Hyde: No Idea if Suarez Will Be Back

[Sports Guy]

1 hour ago, Aristotelian said:

That is exactly my roster math as well. And that breaks down to just one vacant bullpen slot (with two starters). 

I'm not sure we even have room for a high leverage reliever. You have seven guys on your list and they are all out of options or high leverage guys that shouldn't be optioned. We should have one spot for optionable guys and ideally another for waiver claims.

The only way Suarez makes sense if he is super cheap so we can DFA without a second thought. But he will cost more this year. 

You always have room for another high leverage guy.  And Akin has an option left according to FG.

[Sports Guy]

27 minutes ago, webbrick2010 said:

 

LOL, so you are going to pick up the option on Dominguez for 8M, and the arbitration salary for Soto for 5+ million, but not interested in Saurez.

This message board deserves whatever crappy roster Elias throws together in 2025

This posts wreaks of someone who has no idea what the cost of relievers are nowadays.

Which is, of course, no surprise that you aren’t informed.

Now that said, I don’t have an issue if you take someone out..I asked that very question. Who do you take out or what do you not acquire in favor of keeping Suarez?

[LookitsPuck]

1 hour ago, Sports Guy said:

So to all of you saying you would bring him back….

GRod, Eflin, Kremer, Felix, DC, Webb, Soto, Dominguez, Akin and Cano

That leaves room for 3 more pitchers and this doesn’t include McDermott, Rogers or Povich.

3 spots left, 1 high end reliever and 2 starters. Which of those 3 spots do you want him at or, who do you take off the above list and keep Suarez over?

Definitely don't want Soto back. 

I'm on the fence w/ Dominguez. I guess he's a fine hedge in the event that Felix isn't effective from the jump. 

I don't want Rogers on this roster. As said before, I want an open competition for the 5th spot between Suarez, Povich, McDermott, Rogers. If Suarez doesn't make the rotation, he goes into the bullpen. Povich/McDermott/Rogers all have options. If I had it my way, here's what the 13 pitcher breakdown would be:

• SP1: Free Agent Signing (Snell, Burnes, Fried, etc.)
• SP2: Eflin
• SP3: Grayson
• SP4: Kremer
• SP5: Free Agent Signing and/or competition w/ Suarez, McDermott, Rogers, Povich
• Closer: Felix
• High Leverage: Coulombe
• High Leverage: Free Agent Signing
• Middle Reliever: Free Agent Signing *or* Dominguez
• Middle Reliever: Cano
• Middle Reliever: Webb
• Middle Reliever: Akin
• Middle/Long Reliever: Suarez

I'd like to see this club sign a SP1, SP5, a high leverage arm and a reliable middle reliever type..

[interloper]

2 minutes ago, LookitsPuck said:

Definitely don't want Soto back. 

I'm on the fence w/ Dominguez. I guess he's a fine hedge in the event that Felix isn't effective from the jump. 

I don't want Rogers on this roster. As said before, I want an open competition for the 5th spot between Suarez, Povich, McDermott, Rogers. If Suarez doesn't make the rotation, he goes into the bullpen. Povich/McDermott/Rogers all have options. If I had it my way, here's what the 13 pitcher breakdown would be:

• SP1: Free Agent Signing (Snell, Burnes, Fried, etc.)
• SP2: Eflin
• SP3: Grayson
• SP4: Kremer
• SP5: Free Agent Signing and/or competition w/ Suarez, McDermott, Rogers, Povich
• Closer: Felix
• High Leverage: Coulombe
• High Leverage: Free Agent Signing
• Middle Reliever: Free Agent Signing *or* Dominguez
• Middle Reliever: Cano
• Middle Reliever: Webb
• Middle Reliever: Akin
• Middle/Long Reliever: Suarez

I'd like to see this club sign a SP1, SP5, a high leverage arm and a reliable middle reliever type..

This is it right here. The ideal scenario. 

[Aristotelian]

5 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

You always have room for another high leverage guy.  And Akin has an option left according to FG.

I am probably wrong about this but I thought when he was optioned in August he had one left so I am guessing next year he will be out of options. 

He was optioned in September '22, May '23, and August '24. Plus optioned to the training site in 2020. I'm honestly not sure how he was optioned this year. 

[Sports Guy]

6 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

I am probably wrong about this but I thought when he was optioned in August he had one left so I am guessing next year he will be out of options. 

He was optioned in September '22, May '23, and August '24. Plus optioned to the training site in 2020. I'm honestly not sure how he was optioned this year. 

If Akin doesn't have an option, I am on the fence with keeping him.

[Aristotelian]

8 minutes ago, LookitsPuck said:

Definitely don't want Soto back. 

I'm on the fence w/ Dominguez. I guess he's a fine hedge in the event that Felix isn't effective from the jump. 

I don't want Rogers on this roster. As said before, I want an open competition for the 5th spot between Suarez, Povich, McDermott, Rogers. If Suarez doesn't make the rotation, he goes into the bullpen. Povich/McDermott/Rogers all have options. If I had it my way, here's what the 13 pitcher breakdown would be:

• SP1: Free Agent Signing (Snell, Burnes, Fried, etc.)
• SP2: Eflin
• SP3: Grayson
• SP4: Kremer
• SP5: Free Agent Signing and/or competition w/ Suarez, McDermott, Rogers, Povich
• Closer: Felix
• High Leverage: Coulombe
• High Leverage: Free Agent Signing
• Middle Reliever: Free Agent Signing *or* Dominguez
• Middle Reliever: Cano
• Middle Reliever: Webb
• Middle Reliever: Akin
• Middle/Long Reliever: Suarez

I'd like to see this club sign a SP1, SP5, a high leverage arm and a reliable middle reliever type..

In this scenario, then you either have one optionable spot in the rotation with none in the bullpen, or one optionable spot in the bullpen with none in the rotation. I think Elias is going to want more flexibility than that, not only for optioning back and forth, but also to be able to pick up Webb/Bowman types we know he loves.

I'm not sure how he accomplishes that but I don't see him starting the year completely stacked with guys who are out of options, and I don't see him paying Suarez at risk of DFA. 

Again, as a fan I'd love to have Suarez back but he is not nearly as compelling when we are paying market rate for him. If Suarez had been on some other team, would he be at the top of our list to sign as a free agent? 

[Aristotelian]

7 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

If Akin doesn't have an option, I am on the fence with keeping him.

Would you rather have Suarez than Akin? And if Suarez was not on the Orioles last year, would he be on your free agent shopping list? Both are honest questions, not rhetorical.

[LookitsPuck]

5 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

In this scenario, then you either have one optionable spot in the rotation with none in the bullpen, or one optionable spot in the bullpen with none in the rotation. I think Elias is going to want more flexibility than that, not only for optioning back and forth, but also to be able to pick up Webb/Bowman types we know he loves.

I'm not sure how he accomplishes that but I don't see him starting the year completely stacked with guys who are out of options, and I don't see him paying Suarez at risk of DFA. 

Again, as a fan I'd love to have Suarez back but he is not nearly as compelling when we are paying market rate for him. If Suarez had been on some other team, would he be at the top of our list to sign as a free agent? 

Don't Cano and Akin have options? Felix does as well. And folks get hurt. 

*saw your post re: Akin, yeah, he might be out of options. 

Edited 1 hour ago by LookitsPuck

[LookitsPuck]

1 minute ago, Aristotelian said:

Would you rather have Suarez than Akin? And if Suarez was not on the Orioles last year, would he be on your free agent shopping list? Both are honest questions, not rhetorical.

It's a tough question. Akin stunk/hurt in 2023, this year he was very good in medium/low leverage situations. Suarez is a starter *and* was effective in relief. I don't know, think I'd rather have Suarez, tbh.

[Aristotelian]

1 minute ago, LookitsPuck said:

Don't Cano and Akin have options? Felix does as well. And folks get hurt. 

Akin is discussed above. Pretty sure he is out of options as of this year. But I am far from a roster nerd. 

Cano and Felix do have options but they are not the type of guys you would option assuming they are performing at a high level, only if they struggle. We are not going to want to option them just to get through a bullpen day or manage rest. 

[DirtyBird]

13 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

If Akin doesn't have an option, I am on the fence with keeping him.

Haha. Our reliever with the lowest FIP & WHIP and highest K/BB rate.

[Sports Guy]

I don't get the idea of not wanting Soto back.

First of all, lets talk about money.  He probably gets around $6M in arb for 2025. 37 relievers made 6M or more in 2024. 56 made 4M or more.  A 1/6 deal for him isnt bad and its not a long term commitment, which is a huge plus.

After his 2 awful outings after he got here, Soto appeared in 20 games. He threw 16.1 innings and had a 1.10 ERA. He gave up 1 homer, walked 4, 11 hits and struck out 20.  For the season, his ERA was a mediocre 4.42 but his FIP was 3.68, his K rate was over 11 and his HR rate was .68. The issue is the walks. He is still only 29 years old, has over 60 appearances each of the last 4 years (ie he's durable) and he has very good seasons in the past. Even last year, when his ERA was 4.62, his xERA was 2.79 and his FIP was 3.59.

With his ability to get Ks and miss bats and the upside he has, taking the chance on him for 1/6 is a risk you would be foolish not to take.

[Sports Guy]

6 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

Would you rather have Suarez than Akin? And if Suarez was not on the Orioles last year, would he be on your free agent shopping list? Both are honest questions, not rhetorical.

I don't really want Suarez back.

[LookitsPuck]

5 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

I don't get the idea of not wanting Soto back.

First of all, lets talk about money.  He probably gets around $6M in arb for 2025. 37 relievers made 6M or more in 2024. 56 made 4M or more.  A 1/6 deal for him isnt bad and its not a long term commitment, which is a huge plus.

After his 2 awful outings after he got here, Soto appeared in 20 games. He threw 16.1 innings and had a 1.10 ERA. He gave up 1 homer, walked 4, 11 hits and struck out 20.  For the season, his ERA was a mediocre 4.42 but his FIP was 3.68, his K rate was over 11 and his HR rate was .68. The issue is the walks. He is still only 29 years old, has over 60 appearances each of the last 4 years (ie he's durable) and he has very good seasons in the past. Even last year, when his ERA was 4.62, his xERA was 2.79 and his FIP was 3.59.

With his ability to get Ks and miss bats and the upside he has, taking the chance on him for 1/6 is a risk you would be foolish not to take.

Soto has had 6 years in the majors. Only 2 of them with an ERA under 4 and he's averaged a 100 ERA+. He has a career FIP of nearly 4. A career WHIP of over 1.4.

Why is that valuable? Yeah, he can go on dominant runs. But so could Bryan Baker. 

That's worth clogging up a spot and not getting somebody more consistent and...well...better?

I think he's back because Elias overpaid for him and went on about the acquisitions not being just about this year (Dominguez, Soto, Rogers). But I personally wouldn't bring him back. 

Edited 1 hour ago by LookitsPuck