What is your realistic goal for the O's this year?

[RVAOsFan]

7 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Just want to get to the playoffs.

IMO, a lot of you guys aren't taking things into consideration.  You've gotta get incredibly lucky to win it all, so much has to go right.  You've gotta get hot at the right time...I mean, we're all feeling good right now because we're on a 5 game winning streak and playing well, but what if we reach the playoffs and we're playing like we did a couple weeks ago?  If we're playing in the playoffs like we did against Cleveland, we're probably a first round bounce.  

Starting pitching has to be pretty on point, especially in a 5 game series where there's less room for a clunker.  What if Kremer or Bradish goes out and can't get out of the third inning and the bullpen is already stretched thin?  

Gotta be relatively injury free.  What if we get to the playoffs and Mullins groin/hamstring gets pulled?  What if Gunnar or Adley goes down the week before the playoffs?

So it's not "just getting to the playoffs" but it really is because so much has to happen FOR your team to succeed that's just beyond "we won 95 games this year, I like our chances."  

I agree with you and it is the main reason I have been saying I am against trading a lot of assets for a rental SP this year.  I just have felt like this team wasn't ready to push those kind of chips in.  Too much has to work out and bounce your way to make it worth it.  I just feel like the Gunnar breakout which I think is very real makes me a little more confident in the pieces we have in place to make a run, just a run, not saying a WS Ring.

[Moose Milligan]

3 minutes ago, RVAOsFan said:

I agree with you and it is the main reason I have been saying I am against trading a lot of assets for a rental SP this year.  I just have felt like this team wasn't ready to push those kind of chips in.  Too much has to work out and bounce your way to make it worth it.  I just feel like the Gunnar breakout which I think is very real makes me a little more confident in the pieces we have in place to make a run, just a run, not saying a WS Ring.

It depends on the assets and the "rental," IMO.  I can't say either way if I like the idea of it or not until there are actual names leaving our organization and an SP coming back.  And if that SP comes back, is there a chance we could sign him until after this year?  Too many variables to know.

But if we're going with your gambling analogy, we've gotta try to stack the odds in our favor sooner or later. 

[TopGunnar]

Realistically, 90+ wins, Playoff berth and give themselves a chance to win a series. However, as I’ve said before, this team isn’t going anywhere without atleast another (probably 2 reliable bullpen arms). 

[Too Tall]

My Goals - Stay healthy - win the next game - win the next series - then see how well we cqn compete in October. Along the way - enjoy the ride!

[Bemorewins]

I believe that if we acquired a starter like Stroman/Bieber/Luzardo/etc and a bullpen arm like Aroldis Chapman, that we could beat anybody including the vaunted Rays.

By the way, all those starters mentioned have more than this year in term's of team control.

[Aristotelian]

12-0 vs Blue Jays.

[Baltimorecuse]

3 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

12-0 vs Blue Jays.

That'll work.  

[Ohfan67]

World Series Victory. I’ve already warned my wife that we need to put WS tickets and travel in our fall budget.