Sign Skubal or trade Burnes

[dzorange]

Trading Burnes... what a great message to send to fans who are beginning to come back after the long 2017-2022 rebuilding.

"We have a real shot at winning the pennant but I think we'll close up shop for 2024 and please come back in 2025 when we try to get our team to the same spot in the standings that we are today."

Edited July 30 by dzorange

[dzorange]

I think Sammy Seagull has been flying a little too close to the sun.

https://memes.getyarn.io/yarn-clip/e2cce806-01de-4c2a-ab99-24052b84e2c0

[waroriole]

If they don’t do this one stupid thing, they should definitely do another stupid thing.

[Yardball85]

1 hour ago, Sammy Seagull said:

In your honest opinion, can the O's get to the WS this year with it's current roster? If not, Elias must sign a number 1 starting pitcher today by 6pm or trade Burnes.

"sign" Skubal? Huh? 

[theobird]

I’m guessing, but I’d say Skubal and Crochet are not gonna happen. Blake Snell? That one would not surprise me. No way will Elias peddle the prospect capital for the first two, and Snell will not cost near as much in prospect capital. I’m thinking our new owner will tell Elias he is ok with the risk on Snell’s contract. Just my thoughts

[LookitsPuck]

This team can get to the World Series w/ Burnes, Grayson, Eflin, Kremer, somebody other than Suarez/Povich. 

Does Skubal move the needle that much more? I'm not so sure. Let's remember, Texas's rotation last year wasn't exactly elite. Dunning, Gray, Heaney, Eovaldi, Perez all had ERAs near or above 4. They did pickup Jordan Montgomery and Scherzer at the trade deadline. But is a rotation of Scherzer, Montgomery, Dunning, Gray, Heaney that much different than Burnes, Grayson, Eflin, Kremer, {acquisition}? 

I don't think so. Yeah, Skubal would make the rotation *better*. But it isn't dire straits here. The Eflin pickup is a very solid #3, IMHO. 

[ScGO's]

Eflin was a good trade. Burnes, Gray Rod, Eflin can compete in the playoffs. Elias should be seeking out a #2 through #4 for starter for the right price in order to push Kremer to 5

Bullpen will be better with McDermott and Suarez there. Trade for another RP. Is Birch Smith a guy?

[Roll Tide]

1 hour ago, Sanfran327 said:

I don't know why the OP is getting such a hard time. This roster has shown us over the last month that it's definitely flawed. Yes, a TOR, prime RP, and a RH OFer would go a long way towards fixing it, but those are pretty big holes to fill without mortgaging the future. It will be hard to address those positions without dealing Holliday, Mayo, Basallo, or Cowser. I'm also not wild about dealing Kjerstad, and trading Mountcastle and/or Mullins will create new holes on the MLB roster. We would absolutely lose defense moving on from either, and there is no guarantee that we would backfill their offensive production.

Losing Bradish, Means, Wells, Bautista, and Coulombe hurts really bad. We are a juggernaut if those guys are healthy, and while we are still very good without them, I don't know that we quite have enough to go all in. So if moving on from Burnes can set us up for 2025+, I think that's a worthwhile consideration. But I would have to be absolutely blown away by a deal to essentially punt on this season. 

Simple answer….1st place teams don’t sell. The Orioles organization would be the laughing stock of baseball 

[24fps]

29 minutes ago, LookitsPuck said:

This team can get to the World Series w/ Burnes, Grayson, Eflin, Kremer, somebody other than Suarez/Povich. 

Does Skubal move the needle that much more? I'm not so sure. Let's remember, Texas's rotation last year wasn't exactly elite. Dunning, Gray, Heaney, Eovaldi, Perez all had ERAs near or above 4. They did pickup Jordan Montgomery and Scherzer at the trade deadline. But is a rotation of Scherzer, Montgomery, Dunning, Gray, Heaney that much different than Burnes, Grayson, Eflin, Kremer, {acquisition}? 

I don't think so. Yeah, Skubal would make the rotation *better*. But it isn't dire straits here. The Eflin pickup is a very solid #3, IMHO. 

If Elias does nothing more before 6:00 and bases that decision on this rationale, how persuasive do you think his excuse is going to be?  Fangraphs has Skubal as one full WAR point higher than Burnes at this point in the season and 1.8 higher than Rodriguez.  This season is worth investing in and Skubal moves the needle.  A lot.

[LookitsPuck]

5 minutes ago, 24fps said:

If Elias does nothing more before 6:00 and bases that decision on this rationale, how persuasive do you think his excuse is going to be?  Fangraphs has Skubal as one full WAR point higher than Burnes at this point in the season and 1.8 higher than Rodriguez.  This season is worth investing in and Skubal moves the needle.  A lot.

This season is worth investing in. I'm actually advocating they pick up an additional starter, but I don't think it's essentially Skubal or bust. That's what I meant by saying somebody other than Povich/Suarez. 

Even if Skubal is 1 WAR higher than Burnes, we are talking about 2 months left this season. To me, Eovaldi would be just fine. Blake Snell as a salary dump from the Giants would be just fine and has the upside of being similar to that of Skubal. 

I don't think it's defensible to not pickup another arm + bullpen arm. 

Edited July 30 by LookitsPuck

[24fps]

2 minutes ago, LookitsPuck said:

This season is worth investing in. I'm actually advocating they pick up an additional starter, but I don't think it's essentially Skubal or bust. That's what I meant by saying somebody other than Povich/Suarez. 

Even if Skubal is 1 WAR higher than Burnes, we are talking about 2 months left this season. To me, Eovaldi would be just fine. Blake Snell as a salary dump from the Giants would be just fine and has the upside of being similar to that of Skubal. 

I would also be happy with Snell, but I think there is/will be enough competition for him to make the trade cost significantly higher than the financial risk warrants.  If I had to bet, I would put my money on Tyler Anderson/Tanner Scott type targets, but I don't think Elias has the option to do nothing more and then make excuses.

[LookitsPuck]

2 minutes ago, 24fps said:

I would also be happy with Snell, but I think there is/will be enough competition for him to make the trade cost significantly higher than the financial risk warrants.  If I had to bet, I would put my money on Tyler Anderson/Tanner Scott type targets, but I don't think Elias has the option to do nothing more and then make excuses.

I'm not the biggest Tyler Anderson fan, tbh. But I wouldn't be upset w/ an Anderson/Scott deadline set of deals. That fills holes. Tyler Anderson has been pitching like a TOR starter this year somehow. And he isn't a rental. His price is going to be similar to that of Zach Eflin. 

[OriolesMagic83]

If you're not first, you're last!  

[Too Tall]

In leadership, the messages you send are as important as the decisions you make. This OP is unbelievable. Trade Burnes if we don't get another top starting pitcher? I'd love to see the public relations behind that move. I just never cease to be amazed on here. Keeps me reading keeps me young! Carry on.

[Frobby]

3 hours ago, Sammy Seagull said:

and I'm saying if Elias doesn't trade for a Decent Big Name Starter today, why keep Burnes? A good GM is looking at all options that is best for the team. Go ALL In or trade for 2025.

And I say, that’s crap.  We have a decent chance to win this year and you don’t sacrifice the season by trading your best pitcher away.  If you believe we can’t possibly win without another huge pitching upgrade, well good for you, but I don’t believe that.