Craig Kimbrel - Signing

[Sports Guy]

4 minutes ago, HakunaSakata said:

I'm not cherry picking anything, I'm looking at all of the data. You're the one excluding a bad outing here and a bad outing there just to fit your narrative. And if you're going to insert yourself in my conversation maybe I should dig up all those posts where you condescendingly lectured me on how I was "completely" overvaluing Woo and Miller. Still feel the same after the potential Parades for Woo/Miller trade that was leaked? Can't wait to read the three paragraphs you write explaining how you were weren't wrong and how you don't give "two sh*ts". [insert Michael Jackson eating popcorn GIF].

 

Well, considering you don’t understand reading comprehension, you can do what you want but I never once said that those guys could get Woo or Miller.  What I did say and what my point was that they may not need a top prospect and likely would be focusing on right now help, which is my preference to deal..which is of course correct.  I wished we could get one of them for those guys but I never said the Mariners would do it.  In fact, the deal that I have said a lot for Woo is a straight up Woo/Cowser deal and that is in a situation where Cowser is the higher rated guy.  

Also, there is nothing that says that was the deal. We have no idea what else Seattle would be sending for Paredes. After all, if both sides were happy with a 1 for 1, the deal would likely be done…assuming that trade is even true. It was one account who said it and it’s not exactly someone who is nationally known. 
 

Ad for the cherry picking, again, you just don’t understand. All anyone is saying that if you are going to be stuck in the 80s and not interested in actually looking at real stats and want to hang onto ERA, his ERA gets skewed by a few bad outings.  But if you actually pay attention to numbers that matter, your issues are unfounded, illogical and (wait for it) factually wrong.  
 

So yea, you are the one cherry picking. Your actual reasoning doesn’t have much validity behind it. You bring up that he lost his job…yep he did..largely on the back of 2 awful outings and then he was very good after that.

No one had said that those 2 appearances shouldn’t count…just that it’s not a total representation of the season he had and hanging onto that is absurd.

[interloper]

Let's think about it this way. 

When the Orioles were in need of a late-inning reliever last year at the deadline, how would we have felt about acquiring Kimbrel instead of Fuji? Take the cost of the trade out of it, just think about adding Kimbrel to the bullpen instead of Fuji.

There's no way that wouldn't have been a large improvement over what we got out of Fuji. 

And that's basically what we're doing now is replacing Fuji with Kimbrel. That feels like a solid upgrade. 

Edited December 6, 2023 by interloper

[Sports Guy]

2 minutes ago, interloper said:

Let's think about it this way. 

When the Orioles were in need of a late-inning reliever last year at the deadline, how would we have felt about acquiring Kimbrel instead of Fuji? Take the cost of the trade out of it, just think about adding Kimbrel to the bullpen instead of Fuji.

There's no way that wouldn't have been a large improvement over what we got out of Fuji. 

And that's basically what we're doing now is replacing Fuji with Kimbrel. That feels like a solid upgrade. 

Well, we are replacing Bautista with Kimbrel.

The Fuji replacement is more in the line of Tate, Wells or Hall.

[interloper]

2 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Well, we are replacing Bautista with Kimbrel.

The Fuji replacement is more in the line of Tate, Wells or Hall.

I guess you're right, we still had Felix at that point in time. 

 

[Goober Noodles]

1 hour ago, Tony-OH said:

I will even get used to his stupid vulture pre-pitch stance!

I'm fairly certain the proper term is "bird of war" stance...  or maybe it's "war bird"?

 

[Tony-OH]

2 minutes ago, Goober Noodles said:

I'm fairly certain the proper term is "bird of war" stance...  or maybe it's "war bird"?

 

I'll be honest, I could care less if it has a name or not. It's dumb looking, but if it makes him feel better, then whatever. 

It's still better than the disgusting Licopotamus! 

[ChosenOne21]

2 hours ago, HakunaSakata said:

Have you looked at Cano's second half stats? There's a reason folks are skeptical. 

I have. What makes you skeptical? His numbers aren't as good as the first half where he was basically God with a baseball in his hand, but they're still great.

[Moose Milligan]

46 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

See I disagree with this. I find Elias to be pretty forthcoming. What he says he wants to do, he generally does.

 

Yes, there is always some level of GM Speak but when talking about what he wants to do for the team, he has pretty much always come through.

SG, we disagree on something!

[Moose Milligan]

25 minutes ago, Frobby said:

The guy blew 5 saves, against 23 saves and 7 holds.  Thats okay, not spectacular.  He allowed runs in 17 of 71 outings.  Decent, not spectacular.  I expect him to be adequate for his purpose.   Nobody’s expecting him to set the world on fire.  

Maybe our staff/analytics department can tease out a slightly better performance.  If not, and he saves at a rate like he did last year, he still takes away some of the sting of losing Bautista.

 

[Hallas]

17 minutes ago, Goober Noodles said:

I'm fairly certain the proper term is "bird of war" stance...  or maybe it's "war bird"?

 

 

Well someone needs to draw make the cartoon Oriole in this stance now.

[interloper]

2 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Maybe our staff/analytics department can tease out a slightly better performance.  If not, and he saves at a rate like he did last year, he still takes away some of the sting of losing Bautista.

 

You hope the offense ticks up, the starting rotation ticks up, and some guys step up in the bullpen. I think Felix helped us win more games than we prooobbbbbably should have? So I'm just hoping everything improves a little and makes up for his absence. 

[Tony-OH]

36 minutes ago, Frobby said:

The guy blew 5 saves, against 23 saves and 7 holds.  Thats okay, not spectacular.  He allowed runs in 17 of 71 outings.  Decent, not spectacular.  I expect him to be adequate for his purpose.   Nobody’s expecting him to set the world on fire.  

Exactly. There are very few "sure things" at the end of of bullpens and even those guys have bad outings. 

[sportsfan8703]

25 minutes ago, interloper said:

You hope the offense ticks up, the starting rotation ticks up, and some guys step up in the bullpen. I think Felix helped us win more games than we prooobbbbbably should have? So I'm just hoping everything improves a little and makes up for his absence. 

Teams wouldn't sac bunt against Bautista in extra innings because he was striking everyone out.  That's big.  

I like Kimbrel.  I hope we get this wrapped up soon.  He's the first big domino we need.  Elias can then pivot to the trade market for a reliever or two that has as at least one option.  You need two flexible spots in your 8 man pen at least.  That was the hidden value in Irvin last year.  

[jamalshw]

1 minute ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Teams wouldn't sac bunt against Bautista in extra innings because he was striking everyone out.  That's big.  

I like Kimbrel.  I hope we get this wrapped up soon.  He's the first big domino we need.  Elias can then pivot to the trade market for a reliever or two that has as at least one option.  You need two flexible spots in your 8 man pen at least.  That was the hidden value in Irvin last year.  

That is the rub here. And Elias mentioned that concept in an interview on MLB Network a couple hours ago.

Assuming Kimbrel gets wrapped up, that leaves you with a bullpen of Kimbrel, Cano, Coulombe, Wells, Hall, Perez, Irvin, and Tate (assuming health across the board). Of those guys, Cano, Tate, Wells and Hall have options, but of them who realistically would be optioned? Tate...maybe, depending on how he comes back from injury. In a pinch, I guess one of the others could to get a fresh arm, but then you're without them for at least 10 days. 

Having someone with flexibility would be nice, but then who do we DFA to get that? It'll be interesting to see if the Orioles do anything else for the pen (aside from minor league signings).

 

[btdart20]

2 hours ago, HakunaSakata said:

This. I think hitters figured him out. As much of a feel good story as Cano was in the first half, it's not like he had a track record of success before 2022. 

I still think he's a sub-3 ERA type guy.  A good 'get out of jail' GB pitcher.