What are your expectations by the trade deadline?

[Greg Pappas]

I believe the trade yesterday with the A's for Fujinami, much like the Cole Irvin trade, may be the sort of low cost acquisitions Elias will target as we approach the deadline.  Low cost meaning in purported prospect value at the time of each trade.  I don't expect we'll see Elias deal any blue chip prospects and will instead keep his great prospects to sort out at in Baltimore into the Winter/Spring, and perhaps next year's deadline. I would favor this approach over adding costly rentals.  Yet, if the targets were guys with controllable years beyond this season, I could get on board.

What are your expectations?

[Mooreisbetter27]

I'm not expecting much.  I think we'll make another trade for a reliever and that will be it.  Don't think we'll trade any of our infielders we want gone or go for a starter.  

[clapdiddy]

I agree wholeheartedly, Greg.  The post @Sports Guy made in the "Specific Trade Ideas" thread mentions that Bowden thinks the Orioles are going to deal from their depth and NOT their top prospects.

I think it's smart.   I don't see them going after Ohtani or another big name that will cost them a ton of prospects.  I think acquiring Fujinama was smart for what they gave up.  I see another starter acquisition down the road and hopefully another lefty out of the pen.   

[Bemorewins]

4 minutes ago, Greg Pappas said:

I believe the trade yesterday with the A's for Fujinami, much like the Cole Irvin trade, may be the sort of low cost acquisitions Elias will target as we approach the deadline.  Low cost meaning in purported prospect value at the time of each trade.  I don't expect we'll see Elias deal any blue chip prospects and will instead keep his great prospects to sort out at in Baltimore into the Winter/Spring, and perhaps next year's deadline. I would favor this approach over adding costly rentals.  Yet, if the targets were guys with controllable years beyond this season, I could get on board.

What are your expectations?

I hope that you are wrong. Punting on improvement this season when we have a legit shot to make a World Series would be a mistake IMO.

I don’t understand the rationale of waiting until the Winter/Spring. To do what? What would we be waiting for? We already know that we are one of the best teams in the AL and tied for first in the division. We can reasonably predict that we will have good, maybe even great teams in the future, but why would you pass up a opportunity like this? You don’t when they will present themselves in the future. There are too many unknowable variables in professional sports like injuries and regressions.

If we at the very least don’t acquire good middle to late inning relief, there is a high probability that we will not win a single series. It is a serious weakness. Yesterday we had to use our best 3 to cover over 4 innings. How many times can you do that in consecutive days in the Fall?

I also don’t understand the overly cautious approach to surrendering any prospects when you are as prospect rich as we are. Of course, Elias (and not many fans) would/should be okay with moving our top 3/4. But after that we are talking about players/prospects who are either redundant to a degree or are not going to have an everyday place in the lineup.

[Sports Guy]

A legit BP arm is my only true expectation.

They may add a starter but I don’t expect it.

I also expect at least one player from the current ML offense to be dealt.

Edited July 20, 2023 by Sports Guy

[Bemorewins]

1 minute ago, clapdiddy said:

I agree wholeheartedly, Greg.  The post @Sports Guy made in the "Specific Trade Ideas" thread mentions that Bowden thinks the Orioles are going to deal from their depth and NOT their top prospects.

I think it's smart.   I don't see them going after Ohtani or another big name that will cost them a ton of prospects.  I think acquiring Fujinama was smart for what they gave up.  I see another starter acquisition down the road and hopefully another lefty out of the pen.   

I have to confess that I do not/refuse to watch Oakland A’s baseball. I don’t like spending my time watching bad baseball to be honest. So I haven’t watched Fujinama pitch.

But he is the type of pitcher who seems FAR from a certainty in terms of guys that you trust in the post season. Right now IMO we have 2 and 3/4 (not all the way trusting of Coulombe) of relievers that you would trust in the postseason. We are going to need more than that in order to make a serious run to the World Series. Why go into the postseason with an opportunity this good and it address the team’s biggest weakness? Bullpen bell is probably the least expensive way to improve the team.

[drjohnnyfever1]

14 minutes ago, Greg Pappas said:

I believe the trade yesterday with the A's for Fujinami, much like the Cole Irvin trade, may be the sort of low cost acquisitions Elias will target as we approach the deadline.  Low cost meaning in purported prospect value at the time of each trade.  I don't expect we'll see Elias deal any blue chip prospects and will instead keep his great prospects to sort out at in Baltimore into the Winter/Spring, and perhaps next year's deadline. I would favor this approach over adding costly rentals.  Yet, if the targets were guys with controllable years beyond this season, I could get on board.

What are your expectations?

Agree.  Low cost, good upside.  I think the trade for Fuji proves it.  Unless it's a middling prospect and maybe a ML IF we have on the roster now for a SP with another yr/two of control, I think it's all analytics with mostly present value concern at minimal cost.

[TopGunnar]

I think we trade somebody like Urias and a prospect for a legit reliever. We just have too many guys in the infield. With that said, I’d much rather they trade Frazier but the return wouldn’t be the same

[Moose Milligan]

Another bullpen piece or two. 

[eddie83]

Add at a minimum one more RP. Prefer 2. Rotation I do not expect but think it’s possible. 

[Fan4Life]

Lots of pitching expectations on this thread and others... does nobody think we need a bat? 

[clapdiddy]

I think another thing to factor in...do they move Wells to the bullpen?  If they do, the focus could be switched to solely a starter.   Even if Wells moves to the pen, I still think they could do a starter and another solid LH reliever.  

[Greg Pappas]

14 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

I hope that you are wrong. Punting on improvement this season when we have a legit shot to make a World Series would be a mistake IMO.

I don’t understand the rationale of waiting until the Winter/Spring. To do what? What would we be waiting for? We already know that we are one of the best teams in the AL and tied for first in the division. We can reasonably predict that we will have good, maybe even great teams in the future, but why would you pass up a opportunity like this? You don’t when they will present themselves in the future. There are too many unknowable variables in professional sports like injuries and regressions.

If we at the very least don’t acquire good middle to late inning relief, there is a high probability that we will not win a single series. It is a serious weakness. Yesterday we had to use our best 3 to cover over 4 innings. How many times can you do that in consecutive days in the Fall?

I also don’t understand the overly cautious approach to surrendering any prospects when you are as prospect rich as we are. Of course, Elias (and not many fans) would/should be okay with moving our top 3/4. But after that we are talking about players/prospects who are either redundant to a degree or are not going to have an everyday place in the lineup.

 

I understand this line of thinking.  I didn't say we shouldn't make acquisitions, because we still could use a bullpen arm and another starter.  I just don't expect it'll be anyone like Mayo, Kjerstad, Basallo or Ortiz dealt to get them.  

[George Zuverink]

I agree with Greg. Even though I’m 75, old enough to know that every year may be my last chance to see them in the WS, I don’t want to see them using valuable assets on rentals.  Maybe it’s my background as a CFO, wanting to wait until we have more negotiating leverage. Of course, I also had no talent for mark

[Sports Guy]

2 minutes ago, Fan4Life said:

Lots of pitching expectations on this thread and others... does nobody think we need a bat? 

No…I think we have some spots where we are going with risky options but no one I would replace. I think our offensive additions are from within and a guy like Hicks.

I would be pretty surprised if they add a position player.