Mike Elias comments 2023 playoffs

[Can_of_corn]

I've said from the start that the farm Elias inherited wasn't a total wasteland devoid of talent.

Nice to hear him giving his predecessors some credit.

[LA2]

10 hours ago, milbest77 said:

For me, the turning point in the rebuild was getting Chris Davis out of the building. Not sure if that was ME influenced or what, but getting that train wreck to go away lifted the clouds. 
 

Love seeing the celebration and the humble comments!

And I hope no one is still blaming DD for that train wreck.

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, LA2 said:

And I hope no one is still blaming DD for that train wreck.

I will always blame DD for not doing enough to stop it.  

[Tony-OH]

19 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I will always blame DD for not doing enough to stop it.  

Not to turn this into a DD thread, but he had no influence to stop it at that point. That was 100% Showalter in the ear of Angelos that made that happen. 

Anyways, back to Elias giving credit to the previous regime. From what I understood, the drafting was done by Gary Rajsich with little if any input by DD who was focused on the major league team. 

Rajsich drafted Rodriguez and Hall in the 1st round out of High School and hitting on two High school pitchers in any round is pretty hard to do. He also drafted Mullins, Hays, Baumann, Means and McKenna. Rodriguez in particular was a "pop up" guy who went from a guy most likely going to college to the 11th overall pick who many thought was an overdraft at the time. 

Rajsich saw something different, “Grayson Rodriguez is a future power pitcher with an advanced delivery and feel for all of his pitches,” Orioles scouting director Gary Rajsich told The Baltimore Sun. "He has command of four above-average pitches, can shape two distinct breaking balls and attacks the strike zone."

Now we have to give credit to the Elias regime from developing Rodriguez, Hall and Baumann and maybe even Mullins a bit since he gave up switch hitting.

[Frobby]

I’m very happy to see Duquette get some credit and Tony is right to send some Rajsich’s way as well.  It should be noted that Rajsich only had one top 5 pick, and he made a very good pick there (Gausman) though the O’s didn’t get the most out of him.  Gausman has been worth 22.2 rWAR to date.  Rajsich didn’t get a 1st or 2nd round pick in 2014 due to the Ubaldo/Cruz signings.  His first rounders (excluding supplemental) were Gausman (4th overall), Harvey (22), Stewart (25), Sedlock (27), Hall (21), and Rodriguez (11).   

[Number5]

8 hours ago, Porky said:

Glad to see DD get some love. Part of the reason the "liftoff" happened earlier than anyone expected was that the farm system upon DD's exit was better than advertised. Granted Elias gets the credit for developing these guys, but DD brought in the following to the organization:

- Means (Drafted 2014)

- Mountcastle (Drafted 2015)

- Mullins (Drafted 2015)

- McKenna (Drafted 2015)

- Santander (Rule 5 in 2016)

- Hays (Drafted 2016)

- Bautista (Free Agent 2016)

- DL Hall (Drafted 2017)

- Baumann (Drafted 2017)

- Rodriguez (Drafted 2018)

- Kremer (Trade 2018)

Four all-stars and some very good players in that list.

[BRobinsonfan]

16 hours ago, Since1984 said:

Mike’s comments tonight made me take a step back. After a beer bong, he mentioned what happened before his time that made today happen.

Specifically mentioned Dan Duquette’s era, which brought the Orioles Grayson Rodriguez, DJ Hall, Etc. In the draft, Kremer too! 
 

I hope ME and others are extended and promoted. Go Orioles! You deserve this day!!

Very classy move by Mike to share the credit with his predecessor!

[btdart20]

36 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Rajsich didn’t get a 1st or 2nd round pick in 2014 due to the Ubaldo/Cruz signings.

The DD and Rajsich praise is fair.  And this comment is a good jumping off spot to refocus on Elias and his task too.

That same type of 'competitive window' approach is possibly part of why Bloom was fired in Boston.  In Bloom's case, he made some late season trades to bump the team over the luxury tax which impacted the next year's draft when they extended a QO that was rejected.  In DD's case it was decisions like signing Ubaldo/Cruz.

That long/short term balance is even more important to a non-large market team like the O's.  I suspect that's the balance that will be more in focus as a "perennial contender."

[Orange]

Mike Elias has been here for five years and inherited (and began rebuilding) a team that averaged 111 losses in 2018-2021 (not counting the Covid shortened year)… and in the midst of the celebration yesterday he spent a significant amount of time acknowledging Dan Duquette and the people who are no longer with the team for their contributions to this revival. That’s just unbelievably classy and, imo, really not necessary. Elias is just the best. 

[spleen1015]

Deja vu all over again!

 

[RZNJ]

According to Camden Chat, Elias acknowledged that the cupboard left by the previous regime wasn’t completely bare, during his introductory press conference as the Orioles GM.
 

“There are players on this team and in the organization right now who are going to be a part of the next playoff team. They’re here right now. On top of acquiring new talent, we’re going to do the best to improve the talent we have here right now.

(on the minors) There are good players here and there are more coming. As a scouting director I’m familiar with a lot of players in the system. There are future stars, really good pitchers. There’s more than enough here to work with.”

Edited September 18, 2023 by RZNJ