turn to mythical trades that they’ll be in on before Spring Training. After that, when they don’t make a meaningful trade, it’ll be because they’re waiting for the deadline. All the while they’ll be praised as “smart” by some. It’s insane.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

I think there’s a chance of some regression whether or not they upgrade their rotation.  

As @Sports Guywill tell you, the vast majority of tickets are sold before the season starts.  Last year we were coming off a 52-win season and nobody was expecting the team to contend.  I can almost guarantee you that season ticket sales will be much better this offseason, since the team was better and expectations are higher.  Walk-up sales could drop if it turns out the team falls out of the race earlier than last year, but I’d still expect overall attendance to be up in 2023 even if the team’s record isn’t as good.  

Back to @Can_of_corn’s post commenting that the team will wait until attendance goes up to spend more, I f don’t think that’s Elias’ intent.  I do think the long-term plan is to fund payroll increases with increased attendance as the team gets more competitive, but I don’t think that’s an obstacle to a significant payroll increase now.  He’s said what he planned to do, and we’ll see what he’s done when the dust clears.  


 

I was riffing off of one of Elias' comments.

[Yardball85]

11 minutes ago, Pickles said:

You wanted to give Bassitt that kind of contract?

I think a lot of us did... the Orioles have an absurdly low payroll, Bassitt was a good fit for a young rotation, and only got three years.  But what do we know?

[tabletop]

1 minute ago, Yardball85 said:

I think a lot of us did... the Orioles have an absurdly low payroll, Bassitt was a good fit for a young rotation, and only got three years.  But what do we know?

The only concern with Bassitt is age and the 3 year contract takes care of that. To not sign him at 3 years is just being cheap.

[Yardball85]

13 minutes ago, Pickles said:

You wanted to give Bassitt that kind of contract?

If it were up to some posters on here, the Orioles would have a payroll of... checks notes... 26 dollars.  One dollar per player.  I am seriously convinced of this.

  LeT tHe OtHeR tEaMs sPeNd MoNeY!

[Ripken]

If nothing else, Mike has probably learned to stick with the generic GM speak going forward.  He looks pretty bad right now - there is time left for sure - but options are running out.

[Yardball85]

2 minutes ago, tabletop said:

The only concern with Bassitt is age and the 3 year contract takes care of that. To not sign him at 3 years is just being cheap.

Right.  I may be wrong, but I would think if they match 3 years 63, with Walltimore and the knowledge that fellow free agent Gibson took our deal over the Jays, good chance Bassitt signs here too.  If it turns out the Orioles offered the same deal and he chose the Jays, I'll sit back down. 

[Ripken]

13 minutes ago, Pickles said:

You wanted to give Bassitt that kind of contract?

Absolutely.  Mike is being too strict or Ebenezer Angelos struck again.

[Frobby]

1 minute ago, Can_of_corn said:

I was riffing off of one of Elias' comments.

I understood that.  I’m not sure everyone did.

Its an obvious fact that a team with 2.5 mm in attendance can afford a higher payroll than a team with 1.4 mm in attendance.  It’s also an obvious fact that, even at 1.4 mm attendance, the Orioles can afford to bump payroll up pretty significantly.  They reportedly had $83 mm in operating income in 2021, and 2022 was probably higher than that.  2019 also was quite stout, though 2020 was a loser thanks to the pandemic.  So the O’s certainly can afford to ramp up payroll for 2023, and I still expect them to do it, even though they haven’t done it yet and a number of options are now off the table.  

[DrinkinWithFermi]

16 minutes ago, Pickles said:

You wanted to give Bassitt that kind of contract?

Absolutely.

In a heartbeat with no hesitation whatsoever.

It would have made us better in the near-term without hurting us in the long-term, and it's better than just punting 2023 with mediocre reclamation project signings like Gibson.