Warehouse Excuses - Nothing Ever Changes!

[Sports Guy]

Obviously, we have no idea what is going on in the Warehouse. But I certainly haven't read a single thing from MacPhail, or even from the reporters who cover the team, that suggests the O's have been exploring SS opportunities. Have you?

Fordin mentioned it once that it was a priority but who knows if that was true.

And it is pathetic if you ask me..Should have been #1 priority to get that done this offseason.

[RShack]

As to SS, that's a very important long term priority, but I don't have the sense that MacPhail has made it a high priority for this winter. Maybe he will surprise us.

The key part there is "long term". I think there's zero chance that AM doesn't have it on his board as exactly that. I think it's very likely he has an agenda about it, we just don't have any news as to what that agenda is. Whether he's looking to address it now or later is something we just don't know. During the winter he was working on the Erik trade, he said he was focused on fixing the organization's pitching depth. He never said a word about fixing the ML OF. But if you look back at what he did, between AJ and Luke, he fixed the OF too. Just because he didn't announce he was gonna do it, that didn't keep him from doing it. I'd bet anything he could tell us a good story about how he views the SS issue, but since he has CI to remove a sense of urgency, there's no reason to think he's gonna tell us about that right now...

[MemorialStadKid]

Why is it the smartest way of doing it?

What if signing Holliday allowed you to make another deal or 2 to bring in some prospects and potential long term solutions at SS and/or first.

All of a sudden, its not so stupid.

I mean, since you like AM so much and believe he will take us to where we need to go, you do believe that he can pull off several things at once, right?

Some folks are hardwired to defend the FO no matter what they do or who is in charge.

MSK

[amateurfan]

Okay, how about it's the SMARTEST way to do it.

It's obviously not the only way to do it.

Wouldn't this have to be qualified by financial limits, value and record?

[hobbycars]

You're right. AM should have followed Flanagan's "plan", whatever that was. Because that was working so well.

I love how people make posts like this. He wasn't saying Flanagan was better. He is saying the O's feed their loyal fan base a load of bull each year and most of us take it. You completely changed the argument.

[hobbycars]

Some folks are hardwired to defend the FO no matter what they do or who is in charge.

MSK

Yes. You are correct sir and if you dare complain, you are the opposite which isn't a fair accusation.

[Mike B]

Obviously, we have no idea what is going on in the Warehouse. But I certainly haven't read a single thing from MacPhail, or even from the reporters who cover the team, that suggests the O's have been exploring SS opportunities. Have you?

I think he likes Izzy for the short term and the whole idea of LT solutions gets beat to death here. It is my belief that when you set your sites on acquiring a LT solution at any particular position by a certain time, it winds up costing you more than it would if you are patient.

The names that have been mentioned here are either kids who have posted a good OPS in AA or guys like Hardy or Wood who are questionable in regards to being long term.

I want to see us turn up the aggresive level a few notches but if SS is not one of the targets so be it.

There are bargains to be had in the next few weeks, with guys like Bedard, Sheets, Garland, Damon, Thome, Laroche, Beltre still out there. Signing a few of those would improve the team and also allow us to trade guys like Scott, Pie etc. and maybe that earns a SS.

[Icterus galbula]

Some folks are hardwired to defend the FO no matter what they do or who is in charge.

MSK

And some are hardwired to attack the FO no matter what they do.

And some rant against made up groups of posters.

[DrungoHazewood]

If this is true, it is pretty sad that he has made mediocre CIers and a closer a bigger need than a long term solution at a huge position of need within the organization.

All we know is that the Orioles don't really feel that Bell and Snyder are ready for 2010. So the team had to find someone decent to play each position for a while, and MacPhail has kind of done that with Atkins. The Orioles have a serviceable shortstop for 2010. They don't have to have a body to stick there in three months to be able to be able to fill out a lineup card.

We have no way of knowing what he's been doing to address shortstop long-term. Maybe that is his #1 priority, but it's just much easier to find stopgap CIs and closers. Maybe the right deal hasn't lined up yet. I think those kind of things are much more believable than the idea that he's just not looking for a long-term shortstop.

[TonySoprano]

It's not me who's saying it, it's baseball history that's saying it. Nobody has rebuilt a crappy franchise into a good one at a faster pace than AM is on. Nobody. For all your talk about having followed baseball a long time, you don't seem to know very much about what it teaches...

Your history book must have stopped in the 1980s. The Diamondbacks were 65-97 in their first year, 100-62 and in the playoffs in their second year. In their fourth season, they won the world series. They had five straight winning seasons after year one, and three playoff appearances in four years. This was a franchise that started with nothing, no farm system, and a roster of unprotected castaways from around the league.

Andy is 132-191 in two full seasons here. Many projections for 2010 have the team under.500 again.

[DrungoHazewood]

Some folks are hardwired to defend the FO no matter what they do or who is in charge.

MSK

And some folks rip the organization to shreds every time any free agent doesn't sign with the Orioles. To each his own.

[DrungoHazewood]

Your history book must have stopped in the 1980s. The Diamondbacks were 65-97 in their first year, 100-62 and in the playoffs in their second year. In their fourth season, they won the world series. They had five straight winning seasons after year one, and three playoff appearances in four years. This was a franchise that started with nothing, no farm system, and a roster of unprotected castaways from around the league.

Andy is 132-191 in two full seasons here. Many projections for 2010 have the team under.500 again.

The Diamondbacks were the team that was rumored to be close to not making payroll a few years ago, because they spent well beyond their means to make that initial run. Our hope is that the O's can become competitive without bankrupting themselves.

[TonySoprano]

The Diamondbacks were the team that was rumored to be close to not making payroll a few years ago, because they spent well beyond their means to make that initial run. Our hope is that the O's can become competitive without bankrupting themselves.

When the O's become competitive, then the comparisons can happen. Until then, the history books show Andy isn't on a record pace, no matter how much some want to spin otherwise.

[Old#5fan]

When the O's become competitive, then the comparisons can happen. Until then, the history books show Andy isn't on a record pace, no matter how much some want to spin otherwise.

IMO he hasn't accomplished much of anything yet other than the minor leagues now has more talent, but that isn't saying all that much because it essentially didn't have any to begin with when he took over!:laughlol:

[DrungoHazewood]

When the O's become competitive, then the comparisons can happen. Until then, the history books show Andy isn't on a record pace, no matter how much some want to spin otherwise.

Who's spinning anything? When have I ever said that MacPhail was on a record pace? I've just said that he's making moves that have the team going in the right direction. That's it.

Could he be going faster? Maybe. Probably. Could he be making a lot more poor moves that crash and burn by moving much faster and taking more risks? Probably.