Rosenthal: O's focus back to Derrek Lee

[BrunoCherrytown]

The single biggest failing of the Angelos era has been an unwillingness to go all-in with their amateur acquisition and development system. It's the one place they could develop an advantage over the big market teams and they choose not to. Yes, they occasionally drop decent money on a Loewen or a Wieters, but they're shockingly out of the picture in other areas.

I absolutely agree with you here.

But when you combine that with MacPhail's complete career of not going after big free agents, his personal low budget player development/scouting/international ways here and in Chicago, with Angelos' frugalness for the farm system - you have a deadly combination.

[Arthur_Bryant]

Strasburg, Zimmerman, Storen (relief)

They admittedly don't have the volume of good pitching prospects/young pitchers we have. But even with that we have Matusz and then lots of hope for Arrieta and Tillman. With Britton in the wings. So it's not like we are locks for greatness with our prospects.

Volume is pretty critical with pitching prospects. Obviously talent matters, but the possibility of flameout or delayed development is so great that you must have a near-constant source of replacement in the pipeline. A team that stakes its future staff on just two or three young arms is begging for trouble.

The O's have been fairly lucky with the progress and health of their first wave of young pitchers. They'll have to remain lucky with health and continued progress, because the group behind Britton looks brutally thin.

[Enjoy Terror]

The single biggest failing of the Angelos era has been an unwillingness to go all-in with their amateur acquisition and development system. It's the one place they could develop an advantage over the big market teams and they choose not to. Yes, they occasionally drop decent money on a Loewen or a Wieters, but they're shockingly out of the picture in other areas.

This post is accurate.

I don't understand why the Orioles choose to litter their rookie and low-A squads with 21+ year olds who can't hit, pitch or field. It bugs the crap out of me that they can't play David Anderson somewhere else other than Aberdeen. At his age, that guy could be raking in AAA if they gave him a shot. I will never understand why they would draft a guy like Jacob Petitt and stick him in Bluefield at 23 years old. I guess I would manage my minor leagues a bit different than MacPhail would.

I will say though, that Jonathan Schoop is a positive development on that front, and the Hector Veloz signing was something new and positive for the O's, but most other teams have long since taken the training wheels off in those areas.

[Sports Guy]

The Orioles and by the Orioles, I mean PA, just do not think the international market is all that important. It never has been in their eyes.

The problem is, if they don't feel that is important than they should be pouring even more money into free agency and the domestic amateur market and they aren't doing that nearly enough either.

[DrungoHazewood]

This post is accurate.

I don't understand why the Orioles choose to litter their rookie and low-A squads with 21+ year olds who can't hit, pitch or field. It bugs the crap out of me that they can't play David Anderson somewhere else other than Aberdeen. At his age, that guy could be raking in AAA if they gave him a shot. I will never understand why they would draft a guy like Jacob Petitt and stick him in Bluefield at 23 years old. I guess I would manage my minor leagues a bit different than MacPhail would.

I will say though, that Jonathan Schoop is a positive development on that front, and the Hector Veloz signing was something new and positive for the O's, but most other teams have long since taken the training wheels off in those areas.

I don't think where the O's slot their players has much to do with the productivity of the amateur development and acquisition system. There are arguments both for and against aggressive and conservative promotions.

The likely case is that they didn't think Anderson or Pettit were going to succeed at higher levels. Anderson struck out 74 times in 190 ABs at Aberdeen. You jump him four levels and he'd probably look like Daniel Cabrera at bat. Pettit looked dominant at two lower-level stops, but experienced pitchers that lack stuff often do that to kids.

I don't have a beef with the O's pacing of prospects. I have a problem with the quality and quantity of talent been fed into the system.

[BrunoCherrytown]

This post is accurate.

I don't understand why the Orioles choose to litter their rookie and low-A squads with 21+ year olds who can't hit, pitch or field. It bugs the crap out of me that they can't play David Anderson somewhere else other than Aberdeen. At his age, that guy could be raking in AAA if they gave him a shot. I will never understand why they would draft a guy like Jacob Petitt and stick him in Bluefield at 23 years old. I guess I would manage my minor leagues a bit different than MacPhail would.

I will say though, that Jonathan Schoop is a positive development on that front, and the Hector Veloz signing was something new and positive for the O's, but most other teams have long since taken the training wheels off in those areas.

This was actually one of the most positive things MacPhail has done in my eyes since the Bedard trade. (There haven't been many)

Veloz isn't anything special at a $300k signing. But at least it was a $300k signing internationally. You'd hope it would be some sort of springboard for improving the international program.

Unfortunately they haven't really done anything else. The other teams are still signing high 6 and even 7 figure international prospects as recently as the Winter Meetings.

Veloz may have been MacPhail testing whether his buy low mentality worked internationally with Veloz's positive steroid test.

If MacPhail actually properly staffed the international department and he and Angelos decided to spend the money to sign top flight players, maybe our one year prospect push wouldn't have left us so dry in the farm.

[Enjoy Terror]

Pettit looked dominant at two lower-level stops, but experienced pitchers that lack stuff often do that to kids.

Then why draft him at all? Why pump guys into your system who aren't that talented and/or set them up to fail? It's not like there aren't a ton of guys in the O's minor league system that need to be replaced, and it's not like there is this great surplus of openings at every level. For instance, explain to me why Brent Allar is deserving of a roster spot in Delmarva? Couldn't Jacob Petitt have replaced him as soon as he was drafted? Allar, at 25, shouldn't be playing baseball since being drafted in 2006, spending 4 years in the minors and getting absolutely shelled in A-ball last year.

Bottom line: The Orioles need to invest in their minor leagues and put quality players in their system and get rid of a lot of these organizational players. Some are okay, but we've got more than we need. I think the contraction of two of the teams is going to help round up the best talent we have and put them all on the same team and foster a better winning attitude down there, but the Orioles still need to spend the money to acquire talent.

This is completely off topic. I apologize for the digression.

[Ruzious]

My impression is that - as bad as the problem with talent acquisition has been - the biggest failure of the organization has been the lack of development of the talent that they've had.

[Going Underground]

Very quite out here. I can hear the winds howling. Are the O"s close to doing something. It looks like it. But it also looked like it last week with LaRoche and two weeks ago with Gregg. A reliever first and then a first baseman? The pace is quickening to a crawl. The crawl might have reached the wall.

[Going Underground]

Does anyone think Hobgood will turn out to be another first pick failure?

[ChaosLex]

Very quite out here. I can hear the winds howling. Are the O"s close to doing something. It looks like it. But it also looked like it last week with LaRoche and two weeks ago with Gregg. A reliever first and then a first baseman? The pace is quickening to a crawl. The crawl might have reached the wall.

You tease.

[weams]

They have the other zimmerman and I am sure they will pick up others. But I honestly think that the Nats getting Fielder is a slim prospect.

You made a funny!

[LookinUp]

Does anyone think Hobgood will turn out to be another first pick failure?

The better question is whether anyone thinks Hobgood will turn out to be a first round success.

Not a very good couple of years for that young man. We all just have to hope for the best.

[lovetoaster]

Does anyone think Hobgood will turn out to be another first pick failure?

I am still pulling for him and was encouraged from what I have heard from his offseason workouts in Arizona, but I am not terribly optimistic. He is very young, so there is time for improvement. The injury scares me a little, but every arm injury for a pitcher does. It is often an ominous sign.

[maudibjr]

The better question is whether anyone thinks Hobgood will turn out to be a first round success.

Not a very good couple of years for that young man. We all just have to hope for the best.

Hes had 1 full year.

I don't understand the thinking regarding Lee. There were very few teams looking competing for Lees services. He rejected SD. So with less competition (and a viable alternative in Larouche) we raise our offer? What kind of negotiating is that?