MLB Offseason Moves/Rumor Thread

[Frobby]

2 hours ago, Billy F-Face3 said:

Amalgamation.

Who knew that chatting on a message board could be so educational in expanding one's vocabulary? Lol. Some of the choices of words you guys use are rare in every day life where I come from.

You no talk good?

[SemperFi]

1 hour ago, interloper said:

His post is so whack. Just a bunch of nonsense fan gossip.

The other odd thing that stood out was the involvement of HK's father-this is MLB not travel ball.  Never heard of a parent directly contacting coaching staff, it's always done through the agent.  

Edited January 30 by SemperFi

[Can_of_corn]

3 minutes ago, SemperFi said:

The other odd thing that stood out was the involvement of HK's father-this is MLB not travel ball.  Never heard of a parent directly contacting coaching staff, it's always done through the agent.  

Tony Rasmus.

[Roll Tide]

Quote

Orioles fans have grown increasingly frustrated with a listless offseason on the heels of last year’s division title and quick playoff exit. The O’s entered the offseason with a wide-open payroll outlook and deep farm system, ostensibly setting the stage for either a major free-agent pickup and/or a splashy trade to address the starting pitching. Neither has transpired to this point, although general manager Mike Elias insists it’s not due to a lack of effort on his behalf. The Orioles are “probably being as aggressive as any team out there” on the trade market, Elias told reporters over the weekend (link via Andy Kostka of the Baltimore Banner).

Options on the trade market this offseason have been few and far between — particularly if, as one would expect, the O’s are reluctant to part with their glut of top-ranked, near-MLB-ready infield and outfield prospects. Dylan Cease has long been connected to the O’s, but many have begun to express doubt that anyone will meet the White Sox’ asking price before the offseason is up. Mariners president of baseball operations Jerry Dipoto has spoken openly about his aversion to trading young starters like Bryce Miller or Bryan Woo. The Marlins are at least listening on a handful of starters (Jesus Luzardo, Braxton Garrett and Edward Cabrera among them), but the ask figures to be similarly steep there, as each has at least three seasons of control remaining.

The Orioles, meanwhile, are rife with young big league-caliber talents. Gunnar Henderson is locked in on the left side of the infield — likely as the long-term third baseman. Jackson Holliday, the former No. 1 overall pick who’s currently ranked as baseball’s No. 1 overall prospect, could debut as the team’s long-term shortstop this year at just 20 years old. Middle infielders Jordan Westburg, Connor Norby and Joey Ortiz have all been ranked among the game’s 100 best prospects within the past year. Ditto corner infielder Coby Mayo, who could be pushed across the diamond to first base, where the Orioles also have Ryan Mountcastle and former No. 2 overall pick Heston Kjerstad as options. Kjerstad can also play the outfield corners, while still yet another top prospect, outfielder Colton Cowser, is a deft center fielder.

Baltimore’s veritable embarrassment of riches on the prospect front has yet to lead to a trade, however. Fans might quibble with whether Elias is truly being as aggressive as he indicates, based on that lack of a move, but the top-ranking O’s baseball ops exec also exercised caution on the trade front.

“You can look back and teams make aggressive trades, and it can really set the franchise back if the guy shows up and he gets hurt, or if you trade guys and you miss out on their long careers,” Elias said, noting that there are just such examples in Orioles history.

Elias didn’t mention any specific examples, though as with any franchise, they’ve had their share of “ones who got away” (my words, not his). Eduardo Rodriguezand Jake Arrieta come to mind as one such pair (under prior leadership, before Elias was hired), while the Orioles’ acquisition of Adam Jones in exchange for Erik Bedard (also under the former front office regime) is perhaps the prime example of Baltimore being on the more favorable side of that proverbial coin.

Of course, the enviable stock of position-player depth the Orioles have cultivated under Elias could also be a catalyst for smaller-scale trades. The team might balk at the notion of trading someone of Westburg’s ilk, but the sheer volume of MLB-ready infielders could make current bench options like Ramon Urias available. MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko suggested as much on Monday, noting that a roster including each of Urias, Ortiz and Holliday would have some redundancy and could lead to Urias being squeezed out — though that scenario is framed in mostly speculative fashion. There’s no indication the Orioles are shopping Urias, but it stands to reason that other infield-needy clubs would have interest.

 

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/01/orioles-trade-rumors-ramon-urias.html?utm_source=twitter

[jabba72]

4 minutes ago, Roll Tide said:

 

 

https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2024/01/orioles-trade-rumors-ramon-urias.html?utm_source=twitter

Roch speculating Urias is on the block is interesting, though I dont know what kind of SP he would bring back. Urias could have some value to a team thin in the infield. 

[waroriole]

4 minutes ago, jabba72 said:

Roch speculating Urias is on the block is interesting, though I dont know what kind of SP he would bring back. Urias could have some value to a team thin in the infield. 

Someone on the Cole Irvin level. 

[Roll Tide]

5 minutes ago, jabba72 said:

Roch speculating Urias is on the block is interesting, though I dont know what kind of SP he would bring back. Urias could have some value to a team thin in the infield. 

The Marlins need a SS….we should line up well with them. I’m tired of hearing about “not for the lack of trying and Orioles have been the most active in talks”. That probably means Elias values on our prospects is unrealistically high. What he’s been able to accomplish at the deadline appears to echo it, 

[interloper]

17 minutes ago, jabba72 said:

Roch speculating Urias is on the block is interesting, though I dont know what kind of SP he would bring back. Urias could have some value to a team thin in the infield. 

I would take a decent ML reliever with an option.

[Can_of_corn]

4 minutes ago, interloper said:

I would take a decent ML reliever with an option.

I'll take a promising guy in A ball and a lottery ticket.

[Bahama O's Fan]

50 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I'll take a promising guy in A ball and a lottery ticket.

Exactly 

[sportsfan8703]

1 hour ago, jabba72 said:

Roch speculating Urias is on the block is interesting, though I dont know what kind of SP he would bring back. Urias could have some value to a team thin in the infield. 

The Twins just traded away an IF and are looking for a RH bat. Two birds, one stone?  The reliever they got back from Seattle, Justin Topa, wouldn’t be a bad return. RH reliever with some track record, and a 2024 option. 

[sportsfan8703]

Roch mentioning Urias on the block might mean Ortiz is here and the Cease talks are dead. Resource allocation if we trade Urias. We can take that $2 million and put it towards signing Lorenzen. It probably makes the most sense to sign someone like Lorenzen for 1/8 then give a guy that strictly a reliever that money. At least Lorenzen in the rotation gives us Wells and his ability to be optioned in the bullpen. 

Lorenzen + Wells gives us more innings and value than Wells + reliever(Brasier). 

[Billy F-Face3]

3 hours ago, Frobby said:

You no talk good?

Me no talk good. Me fight good. Me know all about brains...

 

[Winter]

On 1/23/2024 at 9:50 AM, Yardball85 said:

I don't take this as slamming my post or having a shot taken at me, and I stand by my post.  JA has done nothing to win the hearts of people in Baltimore, from his slimy behavior at MLK press conference last year to his handling of Kevin Brown to the bizarre announcement that the Orioles had a deal to remain in Baltimore back in September when it was not truly agreed to until months later.

And you're right that the Astros did not spend big in free agency.  And the Orioles do not need to either.  But as you pointed out, the Astros have taken on payroll and made trades to improve.  It can't all come from homegrown players, even if you do an incredible job if growing your own players like the Astros have.  Still waiting on our Verlander/Cole impact trade.

Rejoice!

[Yardball85]

4 hours ago, Winter said:

Rejoice!

Cheers!