Elias' 2023 Offseason acquisitions grades

[Tony-OH]

We have enough time to now judge Elias' 2022-23 offseason acquisitions and how they've worked out. Many of us, including me, were not happy about this offseason particularly after his "Lift off" comments. 

So Let's to a quick review his moves this offseason and grade each for value to the team.

December 2, 2022
Signed Franchy Cordero as a free agent - This was a kick the tires and for that 1B/OF/DH combo that Elias clearly wanted to fill on this roster in some way. He was released at the end of spring training, signed by the Yankees. Had no effect on the Orioles season other than him hitting a 3-run homer against them early in the season. - Grade - Incomplete

Jake Cave selected by the Philadelphia Phillies off waivers - Elias was looking for a 5th outfielder who could play CF. He was eventually DFA'd this offseason and reclaimed by the Phillies. Grade - I

Selected Lewin Díaz off waivers from the Pittsburgh Pirates - More 1B/OF/DH depth. Was eventually DFA'd and played all season in AAA Norfolk where he had a nice season but never played for the Orioles. Low cost AAA depth that ended up unneeded due to O'Hearn. Grade - C

December 5, 2022
Signed Kyle Gibson as a free agent to a 1 year/$10 million - As of today he's won 14 games and tossed 180 IP (Most since 2018) with a 5.00 (4.23 FIP) for 0.3 rWAR. He's either been real good or real bad but he did win 14 games and provided rotation depth. Grade - C+

December 6, 2022
Signed Josh Lester as a free agent - 1B/DH/OF depth who played most of the season at AAA but did get his first major league hit in his cup of coffee this year. Grade - C 

Signed Nomar Mazara as a free agent - 1B/DH/O depth. Released at end of spring training - I

December 7, 2022
Jonathan Araúz selected by the New York Mets off waivers - Lost off to the Mets who used him as a utility player this year at times. He had no role on 2023 Orioles team. Grade - C

Hector Perez selected by the Tampa Bay Rays off waivers - Lost to Rays where he had no impact. He had no role on 2023 Orioles. Grade - C

December 15, 2022
Signed Adam Frazier as a free agent to 1yr/$8 million: The guy who caused the most conversation and uproar ended up being worth 1.8 rWAR or 0.4 fWAR. He was below average defensively in every aspect, slow a foot, but did find a way to be clutch many times. He did block Westburg most of the year and caused Ortiz to spend most of the year in AAA. Sayin that, those clutch hits and ability make contact late in games has given him value. Grade - C (Which I can't believe I'm giving him but he's played a role this year)

December 19, 2022
Signed Eduard Bazardo as a free agent:  Pitched well in AAA and eventually got a cup of coffee with Orioles. Was DFA'd and traded to Seattle for a minor league pitcher. Grade: C+ for getting a minor leaguer

Signed Kyle Dowdy as a free agent: Ended up as minor league AAA depth. Grade - I

December 21, 2022
Signed Mychal Givens as a free agent to 1YR, $million: Showed up the spring way over weight still with knee issues. Rehabbed most of the year, promoted for a little bit and was absolutely awful with terrible stuff. Eventually released because he no longer had major league stuff. Basically $5 million flushed down the toilet. Grade: F

Traded a player to be named later and cash to the New York Mets. Received James McCann. The Baltimore Orioles sent Luis De La Cruz (minors) (January 13, 2023) to the New York Mets to complete the trade: McCann had a slow start, but he's been a solid backup catcher overall. The minor leaguer traded never played this year: Grade: B

January 1, 2023
Tyler Nevin player rights sold to the Detroit Tigers: Nevin had no role on this team in 2023. Grade: I

January 3, 2023
Purchased Ryan O'Hearn from the Kansas City Royals: The 1B/OF/DH guy that worked out and worked out in a huge way. Has become a starter and well worth the $1.4 million he made this year. Grade: A+

January 11, 2023
Purchased Darwinzon Hernández from the Boston Red Sox: Pitching depth was pitching well with at AAA when he was allowed to sign with a Japanese team: Grade: I

January 19, 2023
Signed Reed Garrett as a free agent: Reliever depth signing that go a cup of coffee but wasn't very good: Grade: C-

January 26, 2023
Traded Darell Hernaiz (minors) to the Oakland Athletics. Received Kyle Virbitsky (minors) and Cole Irvin: Irvin has been up and down and was never really the 5th starter option the Orioles had envisioned. He started pitching well out of the pen when the Orioles sent him back to AAA. Virbitsky is a C-level minor league pitching prospect who ended up having a decent year after a poor start. Hernaiz hit well and ended up in AAA but was in hitter's league. Grade: C since Irvin has helped this year while there was no role for Hernaiz on this 2023 team.

January 27, 2023
Signed Curtis Terry as a free agent: 1B/DH/OF depth option: Released after spring training: Grade: I

March 27, 2023
Purchased Danny Coulombe from the Minnesota Twins: Looked like a head scratcher but has been huge for the bullpen. Has pitched to a 2.47 ERA and has been worth 1.4 rWAR. Grade: A

 

 

[Otter]

Great compilation and hard to argue with any of the grades.  The only one I'd change is the C for Frazier to a D.  Frazier has been very clutch at times, but I still feel we would have gotten more value out of a full year of Westburg and/or Ortiz at a fraction of the cost.

[Gunnar]

I would move Gibson up to a B, McCann up to an A, and Coulombe to an A+ (he has really amped things up in the bullpen), otherwise can't argue (maybe downgrade Frazier like Otter said).

[RVAOsFan]

Great post @Tony-OH, forgot half of those guys came and went.  I only have comments on two grades. 

I think I would go a little higher, probably a B, on Gibson.  He really ate up some innings for us this year at a pretty reasonable salary.  A lot of other free agent starters from last offseason really crashed and burned this year.

I would also like to grade the Tyler Nevin move an A+ because, well, Tyler Nevin was not an Oriole this year. 

[Pickles]

It would be interesting to review the grades people gave for the overall offseason at the time.

It would be hard to give anything below a B+ overall.

[MCO'sFan]

I'd stick with your grade for Frazier. He is an enigma. He's awful defensively and mostly offensively. But, he has been clutch (I do think that is a thing) and for me, the payroll is so low that the money doesn't matter. I think I still would have liked to see what Ortiz and Westburg would have done with that playing time but his hit in the Tampa series alone gardners a C grade!

[ChuckS]

O'Hearn has been the big winner and IMO, negates all of the signings which have hurt us in any way and then some.  1.4 million for MOO bat, who has led our team in batting average and slugging.  

Value wise, he has to be our best acquisition in awhile.  The only offensive player I can think taken off the screap heap over the last decade who provided similar value, was Steve Pearce.  

Edited September 20, 2023 by ChuckS

[Aristotelian]

Pretty much agree with the individual grades, but I don't think that is really a great way of looking at it. This is because the contributions of O'Hearn and Coulombe have been so much higher than any cost of the minor moves not working out. All the minor league free agents and waiver pickups had zero downside so I basically wouldn't weight them at all.

Viewed collectively, given $23M, is Frazier, Gibson, Coulombe, and O'Hearn a pretty good outcome? I'd say yes, maybe could have done better, but that's a solid haul at the price. There's maybe 5 WAR there in that group.

As far as the individual grades, I would be inclined to go a little higher than C on Gibson and Frazier. They have been useful and performed as expected. Perhaps the only negative is the opportunity cost of potentially getting someone better.

 

[Otter]

10 minutes ago, MCO'sFan said:

I'd stick with your grade for Frazier. He is an enigma. He's awful defensively and mostly offensively. But, he has been clutch (I do think that is a thing) and for me, the payroll is so low that the money doesn't matter. I think I still would have liked to see what Ortiz and Westburg would have done with that playing time but his hit in the Tampa series alone gardners a C grade!

You do make some good points.  But I think Westburg would have been consistently better offensively, defensively, and on the base paths for the entire year and thus far outweighed the nice clutch moments Frazier has had.  Also, Ortiz and Westburg are not super young prospects but in their mid twenties and were MLB ready at the beginning of the year.  Being blocked by Frazier stole a year of their ML development time.  The Frazier signing didn't make sense short term or long term.  But in Elias' defense, my guess is he was surprised Westburg and Ortiz were ML ready at the start of the season and thus saw Frazier as a means to give them more AAA development time (even though they didn't need it).

[MCO'sFan]

17 minutes ago, Pickles said:

It would be interesting to review the grades people gave for the overall offseason at the time.

It would be hard to give anything below a B+ overall.

I don't think I ever offered a grade but I was disappointed that Gibson was our "Big" FA signing. In hindsight, several of the FA pitchers that I would have liked the O's to sign either stunk or got hurt so as I constantly have to remind myself, sometimes the best deals are the ones you don't make. I did think there would be a slight digression this year. I was thinking maybe 78 wins. looks like I was off by somewhere around 20 games probably more. 

[MCO'sFan]

3 minutes ago, Otter said:

You do make some good points.  But I think Westburg would have been consistently better offensively, defensively, and on the base paths for the entire year and thus far outweighed the nice clutch moments Frazier has had.  Also, Ortiz and Westburg are not super young prospects but in their mid twenties and were MLB ready at the beginning of the year.  Being blocked by Frazier stole a year of their ML development time.  The Frazier signing didn't make sense short term or long term.  But in Elias' defense, my guess is he was surprised Westburg and Ortiz were ML ready at the start of the season and thus saw Frazier as a means to give them more AAA development time (even though they didn't need it).

While I agree with your post and would have rather seen Ortiz and Westburg all year I don't think that it stole a year of development. It certainly delayed it but I don't think there is anything wrong with stockpiling ML ready prospects at AAA as a general rule. That is what happens when you have both a good ML club and a well stocked farm. I am not of the belief that the O's have a 40 man roster crunch yet.

[Ripken]

You throw a bunch of guys out there and hope someone has success.  ROH is certainly doing that.  A great addition.  I'm down on Gibson, though I know he's done what he was signed for.  I really, really wanted Bassitt instead and he's been a lot better.  Oh, well.  The team is rolling so ME gets an A from me and that goes to A+ if they win the division.

[forphase1]

Great topic and I agree with most of your grades.   I'd bump McCann up a grade,  as he's been great,  especially compared to what the backup catcher position has been the past few years.   I'd also knock a grade off of the Frazier signing for the same reasons other have expressed in this thread. 

While none of us were happy with the offseason the results have been incredible over all.  

[Aristotelian]

17 minutes ago, Ripken said:

You throw a bunch of guys out there and hope someone has success.  ROH is certainly doing that.  A great addition.  I'm down on Gibson, though I know he's done what he was signed for.  I really, really wanted Bassitt instead and he's been a lot better.  Oh, well.  The team is rolling so ME gets an A from me and that goes to A+ if they win the division.

Exactly. What's the guy gotta do to get an A around here if not winning the division? Win 120? Most of the posters here thought we would be lucky to hit .500 again. 

[wildcard]

I think Elias views all these moves and the ones at the deadline as stop gaps.   His focus is on the core young and in some cases not so young (Bautista and Cano) players that are/will be with the O's for 5 to 6 years. 

So while some of these guys have surprised like O'Hearn and Coulombe which is great, most are just keeping a spot warm until prospects move them off the team.

Elias, who is very level headed, doesn't said things to get other teams excited.   But in a recent interview with Mad Dog he said "We are just getting started"   when talking about his perspective of the current and next few years.  He says his job is to not over spend or to trade away players that are part of the O's future.  While still winning as much as possible this season.

 

Edited September 20, 2023 by wildcard