Surprise! Eaton getting rocked

[Fairfax Bird]

I wonder how Markakis and Roberts feel right about now looking at the poster in the locker room in Ft. Lauderdale.

"HANG IN THERE GUYS...WE MIGHT WIN BY 2011."

Didn't they both just sign contract extensions? Don't you think them signing the extensions is sort of giving their approval to the state of the franchise? Can you please tell me what you would have done differently to make the pitching staff better for this year without clogging up the rotations for 5 years? Be specific, not just two or three average pitchers.

[SilentJames]

I don't see one of those other teams writing off the season before it starts like the Orioles are...

Oh please Trea get over it. No one is lowering prices, and God forbid the Orioles be realistic about 2009 holds.

But Randy Wolf would have put us in the wild card.

[SilentJames]

Didn't they both just sign contract extensions? Don't you think them signing the extensions is sort of giving their approval to the state of the franchise? Can you please tell me what you would have done differently to make the pitching staff better for this year without clogging up the rotations for 5 years? Be specific, not just two or three average pitchers.

He's Rush Limbaugh.

Complain complain complain. Offer no solutions and never be in a position to have your decisions actually mean anything.

[JTrea81]

Ever heard of Koji Uehara or Rich Hill?

As for spending on the Loppers and Wolfs of the world, the problem is you spend too much on pitchers who won't get you much more than what an Adam Eaton or Brian Bass will give you. And when they stink, you can release them without having to eat multiple years and millions.

We're talking 3 months, until Patton, Bergesen and maybe Tillman are ready. Uehara and Hill are the decent place holders.

C'mon even you know that Randy Wolf and Braden Looper would perform much better than Adam Eaton.

And the whole point of getting better starters is so that Trembley doesn't use up the pen like he did last year. By the time the young guys come up, there won't be a bullpen to support them because they'll all be injured or ineffective...

[Fairfax Bird]

I don't see one of those other teams writing off the season before it starts like the Orioles are...

Pirates. Royals. Padres. Blue Jays. Nationals. Astros.

Do any of these teams have any more hope for winning this year?

[JTrea81]

Oh please Trea get over it. No one is lowering prices, and God forbid the Orioles be realistic about 2009 holds.

But Randy Wolf would have put us in the wild card.

Randy Wolf might save a bullpen arm that we might want to deal at the deadline. Ever think of that one? If Sherrill and Walker go down with injuries from overuse, you won't be able to trade them for anything.

[Fairfax Bird]

C'mon even you know that Randy Wolf and Braden Looper would perform much better than Adam Eaton.

And the whole point of getting better starters is so that Trembley doesn't use up the pen like he did last year. By the time the young guys come up, there won't be a bullpen to support them because they'll all be injured or ineffective...

We gave him a really good offer, he didn't want to pitch in the AL. Wolf wanted to pitch in LA. C'mon dude.

[df1570]

Ever heard of Koji Uehara or Rich Hill?

As for spending on the Loppers and Wolfs of the world, the problem is you spend too much on pitchers who won't get you much more than what an Adam Eaton or Brian Bass will give you. And when they stink, you can release them without having to eat multiple years and millions.

We're talking 3 months, until Patton, Bergesen and maybe Tillman are ready. Uehara and Hill are the decent place holders.

Which Rich Hill are you talking about?

The one the Cubs gave away for a couple of new Master Locks and a box of towels?

The one who has as many spring training innings on the mound as me in '09?

I'll buy Uehara stock before I'll buy Rich Hill stock and I'm not even sold on the Japanese kid but at least he's pitched a little this spring.

When you say, "Patton, Bergesen and Tillman are READY"...what, exactly do you mean by "READY"??

Ready, as in, coming to the Majors and kicking a** and taking names?

Or, ready, as in, taking the ball every 5th day and whatever happens, happens?

[JTrea81]

Pirates. Royals. Padres. Blue Jays. Nationals. Astros.

Do any of these teams have any more hope for winning this year?

No but I don't see any of those teams basically giving up like the Orioles are.

And I know MacPhail hasn't said they are tanking the season publicly but his actions are speaking louder than his words...

[Fairfax Bird]

Which Rich Hill are you talking about?

The one the Cubs gave away for a couple of new Master Locks and a box of towels?

The one who has as many spring training innings on the mound as me in '09?

I'll buy Uehara stock before I'll buy Rich Hill stock and I'm not even sold on the Japanese kid but at least he's pitched a little this spring.

When you say, "Patton, Bergesen and Tillman are READY"...what, exactly do you mean by "READY"??

Ready, as in, coming to the Majors and kicking a** and taking names?

Or, ready, as in, taking the ball every 5th day and whatever happens, happens?

Are you more knowledgable than Trembley, McPhail, and Kranitz to make this decision? Answer is no. I'm going to trust their judgement and let things unfold with the young kids the right way.

[Fairfax Bird]

No but I don't see any of those teams basically giving up like the Orioles are.

And I know MacPhail hasn't said they are tanking the season publicly but his actions are speaking louder than his words...

Which of those teams did more to upgrade their team this off-season than McPhail did? Boy, all of those pitchers that the pitching starved Pirates brought in, unbelievable.

[JTrea81]

We gave him a really good offer, he didn't want to pitch in the AL. Wolf wanted to pitch in LA. C'mon dude.

So pay them a couple extra million more. Considering our position, it shouldn't be a shock that we'd have to pay more than competitive teams to land a mid tier starter.

[Frobby]

I think MacPhail's priorities should be, in this order of importance:

1. To do what is necessary to put the Orioles in position to contend on a regular basis.

2. To do what is necessary to put the Orioles in position to contend on a regular basis as soon as feasible.

3. To put as competitive a team as possible on the field in 2009.

Any time that objective 3 interferes with 1 or 2, objective 3 is to be ignored.

Anyone who disagrees with the foregoing principles, please speak up.

Now, assuming we agree on the above pecking order of objectives, the issue becomes whether the O's could have done more with the rotation for 2009 without hurting the team in the mid-run or long-run. I think we can all have differences of opinion on that, and to some extent, it's a bit difficult to judge without insider knowledge of the Orioles' financial picture and without knowing exactly what some of the minor leagueres still need to do to be ready to succeed in the majors. But at least in principle, my view is that if spending an extra $10-15 mm on pitching would have helped us for 2009 but would have prevented us from doing other things in 2010 or 2011, then I am glad MacPhail didn't do them. If bringing up some of the minor leaguers early might have improved the team in 2009, but also (in the professional judgment of the Orioles' staff) would have stunted the development of those pitchers, then I'm glad they didn't do that, either.

I'm a long suffering fan, and I'm not interested in a balm that might make the pain go away for a year, I'm interested in an approach that makes the pain go away for the foreseeable future and hopefully beyond even if that means enduring one more tough year in 2009.

[RShack]

This is a good start for a piece I'll write for tomorrow's WNST.net web-site.

They're charlatans -- I swear...

See? Just a little bit of editing can turn empty BS into a true statement ;-)

[JTrea81]

Which of those teams did more to upgrade their team this off-season than McPhail did? Boy, all of those pitchers that the pitching starved Pirates brought in, unbelievable.

The Pirates have a better rotation that the Orioles do to start the season.