Elias Interview on Baltimore (local) radio station

[Spy Fox]

4 minutes ago, Jagwar said:

What exactly is the Gunnar treatment?

Called up in the second half, perhaps late enough to retain rookie eligibility for 2025. I think it's an idea that's been out of circulation for a while. The question is whether he gets the Opening Day treatment or the Kris Bryant, not quite 1 year of service time treatment. 

[RZNJ]

10 minutes ago, Os4days said:

I get that Gunnar deserves to be the every day SS especially if he expressed his opinion that he wants to play there and he’s not moving around. However I prefer him at 3B with Jackson at SS and Westburg at 2B. To me that is the best defensive alignment as I think Westburgs arm isn’t as strong at 3B.  I get it that we still have Urias who can play a couple times a week at 3B so sitting Westburg is more likely than sitting Gunnar. 

It’s not ideal having a 20 year old playing in the bigs for the first time while trying to learn a new position. I understand he has played there and will have all of spring training but if he is as good as we think he will be then put him at SS.
 

 

Westburg played a total of 46 games at 2B since being drafted but only 7 last year.  Looked like he played there all his life.  Holliday played 25 games at 2B last year.  Maybe he gets another 15-20 this spring.   He probably already knows it.  

[Aristotelian]

17 minutes ago, Os4days said:

I get that Gunnar deserves to be the every day SS especially if he expressed his opinion that he wants to play there and he’s not moving around. However I prefer him at 3B with Jackson at SS and Westburg at 2B. To me that is the best defensive alignment as I think Westburgs arm isn’t as strong at 3B.  I get it that we still have Urias who can play a couple times a week at 3B so sitting Westburg is more likely than sitting Gunnar. 

It’s not ideal having a 20 year old playing in the bigs for the first time while trying to learn a new position. I understand he has played there and will have all of spring training but if he is as good as we think he will be then put him at SS.
 

 

What about Urias 3B? He won a GG there.

 

[sportsfan8703]

1 hour ago, Bemorewins said:

My hope is that once the transfer of control of the team goes through, Elias won’t have to bang the table much. But he will have the full support of a much more wealthy, competitive ownership who gives him the tools/financial resources that he needs to do what he feels gives us the best chance to be champions. 

Thankfully the awfulness of Angelos is almost over!

Rubenstein had to assemble a group to be able to afford 1.725 billion to buy the whole team.  Meanwhile, the average fan expects him to shell out more than that in extensions for Burnes, Adley, Gunnar, and Holliday. Plus some FAs. It gets wild real fast. 

[HandsomeQuack]

The "Gunnar Henderson treatment" is a bit of misnomer, since he didn't enter 2022 on the Major League radar. Keeping him down until August wasn't a slow play -- it was a fast play compared the ETA of late 2023 or 2024 you would have given in March of that year.

Happy to hear that Mateo will be used in the OF. A Mateo that can play at SS and CF has a lot of value.

[DirtyBird]

23 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

What about Urias 3B? He won a GG there.

 

He stunk there more recently

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, Spy Fox said:

Called up in the second half, perhaps late enough to retain rookie eligibility for 2025. I think it's an idea that's been out of circulation for a while. The question is whether he gets the Opening Day treatment or the Kris Bryant, not quite 1 year of service time treatment. 

Nobody’s going to do the Kris Bryant thing under the new CBA.  If Holliday isn’t on the Opening Day roster, I expect him to spend at least 40-50 games in AAA, maybe more, unless there’s an injury that forces a call-up.  And as I’ve said over and over, I think the OD decision will be made on the merits after seeing how everyone plays this spring.  I do not think Elias & co have made up their minds, or should have.  Let all the evidence come in before rendering a verdict.  

[Matt Bennett]

Would love a Woodruff signing. 

[PsychoBird68]

The writing has been on the wall, second base is Jackson's to lose so he'll be given every chance to win ROY and a comp pick... Elias loves his draft picks and he's good at it so that pick could be a lot more valuable than a extra year of control.... Plus we have a better chance of signing him to a extension if keep him happy   

[Billy F-Face3]

7 hours ago, wildbillhiccup said:

If Mateo gets a good amount of playing time this season at any positon then something has gone horribly wrong for this team. 

Not necessarily. The Mateo of April 2023 could show up and actually play that well most of the year. It would be great for the team. But I wouldn't bet on that happening. It's such a small outlier of his overall sample size.

[Bemorewins]

7 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Rubenstein had to assemble a group to be able to afford 1.725 billion to buy the whole team.  Meanwhile, the average fan expects him to shell out more than that in extensions for Burnes, Adley, Gunnar, and Holliday. Plus some FAs. It gets wild real fast. 

I think you might want to go back and check the math again on what this group can “afford”. The group buying the Orioles is worth about 25 BILLION. I’m not saying that it is realistic that the Orioles will extend all those guys, but there is no scenario where this ownership extends all those guys and feels the slightest of financial strain. It’s funny how fans tend to count the players money but never the owners.

[btdart20]

1 hour ago, Bemorewins said:

I think you might want to go back and check the math again on what this group can “afford”. The group buying the Orioles is worth about 25 BILLION. I’m not saying that it is realistic that the Orioles will extend all those guys, but there is no scenario where this ownership extends all those guys and feels the slightest of financial strain. It’s funny how fans tend to count the players money but never the owners.

It's not about "can they afford it?"  Rather it's about "how will they run the business?"  Rubenstein saying he wants to win the WS isn't a guarantee that he'll go scorched earth on payroll and pursuing FAs ala Preller/SDP.  I just don't get that vibe.  But I've been wrong before...  We just don't know. 

I will say payroll is likely to raise higher than what it would have been under Angelos.  That's the direction I expect even if the degree is more subdued than what others seem to hope.  Regardless, it's a good time to be an O's fan!  

[sevastras]

12 hours ago, Bemorewins said:

I didn't hear anything about Urias, but my wife called me an interrupted from hearing the last bit.

You didn’t have to answer. 

[sportsfan8703]

2 hours ago, Bemorewins said:

I think you might want to go back and check the math again on what this group can “afford”. The group buying the Orioles is worth about 25 BILLION. I’m not saying that it is realistic that the Orioles will extend all those guys, but there is no scenario where this ownership extends all those guys and feels the slightest of financial strain. It’s funny how fans tend to count the players money but never the owners.

Nothing personal so don’t take it that way, but just because you’re worth $25 billion doesn’t mean you should spend $25 billion. 

Just think how ridiculous the headlines would be…

Rubenstein spends $1.725 billion to purchase the O’s and then spends $1.400 billion to sign Burnes, Holliday, Adley, and Gunnar, to extensions. 

So those players over 7-10 years cost just as much as the team?

Expecting extensions for everyone is nuts and will lead to disappointment. 

[sportsfan8703]

8 hours ago, Frobby said:

Nobody’s going to do the Kris Bryant thing under the new CBA.  If Holliday isn’t on the Opening Day roster, I expect him to spend at least 40-50 games in AAA, maybe more, unless there’s an injury that forces a call-up.  And as I’ve said over and over, I think the OD decision will be made on the merits after seeing how everyone plays this spring.  I do not think Elias & co have made up their minds, or should have.  Let all the evidence come in before rendering a verdict.  

What’s the O’s record for ST HR?  I thought JR House or someone went crazy in the dark dark days.