My biggest fear for 2024

[ChuckS]

1 hour ago, forphase1 said:

Not really.  Mateo was still starting a full third of the games.  That was still WAY too much and not exactly just a bench player.  I fully agree with the OP that sometimes he sticks with his vets way too long and way too much, even when their role is 'lessened' they still get way too many at bats.  I know we won 100 games, but even with that I don't think the roster, lineups and management was perfect in the way they handled some of the situations.  

Correct.  Not to mention Adam Frazier receiving 400 at bats. We all remember Rougned Odor and the washed player we obtained from the Marlins, whose name is escaping me from two years ago.  We have won in spite of these things, so let’s not act as if a team is above reproach based on a certain win number. That’s missing the point. 

[Since1984]

4 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

Wondering what you mean by riding out players with tenure. Mateo and Frazier were bench by the end of the season. Whatever their weaknesses they both ended up with positive WAR for the season. Mateo saw his AB's cut back in June, then became a bench player. Frazier had an .871 in July. Arguably Kjerstad and Cowser could have played more, but Hays, Santander, and Hicks all performed well. Can't really fault Hyde for sticking with them. Maybe we could have played some of the young guys earlier, but that is mostly on Elias, not Hyde, and even so our guys put up 100+ wins so I don't think you can say it was regardless of performance. 

Good analysis of what happened in 2023. A great season for the Orioles!

The one thing I believe a good number of OH posters swing and miss on is veteran capabilities at the plate and on the mound. 

Example #1 is Gibson, last offseason’s acquisition:

Provided innings, quality starts and insight to a young team. No recognition, at least from the masses, how important  Gibson impacted a 101 win team. Without him, I wonder how many wins the Orioles would have accomplished. 
 

Throwing too many rookies in the lineup at one time gives the opponent SP and RP too much leverage, which is why the Organization’s patience is leading to success.
 

Thank Hicks, and O’Hearn for not going through the  most advanced competition ever scene in their lives to adjust and excel with the Orioles as experienced professionals. Same can be said for Santander, Hays, etc. Mateo went 5-5 in his only playoff start. Hick’s hit the RF stands too.

The O’s need professional MLB experience and bringing up the entire top 10 farm will not overcome the need to be successful in 2024, there is a balance.

 

[foxfield]

8 hours ago, ChuckS said:

No significant trades are made.

Mateo, Urias, Mountcastle, and O’Hearn all make the big league roster. 

Hyde, who has shown a tendency to ride-out players with tenure regardless of their performance, continues to give the above guys significant playing time for much of the season.

Ortiz, Norby, Cowser, and Kjerstad rot in  Triple A or get buried on the bench in Baltimore.  

Mayo and Holliday arrivals are further delayed. 

How likely is this all to happen?

I don’t want to start a war, but I kinda don’t care who plays second base as long as his name isn’t Adam Frazier. 

[foxfield]

I think in all seriousness that the transition continues and I expect at times we will all bemoan the pace. And I think that is natural. But the people that are getting pushed are pretty good baseball players. The integration plan seems to be working. In some cases slowly…like Westbug. And in some cases trial by fire, like Henderson. 

[Three Run Homer]

5 hours ago, Orioles0615 said:

Yes but I feel like it leads back to OP. Because they won't trade any of the prospects to get a pitcher (regardless if its Cease or someone else), yet they will just be stashed in AAA. I have no interest in the Tides being champions again. 

I think the two issues are separate.  They can make room for prospects by trading Mateo, Urias, Mountcastle, etc, and they don't necessarily need to get established starting pitching in return.   They can upgrade the pitching staff by signing a good free agent.  

[Too Tall]

 I have no fears for 2024 at least relative to baseball. Concerns, yes. Concern that one of our mainstays gets hurt and miss a lot of time. Concern that Elias and Co. stay to continue what they have built. The latter only because I/we really don't know the dynamics behind the scene and I highly respect what they have accomplished. Concern that our youngsters - when given a chance - do well because this is a hard game particularly at the highest level. I hate to see young people fail even though failure is part of life and failure on a public stage is even harder to absorb.

 There is no silver bullet - no Frank Robbinson to insure we win a World Series. No one acquisition. Whether we add or ride with what we have, there are 162 games to play and who knows? I do know this. The Orioles are my team, and they are fun to watch and really easy to root for because they haven't been bought - they have been built. They surprised all of us last year. They may do so again. 

 

[One eyed Bird]

Biggest fear/nightmare an Angelos still owns the team at the end of 2024, every other concern pales in comparison, well losing ME would be a close 2nd 

[Frobby]

30 minutes ago, One eyed Bird said:

Biggest fear/nightmare an Angelos still owns the team at the end of 2024, every other concern pales in comparison, well losing ME would be a close 2nd 

The odds that the Angelos family will still own the team at the end of 2024 are probably greater than 90%.   

[LA2]

16 hours ago, Since1984 said:

Example #1 is Gibson, last offseason’s acquisition:

Provided innings, quality starts and insight to a young team. No recognition, at least from the masses, how important  Gibson impacted a 101 win team. Without him, I wonder how many wins the Orioles would have accomplished. 
 

Throwing too many rookies in the lineup at one time gives the opponent SP and RP too much leverage, which is why the Organization’s patience is leading to success.
 

Thank Hicks, and O’Hearn for not going through the  most advanced competition ever scene in their lives to adjust and excel with the Orioles as experienced professionals. Same can be said for Santander, Hays, etc. Mateo went 5-5 in his only playoff start. Hick’s hit the RF stands too.

The O’s need professional MLB experience and bringing up the entire top 10 farm will not overcome the need to be successful in 2024, there is a balance.

 

GIbson had a career-high 15 wins and was 6 innings short of a bullpen-restoring season average of 6 innings per start. Very hard to imagine where those would have come from without him. His 33 starts led the league and his 192 innings was 6th. Excellent acquisition by Elias that was indispensable to the team's success.

[One eyed Bird]

On 1/20/2024 at 9:58 AM, Frobby said:

The odds that the Angelos family will still own the team at the end of 2024 are probably greater than 90%.   

Damn I hit on that 10%, hot diggity damn, long live the King the King is Dead. Best day to be an Oriole fan since 1983, 

[interloper]

39 minutes ago, One eyed Bird said:

Damn I hit on that 10%, hot diggity damn, long live the King the King is Dead. Best day to be an Oriole fan since 1983, 

As an Orioles fan since 1983, you think you'd know better than to count your chickens. 

[One eyed Bird]

42 minutes ago, interloper said:

As an Orioles fan since 1983, you think you'd know better than to count your chickens. 

Actually been an Oriole fan since 1967, listening to night games on my 3 inch by 6 inch battery operated transistor radio in bed, Boog,Davey, Mark, Brooks on the infield, Don, Paul and Frank in the outfield , with Andy or Elrod behind the plate and Jim on the mound damn those are fond memories , we ruled the roost in those days