Which winter meeting contracts would you have matched or beaten and why?

[NCRaven]

Well there goes my request to Santa.  Oh, well.  Very disappointing.  I knew we were going after the top tier, but I was hoping for someone near the top of the second tier.

[Three Run Homer]

I think the O's should have matched or beaten one or more of the contracts given out to Tyler Anderson, Senga and Bassitt.   None of those contracts were ridiculous given the number of years, the average annual salary and the talent involved.  

Making the safe assumption that the O's are not signing Carlos Rodon, I think it's time call this offseason a failure.   This team is ready to contend but it needs front-line starting pitching to get over the hump.   Now we are left with signing table scraps, going with what we have, or giving up some of our good prospects in a trade.   

I do not blame Elias one bit.   He can't spend money that his cheapskate bosses won't let him spend.  If the Angelos family can't afford to spend on the team, then they need to sell the team, period.    

[jamalshw]

8 hours ago, Three Run Homer said:

I think the O's should have matched or beaten one or more of the contracts given out to Tyler Anderson, Senga and Bassitt.   None of those contracts were ridiculous given the number of years, the average annual salary and the talent involved.  

Making the safe assumption that the O's are not signing Carlos Rodon, I think it's time call this offseason a failure.   This team is ready to contend but it needs front-line starting pitching to get over the hump.   Now we are left with signing table scraps, going with what we have, or giving up some of our good prospects in a trade.   

I do not blame Elias one bit.   He can't spend money that his cheapskate bosses won't let him spend.  If the Angelos family can't afford to spend on the team, then they need to sell the team, period.    

I'm not there, yet. I would've loved to have had Bassitt or Senga. But, I do think a trade was the plan from the beginning. I won't call it a failure until it's over because there hasn't been much trade activity yet though we're starting to see some of it with the Murphy trade yesterday. 

If the Orioles are able to trade for someone like Pablo Lopez (or better), the offseason could still come together. I know you mentioned giving up our good prospects in a trade, but that's some of the point of having a deep farm system is to allow you to do that. We're getting to the point where we almost HAVE to trade some guys as Westburg, Ortiz, Norby and Cowser are all likely to break into the Majors this year. Obviously injuries will create some of the playing time, but there is some excess that can be dealt from.  

[HakunaSakata]

Verlander and Bassitt are the only free agents I'm upset about the Orioles not being in on. Mostly because they both offered a rare opportunity (this offseason) to get two quality arms on relatively short terms deals. There's no excuse for them not being in the mix for either one other than ownership being complete tight wads with their money. 

[forphase1]

10 hours ago, Three Run Homer said:

I think the O's should have matched or beaten one or more of the contracts given out to Tyler Anderson, Senga and Bassitt.   None of those contracts were ridiculous given the number of years, the average annual salary and the talent involved.  

Making the safe assumption that the O's are not signing Carlos Rodon, I think it's time call this offseason a failure.   This team is ready to contend but it needs front-line starting pitching to get over the hump.   Now we are left with signing table scraps, going with what we have, or giving up some of our good prospects in a trade.   

I do not blame Elias one bit.   He can't spend money that his cheapskate bosses won't let him spend.  If the Angelos family can't afford to spend on the team, then they need to sell the team, period.    

WAY too early to call anything a failure.  If tomorrow a trade is pulled off getting us Lopez or something like that as we've been discussing, would you still consider it a failure because we traded for our SP needs instead of buying them?  I'm not saying it WILL happen, and I'm not saying we shouldn't be disappointed SO FAR, and we SHOULD be ready to be disappointed over all if nothing happens.  But to act like on 12/13/22 that the offseason is over and it's been a failure is premature.  

[DrinkinWithFermi]

14 minutes ago, forphase1 said:

WAY too early to call anything a failure.  If tomorrow a trade is pulled off getting us Lopez or something like that as we've been discussing, would you still consider it a failure because we traded for our SP needs instead of buying them?  I'm not saying it WILL happen, and I'm not saying we shouldn't be disappointed SO FAR, and we SHOULD be ready to be disappointed over all if nothing happens.  But to act like on 12/13/22 that the offseason is over and it's been a failure is premature.  

I'm not sure that trading for Lopez makes sense at this point unless other significant improvements are going to occur this offseason, i.e. trading for Bryan Reynolds. He is going to cost a lot in trade capital and only has 2 years of control left.

[forphase1]

5 minutes ago, DrinkinWithFermi said:

I'm not sure that trading for Lopez makes sense at this point unless other significant improvements are going to occur this offseason, i.e. trading for Bryan Reynolds. He is going to cost a lot in trade capital and only has 2 years of control left.

Perhaps.  We may not make any trades or add anyone of significance, and if so then I'll be marching along with others with the torches and pitchforks.  I'm just not willing to call this a failure yet when there are clearly possibilities out there to still improve the team in the areas where we need clear help (SP, backup C, 1st base/DH).  As to your exact post, I would be completely happy to get Lopez regardless of what happens with Bryan Reynolds.  We need a TOR guy, and Lopez can certainly fill that role for us.  

[DrinkinWithFermi]

6 minutes ago, forphase1 said:

Perhaps.  We may not make any trades or add anyone of significance, and if so then I'll be marching along with others with the torches and pitchforks.  I'm just not willing to call this a failure yet when there are clearly possibilities out there to still improve the team in the areas where we need clear help (SP, backup C, 1st base/DH).  As to your exact post, I would be completely happy to get Lopez regardless of what happens with Bryan Reynolds.  We need a TOR guy, and Lopez can certainly fill that role for us.  

Lopez is a very solid mid-rotation starter, but not really a TOR SP, and I don't know that he alone improves our playoff odds for 2023 enough to justify the heavy cost it would require to get him, plus I think other teams match up better with the Marlins a lot better than we do.

If we were going to trade for one of their available SPs, I think Trevor Rogers makes more sense for us since he has 4 years of control left and could be part of more Orioles teams that are realistic contenders.

[Yardball85]

1 hour ago, HakunaSakata said:

Verlander and Bassitt are the only free agents I'm upset about the Orioles not being in on. Mostly because they both offered a rare opportunity (this offseason) to get two quality arms on relatively short terms deals. There's no excuse for them not being in the mix for either one other than ownership being complete tight wads with their money. 

Ownership deserves significant criticism if, by the end of the offseason, we are looking at Gibson as the most significant acquisition.  I am willing to give them more time since it is only December 13, but the media needs to (if won't) call out ownership for their pathetic unwillingness to loosen the purse strings just a little to supplement this young core into a legitimate contender. 

 

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, Yardball85 said:

Ownership deserves significant criticism if, by the end of the offseason, we are looking at Gibson as the most significant acquisition.  I am willing to give them more time since it is only December 13, but the media needs to (if won't) call out ownership for their pathetic unwillingness to loosen the purse strings just a little to supplement this young core into a legitimate contender. 

 

Where is Buster Olney?

[Yardball85]

4 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Where is Buster Olney?

Chomping at the bit. 

[Yardball85]

4 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Where is Buster Olney?

By media, I meant the local media.  Roch et al.  Yes, Olney will have at it. 

[Three Run Homer]

3 hours ago, jamalshw said:

I'm not there, yet. I would've loved to have had Bassitt or Senga. But, I do think a trade was the plan from the beginning. I won't call it a failure until it's over because there hasn't been much trade activity yet though we're starting to see some of it with the Murphy trade yesterday. 

If the Orioles are able to trade for someone like Pablo Lopez (or better), the offseason could still come together. I know you mentioned giving up our good prospects in a trade, but that's some of the point of having a deep farm system is to allow you to do that. We're getting to the point where we almost HAVE to trade some guys as Westburg, Ortiz, Norby and Cowser are all likely to break into the Majors this year. Obviously injuries will create some of the playing time, but there is some excess that can be dealt from.  

I agree that we are at the point of needing to make trades, but the people we should trade are Urias, Hays and Mateo.  Trading someone like Westburg or Cowser means that we are settling for mediocre production from an established position player instead of playing young players with much more upside.  The reason to sign a free agent starter is that you can't trade for a really good starter unless you are willing to give up top prospects.  I'd rather those top prospects stay in Baltimore.  

[interloper]

37 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Where is Buster Olney?

I think once Rodon and Correa sign, it's gonna be open season on the Orioles. Takedown pieces galore. Buster, Ken, Britt, you name it. 

What a joy... 

[Frobby]

2 minutes ago, interloper said:

I think once Rodon and Correa sign, it's gonna be open season on the Orioles. Takedown pieces galore. Buster, Ken, Britt, you name it. 

What a joy... 

Not many people think we are in on either of those players.  A few fantasizers, perhaps. 

I really don’t care what the pundits think.