MLB Offseason Moves/Rumor Thread

[orioles22]

4 minutes ago, emmett16 said:

No they don’t.  Maybe next year you can make that argument.  They have top level depth.  Appreciate it.  They have put themselves in a position to forge a path of their choosing.  They don’t have to do anything.  

No way they can go into the season with Mateo, Urias, Westburg, Ortiz and Norby and not move 1-2 for pitching when it's so obvious they have an excess in one area and issues in another.

[emmett16]

6 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I don't think you can print playoff tickets yet.

If some of the stuff that went right in 2023 goes wrong in 2024 they end up wasting a year of Adley and Gunnar.

I sure don’t think they are a lock to repeat 101 wins.  But they’ve shown steady improvement each year and I don’t see any indication to suggest next year will be any different.  I expect the players to all improve after one more year of development and confidence from last year’s success.  Only thing that can hold them back is injury, which is why I place so much importance in quality depth.  

[emmett16]

8 minutes ago, orioles22 said:

No way they can go into the season with Mateo, Urias, Westburg, Ortiz and Norby and not move 1-2 for pitching when it's so obvious they have an excess in one area and issues in another.

Yes they can. Norby isn’t  on the 40 man.   They finished last year with those guys (minus Norby) and Frazier on the 26 man.    They have 7 SP candidates going into the year.  An additional SP would be nice and depth is good, but they don’t have to do something for the sake of doing something.  They can take a slow and methodical approach because they’ve put themselves in a position to do so.  

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, emmett16 said:

I sure don’t think they are a lock to repeat 101 wins.  But they’ve shown steady improvement each year and I don’t see any indication to suggest next year will be any different.  I expect the players to all improve after one more year of development and confidence from last year’s success.  Only thing that can hold them back is injury, which is why I place so much importance in quality depth.  

Bad luck can.

The O's scored 129 runs more than they allowed and won 101 games.

The Padres scored 104 runs more than they allowed and won 82 games.

Two outliers, both situations that are unlikely to be repeated.

[emmett16]

Just now, Can_of_corn said:

Bad luck can.

The O's scored 129 runs more than they allowed and won 101 games.

The Padres scored 104 runs more than they allowed and won 82 games.

Two outliers, both situations that are unlikely to be repeated.

I don’t think you can plan/account for luck.  
 

They had the 5th best run differential in baseball and should improve on that number next year as their young players improve.  

[Can_of_corn]

4 minutes ago, emmett16 said:

I don’t think you can plan/account for luck.  
 

They had the 5th best run differential in baseball and should improve on that number next year as their young players improve.  

You can keep stacking talent to help mitigate the effect.

[wildbillhiccup]

21 minutes ago, orioles22 said:

I'm not sure about that, especially if he gets tired of the lack of financial support from ownership. I'm certain Elias would have no problem finding another job and would destroy any remaining support Angelos has in the community if he comes forward with his frustrations, assuming he is or eventually feels that way.

Elias is a professional and I'm sure he's smart enough to realize that there's absolutely nothing to be gained by publicly bad mouthing a current or former employer. If he eventually feels like he can't operate under John Angelos' constraints he'll simply move on once his contract expires. This idea that he might want to go out in some sort of blaze of glory is ridiculous. 

[emmett16]

2 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

You can keep stacking talent to help mitigate the effect.

Look at the Rays last year and the players they lost throughout the season.  +195 run dif by stacking talent and bringing up the next guy when someone went down. 

[wildbillhiccup]

33 minutes ago, emmett16 said:

No they don’t.  Maybe next year you can make that argument.  They have top level depth.  Appreciate it.  They have put themselves in a position to forge a path of their choosing.  They don’t have to do anything.  

So you feel that their "top level depth" also extends to their starting pitching? Because I sure don't. 

[Can_of_corn]

4 minutes ago, emmett16 said:

Look at the Rays last year and the players they lost throughout the season.  +195 run dif by stacking talent and bringing up the next guy when someone went down. 

Which is great when guys get hurt.

But actually increasing the talent on the field on opening day is pretty great as well.

And the O's should be doing that.

[oriolediehard]

I am curious, how much of an O's fan are the owner Angelos??? He has shown that all he cares about is about making money?  That is the capitalists of USA!

 

[emmett16]

3 minutes ago, wildbillhiccup said:

So you feel that their "top level depth" also extends to their starting pitching? Because I sure don't. 

 

3 minutes ago, wildbillhiccup said:

So you feel that their "top level depth" also extends to their starting pitching? Because I sure don't. 

G Rod & Bradish are legit top end guys.  Means and Kremer are legit mid rotation guys.  Wells and Irvin are legit back end guys.  Thats 6 before you get to the wildcard in Hall.  That’s 7 guys.  I’d like to have 8 potential starters going into a season before counting on AAA guys.  So in a perfect world I’d like one acquisition.  But we have 2-3 guys in AAA that should be able to contribute by the end of the year.  I think that’s good depth and all with upside.  

[emmett16]

14 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Which is great when guys get hurt.

But actually increasing the talent on the field on opening day is pretty great as well.

And the O's should be doing that.

I think that is precisely the question and an argument can be made both ways. Spread out your talent or max out in one spot.  But with an organization that develops talent so well, it sees to me spreading out the talent and  developing that talent can have a more profound effect. 

Edited January 29 by emmett16

[wildbillhiccup]

2 minutes ago, emmett16 said:

 

G Rod & Bradish are legit top end guys.  Means and Kremer are legit mid rotation guys.  Wells and Irvin are legit back end guys.  Thats 6 before you get to the wildcard in Hall.  That’s 7 guys.  I’d like to have 8 potential starters going into a season before counting on AAA guys.  So in a perfect world I’d like one acquisition.  But we have 2-3 guys in AAA that should be able to contribute by the end of the year.  I think that’s good depth and all with upside.  

If I'm playing devil's advocate...

1) G-Rod and Wells were so bad for part of the season that they both were demoted. 

2) Means is an injury risk and probably on some sort if innings limitation. 

3) Kremer and Irvin are barely MLB caliber starting pitchers. 

4) By the end of the year (when you think our AAA guys will be ready) we could be out of contention. 

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, emmett16 said:

I think that is precisely the question and an argument can be made both ways. Spread out your talent or max out in one spot.  But with an organization that develops talent so well, it sees to me spreading out the talent and  developing that talent can have a more profound effect. 

There is enough depth you can do both, particularly if you are also willing to spend in the upper part of the bottom third in payroll.

It doesn't help the ML team to have three backup outfielders in AAA that could step in.  What's the likely value, at the ML level, of that third guy?