AM – you have a credibility problem

[Sports Guy]

You don't think good pitching has anything to do with sustainable winning?

Okay I'll stop here, then.

That's not the end all and be all, but it's imperative and difficult to assemble in a 3 year span of time.

Do you think that is all he has to do to make us a contender?

If you don't, what makes you believe he will go out and add the proper offensive pieces we need to put us over the top?

[NCRaven]

Other than Crawford, I'm afraid there are no game changing bats in this free agent class. But, there are certainly some that would be improvements over what we trotted out there last season. I'd put Andino at short - and I'm not a fan - before I brought Izturis back. All of the 1B candidates are seriously flawed, whether by age (Lee/Konerko/Berkman), defense (Dunn), huge K's (Pena) or career mediocrity (LaRoche - although I could see him as a cheap option). 3B has one stud with a history of putting up his best numbers at the end of contracts. I really feel that we're going to need to sign a Garland type of pitcher so that we can afford to include one of the young starters in a trade for a young middle-of-the-order bat that can be part of the team's future.

[wildcard]

MacPhail will be judged on how many games he wins in 2011, not on how his off season goes. Sure the off season will probably set up next season. But I disagree that he succeeds or fails based on the off season. He will be judged on the wins in 2011 IMO.

Secondly, I think some people are setting the bar too high if they expect long term solutions at every position. Who has that? Does Boston? Are Drew and Ortiz long term solutions at this point. How about Tampa? Are Crawford and Soriano long term solutions? Everyone fills in with short term guys for different reasons. I expect the O's will also. What I want is effective major leagues at every position whether they are long term or short term guys.

[Roll Tide]

Other than Crawford, I'm afraid there are no game changing bats in this free agent class. But, there are certainly some that would be improvements over what we trotted out there last season. I'd put Andino at short - and I'm not a fan - before I brought Izturis back. All of the 1B candidates are seriously flawed, whether by age (Lee/Konerko/Berkman), defense (Dunn), huge K's (Pena) or career mediocrity (LaRoche - although I could see him as a cheap option). 3B has one stud with a history of putting up his best numbers at the end of contracts. I really feel that we're going to need to sign a Garland type of pitcher so that we can afford to include one of the young starters in a trade for a young middle-of-the-order bat that can be part of the team's future.

Trading is a option also right?

[bird watcher]

Other than Crawford, I'm afraid there are no game changing bats in this free agent class. But, there are certainly some that would be improvements over what we trotted out there last season. I'd put Andino at short - and I'm not a fan - before I brought Izturis back. All of the 1B candidates are seriously flawed, whether by age (Lee/Konerko/Berkman), defense (Dunn), huge K's (Pena) or career mediocrity (LaRoche - although I could see him as a cheap option). 3B has one stud with a history of putting up his best numbers at the end of contracts. I really feel that we're going to need to sign a Garland type of pitcher so that we can afford to include one of the young starters in a trade for a young middle-of-the-order bat that can be part of the team's future.

I hope trust that AM has a plan because to be honest, most here on the hangout could have (did) looked at THIS FA class LAST year and known that it was weak. FA doesn't just show up. We can for the most part see it coming.

[Dipper9]

I'm not trying to be a jerk. But this:

Is not "I think I'm speaking for a lot of people". He could have said that, but he chose the more inflammatory language, and that bothers me.

Other problems?

Like, what is this? Do you think MacPhail is getting offered "stud players at the major league and minor league level" for free and is constantly turning them down because he likes stopgaps? Everything has a price, and every player's value is conditional on their price. And no team is going to knowingly trade you some "stud player" without getting appropriate value in return. Likewise, almost by definition, free agent contracts are on average bad value. If you want a stud pitcher on this market, for example, you are probably giving 34-year-old Cliff Lee 6 years

This passage is the kind of simplistic thinking that completely ignores how difficult the job of GMing actually is. It really annoys me. I'm not in love with MacPhail, but he better not lose his job for these kinds of reasons.

He has until his contract runs out before I would make any ruling against him, but what will (or may) get him fired is that our team has continued to perform in last place without making many strides to improve in the win loss column, and the fact that the same exact problems we've had since he arrived, ie no cleanup hitter, no first or third baseman, have not been addressed.

[NattieO'sHon]

Do you think that is all he has to do to make us a contender?

If you don't, what makes you believe he will go out and add the proper offensive pieces we need to put us over the top?

What makes you think he will not? Are you basing this off previous years?

[Dipper9]

Common Hank:rolleyes:

For the Orioles to be a force long term they need long term offensive solutions. If you cant get them to come via free agency then you need to trade for those pieces.

Be pitching strong is great ...But not the end all. Perhaps your recall early in the season when we were pitching well for a stretch but scoring no runs.

Great post!

A pitching ONLY approach may work in the NL West, but it doesn't work in the AL East! We need both, and so far (please read the bolded part again so I dont get bashed for expcting more in 2 days, even though its been 3 years), SO FAR MacPhail has shown ZERO ability to improve this team offensively.

[NattieO'sHon]

I just don't get it. This team had less talent then some AAA teams prior to Andy coming here. To say he has done nothing is sad and frankly dumb. The only way we compete is to start at the bottom and work your way up. We have started to build a foundation and we need to continue to build that foundation and the success will come. Stick to the plan

[Dipper9]

I just don't get it. This team had less talent then some AAA teams prior to Andy coming here. To say he has done nothing is sad and frankly dumb. The only way we compete is to start at the bottom and work your way up. We have started to build a foundation and we need to continue to build that foundation and the success will come. Stick to the plan

And once again I ask the question, aside from pitching and Adam Jones, what "talent" has MacPhail brought to this team in THREE years?

People keep saying "we're only two days into free agency."

Great. Fantastic. Lets see what MacPhail does. But in the 3 years he's been here we have had the SAME GAPING HOLES as when he arrived. So I guess in a sense I agree with you...I just don't get it either. I don't get how this man gets the benefit of the doubt from so many Orioles fans?????

[BaltimoreTerp]

And once again I ask the question, aside from pitching and Adam Jones, what "talent" has MacPhail brought to this team in THREE years?

Aside from the obvious, how DID you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

[Frobby]

MacPhail will be judged on how many games he wins in 2011, not on how his off season goes. Sure the off season will probably set up next season. But I disagree that he succeeds or fails based on the off season. He will be judged on the wins in 2011 IMO.

I think what we do this offseason will have a large impact on what happens next season. Come up with the equivalent of Garrett Atkins, Cesar Izturis, Miguel Tejada and Ty Wigginton to replace those four, and we're doomed to a sub-.500 season and MacPhail will be to blame for that. I think we'll do better than 66 wins almost no matter what, but the team as currently constituted needs significant help. I fully agree we can't necessarily come up with a long-term solution at every spot, but we need to do it at some spots and to the extent we go with short term solutions, they need to be be better ones.

[Dipper9]

Aside from the obvious, how DID you like the play, Mrs. Lincoln?

So then its okay with you to have holes at first, short, third, cleanup hitter, etc for three straight years?

Gotcha! :thumbsup1:

[Miller192]

As long as there is next year, losing will always be ok for some.

[NattieO'sHon]

And once again I ask the question, aside from pitching and Adam Jones, what "talent" has MacPhail brought to this team in THREE years?

People keep saying "we're only two days into free agency."

Great. Fantastic. Lets see what MacPhail does. But in the 3 years he's been here we have had the SAME GAPING HOLES as when he arrived. So I guess in a sense I agree with you...I just don't get it either. I don't get how this man gets the benefit of the doubt from so many Orioles fans?????

Wait. You agree then you do not agree. LOL AM clearly stated on Day 1 that it would get much worse before it got better. Nobody was going to come play here as long as we had an awful team on the field. We focused all our time and money on the minor leagues. We went from possibly the worst farm system to a very respectable one and we are still ways from being among the best. The organization since the 83 W.S. went after free agents and ignored player development for nearly 30 years!!

You have to look at the big picture here and this year is the first year it makes sense for us to be aggressive in free agency. It also is the first year free agents will consider coming here. The one weapon we have is Camden Yards and I know that players will come here cause they love playing here. They just want to see us going in the right direction and we are finally heading there. I cant wait to see a sold out Camden Yards!