Holliday or Skenes. Who would you rather have?

[Spy Fox]

For the generic "you" as in, who would you start a team with, it's Holliday easily for all the reasons stated above. 

For the current Orioles, it's more of an open question. For the same reason I voted "Yes" on trading Gunnar for Spencer Strider. This team has the depth to lose an offensive stars and not feel the damage as much as most teams would. Not so on the pitching side, especially looking beyond this year that we have Burnes.

[forphase1]

Holliday, no doubt.  As a rough rule of thumb, I almost always pick a guy who can impact every single game versus someone who will only really help the team once every 5 days.  Then throw in the injuries to pitchers problem, and that makes me ever more wanting a hitter.  So if the rough talent level is equal, I'm taking the hitter almost every time.  Now, with our particular needs, I can see why some want the pitcher as we 'need' more starting pitching help than we need infield help.  If we had Skenes instead of Holliday we could have kept Ortiz and have him starting this year. 

But with everything else being equal, I'll take a hitter over a pitcher if they are roughly on the same level talent wise.

[Too Tall]

I like Skenes. Really do. But I chose Holliday because pitchers are so damn venerable to injury, and I think Holliday is going to be an offensive force for as long as the Orioles can hold on to him. An easy choice for me.

[jamalshw]

It's close and for the Orioles given the make up of the rest of the team and system, it may be Skenes, but I voted Holliday as the injury risk for a young pitcher is too great and you have either one of them for AT LEAST 6 MLB seasons. It also seems that high velocity pitchers like Skenes have the injury risk go up even more. 

 

[LookinUp]

A point to consider that hasn't been made yet...

This is a playoff team. The "trick" is now how to win in the playoffs, not how to get there.

I feel like Holliday would help more to get us to the playoffs, but dominant starting pitchers can win you a world series. 

[vab]

Sorry, I think it would be Skenes for me. Looked like a beast in that prospect game. I know the injury risk but that kind of dominance is too tempting. 

[sportsfan8703]

Skenes isn’t some high school pitcher that is 4 years away. He’s ready to step into an MLB rotation right now and be a TOR SP. 

Look at the FA contracts for TOR SP compared to second basemen. 

[jabba72]

Skenes if we're talking 6 years only which looks to be the case with Holliday. 

This team needs an ace much more than it does a 2B, but at the same time i'm more than happy the O's have Holliday.

[LookinUp]

Nobody's complaining about Holliday, that's for sure. 

But that true ace starting pitcher, in the playoffs, is tantalizing.

[maybenxtyr]

Overall, taking the everyday player makes the most sense. Looking at it from strictly an Orioles standpoint though, I'd take Skenes. If they had a bunch of starting pitching waiting in the wings I'd feel differently.

[Sports Guy]

31 minutes ago, LookinUp said:

Nobody's complaining about Holliday, that's for sure. 

But that true ace starting pitcher, in the playoffs, is tantalizing.

Lots of aces fail in the playoffs.

Not disagreeing with your overall point but you are almost acting as if he’s a slam dunk to be really good in the playoffs.

And you have to get there first.

[Frobby]

This is a hard one for me just due to our personnel.  We can have a very good infield for the next 5+ years even without Holliday.   Really good starting pitchers are never a surplus item.  So, in a vacuum I’d rather have the hitter for the reasons others have given, but in this case I’d take Skenes.  

[justD]

TINSTAAPP.  Skenes was brilliant but in 1-inning appearances, and throwing 102, 102, 102 is sure to catch up with him, likely sooner rather than later. 

[Orioles0615]

I would take having Skenes over someone like Cowser or Kjersted but not Holliday. 

 

I am sure Skenes will have TJ surgery eventually 

[LookinUp]

56 minutes ago, Frobby said:

This is a hard one for me just due to our personnel.  We can have a very good infield for the next 5+ years even without Holliday.   Really good starting pitchers are never a surplus item.  So, in a vacuum I’d rather have the hitter for the reasons others have given, but in this case I’d take Skenes.  

I'll continue to be a contrarian in a weird kind of way, but I really think the O's have a bunch of arms on the ML team and in the minors that have good starter upside and team control.

In addition to Rodriguez, Bradish, Irvin and Kremer, I personally like our chances of getting a couple of starters out of McDermott, Povich, Johnson, DeLeon and Bright a lot. It feels like most of them will be ready for some role in the majors by the end of 2025. Maybe not DeLeon. Then last year's draftees, most notably Baumeister, will follow.

Maybe that's not enough arms. I don't know. I'm just saying the cupboard isn't bare.