If Coby Mayo Can Play Average ML 3B Defense

[Aristotelian]

9 hours ago, Frobby said:

 

I’ve had a box seat to watch this with the Nats.  They faced this decision with Bryce Harper, represented by Scott Boras, who also represents Gunnar.  They made good offers, and Harper didn’t take them.  He left as a free agent.  The Nats ended up getting no compensation for him because they signed Patrick Corbin as a free agent that same offseason.   Believe me fans were extremely unhappy they let Harper go.  Then later, the exact dilemma occurred with Boras client Juan Soto.  It became clear Soto wouldn’t sign a reasonable extension, so they trades him (and Josh Bell) for a huge package that included for Robert Hassell III(minors), Jarlin Susana (minors), James Wood (minors), CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore and Luke Voit. Fans were unhappy about that too, but which was better for the Nats?

Now, am I remotely interested in trading Gunnar this offseason?  Not in the slightest.  But after the 2026 season?   That’s when the team needs to make a really cold-blooded assessment.  
 

Importantly, the Nats went on to win 55 games in the season they traded Soto. Trading a star player becomes a lot more "thinkable" when the status quo is losing. Things can change quickly but I would be shocked if that is our situation heading into 2027. 

And I am sure fans were disgruntled after the fact of losing Harper, but were any Nats fans seriously gung ho about trading Harper before 2018, when they had just won two division titles? 

[OriolesMagic83]

9 hours ago, Greg Pappas said:

Great post.  Either do it at the right time or suffer another Machado situation, or worse yet the Harper situation.

Or worst of all the Ohtani position.  Trade away assets at the trade deadline to impress your impending free agent, only to have him leave anyway and be left with an even more barren farm. 

[OriolesMagic83]

20 minutes ago, foxfield said:

Well, you could never know and you won't when it comes to making the decision on Gunnar.   But IF you could know that moving Ripken would mean two more flags flying in Baltimore as World Champions.  I'd trade Ripken in a heartbeat.

But here is the thing....Ripken wanted to stay.  And he signed...I hope Gunnar wants to stay and will sign.  But as @Frobby just pointed out.  The Orioles need to take a cold blooded look at this and I think they will.  As a fan, my willingness to accept difficult news...ala Gunnar moving on, is directly proportional to the World titles amassed by ME.

The man has built a juggernaut.  Great.  But he aint getting a statue in CF until his second WS title.  That is tough but I really don't see any other way to look at it.

As crappy as this franchise has been, I'll donate money to build a statue if he wins even one WS. 

[foxfield]

18 minutes ago, OriolesMagic83 said:

As crappy as this franchise has been, I'll donate money to build a statue if he wins even one WS. 

I am with you '83.  And I get that my statement above is as assumptive as remembering that in '83 Ripken had helped deliver the first of many titles that never arrived.

[wildcard]

12 hours ago, Frobby said:

Funny, but 14 year old me didn’t give up on the Orioles when they traded Frank Robinson, who I idolized.   If the team continues to win, fans will not abandon it because a favorite player gets traded.  

But put that aside.  Which will disappoint fans more: (1) trading Gunnar for a huge package that potentially satisfies several long term needs, or (2) failing to extend Gunnar, so that he walks away for a draft pick?   I’d say it’s the latter that would disappoint fans more, by a lot.  They’re going to be very disappointed in either scenario, but the second one is significantly worse.  So, the Orioles need to be very cold-blooded in their assessment: can they get Gunnar to sign an extension that makes long term sense for the franchise?   If they conclude that they can’t, then the question becomes when is the best time to trade him, not if he should be traded.  

I’ve had a box seat to watch this with the Nats.  They faced this decision with Bryce Harper, represented by Scott Boras, who also represents Gunnar.  They made good offers, and Harper didn’t take them.  He left as a free agent.  The Nats ended up getting no compensation for him because they signed Patrick Corbin as a free agent that same offseason.   Believe me fans were extremely unhappy they let Harper go.  Then later, the exact dilemma occurred with Boras client Juan Soto.  It became clear Soto wouldn’t sign a reasonable extension, so they trades him (and Josh Bell) for a huge package that included for Robert Hassell III(minors), Jarlin Susana (minors), James Wood (minors), CJ Abrams, MacKenzie Gore and Luke Voit. Fans were unhappy about that too, but which was better for the Nats?

Now, am I remotely interested in trading Gunnar this offseason?  Not in the slightest.  But after the 2026 season?   That’s when the team needs to make a really cold-blooded assessment.  
 

I would not trade Gunnar after the 2026 season.    I'd do in after the 2027 season when he has one year left before FA.   And it will not sting so much because Kjerstad, Mayo and Basallo will all be hitting 40 homers a season at that point and Westburg will be leading the team to the WS in 2028.

[Frobby]

7 minutes ago, wildcard said:

I would not trade Gunnar after the 2026 season.    I'd do in after the 2027 season when he has one year left before FA.   And it will not sting so much because Kjerstad, Mayo and Basallo will all be hitting 40 homers a season at that point and Westburg will be leading the team to the WS in 2028.

I think players with 2 years of control bring back a lot more than players with 1 year of control.  But honestly, none of that needs to be decided now.  There’s a million things that will happen between now and 2026 that would affect that decision.  The bigger point is I don’t expect a move like that to get serious consideration before the end of the 2026 season.  

[orioles22]

I think right field will come down to Kjerstad or Mayo. I'm guessing Mayo plays there with Kjerstad traded for pitching. There's no room in the infield, barring one of the trades being debated on here.

[wildcard]

6 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I think players with 2 years of control bring back a lot more than players with 1 year of control.  But honestly, none of that needs to be decided now.  There’s a million things that will happen between now and 2026 that would affect that decision.  The bigger point is I don’t expect a move like that to get serious consideration before the end of the 2026 season.  

Yes, I agree.   But when you have a player like Gunnar what he can give the team in 2027 is probably more valuable than the difference is the return after 2026 and 2027.

[wildcard]

3 minutes ago, orioles22 said:

I think right field will come down to Kjerstad or Mayo. I'm guessing Mayo plays there with Kjerstad traded for pitching. There's no room in the infield, barring one of the trades being debated on here.

I am more inclined to keep Kjerstad and Mayo for 5 or 6 years  at RF/DH and trade O'Hearn this coming off season to make room.    The O's have O'Hearn signed for 7.5M in 2025 and he should bring back someone good in trade at that price.