Disappointed at all?

[Dipper9]

Jack Z is doing a pretty bang-up job in Seattle.

Would you give up the long term success of the franchise for a one year playoff run, because essentially that is what Seattle has done. They look good this year, but between the players lost in the Lee trade, and the players lost in the Bedard deal, the Mariners system has been devistated.

[tywright]

What has he done to address long term needs of this offseason?

How many more international scouts has he hired?

All he has done this offseason is bring in stop gaps and overpay for a closer that we didn't even need...and in the process, costing us a second round pick.

This is an offseason where teams with money should be taking advantage of teams that don't have money...What has he done to do this?

What has he done to trade his excess talent for positions of need?

I expected this to be a disappointing offseason because I just don't think AM is as willing to take advantage of some of his advantages.

Now, as I said, its early and he likes to do things in January, so maybe some good stuff will happen....The Markakis extension and the Hill and Pie deals were done last January and up until that point, i was disappointed with last year as well. So, hopefully he will surprise me.

Mike Gonzalez could easily turn into your future SS just like how AM turned Sherrill into our future 3B. And the 2nd rd pick can easily be replaced by an overslot pick in the later rounds.

[clapdiddy]

What's the point of blowing your load on the fat girl down the hallway (Matt Holliday) when know the super hot chick across from your dorm room is going to be breaking up with her boyfriend (Albert Pujols/ Carlos Pena/ Ryan Howard) and you can save up for her!

:wedge:

:laughlol:

Yeah, but the "hot chick" may not want anything to do with you because you're not her type.

[SaltDoggyDog]

Yeah, but the "hot chick" may not want anything to do with you because you're not her type.

It's up to you to change her mind and show her what you have! The Orioles have a lot to offer IMO. They have a huge package. IE: Wieters, Markakis, AJ, Roberts, Reimold, The Big 3.

Not too many can boast such a package!

[Dipper9]

It's up to you to change her mind and show her what you have! The Orioles have a lot to offer IMO. They have a huge package. IE: Wieters, Markakis, AJ, Roberts, Reimold, The Big 3.

Not too many can boast such a package!

Ever notice how the ugly old geizers get hot chicks? Its ALL ABOUT THE MONNNNNNNNNNNNNEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYY! The Yanks and Sox are the old geizers...it doesn't matter how big, young, and talented the Orioles package is!

[clapdiddy]

It's up to you to change her mind and show her what you have! The Orioles have a lot to offer IMO. They have a huge package. IE: Wieters, Markakis, AJ, Roberts, Reimold, The Big 3.

Not too many can boast such a package!

Hah! That was pretty funny!

I think that players know what's going on here. The problem is what comes first...the chicken or the egg? Does getting a big name FA make us more attractive next offseason...especially if that player helps us win 85 games this year? I tend to think so.

[SaltDoggyDog]

Hah! That was pretty funny!

I think that players know what's going on here. The problem is what comes first...the chicken or the egg? Does getting a big name FA make us more attractive next offseason...especially if that player helps us win 85 games this year? I tend to think so.

Great point! But, it has to make sense and fit the needs of the organization! What's the point of signing a Matt Holliday when he doesn't fit our needs? Why not save the extra money and surprise the next available Premium FA that makes sense with that WOW! Offer. One more year of development for the O's younguns is going to help with those 85 wins!

[Lucky Jim]

What has he done to address long term needs of this offseason?

How many more international scouts has he hired?

All he has done this offseason is bring in stop gaps and overpay for a closer that we didn't even need...and in the process, costing us a second round pick.

This is an offseason where teams with money should be taking advantage of teams that don't have money...What has he done to do this?

What has he done to trade his excess talent for positions of need?

I expected this to be a disappointing offseason because I just don't think AM is as willing to take advantage of some of his advantages.

Now, as I said, its early and he likes to do things in January, so maybe some good stuff will happen....The Markakis extension and the Hill and Pie deals were done last January and up until that point, i was disappointed with last year as well. So, hopefully he will surprise me.

See, that wasn't hard. Much better. That's - literally - all I was asking.

Now, we need to figure a few things out: what are our long-term needs?

While we can identify this as an off-season "where teams with money should be taking advantage of teams without," that's only half the equation. I'm not a particularly big fan of money that goes searching for a market if it means that you have to spend. I agree it would have been nice to take advantage of our financial positioning, but that advantage disappears if there's a lack of fit between the team and the player (thus creating inefficiencies).

You've long been a fan of stockpiling talent and then off-loading later, but I think this fails to take into account transaction costs and the inefficiencies of surplus. I'll be curious to see what AM's next step is re: 1B.

I'm not sure what excess of talent you're referring to, unless it's pitching (or maybe our OF). My guess is that the return on either Pie or Scott has been far lower than their on-field value, or they would've been traded by now. I think that there's no way that AM is going to trade pitching prospects when they all are entering into the injury nexus simultaneously and none have proven - yet - that they'll be quality starters at the MLB level. Next year, I think, you'll see more moving bulk prospects for answers. Tillman and Matusz will be at the MLB level. Arrieta will be close, if not there. And Britton and Erbe will have - hopefully - solidified their positions in our system slotting. This is a crucial year for determining risk and projection for each of these guys. The difference between having a rotation with no established young pitchers and having one with two or three is enormous in terms of trading prospects.

I agree about the international scouting. Glad we're placing emphasis on it, but unsure why it's taking so long to ramp up. There may be a good explanation for this, or there may not. I'd like to hear one, though.

I actually think the Gonzalez signing and the Millwood trade make some intuitive sense. I think it's likely that trading a second round pick frees up a lot of money to spend on our No. 3 pick in the up-coming draft. So, if we get something like Matzek instead of Hobgood, that's not such a bad thing.

All-in-all, this doesn't seem like a "disappointing" off-season to me. Just a "meh" off-season. But the difference may only be a matter of expectations: I've always seen 2010 as a growth year, an information-gathering year, and thus didn't expect much to happen. I'm okay with that, as long as stupid decisions are avoided and excellent opportunities aren't passed over out of an abundance of caution. Absent any excellent opportunities (and Beltre, Lackey and Holliday are not that), I'm patient.

BTW, I think you're ignoring a crucial component of the Gonzalez trade - while closers might be over-rated, power arms out of the pen shouldn't be under-rated. It's long been known that an important component of out-performing your Pythagorean is excellent relief work. So bringing in power arms to pitch in high-leverage situations is a way for the Orioles to compensate for what might be a lesser run differential against the powerhouses above. Frankly, I think this was the thought in bringing in Mickolio. And I think it will be the thought when one of Hernandez or Erbe goes to the pen.

[olehippi]

I basically say "meh" for a number of reasons:

(1) This team is still in the rebuilding stage, which seems to be forgotten by many. Our time will hopefully BEGIN in 2011 (not this year), which gives the O's time to see how what they now have develops, and what they will need when it is time to surge to the next level.

(2) I'm not at all upset about not signing Beltre (I think the Red Sox eventually will be). The guy had I good year then went to pot. I also don't see Holliday as the answer to our "big bat" need. IMO the same production will come from Scott and/or Reimold in LF. Holliday would simply be a swap for one of them, not an upgrade.

(3) The off-season is far from over and I doubt that MacPhail is done. And IMO, he has already made some pretty astute moves in acquiring Millwood to head the rotation and mentor the young pitchers, locking up Mike Gonzalez, likely to fill the closers role, and signing Garrett Atkins, who is still relatively young, can play both 1B and 3B, is only a couple of years removed from some outstanding offensive seasons, and is likely to benefit from a change of scenery.

I'm not disappointed, and although I think signing a big name player would do wonder for the psyche of the fans. I firmly believe that such a player is not essential at the particular moment. If MacPhail can get someone who is young, fits a position need, and is willing to sign a multi-year deal, I'm all for it. However, I think that player will come via trade, not FA, and it won't happen until next season....after we clearly see what we already have, and who might be expendable.

[Sports Guy]

Mike Gonzalez could easily turn into your future SS just like how AM turned Sherrill into our future 3B. And the 2nd rd pick can easily be replaced by an overslot pick in the later rounds.

Kiko Calero could have done the same thing.

[emmett16]

What evidence do you have he can?

When has he proven he can destroy a team and rebuild it into a perennial winner, especially against two financial juggernauts like Boston and New York?

You do realize that you just eliminated every human being on earth as a possible canidate to be GM. Who HAS destroyed and rebuilt a team into a peremmial winner, 'especially against two financial juggernauts like Boston and New York?'

You give me an answer and I will agree you are correct.

But I'll stand pat with the guy with a ring on his finger, whose father and grandfather are in the HOF, and who has historical ties with and cares about the Baltimore Orioles.

[clapdiddy]

Great point! But, it has to make sense and fit the needs of the organization! What's the point of signing a Matt Holliday when he doesn't fit our needs? Why not save the extra money and surprise the next available Premium FA that makes sense with that WOW! Offer. One more year of development for the O's younguns is going to help with those 85 wins!

I'm not so sure Holliday doesn't fit our needs. He would immediately become our best clean-up hitter since Raffy. He would make the lineup very formidable.

It would also allow us, but wouldn't necessarily MAKE us, trade an outfielder for a position of need. What if a team had their eye on Reimold, and wanted to trade us a top-flight shortstop that would be under our control for at least 5 seasons for him? What if Pie would nab us a third baseman? Maybe we'd move Adam Jones in a MAJOR deal?

I've made the point that even if we would trade no one after acquiring Holliday, it could still work out for us if they were willing to move Scott or Reimold to 1B.

Again...I'm not hell-bent on getting Holliday. I'd love for us to do it, and and I could see ways that it could work out for us. I'm not going to go crazy if it doesn't happen. I'd like to think that AM has some other moves up his sleeve anyway.

[tywright]

Kiko Calero could have done the same thing.

Well that is news to me. When has Kiko Calero ever demonstrated he can be a closer? Plus Calero will be 35.

[Sports Guy]

Well that is news to me. When has Kiko Calero ever demonstrated he can be a closer? Plus Calero will be 35.

When did Sherrill ever demonstrate he could be a closer?

[TonySoprano]

What's the point of blowing your load on the fat girl down the hallway (Matt Holliday) when know the super hot chick across from your dorm room is going to be breaking up with her boyfriend (Albert Pujols/ Carlos Pena/ Ryan Howard) and you can save up for her!

:wedge:

:laughlol:

As if Pujols, Pena, or Howard would sign here. Even so you're saying, MacPhail needs to be the "master of his domain"?

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