Questioning MacPhail's moves...

[hoosiers]

It does look like Eaton was "targeted" to some degree.

Why are people carried away with the word "targeted"? It could mean a lot of things to different people. Sometimes, you target a top talent to sign or trade for to fill a gap in a current position.

IMO, in this case, the Os were looking for the cheapest possible pitcher who could be had for nothing in trade and who would cost virtually nothing in salary. IMO, Eaton was a prime candidate in that "target" list.

[Sports Guy]

Why are people carried away with the word "targeted"? It could mean a lot of things to different people. Sometimes, you target a top talent to sign or trade for to fill a gap in a current position.

IMO, in this case, the Os were looking for the cheapest possible pitcher who could be had for nothing in trade and who would cost virtually nothing in salary. IMO, Eaton was a prime candidate in that "target" list.

The Orioles discussed him from the beginning of the offseason.

He was definitely someone they looked at, thought they could acquire him cheaply and that he could be in the rotation.

The idea that he was even on their radar at all is pretty terrible.

[Mackus]

The Orioles discussed him from the beginning of the offseason.

He was definitely someone they looked at, thought they could acquire him cheaply and that he could be in the rotation.

The idea that he was even on their radar at all is pretty terrible.

Why? Every player in the sport should be on their radar. Knowledge is never a bad thing. "Targeted" doesn't mean he was someone they really really wanted and did everything they could to get.

[Sports Guy]

Why? Every player in the sport should be on their radar. Knowledge is never a bad thing. "Targeted" doesn't mean he was someone they really really wanted and did everything they could to get.

Knowledge should have told them that even wasting 3 minutes looking at him was a waste of time.

And you guys are being pretty foolish..Am has made it clear, several timeas, that Eaton was a guy they were looking at and wanted to bring in.

They DEFINTELY wanted him here and he was definitely someone that they targeted..AM has said this..He talked to them at the GM meeting and the winter meetings.

This isn't even a debate...This is all factual stuff right from AM's mouth...This isn't being politically correct..This isn't, well we had injuries, so we took a shot.

He clearly looked at Eaton as a guy he wanted and tried to get him all offseason.

[ugen64]

Knowledge should have told them that even wasting 3 minutes looking at him was a waste of time.

And you guys are being pretty foolish..Am has made it clear, several timeas, that Eaton was a guy they were looking at and wanted to bring in.

They DEFINTELY wanted him here and he was definitely someone that they targeted..AM has said this..He talked to them at the GM meeting and the winter meetings.

This isn't even a debate...This is all factual stuff right from AM's mouth...This isn't being politically correct..This isn't, well we had injuries, so we took a shot.

He clearly looked at Eaton as a guy he wanted and tried to get him all offseason.

Name every starting pitcher on our roster who has ever put up the following numbers (or close to them) in a season:

183.0 IP, 31 GS, 20 HR, 68 BB, 146 K, 7.18 K/9, 3.34 BB/9, 0.98 HR/9, 4.09 FIP

Ready? Go. And before you say "Jeremy Guthrie", keep in mind that his FIP has never been below 4.50.

[Sports Guy]

Name every starting pitcher on our roster who has ever put up the following numbers (or close to them) in a season:

183.0 IP, 31 GS, 20 HR, 68 BB, 146 K, 7.18 K/9, 3.34 BB/9, 0.98 HR/9, 4.09 FIP

Ready? Go. And before you say "Jeremy Guthrie", keep in mind that his FIP has never been below 4.50.

Who cares?

Eaton is terrible and has been for years...Bringing up what he did years and years ago is totally irrelevant.

Why don't you just bring up what Trachsel did 7 years ago and ask for him toc ome back too?

[TGO]

What did people expect MacPhail to say when he signed Eaton?

"Well, he sucks pretty bad, but our other guys might suck worse, and he was willing to work for almost-free which I couldn't get that jerk-wad Pedro to do, so here we are. Signing Adam Eaton. All seats at Camden Yards will now have barf bag holders installed next to the cupholders."

Honestly, he said what GMs are supposed to sign when they sign a crap veteran off the scrap heap. We like him, had our eye on his situation, hoping he might get loose, even thought about trading something for him, BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH.

[stef]

Why are people carried away with the word "targeted"? It could mean a lot of things to different people. Sometimes, you target a top talent to sign or trade for to fill a gap in a current position.

Probably does mean different things to different people. I just responded to a couple of posts that said he wasn't targeted (whatever it means in this case).

IMO, in this case, the Os were looking for the cheapest possible pitcher who could be had for nothing in trade and who would cost virtually nothing in salary. IMO, Eaton was a prime candidate in that "target" list.

You might be right. And it is a move, however small in the grand scheme of things, that is open to some criticism.

[NewMarketSean]

Name every starting pitcher on our roster who has ever put up the following numbers (or close to them) in a season:

183.0 IP, 31 GS, 20 HR, 68 BB, 146 K, 7.18 K/9, 3.34 BB/9, 0.98 HR/9, 4.09 FIP

Ready? Go. And before you say "Jeremy Guthrie", keep in mind that his FIP has never been below 4.50.

Dude, that was 2003. It could be 1903 and still be as irrelevant.

[Sports Guy]

What did people expect MacPhail to say when he signed Eaton?

"Well, he sucks pretty bad, but our other guys might suck worse, and he was willing to work for almost-free which I couldn't get that jerk-wad Pedro to do, so here we are. Signing Adam Eaton. All seats at Camden Yards will now have barf bag holders installed next to the cupholders."

Honestly, he said what GMs are supposed to sign when they sign a crap veteran off the scrap heap. We like him, had our eye on his situation, hoping he might get loose, even thought about trading something for him, BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH.

Sorry but this is a poor argument...We know, for a fact, that he discussed him in the beginning of the offseason.

All AM had to say is that Eaton had been released, we had injuries and decided to bring him in for a look.

You guys and your conspiracy theories about what he should be saying are pretty funny.

He didn't have to say, we targeted him...He didn't have to talk about how they went after him early offseason. He didn't have to hand him a spot despite being terrible.

He did that stuff for a reason..because he wanted him on the team because he felt he would give them some quality starts...the stat he kept referring too. This is obvious..This is what AM stated.

Everytime he talks, you guys think he has some hidden agenda.

[NewMarketSean]

What did people expect MacPhail to say when he signed Eaton?

"Well, he sucks pretty bad, but our other guys might suck worse, and he was willing to work for almost-free which I couldn't get that jerk-wad Pedro to do, so here we are. Signing Adam Eaton. All seats at Camden Yards will now have barf bag holders installed next to the cupholders."

Honestly, he said what GMs are supposed to sign when they sign a crap veteran off the scrap heap. We like him, had our eye on his situation, hoping he might get loose, even thought about trading something for him, BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH.

AM Should have said this: "Eaton is someone we could have signed for cheap and handed him a job but we felt that at this point in Eaton's career, Chris Waters or David Pauley could put up similar numbers. So we decided to save a little money and give a job to someone who demonstrated some success last year."

[TGO]

AM Should have said this: "Eaton is someone we could have signed for cheap and handed him a job but we felt that at this point in Eaton's career, Chris Waters or David Pauley could put up similar numbers. So we decided to save a little money and give a job to someone who demonstrated some success last year."

I agree with you. My post was directed at those who I think are making too much out of the word "targeted."

[Roll Tide]

Eaton signing was like trying to put a small fingertip band-aid on a knife wound.

Obviously the penny pinching has turned out to be a big mistake again. Orioles Baseball same old same old!!!

[Mackus]

Eaton signing was like trying to put a small fingertip band-aid on a knife wound.

Obviously the penny pinching has turned out to be a big mistake again.

I agree with you if you think we should have signed other, slightly better guys to fairly big ($2-5M) one-year deals.

If you think we should have signed mediocre veterans to multi-year deals for even more money (Looper, Redding, Wolf, Garland, and others) then I disagree completely.

[NewMarketSean]

It seems like AM left himself a small margin of error. Judging from his conservative approach, only Bergesen and Hernandez were really considered for early-season call-ups this year... maybe the only prospects next in line until Sept. So, AM had to hope that no more than 2 of his SP's would get hurt or stink for the entire season.

And if he was, then what O's team is he watching? Usually our rotation is overhauled completely by the end of the season.

It's only April 21st and already Simon is out for what looks to be the year and Adam Eaton doesn't deserve to be on the team.

Which one of the promising prospects was AM hoping to take Eaton's place? Was he even counting on Eaton to finish the year? Or was he hoping that AM could resurrect himself?

Sounds like another Luis Hernandez-sized mistake IMO.