Orioles Sign Daniel Johnson to mil contract (tea leaves?)

[wildbillhiccup]

41 minutes ago, Brooks The Great said:

Just because it's low on the priority list doesn't mean Elias shouldn't do it at all.

I'd like to see him do both!

[SteveA]

4 minutes ago, wildbillhiccup said:

There weren't expectations of the Orioles contending / winning that many games last off season. 

So doesn't that make what he did even MORE impressive?

Look, I think a lot of us are frustrated at the lack of certain moves at the MLB level.   But to try to tie that somehow to be critical of minor league pickups, the likes of which EVERY team is doing at this time of year... is an emotional response with no logical basis.   And when the emotion overcomes and twists your logic to the point where you are saying that a guy who JUST fielded a 101 win team hasn't proven he is capable of fielding a winning/contending team... well, not too many people are going to take your argument seriously.  

[RZNJ]

7 minutes ago, wildbillhiccup said:

There weren't expectations of the Orioles contending / winning that many games last off season. 

Ok.  What’s the point?  Are you saying we didn’t have a competitive roster last season?

[Tony-OH]

52 minutes ago, wildbillhiccup said:

My point is stocking the minors with vets to improve our chances of winning at that level should be very low on his priority list. And fielding a competiive MLB team / roster should be very high on his priority list. Can he do both? Maybe, but he certainly hasn't demonstrated that yet. 

It probably is very low on the list, but at some point, and that point is usually at this time of the year, those priorities are met. I highly doubt making an agreement with Johnson took away from Elias monitoring his cell phone for a Getz call or any other major move.

[wildbillhiccup]

1 hour ago, RZNJ said:

One has ZERO to do with the other.  Be serious.    He hasn’t demonstrated that he can field a competitive MLB team / roster?   LOL

You’re getting into Gregg775 territory.   We might have to make a trade.

There was no pressure on Elias or the team to contend or win the division going into the 2023 season. If the team had only finished .500 everyone would have just chalked it up to being part of the rebuilding process. Now that the bar has been set considerably higher the expectations are much higher. This is the first offseason where the expectation is for Elias and Orioles to field a competitive / playoff caliber team going into the season. And so far the moves they've made are indistinguishable from the seasons in which they were rebuilding. 

 

[RZNJ]

3 minutes ago, wildbillhiccup said:

There was no pressure on Elias or the team to contend or win the division going into the 2023 season. If the team had only finished .500 everyone would have just chalked it up to being part of the rebuilding process. Now that the bar has been set considerably higher the expectations are much higher. This is the first offseason where the expectation is for Elias and Orioles to field a competitive / playoff caliber team going into the season. And so far the moves they've made are indistinguishable from the seasons in which they were rebuilding. 

 

He proved he could build a competitive roster in 2022 and 2023 no matter what the expectations were.  Sure, it was waiver claims, veterans for prospects, minor trades, promotions of prospects.

He hasn’t had a defining moment big trade yet.   I don’t know why you’re trying to mix that together with Daniel Johnson, Tyler Nevin, and putting together a competitive roster.

 

[foxfield]

3 hours ago, wildbillhiccup said:

My point is stocking the minors with vets to improve our chances of winning at that level should be very low on his priority list. And fielding a competiive MLB team / roster should be very high on his priority list. Can he do both? Maybe, but he certainly hasn't demonstrated that yet. 

Columbe and Bautista says yes he has, and...

2 hours ago, interloper said:

He literally did both last season. Norfolk won the championship and Baltimore won 101 games. 

See above.

2 hours ago, wildbillhiccup said:

There weren't expectations of the Orioles contending / winning that many games last off season. 

Exceeding expectations is a bad thing?

2 hours ago, wildbillhiccup said:

There was no pressure on Elias or the team to contend or win the division going into the 2023 season. If the team had only finished .500 everyone would have just chalked it up to being part of the rebuilding process. Now that the bar has been set considerably higher the expectations are much higher. This is the first offseason where the expectation is for Elias and Orioles to field a competitive / playoff caliber team going into the season. And so far the moves they've made are indistinguishable from the seasons in which they were rebuilding. 

 

I think you are expressing a lack of confidence that really has nothing to do with Elias.  We all want more clear improvements.  But in spite of expectations here, the Orioles improved last year.   You do not have to be an Elias apologist to say he has earned the benefit of the doubt.  Doubt that many of us are expressing.

I do not expect the Orioles to win 101+.  I do expect them to be a playoff team and I do expect them to contend in a defense of their AL East title from '23.  I join almost everyone here in hoping for another pitcher who slots #3 or better. But I am also open to the fact that maybe Elias knows more about what is available than I do.  

You say that there was no pressure, but I think there was pressure and expectation that the Orioles would compete for a playoff spot.  They blew that expectation out of the water.  We all agree with you that there is no guarantee the Orioles will be better in '24.  We agree they may not even be as good.  But the Orioles will be expected to make the playoffs and contend for the AL East Crown.  We may not see steps that have increased that likelihood, but I don't think it is fair to say that it has been undermined either.

We are going to be pretty good.  

[Frobby]

https://www.masnsports.com/blog/daniel-johnson-reunited-with-kyle-bradish-in-orioles-camp

[Aristotelian]

18 minutes ago, Frobby said:

https://www.masnsports.com/blog/daniel-johnson-reunited-with-kyle-bradish-in-orioles-camp

That article actually got me a little pumped for this guy. This is interesting:

“A lefty, hit for power, hit for average. I think on scout day his junior year, he was about 98 mph from the outfield, and then he got on the mound and it was 98 from the mound. It was pretty unbelievable."

[sportsfan8703]

Perfect dude to have in AAA. He’s been around a lot in his career. Former futures game player in 19’. Was around some good Indians teams. 19 HR and 30 SB last year. .348 OBP. Can play CF. He’s pretty much this year’s Daz Cameron. If Aaron Hicks didn’t fall outta the sky to us, then Cameron would’ve gotten a look in CF last year when Mullins got hurt. 

[Tony-OH]

1 hour ago, Aristotelian said:

That article actually got me a little pumped for this guy. This is interesting:

“A lefty, hit for power, hit for average. I think on scout day his junior year, he was about 98 mph from the outfield, and then he got on the mound and it was 98 from the mound. It was pretty unbelievable."

Not sure you can get too pumped over a guy from his scout day when that was seven years ago. There's some hyperbole in those comments from Bradish that included saying he was the best player he ever played with. I imagine Gunnar and Adley may have something to say about that! lol

But it's his friend, and this was a fluff piece so I wouldn't take too much out of the quotes.

Saying that, he has some platoon capability against righties and is a nice depth outfield piece at AAA. 

 

[Aristotelian]

27 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Not sure you can get too pumped over a guy from his scout day when that was seven years ago. There's some hyperbole in those comments from Bradish that included saying he was the best player he ever played with. I imagine Gunnar and Adley may have something to say about that! lol

But it's his friend, and this was a fluff piece so I wouldn't take too much out of the quotes.

Saying that, he has some platoon capability against righties and is a nice depth outfield piece at AAA. 

 

Grain of salt taken! I do wonder what Hilliard brings that Johnson doesn't. Consensus seems to be that Hilliard is ahead of him and maybe a favorite to make the roster but is there any reason why? 

[Tony-OH]

23 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

Grain of salt taken! I do wonder what Hilliard brings that Johnson doesn't. Consensus seems to be that Hilliard is ahead of him and maybe a favorite to make the roster but is there any reason why? 

I haven't scouted both closely, but clearly Hilliard has way more major league experience and we have more data on him at the upper levels. Honestly, I'd say they are in competition for either a 5th outfielder spot along with McKenna, or at least helping to make a name for themselves in spring training so it could possibly help them a a depth move later in the season. 

 

[wildcard]

Last year Elias brought a  bunch of 1B/DH to camp- Lester, Diaz, O'Hearn- and found O'Hearn.   This year its a bunch on backup CF- Mateo, McKenna, Hilliard, Johnson, Cowser, Burdick (DFA'd but not gone yet).  Let's see what shakes out.

[owknows]

Depth piece. Like many Elias acquisitions, has shown flashes of pretty good ball.

Backup CF with an outside chance of catching lightning in a bottle.

Hard to argue with the success Elias has had in this regard.

I like it better when he does this with young players rather than with vets.