Rosenthal: O's more willing to deal Baez and Sherrill

[PaulFolk]

Can't really argue that logic, however, Sherrill is a lot younger than Walker, and is more likely to remain consistant for two or three more years. Walker was old when he got to Baltimore... Sherrill is younger and hasn't been in the show nearly as long.

I wasn't comparing Sherrill to Walker per se, just using Walker as an example of how a reliever can suddenly combust after having a good season. It happens to all sorts of relievers, both younger and older than Sherrill.

[Sanfran327]

I wasn't comparing Sherrill to Walker per se, just using Walker as an example of how a reliever can suddenly combust after having a good season. It happens to all sorts of relievers, both younger and older than Sherrill.

Very true. Many players have ups and downs throughout their careers. The good ones are the ones that compete at a consistantly high level. I don't think GS is at that leve, but I think you pretty much know what you can expect out of him year to year.

[Dadaist]

Sherrill is the cornerstone of our franchise.

[Sanfran327]

Sherrill is the cornerstone of our franchise.

I love your Pee Wee Herman style of debate: "I know you are, but what am I??"

I never said that, and you know it. You're just giving up on this discussion, but you wanted to get one last jab in. Nice.

[RShack]

Completely agree about the long term, I was questioning rshack's claim that the bullpen was promptly fixed when MacPhail joined and this it is now currently fixed.

It's the reason he dug in his heels to get Sherrill. SEA didn't wanna move him, and they paid dearly for his absence. The BP is not the train wreck it was before. If you recall, the only guys DT could count on were Bradford and Walker, and that made him use them in ways differently than their intended roles.

Regardless, AM publicly said fixing the BP was a priority. Now, maybe you can debate whether he succeeded, but he clearly said that's what he was trying to do. As for the current numbers, IMO they don't fairly indicate BP quality. The BP numbers were dragged down early, when the SP's were rarely going 6 IP and by Walker's fade. With semi-decent SP and with Walker having got on his horse and ridden out of town, the BP is better than those numbers indicate.

[J.D.]

Absolutely. But I wouln't count Heathcliff Slocumb as the rule... probably more of the exception.

What about Scott Linebrink for Will Inman, Steve Garrison, and Joe Thatcher? Inman was the #3 prospect for the Brewers at the time. And Linebrink wasn't even a closer.

I'm not saying it happens ALL the time. But it does happen, and certainly there's a market for a left-handed closer with a track record of saving a bunch of games. He has a higher chance of that happening. Especially when he's inexpensive and would be under team control for more than a half of a season.

[Hooded Viper]

I think we could have a very formidable back end of the BP when Ray comes back, with his arm slot firmly in place. JJ should be the closer once GS is traded, and I have a strong feeling he will be, with Ray setting up for him. JJ is the most talented BP arm we have and he appears to have the mindset. I don't see losing GS being that big a deal as long as AM gets what he wants for him. If he does, he is gone and if not he will remain. Simple:)

[RShack]

So you'd be perfectly fine with MacPhail trading Baez, Sherrill, and just about anyone else just so long as it's his opinion that the internal options to replace them are just as good?

If AM believes he can move those guys for difference-makers, and that he has the horses within to keep the BP functioning well, then sure. I doubt if that will happen, but if it does, it's fine with me. Much more likely to see Baez go than Sherrill IMO, just because of the contract stuff. In general, unless you have somebody like a young Mariano Rivera, I don't see BP guys as being long-term keepers who help provide franchise identity. But I also don't see them as guys who will bring back difference-makers either. I think this is mainly much ado about not very much, either way.

Some folks here seem to have me type-cast as being anti-trade, but I'm not at all anti-trade. I think good trades matter. I just think they are a lesser tool than some posters do, and I think good trades are a lot harder to make than some posters do. So, it not that I'm anti-trade, it's just that I think a lot of folks around here are way unrealistic about them, that's all. This is true in general, and it's especially true abut "deadline deals". As a general rule, there's a lot of hype about them on message boards, but they usually don't amount to much.

[DrungoHazewood]

Tell me why Markakis sat against tough lefties his rookie season, please.

Because he was a kid, and they wanted him to be in the best position to succeed?

C'mon, this is getting a little ridiculous. Obviously the platoon advantage exists. It's nearly universal. Lefties hit righties better and vice versa. It's a whole other discussion as to whether it's worthwhile to devote several roster spots to pitchers whose only jobs are to get out a single left-handed hitter twice a week.

[byrdz]

The only current reliever that I wouldn't want to deal is Johnson. He's just to much fun to watch pitch, the guy means bidness when he's on the mound. :clap3:

By the way, anyone know what's up with Hoey? Thought he was the next big thing coming up through the reliever ranks.

.

[Mashed Potatoes]

LOL Hot Shot, haven't heard that slang since 1987. BTW the bullpen "in the present" is not much better than last years

Hot Shots Part Deux came out in 1993!

[elsid]

I don't know, but I think you have to consider trading a LOOGY who another team thinks of as a closer ,while you have a surplus of pitching. That's a classic exploitation of a market inefficiency, and it's dealing from a strength.

Didn't know the O's could trade with themselves?!?

[Sanfran327]

Because he was a kid, and they wanted him to be in the best position to succeed?

C'mon, this is getting a little ridiculous. Obviously the platoon advantage exists. It's nearly universal. Lefties hit righties better and vice versa. It's a whole other discussion as to whether it's worthwhile to devote several roster spots to pitchers whose only jobs are to get out a single left-handed hitter twice a week.

I know you know all of this. You're one of the more knowledgeable guys on this board, and certainly moreso than myself.

All I'm looking for is the best bullpen we can find. My hunch is that Sherrill is going to be a part of that bullpen. He's cheap, under control for a while, and effective. And while I understand that those are the exact characteristics that make him attractive to other organizations, the fact remains that he's in OUR organization right now, and we're close enough to contention that keeping him around would be a good idea. If we thought we were more than three years from the playoffs, then go ahead and deal him, but I think we're closer than that.

[DrungoHazewood]

Didn't know the O's could trade with themselves?!?

Are you saying the O's are the only team that sees Sherrill as anything but a LOOGY?

[elsid]

Are you saying the O's are the only team that sees Sherrill as anything but a LOOGY?

No, was just commenting on the comment. There is more traffic for him this year, however there are not as many teams that are looking for closers. He would either be a set up man or LOOGY, for the teams that I know are interested. However, he could be a closer on those teams, if need be or the other falters.