We Have The Right GM

[Frobby]

And this is how you "keep up with the Joneses".

The Orioles MUST do a better job of getting international talent in here.

They need to pour a lot of resources into this and improve immediately.

While I agree that this is a glaring weakness, I just don't have a feel for how quickly a team realistically can go from the bottom to the top in terms of acquiring international talent. I don't think it's as easy as just throwing a lot of dollars at the problem. You have to establish a presence and a reputation, have good personnel on the ground, and also throw money at the problem. We've been upgrading our facilities etc. but I think it probably takes a little while to build credibility and have the right intelligence.

By the way, I was looking at a top 10 prospects list for the Yankees, and 4 of their top 10 were undrafted free agents. I think all four were from the DR. This included Vizcaino, who was just traded in the Vazquez deal. The same list identified their catching prospect, Montero, as possibly the best hitting prospect in all of the minors, though his defensive skills as a catcher are subpar for now. That was pretty depressing to read.

[Sports Guy]

Do you think there is someone who is out there now that we should go get?

I have mixed feelings. Bay or Holliday would meet my desire for a big bat, but acquiring one of them means having to move some other pieces around. And while they are both very good hitters, I don't think of either as really elite. So, while I wouldn't vomit if we signed one of those two at a price that is a little above what reportedly is on offer from other teams, I can't say I'd want to break the bank for either one. AGon would be a good fit, but the price in terms of young talent would be extremely high, and I'm reluctant to reach very far into our pitching depth until we have a little more certainty that some of our young pitchers are actually performing well enough at the major league level that we can afford to deal some surplus. And, we'd need him to extend to make it worthwhile in any event.

Do you have anyone else in mind, given what is still available?

I don't want Bay at all.

Holliday is a maybe depending on what kind of contract you can get him for.

The highest I would go is probably 6 years and somewhere in the 90-100 million range.

If i were the O's, I would put a 6/90 on the table right now....That probably doesn't get it done and I would be willing to go a little higher but not much.

In terms of who is available...Well, that all depends on many things...I do think we should be going to "poor" teams and offering to take a bad contract off their hands to obtain more young talent...I think we should be talking to Zona about Stephen Drew.

I think we should be talking to Detroit about MCab....Boston about Lowrie.

With so many teams having so many financial constraints, I feel it is in our best interest to take advantage of that....but I don't think AM will do this.

[BirdinBama]

So, I always enjoy reading your posts, Sports Guy. Make believe you're AM and tell me what YOU would be doing this offseason.

[Hank Scorpio]

I don't want Bay at all.

Holliday is a maybe depending on what kind of contract you can get him for.

The highest I would go is probably 6 years and somewhere in the 90-100 million range.

If i were the O's, I would put a 6/90 on the table right now....That probably doesn't get it done and I would be willing to go a little higher but not much.

In terms of who is available...Well, that all depends on many things...I do think we should be going to "poor" teams and offering to take a bad contract off their hands to obtain more young talent...I think we should be talking to Zona about Stephen Drew.

I think we should be talking to Detroit about MCab....Boston about Lowrie.

With so many teams having so many financial constraints, I feel it is in our best interest to take advantage of that....but I don't think AM will do this.

It may not get it done right now, but it may get it done in a month.

[Sports Guy]

While I agree that this is a glaring weakness, I just don't have a feel for how quickly a team realistically can go from the bottom to the top in terms of acquiring international talent. I don't think it's as easy as just throwing a lot of dollars at the problem. You have to establish a presence and a reputation, have good personnel on the ground, and also throw money at the problem. We've been upgrading our facilities etc. but I think it probably takes a little while to build credibility and have the right intelligence.

By the way, I was looking at a top 10 prospects list for the Yankees, and 4 of their top 10 were undrafted free agents. I think all four were from the DR. This included Vizcaino, who was just traded in the Vazquez deal. The same list identified their catching prospect, Montero, as possibly the best hitting prospect in all of the minors, though his defensive skills as a catcher are subpar for now. That was pretty depressing to read.

International guys seem to sign where the money is...So, in a way, you can throw money at it.

In the meantime, you hire more scouts, have more facilities and build more relationships....But you need to spend some money...Look at Sano for an example of this.

[Frobby]

I don't want Bay at all.

Holliday is a maybe depending on what kind of contract you can get him for.

The highest I would go is probably 6 years and somewhere in the 90-100 million range.

If i were the O's, I would put a 6/90 on the table right now....That probably doesn't get it done and I would be willing to go a little higher but not much.

In terms of who is available...Well, that all depends on many things...I do think we should be going to "poor" teams and offering to take a bad contract off their hands to obtain more young talent...I think we should be talking to Zona about Stephen Drew.

I think we should be talking to Detroit about MCab....Boston about Lowrie.

With so many teams having so many financial constraints, I feel it is in our best interest to take advantage of that....but I don't think AM will do this.

I agree with the bolded sentence. Didn't MacPhail already do this with Millwood? Admittedly, that was a short-term move, not a huge financial undertaking like MCab would be.

[Satyr3206]

A lot of people are focusing on the FA hitters. If the grow the arms part doesn't work, the best line up in the history of baseball isn't going to help. I think this crop of pitchers will develop but that is the part of the equation that takes the most patience.

[RShack]

[stuff about phases deleted]

It should have happened back in the early-to-mid 80's.

[more stuff about phases deleted]

"You must spread reputation around, etc."

Except for the one correction above, what you said is right.

While Phase 1 might be the most interesting one, GM-wise, and Phase 3 will be the most fun, fan-wise, I think Phase 2 is the most interesting one, baseball-wise. It's where AM has to see how things gel so he knows exactly what needs doing to get to Phase III, and so that outside players he might wish to attract can see BAL as a worthwhile option for their own careers. Plus, it's where the kid-P's need a chance to grow into the job a bit.

AM's pretty much said he needs a year for that and, in the general scheme of things, one measly year for all of that to happen is not that much. The only problem with it is that it requires a bit more patience after 2 years of severe crapitude, and some folks just don't have it, so they decide it's somehow not necessary when it is...

[Hank Scorpio]

"You must spread reputation around, etc."

Except for the one correction above, what you said is right.

While Phase 1 might be the most interesting one, GM-wise, and Phase 3 will be the most fun, fan-wise, I think Phase 2 is the most interesting one, baseball-wise. It's where AM has to see how things gel so he knows exactly what needs doing to get to Phase III, and so that outside players he might wish to attract can see BAL as a worthwhile option for their own careers. Plus, it's where the kid-P's need a chance to grow into the job a bit.

AM's pretty much said he needs a year for that and, in the general scheme of things, one measly year for all of that to happen is not that much. The only problem with it is that it requires a bit more patience after 2 years of severe crapitude, and some folks just don't have it, so they decide it's somehow not necessary when it is...

Haha I was too young to know any better at that point, so I stand corrected. Many around here would know that much better than I...

[Greg Pappas]

This job shouldn't be in phases...Its quite simple...You obtain the talent you need when it is readily available.

Now, you do that within the framework of your budget, future, etc...Just because AGOn may be available, that doesn't mean you do something stupid.

But if you see a guy out there that you feel is a building block long term and you can obtain him for a reasonable cost, either in terms of money or players, then you do it.

The idea that you have to wait until you are on the verge of something is so poor and such a cop out.

"You're either rebuilding for something special, or you're on the verge of something special. To be in between is foolish."

--Billy Beane

Sorry SG, I had to.

[Hank Scorpio]

"You're either rebuilding for something special, or you're on the verge of something special. To be in between is foolish."

--Billy Beane

Sorry SG, I had to.

:laughlol:

Can't believe I missed that.

[hoosiers]

International guys seem to sign where the money is...So, in a way, you can throw money at it.

In the meantime, you hire more scouts, have more facilities and build more relationships....But you need to spend some money...Look at Sano for an example of this.

I do not believe this is true. I started some research on this and then stopped.

My guess is the return on investment on big $ international signings lags the value received from smaller international signings AND the US draft.

[clapdiddy]

"You're either rebuilding for something special, or you're on the verge of something special. To be in between is foolish."

--Billy Beane

Sorry SG, I had to.

:laughlol:

Can't believe I missed that.

Are we on the "verge" of something special, though? I'd say we are a year or two away from being there.

[Hank Scorpio]

Are we on the "verge" of something special, though? I'd say we are a year or two away from being there.

Well, that's obviously debatable, but given the depths from which we've come I would say that we are.

It's funny how one can feel relatively positive about a team who lost 100 games last year.

[Peace21]

Are we on the "verge" of something special, though? I'd say we are a year or two away from being there.

Would you say the Rays were saying this not too long ago?