Roch: Holliday, Mayo, Kjerstad, Stowers, Norby, and Al Suarez optioned

[Billy F-Face3]

1 hour ago, PeregrineT said:

I heard one very smart rich person say the real key to success is willing to be the total opposite of everyone else, and yet be right about it.  So far he has proven that, and its wild to me the number of nobodies telling one of the best GMs hes wrong just because they dont like one decision.

Truly great leaders arent afraid of going against the popular vote, confident that time will prove them right.  Its tough to do that, and even more so in win-now professional sports.

This, this, and more This. So much THIS. Excellent post.

[DirtyBird]

1 hour ago, PeregrineT said:

I heard one very smart rich person say the real key to success is willing to be the total opposite of everyone else, and yet be right about it.  So far he has proven that, and its wild to me the number of nobodies telling one of the best GMs hes wrong just because they dont like one decision.

Truly great leaders arent afraid of going against the popular vote, confident that time will prove them right.  Its tough to do that, and even more so in win-now professional sports.

Source?

[Orioles Jim]

And Wong, among others, is gone too!

[Frobby]

1 minute ago, Orioles Jim said:

And Wong, among others, is gone too!

Interesting.  I thought both had a decent chance.

[DirtyBird]

3 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Interesting.  I thought both had a decent chance.

They must be somewhat comfortable with giving McDermott the call up if needed

[ChuckS]

McKenna appears he will make the team as the fifth outfielder. Do we need a fifth outfielder? Hard to imagine him getting many at bats, unless Hyde plays him over Cowser. Could be in there against some tough lefties with Mullins sitting.

I would have rather seen Kjerstad or Mayo considering we have a few guys capable of playing center. 

Edited March 24 by ChuckS

[interloper]

30 minutes ago, Orioles Jim said:

And Wong, among others, is gone too!

Andrew Suarez had an opt out so I guess he's cool to stick around for awhile. I like him a lot as a long relief lefty depth piece. 

[Os4days]

12 hours ago, 24fps said:

The ownership hasn't changed.  Rubenstein and his partners aren't yet in a position to order money spent.  MLB needs to formally sign off and the deal has to close.

Thanks Mr Obvious …  like I don’t know this!

[Bemorewins]

12 hours ago, foxfield said:

Spending is determined by owners and until we know the new edict of the new ownership there is no doubt we are operating on the cheap. 
 

And I am fine with criticism of Elias. But his results so far are damn near beyond reproach. All I am saying is he has earned the benefit of the doubt. He is trying to win within the confines he has been given. It’s a long time until October. Let’s let the season progress and the answers may unfold. 

I agree about the spending being an ownership decision. My hope is that our new owner will get us close to an average MLB payroll which will allow us to extend young players and not play these silly games of service time manipulation.

What Elias has proven thus far is that he is tremendous at rebuilding, drafting and developing position player prospects, and building the foundation of a healthy org. What Elias has yet to show is if he can build a championship org through meaningful signings and effective impact trades. In the later regard, he is not above reproach. All we have to look to is last season’s trade deadline to see some missteps. IMO, he has not earned the benefit of the doubt in that regard and there are some legit questions that hopefully he will answer as time goes on.

[Sanity Check]

12 hours ago, DirtyBird said:

Source?

one very smart rich person .....

[Cheetos]

13 hours ago, Os4days said:

Fair enough but Atlanta also has all of their stud young players locked up for the next 5 years or so. My point is that we do things more concerned about service time rather than putting the best players on the field. 
 

I thought with the ownership change that Elias would change his approach.  It doesn’t seem that way. 

I don’t think it’s fair to make that judgement this early.  The new owners aren’t even approved yet.  
 

As to the points you make of locking up young players and service time manipulation.    I agree I hope the new owners will make it a priority to lock up our core.  That is something if the players/agents are open to, new money can definitely help.  But because it takes two to tango and there is only so many dollars to go around - I totally understand from an organizational philosophy you consider maximizing the number of years you  keep players under control.  The longer you have them, the more time you have to buy out arbitration years and sign to long term contracts.  

[Too Tall]

I have to keep reminding myself, there is one GM for the Orioles along with alot of GM's (Great Minds - self included of course) on OH. It's as interesting following the one GM as following the team's play and I look forward to seeing how this year plays out. It has started interestingly. Not the way I'd do it, but I defer to Elias because for me he has earned that to this point.

[foxfield]

45 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

I agree about the spending being an ownership decision. My hope is that our new owner will get us close to an average MLB payroll which will allow us to extend young players and not play these silly games of service time manipulation.

What Elias has proven thus far is that he is tremendous at rebuilding, drafting and developing position player prospects, and building the foundation of a healthy org. What Elias has yet to show is if he can build a championship org through meaningful signings and effective impact trades. In the later regard, he is not above reproach. All we have to look to is last season’s trade deadline to see some missteps. IMO, he has not earned the benefit of the doubt in that regard and there are some legit questions that hopefully he will answer as time goes on.

I don’t want to argue because I really do not think we disagree. I think you are pretty consistently hyperbolic. Elias has actually done each of the things that you list above. There are two things he has not done. Drive a team to a playoff win and completing that drive with a World Series Title. 
 

The fact that that is even remotely possible today is due to his excellent work. If we have neither of those things over the next three years, he will be worthy of much consternation. And I will be happy to lead it. 
 

But…As he has consistently beaten my expectations I am going to give a fair amount of leeway before I join a chorus of “yeah but he hasn’t done….”

[Bemorewins]

35 minutes ago, foxfield said:

I don’t want to argue because I really do not think we disagree. I think you are pretty consistently hyperbolic. Elias has actually done each of the things that you list above. There are two things he has not done. Drive a team to a playoff win and completing that drive with a World Series Title. 
 

The fact that that is even remotely possible today is due to his excellent work. If we have neither of those things over the next three years, he will be worthy of much consternation. And I will be happy to lead it. 
 

But…As he has consistently beaten my expectations I am going to give a fair amount of leeway before I join a chorus of “yeah but he hasn’t done….”

I respect that we have different expectations.

I believed that the extreme tanking that we did was done in order to amass a trove of assets designed to make multiple WS runs similar to the Astros. (The place Elias/Sig came from.)

Maybe I was right? Maybe I was wrong? Time will tell.

[Cheetos]

2 hours ago, Os4days said:

Thanks Mr Obvious …  like I don’t know this!

“I thought with the ownership change that Elias would change his approach.  It doesn’t seem that way.”

 

I don’t think you do!  This is your quote that @24fps and I responded to.  Ownership has not changed so you don’t know if Elias will change his approach, but you mourn and wail as if he has had the chance and ownership has prevented a change.