ESPN Top 100

[Can_of_corn]

6 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Perhaps you were guilty of obfuscation.

Ahh how cute, I was there when you learned a new word.

Good job using it in a sentence.

Way to go!

[Hank Scorpio]

Obfuscate deez.

[Can_of_corn]

7 minutes ago, Pickles said:

What part of handing jobs to prospects screams out "We're all in!"

Again, ya'll want it both ways.

So they should have signed a guy to play third base in case Gunnar doesn't work out?

 

[Frobby]

10 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I don't expect teams prepping for a playoff run to sign middle infielders coming off of down years to a contract that will lead to them playing everyday when they have multiple well regarded prospects at AAA that can man those positions while not addressing the biggest need of the team.

So my position might be more nuanced than SPEND MONEY!

So you disagree with how Elias spent the money.  That’s fine, and so do I.  But I’d say the fact that he spent money suggests that he’s trying to compete.   I don’t think he’s paying lip service in saying the goal is to make the playoffs this year.  

[Pickles]

10 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

So they should have signed a guy to play third base in case Gunnar doesn't work out?

 

There's a world of difference between Gunnar's and Westburg's situation.

[Tony-OH]

46 minutes ago, Pickles said:

He said the goal is to make the playoffs.  Clearly he believes in this team.

I do think he believes in this team and for some reason in Frazier over his internal candidates. I also believe he was given a budge well short or what he was expecting and had to make some choices during an unstable time of the offseason and he may have "panicked" a little.

I think the offseason free agent market shocked him and his aversion to more than 1 or 2 year days (not sure whether that's his or concerns over budgets from ownership) hurt him in acquiring that guy at the top of the rotation, even he wasn't a real TOR.

I do think this team should be better than last year with normal progression from our young players/pitchers and with the acquisitions like Gibson, Irvin, Givens and McCann, but until the Irvin trade, this offseason was looking like it got away from him a bit. 

[Tony-OH]

25 minutes ago, Frobby said:

So you disagree with how Elias spent the money.  That’s fine, and so do I.  But I’d say the fact that he spent money suggests that he’s trying to compete.   I don’t think he’s paying lip service in saying the goal is to make the playoffs this year.  

I agree 100%. I don't like how he used his resources this offseason, but I do think he's think his team is a playoff contender this year. 

[Pickles]

1 minute ago, Tony-OH said:

I do think he believes in this team and for some reason in Frazier over his internal candidates. I also believe he was given a budge well short or what he was expecting and had to make some choices during an unstable time of the offseason and he may have "panicked" a little.

I think the offseason free agent market shocked him and his aversion to more than 1 or 2 year days (not sure whether that's his or concerns over budgets from ownership) hurt him in acquiring that guy at the top of the rotation, even he wasn't a real TOR.

I do think this team should be better than last year with normal progression from our young players/pitchers and with the acquisitions like Gibson, Irvin, Givens and McCann, but until the Irvin trade, this offseason was looking like it got away from him a bit. 

I agree with basically all of this.  The Irvin trade makes me feel a lot better about this offseason, and, outside of Frazier, the other moves were all perfectly reasonable and solid.

People are essentially going insane about the Frazier deal because they insist upon looking at it through the worst lens possible.  I mean, Frazier has nothing to do with Odor, so any criticism of this move by evoking Odor is hollow.

Yes, if it's June and Frazier has a 600 OPS and Westburg has a 900 OPS in AAA, and Frazier is playing every day then I'll be livid.  But I'm not going to assume that happens until it comes to pass.  And I'd almost guarantee that it doesn't.

[Tony-OH]

3 minutes ago, Pickles said:

I agree with basically all of this.  The Irvin trade makes me feel a lot better about this offseason, and, outside of Frazier, the other moves were all perfectly reasonable and solid.

People are essentially going insane about the Frazier deal because they insist upon looking at it through the worst lens possible.  I mean, Frazier has nothing to do with Odor, so any criticism of this move by evoking Odor is hollow.

Yes, if it's June and Frazier has a 600 OPS and Westburg has a 900 OPS in AAA, and Frazier is playing every day then I'll be livid.  But I'm not going to assume that happens until it comes to pass.  And I'd almost guarantee that it doesn't.

Well I have made my feelings known over the Frazier deal, but to me, Elias gets a C for this offseason and that was moved up from a D before the Irvin trade.

We went into this offseason hoping to get a TOR and MOO bat to add to the lineup. We got neither and will need our current young players to grow into those roles (I'm looking at you Stowers if they actually let you play everyday).

But, we did end up with two decent starters in Gibson and Irvin, another good arm for the pen in Givens, and decent backup C with upside if he's healthy in McCann. 

I think this team could be a 83-87 win team as constructed as long as none of the young guys implode and we stay relatively injury free.

[Pickles]

1 minute ago, Tony-OH said:

Well I have made my feelings known over the Frazier deal, but to me, Elias gets a C for this offseason and that was moved up from a D before the Irvin trade.

We went into this offseason hoping to get a TOR and MOO bat to add to the lineup. We got neither and will need our current young players to grow into those roles (I'm looking at you Stowers if they actually let you play everyday).

But, we did end up with two decent starters in Gibson and Irvin, another good arm for the pen in Givens, and decent backup C with upside if he's healthy in McCann. 

I think this team could be a 83-87 win team as constructed as long as none of the young guys implode and we stay relatively injury free.

I think a C is a pretty fair grade.  And I'm a little more bullish on the projections but we're in the same ball park.

If people want to crap on the Frazier move, go ahead.  I've heard it all before and I'm just going to zone it out.

But to say the O's or Elias are "punting" the season, or not "trying to win" or he doesn't "believe" in the team is demonstrably untrue and I guess I still have enough fight in me to push back against that.

[foxfield]

1 hour ago, Sports Guy said:

Yes, he doesn’t believe in this team to win in 2023.  I do.

My goal isn’t to win the Baseball America #1 system trophy every year.

That said, my plan also called for more young players than his, which also helps us more long term than those guys wasting away in the minors.

This above...all of it.  Is narcissistic crap.

He doesn't believe in this team?  And you do? HA!

As I recall, you thought much the same last year, but that is beside the point.  You actually claim insight to what the GM thinks?

Of course you don't.  Your EXPERT opinion of his moves can only be interpreted by your answer.  He doesn't care.  Furthermore, he ONLY cares about the number one ranked system in Baseball America?  What no ESPN?

But my favorite part, is your comparing YOUR plan to his.  Just pure internet gold. Thanks for that.

_______

It is possible, that one can not like the moves of the GM and even single out points to agree with when some average, know it all, Sports Guy makes a good point.  But your straw man response to any pushback is that everything is dumb, easy, obvious or if caught being wrong...lacking context.

But since the job pool of GM's is an open market and your vast opinions regarding your plan have gone untapped by all 30 teams, I am going to assume, perhaps wrongly...I do admit, that no one in a position to value your opinion is willing to entrust your obvious ideas to your control.

Which is honestly too bad.  You might surprise.  What you lack in self awareness you certainly make up for in confidence.

[Tony-OH]

Anyhoo, who do you think is not in the top 100 this year will be next year?

If I had to pick 1 guy who was not named in any top 100 lists that I've seen, I'm going with.........

Samual Basallo

[emmett16]

Basallo, Krjerstad, Beavers, & Fabian.  After watching all the college bats steadily climb through the system, I'm really excited to see what this years college draftees can do.  The little I saw of Max Wagner has me excited also.  

[Sports Guy]

1 hour ago, Pickles said:

He said the goal is to make the playoffs.  Clearly he believes in this team.

I think he believes in them as far as, I think they have a shot with the kids.

I don’t think he believes it enough to spend more and bring in better players and JA doesn’t either.

[Sports Guy]

36 minutes ago, Pickles said:

I think a C is a pretty fair grade.  And I'm a little more bullish on the projections but we're in the same ball park.

If people want to crap on the Frazier move, go ahead.  I've heard it all before and I'm just going to zone it out.

But to say the O's or Elias are "punting" the season, or not "trying to win" or he doesn't "believe" in the team is demonstrably untrue and I guess I still have enough fight in me to push back against that.

Put it a different way.  Both he and ownership aren’t buying into this team enough to do what it takes to win now.

He didn’t buy into the 2022 team either.