Decision 2010: Win Now or Rendon Later?

[Sanfran327]

I have to say, this is much closer than I originally thought it would be. I think the privacy of the poll is indicative of its results. No way would it be this close if everyone was accountable for their vote.

I have to admit: I want Rendon bad. And I know this season is so far gone that it doesn't matter what we do in the second half. We can win games, and that can be good for our young core, but it still depleats our draft position.

I trust the judgement of of the draft experts on the board, and many of them are saying that Rendon is a franchise-changing bat. It's hard not to want a guy like that, even if it means finishing dead last (which we will do in our divisino anyway).

[Sports Guy]

We are talking about less than half of a lost season.

Its not like this was a question asked in the beginning of the season..Or, its not like we are in position to have a 500+ record this year and we want them to tank.

We are talking about needing to win 60 games(total) vs 65 games.

The young players aren't going to learn more by winning 5 more games.

I think the team will end up with 60 wins and hope that is enough to land us the first pick.

If they do that, they will have gone 41-51 over their last 92 games...That is with injuries and hopefully, a few trades. That is a 45% winning%. Not great but also not awful.

[flashjordnk]

The young players aren't going to learn more by winning 5 more games.

I just can't agree with this statement. I think there is a lot of talk about building and having a losing team on this board for a reason. There are more than enough reasons to think the Orioles are awful.

Look you can't guarantee that Rendon is going to solve any of the problems the Orioles have. It'd be like me promising Wieters was going to be a stud right before he got drafted so we'd have to make sure that we lost 9 more games to be the worst team in the league in 2006.

What's another 9 games. What's another 5 games. What's another...blah blah blah.

I want to see these young hitters progress. Jones take some more walks. Reimold get his stride back. The Calvary learn some command. Wieters continue to hit the ball hard and young guys really learn how to throw in the bullpen. If these things start happening, there is very little reason to assume we won't be anywhere near last place.

Losing a few games is asking to sacrifice, specifically, the growth of our young guys on our MLB roster. At no point is one player worth this much to me.

But then again we differ in points of view. You wanted Colon instead of Machado. You have a tendency to like these major league ready, solid projected MLB bats. And that's fine...but I just can't root against progress or this team winning.

Also...10-7 in our last 17 games. I'm just saying...

[Sanfran327]

We are talking about less than half of a lost season.

Its not like this was a question asked in the beginning of the season..Or, its not like we are in position to have a 500+ record this year and we want them to tank.

We are talking about needing to win 60 games(total) vs 65 games.

The young players aren't going to learn more by winning 5 more games.

I think the team will end up with 60 wins and hope that is enough to land us the first pick.

If they do that, they will have gone 41-51 over their last 92 games...That is with injuries and hopefully, a few trades. That is a 45% winning%. Not great but also not awful.

I agree with you. 110%. But it is hard to want your team to lose. I guess the way I look at it is that we're going to lose anyway. A lot. We may as well get a great player because of it.

Then the year Rendon is set to come up, we can go make a big FA signing or two so we can really compete with him right away.

[osfan83]

Doesn't it say something that you have to hold this poll as private so we can't see who is actually voting for whom.

It seems to me that there is a fair amount of shame in rooting against your team has shame. I think the hidden nature of your poll might answer a bit of your own question.

That being said one guy isn't going to turn a franchise around. This is silly to tank the emotions and psyches of players just for one guy that we have no idea how he turns out (see Wieters). Root for the team. Hope for the best...feel free to criticize when you disagree with what's going on. But I stand opposed to anyone who supports this team losing.

And this...I want to see progress and lose at the same time crap just seems like a cop out to me. Winning isn't going to be a one guy or one draft pick cure. Let's not act like this one player will make a difference.

It's funny how people will say "signing Tex would not have made any difference" then say how important it is to get Rendon. In my opinion signing a proven superstar (yes more risk) will have more more impact that signing a top prospect. So if Tex or AGon would not makemuch of a difference, then Rendon sure as heck wouldn't either.

[Sanfran327]

It's funny how people will say "signing Tex would not have made any difference" then say how important it is to get Rendon. In my opinion signing a proven superstar (yes more risk) will have more more impact that signing a top prospect. So if Tex or AGon would not makemuch of a difference, then Rendon sure as heck wouldn't either.

Rendon and Fielder/AGon would make a difference.

[Mackus]

You don't need the #1 pick to get a franchise-changing player.

Rendon isn't such a stud that he's even the shoo-in #1 pick at this point. There are a lot of really nice college pitchers available, too.

Take the wins now. Largely because winning now would signify that the young core players are playing better, which is far more important to the future of this franchise than having the #1 pick instead of the #2 pick.

[flashjordnk]

It's funny how people will say "signing Tex would not have made any difference" then say how important it is to get Rendon. In my opinion signing a proven superstar (yes more risk) will have more more impact that signing a top prospect. So if Tex or AGon would not makemuch of a difference, then Rendon sure as heck wouldn't either.

Right...they'd be called prospects for a reason. Sure I'd love to have him on this team. But I don't think it's do or die that the O's get Rendon.

Maybe if someone could show me that he and he alone will save the Orioles (sounds familiar doesn't it Wieters?) I don't see any reason we just need him more than anything else in the whole wide world.

[VTmook213]

You don't need the #1 pick to get a franchise-changing player.

Rendon isn't such a stud that he's even the shoo-in #1 pick at this point. There are a lot of really nice college pitchers available, too.

Take the wins now. Largely because winning now would signify that the young core players are playing better, which is far more important to the future of this franchise than having the #1 pick instead of the #2 pick.

I agree with this. From what I've read about the draft, it looks like there are a lot of very good prospects - it's not Stephen Strasburg and then everybody else.

Plus, it's better for the Orioles, long-term, to end up going on a tear in the second half due to their young players producing and missing out on the #1 pick. We need them to progress, and if that happens that means they are on the right track. That's more important than the #1 pick.

[Sports Guy]

I just can't agree with this statement. I think there is a lot of talk about building and having a losing team on this board for a reason. There are more than enough reasons to think the Orioles are awful.

Look you can't guarantee that Rendon is going to solve any of the problems the Orioles have. It'd be like me promising Wieters was going to be a stud right before he got drafted so we'd have to make sure that we lost 9 more games to be the worst team in the league in 2006.

What's another 9 games. What's another 5 games. What's another...blah blah blah.

I want to see these young hitters progress. Jones take some more walks. Reimold get his stride back. The Calvary learn some command. Wieters continue to hit the ball hard and young guys really learn how to throw in the bullpen. If these things start happening, there is very little reason to assume we won't be anywhere near last place.

Losing a few games is asking to sacrifice, specifically, the growth of our young guys on our MLB roster. At no point is one player worth this much to me.

But then again we differ in points of view. You wanted Colon instead of Machado. You have a tendency to like these major league ready, solid projected MLB bats. And that's fine...but I just can't root against progress or this team winning.

Also...10-7 in our last 17 games. I'm just saying...

What do you think is a realistic expectation, record wise, for the final 74 games of the season?

[Sports Guy]

I agree with you. 110%. But it is hard to want your team to lose. I guess the way I look at it is that we're going to lose anyway. A lot. We may as well get a great player because of it.

Then the year Rendon is set to come up, we can go make a big FA signing or two so we can really compete with him right away.

Its not really wanting your team to lose.

If the question was, would you rather win 50 of the last 74 games or get the #1 pick, i think we would all want to win the 50 games because we know what that means for the young players...that they are performing at a high level and that would also mean that we end up close to 500.

But that's not realistic.

The question is really, do you want to win 63-65 games this year or do you want to win 58-60 games and get the #1 pick.

A few wins aren't going to teach the young guys anything. A few wins aren't going to change their attitudes around.

This team can win 31 games in the second half, end the season with a 92 game stretch of winning 45% of their games, have a new manager in place and, have a good amount of improvement from the younger players...and still be in position for the #1 pick.

People are talking about the improvement of the young players...That's fine..They can still improve, learn and get better while winning 30ish games as opposed to 35 games.

Its not an either/or situation.

[Araqnid]

Its not really wanting your team to lose.

If the question was, would you rather win 50 of the last 74 games or get the #1 pick, i think we would all want to win the 50 games because we know what that means for the young players...that they are performing at a high level and that would also mean that we end up close to 500.

But that's not realistic.

The question is really, do you want to win 63-65 games this year or do you want to win 58-60 games and get the #1 pick.

A few wins aren't going to teach the young guys anything. A few wins aren't going to change their attitudes around.

This team can win 31 games in the second half, end the season with a 92 game stretch of winning 45% of their games, have a new manager in place and, have a good amount of improvement from the younger players...and still be in position for the #1 pick.

People are talking about the improvement of the young players...That's fine..They can still improve, learn and get better while winning 30ish games as opposed to 35 games.

Its not an either/or situation.

I completely disagree with this. I think telling a team to tank for 5 games because they aren't good enough on their own and they have to hope for the #1 pick to be competitive would pretty much destroy most of our young players.

I'm all for winning with our current players, not purposely hoping they'll lose so that we have a CHANCE at a prospect that MIGHT make a huge impact.

[Araqnid]

I have to say, this is much closer than I originally thought it would be. I think the privacy of the poll is indicative of its results. No way would it be this close if everyone was accountable for their vote.

On what planet is 64% to 36% close?

[glorydays]

We are talking about less than half of a lost season.

Its not like this was a question asked in the beginning of the season..Or, its not like we are in position to have a 500+ record this year and we want them to tank.

We are talking about needing to win 60 games(total) vs 65 games.

The young players aren't going to learn more by winning 5 more games.

I think the team will end up with 60 wins and hope that is enough to land us the first pick.

If they do that, they will have gone 41-51 over their last 92 games...That is with injuries and hopefully, a few trades. That is a 45% winning%. Not great but also not awful.

If we are playing "what ifs"... what if the O's ended up going 55-37 over their their last 92 games because Wieters, Pie and the young pitching staff starts to perform like we all envisioned at the beginning of the season. Would you rather have that happen or draft at #1?

[flashjordnk]

What do you think is a realistic expectation, record wise, for the final 74 games of the season?

I do think they can go about .500. If the young guys keep learning and pitching as they are currently. If the team can continue to average 4.2 runs a game instead of 3.2. If the bullpen can continue to be a strength.

This is textbook Tampa when they turned the corner. A weak offense, above average starting pitching and a great bullpen.

This team is 10-7 in their last 17 games. And a couple of those Detroit games were within reach. I don't think this team is as bad as they look right now. And bringing back Gonzo, Roberts, Pie are all good signs for improvement. But without them and even without Scott (our second best OPS guy) the offense has some life. And so does our team and so does our win loss record.

I like the momentum and the attitude a lot better than the wins themselves. But I think they are playing a direct role. Until I see otherwise, I want to see the heart, the hustle and the hard work. And I can only hope it pays off in wins because then the guys will keep doing it. Hard work that results in losses results in jaded players that don't progress.

A few more wins might mean AJ thinks that he doesn't have to work as hard to carry the offense and he takes maybe .5 more PPA. It means Nick feels a bit more comfortable with the OBP of the team and starts turning on the ball more. Wieters doesn't feel like it's all pressure on him and his offense. These guys need something to believe in, and as a fan it's easy to believe in Rendon as the future. But for players...they might need more motivation to stay on top of things, IMO.