What young pitcher would you trade for offense

[Sapper]

So reality can now be decided based on 2.8% of a pitcher's season? Holding people accountable is great but it's way too premature to make any judgments right now. Just look at the difference between most people with regards to Corey Patterson after 15 at bats and now.

I agree. Which is why I thought it was ridiculous for someone to call him a "stud" and base further arguments upon that last week. THAT was exactly my point.

A better example for you would be Derek Lowe last year. I agreed with you that Lowe would be a good pitcher for the Dodger's and thus far he has been. However, if you were arguing the opposite you would have been telling us how his ERA had doubled in May and that he wasnt that good. You were excitely right when telling people it was too early to make a call on Lowe but then here you are doing exactly what you scolded others for. Either way it's premature to judge someone who has more good than bad at this point in the season.

Who said I was judging anyone? The only thing I am judging is the ridiculous statements of glee people make around here in April and early May every year.

The Benson move was brilliant because he's a decent pitcher and Julio is a bum. If Benson continues to pitch well it makes it even better.

Well I wouldn't call it brilliant but sadly, with his 4.62 ERA, he's the best starter on the team so far. Way to go FO!

I've always thought he'd be around a 4 ERA if he was healthy. But with offense way up this season I think you're going to have look at his ERA compared to the rest of the AL East to figure out how good or bad he was this year.

Scott Kazmir is in the 2's. He's 10 times better than any pitcher we currently have and everyone here trashed Tampa pitching before the season started.

[BritFan]

Scott Kazmir is in the 2's. He's 10 times better than any pitcher we currently have and everyone here trashed Tampa pitching before the season started.

Your right about how people are calling Benson a stud already. The same thing is happening with Cory Patterson. He's being referred to as a "potential all star". This could just be a hot streak, he sure looks good at the moment though

I think people are on your back about your opinion on Benson because he's one of the bright spots in the pitching staff.

Most people at the beginning of the season would say that Tampa's pitching is poor, apart from Kazmir

[Max Power]

Well I wouldn't call it brilliant but sadly, with his 4.62 ERA, he's the best starter on the team so far. Way to go FO!

So are you saying you'd rather have a guy with a 6.75 ERA who's hurt (Maine) and a 5.06 ERA (Julio) instead? It's a great trade because Benson has been a good starter and the other two players had little trade value.

Scott Kazmir is in the 2's. He's 10 times better than any pitcher we currently have and everyone here trashed Tampa pitching before the season started.

You are aware that Tampa Bay has the 4th worst pitching staff in baseball by ERA arent you? Even though the Orioles are worse than Tampa Bay doesnt mean that the Rays pitching doesnt suck as well. Also, Kazmir's great but I dont see how you think the Orioles could have acquired him. Are we also going to be mad that Albert Pujols isnt our first baseman?

[Sapper]

Actually, an ERA around 4.62 is just about what I expect. Just about .5 runs higher than his ERA last year in the NL.

But my point is more a commentary on the foolishness of calling someone a "stud" based upon a month. And the foolishness of people touting this a great trade already when we have no idea how he or Maine or Julio will play for years to come.

But we are spending a lot of money for that now-4.62 ERA "stud".

BTW, Maine's ERA just jumped UP to 2.64 after a bad outing (it was 2.08).

Julio has a BAA of .211.

Yeah, that was a GREAT trade. This team is run by morons.

[Fairfax Bird]

BTW, Maine's ERA just jumped UP to 2.64 after a bad outing (it was 2.08).

Julio has a BAA of .211.

Yeah, that was a GREAT trade. This team is run by morons.

Your judging this trade too soon. The trade was solid. Yeah, Maine has looked good this year. Nothing he did the last two years suggested that would happen. Julio is just as likely to have a 7.00 ERA as doing what he is doing.

BTW, good job patting yourself on the back. When you are wrong do you go back 5 pages of history to bring it forward and say I was wrong? Are you ever wrong?

[Mark Carver]

BTW, Maine's ERA just jumped UP to 2.64 after a bad outing (it was 2.08).

Julio has a BAA of .211.

Yeah, that was a GREAT trade. This team is run by morons.

Exactly what the freaking thing did John Maine do for the Orioles the past 2 years? And... everybody was willing to trade Julio for a bag of balls, just to get rid of him.

It was an excellent trade... and I do it again.

[RenegadeOsFan]

Thought I'd through this stat out about Adrian Gonzalez who is doing quite well with the Padres at first base. Remember when the O's were thinking about acquiring this guy? He has more homeruns than our platoon of Niner and Millar at first.

BAA - .300

HR - 20

RBI - 60

OBP - .384

SLG - .509

And he's only 24. If he is available, I'd try to get him. But it looks like he is getting himself pretty set in with the Padres.

[Sapper]

Exactly what the freaking thing did John Maine do for the Orioles the past 2 years? And... everybody was willing to trade Julio for a bag of balls, just to get rid of him.

It was an excellent trade... and I do it again.

Then I'm glad you don't run the Orioles. Trading a potnetially good young pitcher (yet unproven) and Julio for a worse than league average pitcher making 8.5M is stupid.

[Mark Carver]

Then I'm glad you don't run the Orioles. Trading a potnetially good young pitcher (yet unproven) and Julio for a worse than league average pitcher making 8.5M is stupid.

Actually Benson was a league average pitcher last year... 101 ERA+.

John Maine in 2005 at AAA, Ottawa, 23 starts, 4.56 ERA

John Maine in 2005 at Baltimore in September, 6 starts, 8.87 ERA, 23.1 IP, 25 H, 25 R, 23 ER, 6 HR, 17 BB, 17 SO

[Sapper]

Actually Benson was a league average pitcher last year... 101 ERA+....

Yeah, maybe in the AAAA (otherwise known as the National League).

[Mark Carver]

Yeah, maybe in the AAAA (otherwise known as the National League).

So that's why Maine and Julio seems to be doing so good...

[Sports Guy]

Sapper, your Benson hatred is ridiculous. I was never really for or against the Benson trade but you have to love the consistency Benson has given us.

He has 23 starts this year......In those 23 starts, he has gone 6 or more innings 13 times and failed to go 5 IP in only 3 starts.

He has given up 3 ER or less 16 times and 4 runs in 4 games.

So, take out the 3 games where he gave up more than 4 runs and didn't go 5 IP or more and you have a very good starter...And, as you always like to talk about, he is doing that in the AL East.

BTW, in those 20 starts, he has a 3.54 ERA. Not too bad.

[Sapper]

Sapper, your Benson hatred is ridiculous. I was never really for or against the Benson trade but you have to love the consistency Benson has given us.

He has 23 starts this year......In those 23 starts, he has gone 6 or more innings 13 times and failed to go 5 IP in only 3 starts.

He has given up 3 ER or less 16 times and 4 runs in 4 games.

So, take out the 3 games where he gave up more than 4 runs and didn't go 5 IP or more and you have a very good starter...And, as you always like to talk about, he is doing that in the AL East.

BTW, in those 20 starts, he has a 3.54 ERA. Not too bad.

I don't hate benson. I hate giving up assets like Maine for a worthless, worse-than-league-average starter who WON'T be part of any contending Orioles team and makes WAY too much money. It's just another stupid move by an organization that is extremely short on valuable assets.

[Sports Guy]

I don't hate benson. I hate giving up assets like Maine for a worthless, worse-than-league-average starter who WON'T be part of any contending Orioles team and makes WAY too much money. It's just another stupid move by an organization that is extremely short on valuable assets.

Maine was not a big asset. He will be lucky to become as good as Benson is.

Now, you can argue that Maine could have given us similar production and maybe he could have. That was always my hang up but the fact is that Maine would not even be amongst our top 12 prospects and would not be amongst the top 6-8 pitching prospects.

[Sapper]

Maine was not a big asset. He will be lucky to become as good as Benson is.

Now, you can argue that Maine could have given us similar production and maybe he could have. That was always my hang up but the fact is that Maine would not even be amongst our top 12 prospects and would not be amongst the top 6-8 pitching prospects.

I'm not arguing against trading Maine but I wouldn't have gotten an older, expensive player with no potential to be anything other than average. I would have probably gone for a younger position player with potential.

My problem is trading for guys like Benson get us not one step closer to contention. It's pablum to sell tix now and make it look like we're doing something while wasting the few assets we do have in the process.