MacPhail losing my support

[Sports Guy]

When you see how Capps is doing for the Nats, this really hurts...

Yep..Could have had him for a lot less money and kept the pick.

[bluedog]

He had an awful offseason.

He puts a premium on defense but signs guys to play out of position.

He signed a "closer" with very little closer experience and success, yet he paid him like one...and lost a pick.

He signed a declining player very quickly, paid him too much money and switched his position.

It was a poor plan.

Agreed. This season just looks worse and worse every day. I'd much rather be taking our lumps with Snyder and Bell at the corners and Tillman, Arrieta, Mickolio and Patton in the pen than watching what we are watching now.

I could happily handle a 2 - 14 start if the team was getting better with experience. Right now, its just boring and depressing watching old, bad veterans sandwiched around our exciting young core.

[Sports Guy]

MacPhail had a bad offseason but we shouldn't fool ourselves into thinking that those moves were supposed to put us over the top or anything like that. They were minor moves to make the O's respectable. Unfortunately, MacPhail wasted millions more than he needed to for nothing. The Atkins move was terrible. Most people were middle of the road on Gonzalez and that one is far from over. Tejada was no big deal one way or the other. No one is crying about the acquisition of Millwood.

100% true...but acquiring better players may have helped us win some games.

Maybe Capps nails down some of those saves early and the team gets early confidence?

Maybe a better first baseman gets some key hits.

But yes, you are right...No guarantees....But the offseason was still poor and he certainly didn't do anything to help the cause, that's for sure.

[TonySoprano]

MacPhail had a bad offseason but we shouldn't fool ourselves into thinking that those moves were supposed to put us over the top or anything like that.

However he did say, "it's our job in the front office -- mine specifically and in particular -- to augment, to give [Trembley] as much help as we possibly can." Our stated goal was "to win as many games as we can and show meaningful improvement in the standings, which I think we need to do starting in 2010."

[bluedog]

I've given him credit in the past for his trades, but why the heck should I be praising him during a 2-15 run and after the absolute epic failure of an offseason than he had?

There isn't a lot to praise about him at this point. This offense is one of the worst offenses put together since the Syd Thrift era...

The Millwood trade has been awesome. The Gonzalez trade can't really be judged yet - too small a sample size.

The only major mistake I've seen from AM during his tenure was signing Atkins and bringing in Tejada to play out of position. The other stuff (Meredeth, Lugo) are relatively minor if they had happened at any other time, but they are magnified by our current situation.

I think this team is far superior to anything we've had in the past 12 years. Once the injured guys return, I still believe we're a .500 or better club.

AM didn't win any prizes with me through the Atkins / Miggy acquisitions, but I still think he's done an outstanding job rebuilding this team outside of that.

[eddie83]

100% true...but acquiring better players may have helped us win some games.

Maybe Capps nails down some of those saves early and the team gets early confidence?

Maybe a better first baseman gets some key hits.

But yes, you are right...No guarantees....But the offseason was still poor and he certainly didn't do anything to help the cause, that's for sure.

Capps has been shakier than his save percentage shows, then again results matter. Somehow this team needs to wipe the slate clean mentally and they just can't do that.

[BarclaySouthway]

How can you not be less supportive of AM after watching this debacle for the last month?

His free agent signings have cost us several games already.

His stop gaps aren't stopping anything.

We were at least supposed to tread water this year, but we're sinking like a rock.

Certainly the guy in charge should shoulder some of the blame?

[Goober Noodles]

I blame him for not getting better players than Tejada & Atkins.... Tejada's power disappeared with the juice & Atkins sucked last year.... We continue under Angelos's ownersip to bring in 2nd tier retreads.

Who the hell else could we have picked up realistically?

This is such a typical OH post, it's ridiculous.

[Goober Noodles]

How can you not be less supportive of AM after watching this debacle for the last month?

His free agent signings have cost us several games already.

His stop gaps aren't stopping anything.

We were at least supposed to tread water this year, but we're sinking like a rock.

Certainly the guy in charge should shoulder some of the blame?

You're judging a GM by his stop gap signings. Way to go.

[JTrea81]

Who the hell else could we have picked up realistically?

This is such a typical OH post, it's ridiculous.

Isn't one of MacPhail's strengths his ability to make good trades?

Free agency wasn't the only option.

[JTrea81]

However he did say, "it's our job in the front office -- mine specifically and in particular -- to augment, to give [Trembley] as much help as we possibly can." Our stated goal was "to win as many games as we can and show meaningful improvement in the standings, which I think we need to do starting in 2010."

I guess what he didn't say that he would only be able to acquire players that he didn't have to spend a ton of money for or didn't have to trade any players of value to get because that's part of the plan.

So based on his philosophy, this past offseason was the best he could do.

He can't deviate from the plan. We could wind up in 5th place...

[bluedog]

You're judging a GM by his stop gap signings. Way to go.

I'd have liked to have seen Aubrey get a chance at 1b before playing a guy like Atkins out of position. I'd also have liked to have seen Reimold and / or Scott get a shot to play first base over Atkins. Finally, I think Wigginton was a better choice at 1st than Atkins. So that's four internal options that I feel were all superior to bringing in Atkins.

Those other guys may be whining about not getting a better free agent (which I agree - there may not have been a better option available through free agency) but don't you agree we probably had at least one superior option internally to signing Atkins in the first place?

[24fps]

Gotta wonder about the O's scouts. Someone out there is telling MacPhail that guys like Lugo, Meredeth, Tejada and Atkins are superior to in house options on the club. Where AM seems to do pretty well evaluating young talent, he's completely failed with every veteran move except for the Millwood trade (which has been great) and the Izturis singing (which has been mediocre - although there weren't too many better options).

This whole Atkins thing just looks horrible in retrospect.

It will always baffle me why it was necessary to sign Atkins so early. There was just no need to sweep a guy like him off the market as if there was a bidding war brewing. Did AM tie his own hands by doing that? I wonder.

Everybody else you mention is disposable and probably never meant to be anything but. I still have faith that Miggy will turn out to be as good an acquisition as Millwood is so far.

[ChrisP]

Nearly a month into the season and EVERY team has tripled our win total.

[WiredinBmore]

Did it occur to anyone else that most of the good players on this team were here before AM?

Nick Markakis $66 Mil extension - FAIL (Zobrist just got 5 for 30)

Brob $40 Mil extention - FAIL

Koji $10 Mil - FAIL

Gonzo $12 Mil - FAIL

Atkins - FAIL

"International Program" (which is only ONE person who has since been replaced) FAIL

Bedard Trade - Not Looking as good as before

Bradford trade - FAIL

Farm system rebuild - remains to be seen. If it was so bad before, why are all of Flanny's people still in charge?

"Buy the bats" FAIL

All is not well Phase II land.