Looper offer still on the table

[El Gordo]

He's a better option for the rotation this year & most likely next year than the 37 candidates already slated to be at spring training

Looper would be your #2 & Uehara would get to be your #3. Regarless of the benefits thats pretty major IMO.

We don't know if he is better. Hopefully he isn't. But he is the one most likely to pitch 180 innings of the 38.

[Big Mac]

He's a better option for the rotation this year & most likely next year than the 37 candidates already slated to be at spring training

Looper would be your #2 & Uehara would get to be your #3. Regarless of the benefits thats pretty major IMO.

I'm not so sure about that. What exactly are you expecting out of Looper?

I'm all for signing him ot one year and an option, but that second guaranteed year is a deal breaker for me.

Looper will eat innings and throw strikes, but if you are expecting him to repeat that 4.16 ERA he had last season prepare to be dissapointed.

He's likely a 4.75-5.00 ERA guy in the AL, which IMO isn't worth 2 guaranteed years.

[TheBee]

We don't know if he is better. Hopefully he isn't. But he is the one most likely to pitch 180 innings of the 38.

Bingo - that's why I am hoping he ends up here.

[LookinUp]

I'm glad the Looper offer is still out there. My gut tells me he ends up here.

My gut tells me that Schmuck wouldn't be downplaying the possibility that we sign him so strongly if we really were going to get him. I'm taking Schmuck over bigbird this time. I hope I'm wrong though.

[Roll Tide]

I'm not so sure about that. What exactly are you expecting out of Looper?

I'm all for signing him ot one year and an option, but that second guaranteed year is a deal breaker for me.Looper will eat innings and throw strikes, but if you are expecting him to repeat that 4.16 ERA he had last season prepare to be dissapointed.

He's likely a 4.75-5.00 ERA guy in the AL, which IMO isn't worth 2 guaranteed years.

This is ridiculous really ...Not bashing you but ... The Orioles rotation will most likely be awful. thus wearing out the pen early. Looper would instantly be the 2nd best starter on this team. He likely would be the 2nd best next year also. This is a no brainer!

[DuffMan]

I'm glad the Looper offer is still out there. My gut tells me he ends up here.

It seems that way. Looper doesn't sound like he wants to play in the NL, but no one in the NL really wants him, so it looks his choices are going to be either play for us or don't play at all.

[Mark Carver]

We don't know if he is better. Hopefully he isn't. But he is the one most likely to pitch 180 innings of the 38.

Cabrera gave them 180 innings last year, too...

[Big Mac]

This is ridiculous really ...Not bashing you but ... The Orioles rotation will most likely be awful. thus wearing out the pen early. Looper would instantly be the 2nd best starter on this team. He likely would be the 2nd best next year also. This is a no brainer!

Well in 2010 you will have Hernandez, Bergesen, Berken, Tillman, Arrieta Matusz all knocking at the door. Three or four of those guys are likely to be ready sometime this year, or at least by OD next season. It would be ashame to not have a spot for them because you gave a guy like Looper two guaranteed years.

Looper probably isn't our second best starter in 09. I think Uehera will be better, I also think Hill will be better. It is also extremely likely that one of Penn, Pauley, Berken, Hernandez, Bergesen, Albers, Patton, Liz, or Hennessey establishes themselves as a solid back-end starter, with an ERA below 5. So I would actually argue that by the end of the year, Looper could actually be our 5th best starter.

And you still didn't answer my question, what do you expect out of Looper next season?

[TheBee]

Cabrera gave them 180 innings last year, too...

Honestly, Cabrera did have a good stretch at the beginning of the season (as we all know). But, In June, July, August, and September, Daniel got us beyond 6 innings twice on July 2nd and July 29th. Looper got through 6 twelve times during that same stretch. Look, I don't think the guy is awesome. I just think he could be consistent.

[El Gordo]

Cabrera gave them 180 innings last year, too...

Whats your point? We let DCab go. The question isn't why did we do that, the question is why sign Looper. Right now besides Guts he's the only one of our potential SP that can be counted on to pitch 180 innings. The bullpen needs at least two guys who can do that if they are to make it through the season.

[Florida_Osfan]

This is ridiculous really ...Not bashing you but ... The Orioles rotation will most likely be awful. thus wearing out the pen early. Looper would instantly be the 2nd best starter on this team. He likely would be the 2nd best next year also. This is a no brainer!

Your argument is predicated on the assumption that the other 37 pitchers will tank this year, yet Looper is suspect himself. He's never pitched in the AL, let alone the AL East, so his success is not some foregone conclusion. In fact, I see his chances for success being only slightly higher than Uehara's.

Not to bash you, but automatically labeling Looper as our second best starter is premature.

[Big Mac]

Honestly, Cabrera did have a good stretch at the beginning of the season (as we all know). But, In June, July, August, and September, Daniel got us beyond 6 innings twice on July 2nd and July 29th. Looper got through 6 twelve times during that same stretch. Look, I don't think the guy is awesome. I just think he could be consistent.

That's exactly how I feel about Looper. He's gonna give you innings, he isn't going to walk people, in the AL he's a solid #4/5 SP. In this market, guys like that don't get two year deals. Wolf got a 1/5 deal, and he's better than Looper, IMO. No reason to give Looper two guaranteed years in a market like this.

[El Gordo]

Well in 2010 you will have Hernandez, Bergesen, Berken, Tillman, Arrieta Matusz all knocking at the door. Three or four of those guys are likely to be ready sometime this year, or at least by OD next season. It would be ashame to not have a spot for them because you gave a guy like Looper two guaranteed years.

Looper probably isn't our second best starter in 09. I think Uehera will be better, I also think Hill will be better. It is also extremely likely that one of Penn, Pauley, Berken, Hernandez, Bergesen, Albers, Patton, Liz, or Hennessey establishes themselves as a solid back-end starter, with an ERA below 5. So I would actually argue that by the end of the year, Looper could actually be our 5th best starter.

And you still didn't answer my question, what do you expect out of Looper next season?

If this becomes the case, the O's will be in great shape pitching wise. A 4.75 ERA and 180 innings is pretty good from your # 5 SP.

[Frobby]

Your argument is predicated on the assumption that the other 37 pitchers will tank this year, yet Looper is suspect himself. He's never pitched in the AL, let alone the AL East, so his success is not some foregone conclusion. In fact, I see his chances for success being only slightly higher than Uehara's.

Not to bash you, but automatically labeling Looper as our second best starter is premature.

It's not really 37 pitchers. There are maybe 10 who are serious candidates for the rotation: Guthrie, Uehara, Hill, Penn, Pauley, Hendrickson, Liz, Waters, Bass and Simon. The odds that five will be better than Looper are pretty slim IMO.

[TheBee]

That's exactly how I feel about Looper. He's gonna give you innings, he isn't going to walk people, in the AL he's a solid #4/5 SP. In this market, guys like that don't get two year deals. Wolf got a 1/5 deal, and he's better than Looper, IMO. No reason to give Looper two guaranteed years in a market like this.

I can't really argue that we should go two years guaranteed. I would like to see him here, but I will not be upset if MacPhail holds the line at 1 and an option. I just see him as a third guy who can help us keep the bullpen from being overexposed ( especially the middle relief corps).