Not an April Fools Joke - Lewin Diaz Back, O'Hearn DFA

[interloper]

Quote

 It’s a bit surprising to see them designate O’Hearn as the corresponding move, given that he was only acquired from the Royals a couple days ago, though the O’s also surely expect that O’Hearn would accept an outright assignment if they can pass him through waivers, as rejecting it in favor of free agency would mean forfeiting his $1.4MM salary. That salary could even help the O’s get O’Hearn through waivers, at which point they’d be able to have both lefty-hitting first basemen in the organization as depth options.

This from MLBTR would seem to suggest he WOULD be making $1.4 million in AAA.

[sportsfan8703]

I like these moves. Why not work the 40 man roster?  We did the same thing with Benboom and Jake Cave. The Phillies just claimed Cave. Sign guys to higher AAA salaries to essentially extend the 40 man roster. 
 

This is how we got Steve Pearce. It’s called working the roster and waiver wire. 

[Brooks The Great]

I think all these transactions involving trades, waiver claims, and DFA's are just fancy ways of bolstering depth at AAA without committing players to the 40-man roster. I think Elias is likely manipulating the cash considerations - both outgoing in the O'Hearn trade and incoming in the Nevin trade and recent Diaz trade to the Braves - to the Orioles' advantage as well.

I think the Adam Frazier signing was terrible. And I would have liked to have seen a quality SP signing like Bassitt. But aside from those issues, I'm not overly disappointed in the Orioles offseason. We have a surplus of quality prospects that need playing time, and will hopefully help the team improve noticeably over last season. And bottom line, the vast majority of the contracts to several of the top free agents this offseason were abjectly awful. 

I think Elias plans to leverage our top farm system this season at the trade deadline, and then make more aggressive signings next offseason if opportunities present themselves. Elias' free agent offseason signings haven't been good or notable. But they haven't had to be, not only because free agency is clearly not part of his strategy to improving the team (yet), but because his drafting, waiver claims, and trade deadline deals have all been very good to various degrees (drafting excellent, waiver claims/Rule V excellent, trade deadline trades decent with a lot still left to be determined).

[sportsfan8703]

10 minutes ago, interloper said:

This from MLBTR would seem to suggest he WOULD be making $1.4 million in AAA.

Sounds about right for a 2nd year arb guy. He made 1.3 last year. 

[sportsfan8703]

Everyone wants a smart GM but when they get one they complain. SMH. Remember that time we were GM’less and the powers at be extended Chris Davis?

[Tony-OH]

15 minutes ago, interloper said:

This from MLBTR would seem to suggest he WOULD be making $1.4 million in AAA.

I don't think that's true, but I'm not an expect on these contracts. IF, nd that's a big IF, if the Orioles did take on that $1.4 million and they knew they would have to pay him that as depth in AAA, that would open up a whole other can of worms about the use of limited resources. How happy would Gunnar be knowing he will be making more than him while playing first base in Norfolk?

[Orange]

My understanding is that the team that owns his rights owns the $1.4m contract obligation. KC knew that he wouldn’t be claimed on waivers so they offered us like $600k or whatever the number was to take on the obligation. We knew that nobody would pick him up on waivers so we could have him as that AAAA left handed option in ST without costing a 40 man roster spot. And at close to MLB minimum it was deemed like a fair price for another lottery ticket at backup 1b. 

[Tony-OH]

5 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Everyone wants a smart GM but when they get one they complain. SMH. Remember that time we were GM’less and the powers at be extended Chris Davis?

This is such an unnecessary comment. This is a discussion board. You can dislike something a GM does and not necessary dislike him as a GM as a whole. Why this is a foreign concept to some around here is an unsolved Hangout mystery.

[oriole]

I liked the Lewin Diaz move the first time, and I like it the second time. Not that I’m convinced that he will figure it out at the major league level but he’s got a higher defensive floor than any other first baseman hanging on or around the 40 man roster so that’s gotta count for something. Considering this last spot on the 26 man roster is a pure depth position and whoever ends up there isn’t going to be in the lineup all that often anyways, I think Diaz is a good fit. He can’t hit lefties so he’s a strict platoon player and defensive replacement but there’s enough potential there to be intriguing. 
 

Of course, I’d rather a trade for Bryan Reynolds or Brett Baty or even Jared Kelenic…someone with an actual shot at being more than a replacement level player. But I don’t see Elias making any real moves this off season. 

[Can_of_corn]

8 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Everyone wants a smart GM but when they get one they complain. SMH. Remember that time we were GM’less and the powers at be extended Chris Davis?

We had a GM at the time.

Boras went over his head to ownership.

That's not on the GM, he traded for Trumbo as a Davis replacement.

[Tony-OH]

1 minute ago, Orange said:

My understanding is that the team that owns his rights owns the $1.4m contract obligation. KC knew that he wouldn’t be claimed on waivers so they offered us like $600k or whatever the number was to take on the obligation. We knew that nobody would pick him up on waivers so we could have him as that AAAA left handed option in ST without costing a 40 man roster spot. And at close to MLB minimum it was deemed like a fair price for another lottery ticket at backup 1b. 

Did we ever get confirmation that the cash considerations was "and" not "for"?  thought it said for, which suggests the Orioles gave KC money. Now it could have been for a roll of quarters to play Galaga! 

Of course this brings me too, why in the world would KC offer him arbitration in the first place then DFA him after the Rule 5 draft? Talk about weird.

[sportsfan8703]

4 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Did we ever get confirmation that the cash considerations was "and" not "for"?  thought it said for, which suggests the Orioles gave KC money. Now it could have been for a roll of quarters to play Galaga! 

Of course this brings me too, why in the world would KC offer him arbitration in the first place then DFA him after the Rule 5 draft? Talk about weird.

They wanted another team to take the 1.4 million of their hands. Simple as that. 

[Orange]

2 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Did we ever get confirmation that the cash considerations was "and" not "for"?  thought it said for, which suggests the Orioles gave KC money. Now it could have been for a roll of quarters to play Galaga! 

Of course this brings me too, why in the world would KC offer him arbitration in the first place then DFA him after the Rule 5 draft? Talk about weird.

That is weird… I looked up their transactions since they signed him expecting to see a replacement either for the role (before we got him) or the 40-man spot (after) —- and didn’t see anything. 

[waroriole]

Maybe the Orioles have a new FO employee and they’re trying to show them how to make waiver claims or trades. 

[sportsfan8703]

10 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

This is such an unnecessary comment. This is a discussion board. You can dislike something a GM does and not necessary dislike him as a GM as a whole. Why this is a foreign concept to some around here is an unsolved Hangout mystery.

I understand that you’re upset with the Orioles off season. We all are. Why be mad when this is just good roster manipulating to get two 1B options which is an area of weakness?

We can’t be SP or bust. There is a grey area.