What young pitcher would you trade for offense

[Sports Guy]

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.

You are likely overvaluing what Maine could have gotten us. He likely doesn't get us a better player, no matter how old, than Benson.

I am with you on getting younger but acquiring Benson was not the bad move you want to make it out to be.

[davearm]

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.

So what you're saying is, Benson's been consistent, except for those times when he wasn't consistent.

[wildcard]

Sapper, I will talk to you mid next year about Maine. There is nothing in his record to show that he will maintain his 2.60 ERA. He has made an adjustment that has given him a good start in the majors. Let's see if it continues.

The O's traded a projected long reliever(Maine) and a failed closer for a league average veteran pitcher to fill in and show the way to their young starters. The O's got what they paid for. Benson is a .500 pitcher and his advise on how to throw a changeup helped turn Bedard into the team's ace.

If Maine continues to be an above average starter then it is a bad trade for the O's. I doubt that happens.

If I extend you logic here you are saying that this off season the team should not trade Johnson or Finch to help full other holes even though Bedard, Loewen, Cabrera, Penn, Olson, Liz and Erbe all rank higher. I think the FO has to take some chances to help the team.

I can't diss the FO for what looked like a decent trade at the time. The surplus of young pitching is basically all this team has to try to make the team better through trade. I think they have to try to use that strength to improve the team without second guessing themselves.