Sports Illustrated: Orioles Plan Flawed

[waroriole]

No one but what does that have to do with anything?

Oppurtunities have been there and AM passed...And now, the FAs that were there are also dwindling.

THe problem with AM is that he waits for things to happen instead of going out there and making them happen...That is a huge issue with him.

Just curious, what realistic opportunities are you talking about?

[bobmc]

I am not sure anyone, save JTrea, who can doubt that AM has done a poor job of augmenting the roster around the young talent.

Fixed it!

Atkins was a fail (since Crow had not even seen his swing) and Tejada looks like a pass.

Gonzo looks like a fail amd Millwood a pass.

The farm doesn't look promising with Bell a maybe and Snyder an average MLB'er. I agree with Drungo's take yesterday - don't take toolsy guys before round 10 and go for college arms. It's still early but as you SG have pointed out ad infinitum, AM's recent record does not bode well for the O's. That despite weams' and SJ's brimming optimism....

[BrunoCherrytown]

1989 Orioles - 87-75

1993 Royals - 84-78

1998 Cubs - 90-73

2004 Tigers - 72-90

So, three of those four teams had winning records the following year, and those three all finished second in their division.

Hmm...

You could argue that only one of those teams played in the modern day of baseball economically speaking. And that was the negative .500 team (Tigers).

But having said that, I can't honestly remember if the Tigers had their big season before or after the big payroll was added.

[Sports Guy]

I don't disagree with that, he could have had LaRoche over Atkins, he could have given giant contracts to Holliday and Tex, but he didn't.

What should he have gone out and "made" happen? As far as FA goes.

Just curious, what realistic opportunities are you talking about?

Its not just FAs...Its trades too...Its guys like Swisher, that could have been had for very little.

AM just doesn't think out of the box.

He isn't aggressive and isn't creative.

Part of his mantra has been defense, defense, defense...Yet he signs 2 FAs that are basically learning 2 new positions.

What he targets and values seems to be wrong.

The "blow it up" and get young talent in here plan was exactly what he needed to do...but there is absolutely no reason, outside of blind hope, to think AM will do what it takes to finish the job in this division.

[SilentJames]

Its not just FAs...Its trades too...Its guys like Swisher, that could have been had for very little.

AM just doesn't think out of the box.

He isn't aggressive and isn't creative.

Part of his mantra has been defense, defense, defense...Yet he signs 2 FAs that are basically learning 2 new positions.

What he targets and values seems to be wrong.

The "blow it up" and get young talent in here plan was exactly what he needed to do...but there is absolutely no reason, outside of blind hope, to think AM will do what it takes to finish the job in this division.

But see, I don't buy that trade talk because if the Orioles don't have the guy that another team wants then the trade doesn't happen.

We will never know how many potential deals AM rejected or had rejected by another team. Could we have had Swisher? we will never really know.

So to FA, you always speak in such clear pointed terms "AM missed out on deals, let deals pass him by." Well, again, what specifically did he let pass him by, that would have been a smart move for this team in its current position?

What deals do you see on the horizon that AM should jump on?

[Sports Guy]

But see, I don't buy that trade talk because if the Orioles don't have the guy that another team wants then the trade doesn't happen.

We will never know how many potential deals AM rejected or had rejected by another team. Could we have had Swisher? we will never really know.

So to FA, you always speak in such clear pointed terms "AM missed out on deals, let deals pass him by." Well, again, what specifically did he let pass him by, that would have been a smart move for this team in its current position?

What deals do you see on the horizon that AM should jump on?

First of all, your point about trades isn't really valid....You can easily make comps to the other players dealt and they could have increased the offer as well.

But going away from that....They should have put offers out better offers for players like LaRoche, Johnson, Capps, etc..

I am not going to go back and look at last year's list but the point is there have been better players out there and AM has passed.

He has done an AWFUL job of augmenting the core of this team...THat really can't be denied with any intelligence.

[Going Underground]

I was wondering if anyone knows if Palmer said on NESN we stink? I have never heard him say this on MASN.

The Baltimore Orioles have split four games with the Red Sox this season, each team scoring 21 runs.

The Baltimore Orioles are 3-16 in their other 19 games and been outscored 97-54.

Jim Palmer — the Jim Palmer — went on NESN last night and said he fully expected the Orioles to get swept because they were that bad a team.The worst team in baseball is going to win 60-65 games or so, that's just how it works. You can't expect the Sox to beat the Orioles every time. But four life-and-death games against them? That's not a good sign.

[Sports Guy]

AM has also done a terrible job of doing all of the little things that are being discussed in Greg Pappas's "how do you foix this mess" thread.

[baltfan]

The plan isn't flawed. There just weren't any good free agents that fit the bill for the Orioles last year. Holiday is an outfielder. Jason Bay is an outfielder. Who were they supposed to sign to bolster their offense? Beltre?

Last I looked there aren't a ton of free agents from this past class lighting it up. And those that are play positions the Orioles already had young players.

[Great 2BA FL Gator]

I agree with SJ.. Where was this exec before the season? I still think we are seeing what we have in our guys, and it's way too early to be talking failure. Pie and Brob getting hurt has effected the offense. What have we gotten out of the leadoff spot since they went down? Next to nothing.. What is AM supposed to do about that?

Sure, perhaps he picked the wrong FA closer. IMO, still too early to call that one, even though it's off to a bad start. The Millwood move has looked great thus far, IMO. Exactly what we needed for this year. Atkins was a reach, we all agree. But Laroche didn't want to come here.. And who else was there at 1B in FA? Any that wanted to come to Baltimore at this point? I doubt it.

What trade was there to be made? Any that were to be made would surely have costed us some of our pitching, which I am definitely not ready to part with because we still don't quite know who will be in our top three slots just yet. I'd like to figure out who those guys are before we start trading pitching away and say we have true excess at that position.

Honestly, I personally am tired of hearing that AM is not creative enough and did a crap job this offseason. I'd like to hear some legitimate names that would have improved our team this year as well as the future. Overspending on Holliday? Overspending on Laroche? Trading away half of our farm for Agon?

I think we are still seeing what we have in Jones/Reimold/Wieters/Pie and as well as our SP. As much as a 5-18 start has sucked, it doesn't make me doubt what we have going forward... yet

[glorydays]

Its not just FAs...Its trades too...Its guys like Swisher, that could have been had for very little.

AM just doesn't think out of the box.

He isn't aggressive and isn't creative.

Part of his mantra has been defense, defense, defense...Yet he signs 2 FAs that are basically learning 2 new positions.

What he targets and values seems to be wrong.

The "blow it up" and get young talent in here plan was exactly what he needed to do...but there is absolutely no reason, outside of blind hope, to think AM will do what it takes to finish the job in this division.

Hey... isn't signing 2 FA's and put them at new positions creative??

This is a great point... not only is it defense, defense, defense... but you get that defense to protect your young pitchers. To a point - I can understand why you would sign Miggy and take a risk with Atkins (though for much less $$ and with a backup plan if it quickly fails like it did this year) - but not to play new positions... that is something I just can't understand with the whole plan this year.

[wildcard]

Can't blame MacPhail or his plan when Roberts, Markakis, Jones, Reimold, Scott and Johnson deserve the blame for underperforming. All MacPhail can do is put guys in roles. If they screw it up, then its not his fault.

MacPhail deserves the blame for signing a closer with a injury history and paying too much for a corner infield retread. Gonzo still may be an asset to the O's. Its too early to tell. But the possibility of injury was predictable.

[SilentJames]

Hey... isn't signing 2 FA's and put them at new positions creative??

This is a great point... not only is it defense, defense, defense... but you get that defense to protect your young pitchers. To a point - I can understand why you would sign Miggy and take a risk with Atkins (though for much less $$ and with a backup plan if it quickly fails like it did this year) - but not to play new positions... that is something I just can't understand with the whole plan this year.

You needed a third baseman, Beltre was not going to come here without a ton of money that would be wasted.

Tejada has shown that he is at least a capable third baseman and his bat has not been half bad either and seems to be heating up.

Meanwhile Beltre has shown no power in a park that was supposedly going to help him this year, and Tejada already has four homers and an OPS about 100 points higher.

All for half the price.

Atkins, however, was the stop-gappiest of moves and a weak one at that. I think AM fully expected to see one of Hughes, Bell or Snyder in Baltimore by mid season and Atkins was signed as a place-holder nothing more.

The suck of Atkins, the overall offensive slump and Hughes forced the issue.

Still would have rather had LaRoche, that is something AM missed out on that I really wish would have gone another way.

[cindyluvsbrady]

Its still too early.

I agree:)!!

[SilentJames]

Can't blame MacPhail or his plan for when Roberts, Markakis, Jones, Reimold, Scott and Johnson deserve the blame for underperforming. All MacPhail can do is put guys in roles. If they screw it up, then its not his fault.

MacPhail deserves the blame for sign a closer with a injury history and paying too much for a corner infield retread. Gonzo still may be an asset to the O's. Its too early to tell. But the possible of injury was predictable.

See this is the key. I wrote awhile ago that this season's success did not hinge on Atkins - it is all about these guys.

If those guys start performing like we all expected/ hoped then this season can be salvaged regardless of Atkins.