Moving the wall back in left field has been a terrible decision for the Orioles.

[Spakman]

I’m not gonna go into the numbers I’m gonna go into who they can’t put into left field right now. You basically need a centerfielder for a left and center. We have power hitters in the minors, not athletic outfielders. Cowser can play left. But where are all those other power hitters gonna play? Our best players are outfielders in a minors I think he’s regretting moving that wall back we don’t even have any good left handed pitchers to take advantage of it. I really feel moving that wall back was a dumb decision. What right handed power hitter in free agency would ever come here. But yeah, all we draft is left-handers.

[Moose Milligan]

What about the pitchers feelings though?

[Dunk35]

2 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

What about the pitchers feelings though?

We apparently cant sign any free agents to multi-year contracts. Pitchers nor hitters are coming here in free agency. 

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Dunk35 said:

We apparently cant sign any free agents to multi-year contracts. Pitchers nor hitters are coming here in free agency. 

Do we have any evidence they are making multi-year offers to players?

[Otter]

Partially agree, but not for the reasons stated.  The old left field was way too short and unfair to pitchers.  However, Elias overcompensated and now the left field wall is way too long and unfair to hitters.  And I do find it strange that Elias hasn't tried to draft or acquire more LHP to mitigate left-handed power hitters taking advantage of the only short porch left in the current configuration.

[FlipTheBird]

1 hour ago, Spakman said:

I’m not gonna go into the numbers I’m gonna go into who they can’t put into left field right now. You basically need a centerfielder for a left and center. We have power hitters in the minors, not athletic outfielders. Cowser can play left. But where are all those other power hitters gonna play? Our best players are outfielders in a minors I think he’s regretting moving that wall back we don’t even have any good left handed pitchers to take advantage of it. I really feel moving that wall back was a dumb decision. What right handed power hitter in free agency would ever come here. But yeah, all we draft is left-handers.

Well if you offer them the right deal, any of them.

But if you're looking at a right-handed hitter that's probably going to sign a one-year, "prove it," deal... he's very unlikely to choose the Orioles, from a sheer park effect standpoint. That's about it, only person you've boxed out.

[deward]

5 minutes ago, FlipTheBird said:

Well if you offer them the right deal, any of them.

But if you're looking at a right-handed hitter that's probably going to sign a one-year, "prove it," deal... he's very unlikely to choose the Orioles, from a sheer park effect standpoint. That's about it, only person you've boxed out.

You could say the exact same thing about pitchers under the old configuration. The idea that the wall was going to have a dramatic impact on free agency one way or another was always far-fetched.

[Can_of_corn]

5 minutes ago, deward said:

You could say the exact same thing about pitchers under the old configuration. The idea that the wall was going to have a dramatic impact on free agency one way or another was always far-fetched.

It was spin.

Offer them money first and a chance to win second.

Wall is like 10th, behind stuff like school quality.

[dystopia]

It should have been moved back, but not to the degree that it was. 

[Moshagge3]

14 minutes ago, deward said:

You could say the exact same thing about pitchers under the old configuration. The idea that the wall was going to have a dramatic impact on free agency one way or another was always far-fetched.

J.D. Martinez did come out and say he signed with the Mets and not the Giants because of the ballpark, so it's not far-fetched to say he wouldn't consider coming here. Of course, J.D. Martinez can only DH.

[gtman55]

15 minutes ago, dystopia said:

It should have been moved back, but not to the degree that it was. 

100% this. 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

22 minutes ago, dystopia said:

It should have been moved back, but not to the degree that it was. 

I think the Orioles will correct for this in the next five years and move in the left field wall. And hopefully it's in conjunction with the construction of a new left field scoreboard with video screen.

[DirtyBird]

I don’t think the wall has anything to do with who is playing. I believe that management believes that the organizational culture is a major part of the success over the past two years. Our full time LF and CF are a part of that, and they happen to be good fielders.

Now they are unwilling to move them for less than what they feel is fair value. And if they are on the team, they are going to play.

They issue is, how long can you maintain a healthy culture when they established guys aren’t performing while blocking opportunities from those who are.

[RZNJ]

6 minutes ago, DirtyBird said:

I don’t think the wall has anything to do with who is playing. I believe that management believes that the organizational culture is a major part of the success over the past two years. Our full time LF and CF are a part of that, and they happen to be good fielders.

Now they are unwilling to move them for less than what they feel is fair value. And if they are on the team, they are going to play.

They issue is, how long can you maintain a healthy culture when they established guys aren’t performing while blocking opportunities from those who are.

Guarantee you the current players are very happy with the status quo.   Now, if they started the year off with Hays in a platoon with the unproven Cowser or sat O’Hearn to give Kjerstad his AB’s there might be some secret grumbling going on.   When I listen to A.J. on Foul Territory my impression is that veteran players trust other veteran players and treat most prospects as suspects.   I suspect the other players 100% believe that Hays will hit.

Edited April 7 by RZNJ

[Since1984]

1 hour ago, Otter said:

Partially agree, but not for the reasons stated.  The old left field was way too short and unfair to pitchers.  However, Elias overcompensated and now the left field wall is way too long and unfair to hitters.  And I do find it strange that Elias hasn't tried to draft or acquire more LHP to mitigate left-handed power hitters taking advantage of the only short porch left in the current configuration.

I think the wall will get moved in some places as part of an overall change to the stadium. If I can find the quote from ME, regarding this potential, will quote the his.

One year free agent signings and rookie pitchers in general were the reason it needed to go back.