Reporting in

[rolliefingers]

Too bad this trade doesn't do that.

Even Santana + Aybar doesn't push us back that far. Our pitching would have been instantly better and we'd have a respectable SS PLUS the money to blow on Schmidt/Soriano/Lee this offseason. Add in Kotchman and I would have done that trade, no question.

I'm actually beginning to think that we'd be CLOSER to contention if we had traded Tejada. In Miggy we have one great part, whereas with Santana, Kotchman and Aybar, we would have a guy who's almost an ace already at 23, and two above average pieces that could help RIGHT NOW.

The more I think about it, the more it depresses me.

[erb8472]

Well of the 3, only Santana is a semi-proven MLB player.. so I presume we can agree to disagee there...

Wood is a better prospect than Markakis, and Aybar is close. I would love to at the minimum have a Markakis playing SS, and 3B for us in the future.

[Sports Guy]

Well of the 3, only Santana is a semi-proven MLB player.. so I presume we can agree to disagee there...

Semi proven? The guy is a #2 starter right now. This improves our pitching greatly.

Aybar steps right in right now and immediately improves the defense. He has also good pop in his bat and a ton of speed.

Wood probably starts next year in AAA playing third(and maybe in the AFL) and steps in at third by middle of next year, sending Mora to LF.

We also have saved alot of money to spend in free agency.

Sorry but we could EASILY be better NEXT YEAR withOUT Tejada if we had made a trade like this and made smart moves in FA and trades.

[srh523]

I guess I just get confused on how an above average prospect (SG pointed out not even a top top tier prospect) becomes an above average piece to success? He only has a couple at-bats at the ML level. He is young and cheap and frees money that all I agree with, but he s still an unproven prospect.

[paulcoates]

Semi proven? The guy is a #2 starter right now. This improves our pitching greatly.

Aybar steps right in right now and immediately improves the defense. He has also good pop in his bat and a ton of speed.

Wood probably starts next year in AAA playing third(and maybe in the AFL) and steps in at third by middle of next year, sending Mora to LF.

We also have saved alot of money to spend in free agency.

Sorry but we could EASILY be better NEXT YEAR withOUT Tejada if we had made a trade like this and made smart moves in FA and trades.

however, if the MASN deal doesn't go through, and we dont sign or acquire a big bat, then we would have no mashers in our lineup

[erb8472]

Even Santana + Aybar doesn't push us back that far. Our pitching would have been instantly better and we'd have a respectable SS PLUS the money to blow on Schmidt/Soriano/Lee this offseason. Add in Kotchman and I would have done that trade, no question.

I'm actually beginning to think that we'd be CLOSER to contention if we had traded Tejada. In Miggy we have one great part, whereas with Santana, Kotchman and Aybar, we would have a guy who's almost an ace already at 23, and two above average pieces that could help RIGHT NOW.

The more I think about it, the more it depresses me.

With as many holes as this team has trading Tejada would have been a great move. They decided they couldn't fill as many holes by trading him as they wanted to. So now they get to spend money to fill those holes or get creative and make trades.

Based on the two options and what we know about our payroll trading Tejada would have been the best move for this team for now and for the future.

[Fan4Life]

Wood is a better prospect than Markakis, and Aybar is close. I would love to at the minimum have a Markakis playing SS, and 3B for us in the future.

Agreed.. and as I said... if we aren't going to spend, we should have done it.. but as ItallionStallion says.. go out and sign Soriano/Lee etc.. after trading Tejada... I think we can sign one of them and keep Tejada.. I could be wrong.. and if the past is any judge of the future, I am... based on BB's insder comments, I think with MASN coming we'll push payroll to around $90 mil and that gives us plenty of room to sign and trade for all the players we need to make a splash while keeping Tejada.

[rolliefingers]

With as many holes as this team has trading Tejada would have been a great move. They decided they couldn't fill as many holes by trading him as they wanted to. So now they get to spend money to fill those holes or get creative and make trades.

Based on the two options and what we know about our payroll trading Tejada would have been the best move for this team for now and for the future.

Exactly, and we know what a great track record we have with that.

[Hank Scorpio]

Really? You knew we didn't want to pick up Conine's option?

Where did you see that MASN was close?

You knew we were still gunning for this year?

Or did you just ASSUME these things?

Semantics!!!

Given the history of this franchise, I think the line between assumption and knowledge is just about negligible... Sadly, it's to the point where when the owner comes out and makes promises, we look him in face and say, "You're lying to us".

I could have told you that the FO was going to say "we're still gunning for this year" and "nobody wants to pick up Conine's option". That doesn't seem like a huge stretch to me.

I'm definitely not saying I don't appreciate confirmation or all of Bigbird's posts, b/c I certainly do. The MASN info is valuable and interesting to me.

Do I believe Duquette when he says that we're gonna be spenders this offseason?

Do you????

[rolliefingers]

Agreed.. and as I said... if we aren't going to spend, we should have done it.. but as ItallionStallion says.. go out and sing Soriano/Lee etc.. after trading Tejada... I think we can sign one of them and keep Tejada.. I could be wrong.. and if the past is any judge of the future, I am... based on BB's insder comments, I think with MASN coming we'll push payroll to around $90 mil and that gives us plenty of room to sign and trade for all the players we need to make a splash while keeping Tejada.

No issue with keeping Tejada if they finally spend the necessary money. But again: will they? I'm not holding my breath. And if they don't at least sign one big-ticket guy, or make one impact trade, it's gonna be more of the same old crap.

[paulcoates]

So, you knew:

1) That the Orioles wanted 4 players from the Angels.

2) That the MASN deal is close.

3) That no team wanted Nioner because of his option and we don't want to pay any of it.

4) That part of the reason we didn't make these deals was because we are still worried about this year.

YOu knew all of that?

I wouldn't say I knew for certainly #1.

I can say for almost certainty that I knew #3 and #4

#2, I have no clue about, but until it change Peter's sending habits, it has no bearing on the on-field performance of this team

[Baltoravensrule]

Really? You knew we didn't want to pick up Conine's option?

Where did you see that MASN was close?

You knew we were still gunning for this year?

Or did you just ASSUME these things?

Assumed the Conine

Saw MASN things online and on newspapers websites

We aren't "gunning" for this year, the FO just thought that we didnt have enough MLB ready pitching in the minors and thought keeping someone like rodrigo to save some agony of a youngster would be worth more than trading him for not much. Anyone can figure that out, not necessarily a "fact" that someone from the inside has to tell you at this point.

[Hank Scorpio]

Semi proven? The guy is a #2 starter right now. This improves our pitching greatly.

Aybar steps right in right now and immediately improves the defense. He has also good pop in his bat and a ton of speed.

Wood probably starts next year in AAA playing third(and maybe in the AFL) and steps in at third by middle of next year, sending Mora to LF.

We also have saved alot of money to spend in free agency.

Sorry but we could EASILY be better NEXT YEAR withOUT Tejada if we had made a trade like this and made smart moves in FA and trades.

I agree with this wholeheartedly.

[erb8472]

however, if the MASN deal doesn't go through, and we dont sign or acquire a big bat, then we would have no mashers in our lineup

Tejada is a masher, but this team needs someone to offer him some protection in the lineup, and Gibbons is to injury prone to do that.

By not trading Tejada the FO showed their hand and that is that we have to increase payroll to build a competive team, hopefully they are prepared to do that MASN deal or no MASN deal.

[Fan4Life]

Semi proven? The guy is a #2 starter right now. This improves our pitching greatly.

Aybar steps right in right now and immediately improves the defense. He has also good pop in his bat and a ton of speed.

Wood probably starts next year in AAA playing third(and maybe in the AFL) and steps in at third by middle of next year, sending Mora to LF.

We also have saved alot of money to spend in free agency.

Sorry but we could EASILY be better NEXT YEAR withOUT Tejada if we had made a trade like this and made smart moves in FA and trades.[/Quote]

I agree with this wholeheartedly.

I certainly wasn't arguing that trade didn't make us better, only that while being better, we wouldn't be better enough to compete for a playoff spot and likely not for some years unless we made a FA splash signing which to me is something we should do and keep Tejada and then we can compete next year.