5 losses in a row. Baltimore...we have a problem. Thread revisit...O's have no way to win the WS unless...

[Too Tall]

6 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Are you going to PM the secret decoder?

Nope - you are on your own!!!!!

[BRobinsonfan]

19 hours ago, OnlyOneOriole said:

How many times can I say this?  

I am not concerned about a 4 or 5 game losing streak in a vacuum.  EVERY team goes through that.   It is just part of the randomness of a 162 game schedule.  

I am VERY concerned about a pitching staff that has been decimated by injuries going back to last fall, and the long term effects that has on the team for not only this year, but next as well.   

IF this team had a 5 game losing streak and still had Felix and Bradish and Means and Wells etc?   Again while I dislike 5 game losing streaks for our beloved O's, it happens.  But combine these 5 games with a much more important LONGER TERM OUTLOOK CONCERNING THE STATE OF OUR PITCHING AND WHO WE HAVE TO REPLACE THOSE INJURED PLAYERS?

It is very concerning. 

Maybe if you'd titled the thread something other than "5 losses in a row... Baltimore we have a problem..." you might be more believable.  

[Too Tall]

Seriously, I find mornings in the Eastern Zone Time so much nicer on OH. Triple O is probably not up yet. But that's just Lil Old Me. 

[BRobinsonfan]

@OnlyOneOriole after last nights win!  

[Gurgi]

The 1983 team that won the World Series had TWO different seven game losing streaks.  Lets just keep on carrying on things will likely smooth out. 

[OnlyOneOriole]

5 hours ago, Too Tall said:

Seriously, I find mornings in the Eastern Zone Time so much nicer on OH. Triple O is probably not up yet. But that's just Lil Old Me. 

I am up every morning at 5 AM for the stock market.  8 AM your time.  I just am usually too busy to post on here until later in the day.

[Malike]

Losing 5 games in a row in the MLB is about the equivalent of losing 1 game in the NFL at worst. 

[OnlyOneOriole]

5 hours ago, BRobinsonfan said:

Maybe if you'd titled the thread something other than "5 losses in a row... Baltimore we have a problem..." you might be more believable.  

I made it clear throughout this thread that 5 losses is no big deal.  I said that many times.   I also made it very clear that the problem was the pitching.  So I am not sure what you are harping on about.

And btw, the "Baltimore....we have a problem" line was taken from the Apollo 13 space mission and then the movie.  

Edited Thursday at 19:46 by OnlyOneOriole

[TopGunnar]

Anybody with a brain knows a 5 game losing streak isn’t a problem. The problem is we have 3 scrubs as our 3,4,5. It’s a serious problem, one which probably won’t be fixed this season. 

[SteveA]

6 minutes ago, TopGunnar said:

Anybody with a brain knows a 5 game losing streak isn’t a problem. The problem is we have 3 scrubs as our 3,4,5. It’s a serious problem, one which probably won’t be fixed this season. 

And yet we have the 4th best team ERA in the majors.

Yes, we absolutely need to pick up some pitching at the deadline.    The weaknesses are well known, and the one that will hurt the most in the postseason is not having enough lights out high-K-rate relievers.

But the idea that we are really suffering in pitching is just not true.   Most teams in the majors are worse than we are, and that includes most of the playoff teams.

[Frobby]

On 6/25/2024 at 9:48 PM, OnlyOneOriole said:

I do not write this post to sound ultra one way or the other.    In other words I am an not an extremist.  I am however a realist. 

The facts are this.   The Os have lost 5 in a row and have lost 3 of their starting 5 pitchers.  Add on top of that their top middle reliever and maybe the best closer in baseball.  All since last August or so.

The injuries have added up and added up.  And trust me Jackson Holliday is not coming to save the day. 

IMO the Os need to trade at a minimum Jackson Holliday, Heston, and another decent prospect from AA. 

All for pitching.  And by pitching I mean a Big time starter under control for at least 2 or 3 years and 1 if not 2 relievers.

Because as the Os are situated now?  

I will say it again, just like I said last YEAR.....when I was proven right. 

The Os have no chance to win the ALCS, much less the WS, with the team they have.    NOW.

Before the pitching injuries?  Yes. I would have said they can.  I mean I love Means.  I love Bradish.  I love FB.  All 3 are potential all stars.  And add in the other injuries?

We are screwed unless we make trades. 

I would start with signing Trevor Bauer.  He throws 97 and is hungry.  Go from there.

I think there is almost 100% consensus on the board that the O’s will need more pitching to win the AL East and make a deep playoff run.  So, I don’t think you’re breaking new ground here.  

The real question is, how much should the O’s be willing to give up to acquire the pitching they need?   You’ve given your answer: you’d be okay trading Holliday, Kjerstad and another decent prospect from AA.   

Personally, I won’t reject that out of hand.  It really depends on the quality of the pitchers received in return and the length of time under team control.  Who do you have in mind?   


 

[Spy Fox]

8 minutes ago, SteveA said:

And yet we have the 4th best team ERA in the majors.

Yes, we absolutely need to pick up some pitching at the deadline.    The weaknesses are well known, and the one that will hurt the most in the postseason is not having enough lights out high-K-rate relievers.

But the idea that we are really suffering in pitching is just not true.   Most teams in the majors are worse than we are, and that includes most of the playoff teams.

I agree with you that folks are overstating the problem. 

The season to date stats don't tell the full story though. They include about 100 innings (~14% of our total innings) from our elbow quartet of Bradish, Means, Wells, and Coulombe. That work was overall excellent, even factoring in Wells' poor contribution. They're all currently out of the picture and our in-house replacements for those IP won't be as good. It'll be a challenge to stay this high in the ERA ranks unless they bring in more talent.

[OnlyOneOriole]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

I think there is almost 100% consensus on the board that the O’s will need more pitching to win the AL East and make a deep playoff run.  So, I don’t think you’re breaking new ground here.  

The real question is, how much should the O’s be willing to give up to acquire the pitching they need?   You’ve given your answer: you’d be okay trading Holliday, Kjerstad and another decent prospect from AA.   

Personally, I won’t reject that out of hand.  It really depends on the quality of the pitchers received in return and the length of time under team control.  Who do you have in mind?   


 

IF I could get a combo of Miller, Crochet, and another decent middle reliever?

I would be very open to trading Holliday, Heston, and another decent AA prospect or 2. 

How that would work?  I have no idea.  But to me that seems ideal. 

[OnlyOneOriole]

1 hour ago, SteveA said:

And yet we have the 4th best team ERA in the majors.

Yes, we absolutely need to pick up some pitching at the deadline.    The weaknesses are well known, and the one that will hurt the most in the postseason is not having enough lights out high-K-rate relievers.

But the idea that we are really suffering in pitching is just not true.   Most teams in the majors are worse than we are, and that includes most of the playoff teams.

Ok.  But a lot of that ERA was with pitchers like Bradish, Means, and Detective Columbo.

They are gone. 

So we need to look forward.  Not what was.  And forward with what we have is not ideal.

Edited Thursday at 22:04 by OnlyOneOriole

[RZNJ]

Just now, OnlyOneOriole said:

IF I could get a combo of Miller, Crochet, and another decent middle reliever?

I would be very open to trading Holliday, Heston, and another decent AA prospect or 2. 

How that would work?  I have no idea.  But to me that seems ideal. 

That would be mighty bold.  I laid out a trade involving Kjerstad, Norby, and P Luis De León for Crochet.    Holliday for Miller?   I think the A’s have to kick something in, don’t they?   I can’t imagine us having to give up more.

A lot of posters will have a conniption that we’d even discuss this.  Lol