well it's almost over, but the fun is just beginning

by merdon1332000 on Sep 18, 2007 11:22 PM EDT Comment 21 comments

Ok so we had a bad year, nothing new here! there's always next year right? With the season set to end in a few (12) It's time to start thinking about next season and the possiblities of fresh faces oon the O's rosters. I think we all agree Nick,Brian and Erik about the only untouchable guys so what about the rest?

1b - Millar again?
SS - Miggy back for more? or replace? with who?
3b - Melvo - No way, is possible?
CF - Patterson? who else
LF - Keep Payton!! in the dirt 6ft under
SP - any names you wishing for?
BP - 9 open position right?

either way I hope we make smart choices this winter and come out looking good. If we trade Miggy we need to get Powerful maybe a trade to atlanta for you know who.

Spending big money - Arod is the only person over 15million we need to concerder, other then that go another route.

FanPosts are user-created content and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors of Camden Chat or SB Nation. They might, though.

0 recs | Comment 21 comments

Story-email Email Printer Print

Comments

what i'd do

c - Hernandez (with goal of trading 7/31)
1b - Huff (with goal of trading 7/31)
2b - Roberts (with goal of extending)
ss - l. hernandez (not a long term solution)
3b - Moore
LF - Payton (trade by 7/31, then Reimold)
CF - Fiorentino (out of options)
RF - Markakis
DH - Gibbons (stop gap)
SP: Bedard (extend now), Guthrie, Loewen, Cabrera, Olson
BP: Hoey, F. Cabrera, Cherry, Bradford (trade by 7/31), Penn (long man for the lefties and he's out of options), Burress (long man for the righties)

Parts not mentioned: Tejada, Millar, Mora, Walker - fill in some of the gaps with players acquired in return for those guys, hopefully we'd be able to get one A prospect and 4 B prospects and one C prospect Of course, MelMo has to waive that NTC

I'd also make a Rule 5 selection and see if we can get lucky with a Guthrie-esque waiver claim. There is also one another reliever candidate...the guy we received in the Rodrigo trade, one of them didn't totally suck at Bowie this year IIRC.

Librarians are hiding something

by dfa on Sep 19, 2007 12:11 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

why trade

Millar and Walker?

Jeremy Guthrie is better then you! Go to hell Rob Bell!

by westcoastOfan on Sep 20, 2007 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

why trade Millar and Walker?

Because

I think their value is as high as it's going to be
I don't think eitehr player will be a part of a competitive team
I don't see a difference in winning 73 games versus 69 games
These guys do have some value...Millar has put up league average OPS very cheaply (even though we know he's going to fall off, but I thought he would've crashed and burned this year). Walker has value...reasonably priced and he's a guy who could make a good team better.

Librarians are hiding something

by dfa on Sep 21, 2007 12:24 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

re:

1b - Millar again?

We've been over a thousand times how much I like Kevin Millar and the fact that I think he's a decent guy to have around. But I say this without any hesitation: If Kevin Millar is the first baseman next year, we're screwed.

Great guy, but I fear it's getting real close to midnight for Cinderella. He's about to get awful.

by SC on Sep 19, 2007 6:10 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

what i'd like to see...

and i'm trying to be realistic

1b Adam Dunn
2b Roberts
3b Moore
ss Miggy
LF Payton
CF Aaron Rowand
RF Markakis
C Hernandez/House
DH Mora

Bench: L.Hernandez, Boom-Boom, Redman

SP Buh-dard
SP Guthrie
SP Loewen
SP D. Cabrera
SP Olson/Penn
RHR F. Cabrera
RHR Cherry
RHR Bradford
LHR Burress
LHR Walker
Set-up Hoey
Closer Ray

"I love you guys....I hate you guys." --Eric Cartman

by Dave at Bottomfeeder Baseball on Sep 19, 2007 12:25 PM EDT reply actions 0 recs

Try again on Closer

'cause Ray won't be back until late August at the earliest.

"And I'm respected in da hood like a 'G'..."
- Boo-Yaa T.R.I.B.E. & FNM

by duck on Sep 19, 2007 5:40 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

oops

i knew something was askew. what i wouldn't do is spend money on a closer. they grow on trees.

"I love you guys....I hate you guys." --Eric Cartman

by Dave at Bottomfeeder Baseball on Sep 19, 2007 5:51 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

realistic???

Jeremy Guthrie is better then you! Go to hell Rob Bell!

by westcoastOfan on Sep 20, 2007 5:21 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

re:

I'd like to see Payton in left field, too. In the stands.

by SC on Sep 20, 2007 5:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

The only...

...two bats I think I'd be really comfortable with us going after are Adam Dunn, should he be available, and Aaron Rowand. Rowand is going to be on the market with both Torii Hunter and Andruw Jones, so we might actually be able to fetch a decent price for him. Dunn will not come cheap, but he's a no brainer. Both of these guys can play in the outfield and neither would block Rowell or Wieters in the future (should we choose to move Wieters out from behind the plate).

Now a big question for me is: Should we take another chance on Benson? We have a team option for next year on his contract at $7.5 Million. The conventional wisdom seems to be saying hell no with him coming off an injury. But if I were the FO I might consider it if he can show himself to be in good condition. 7.5 is not a lot of money for a starter nowadays, and we can always use an another arm, as this season has so ably demonstrated.

Friend of the Working Man

by Jonnypops on Sep 20, 2007 9:40 AM EDT reply actions 0 recs

word on Benson

You might as well bring in as many arms as possible and let them battle it out.

by BENNYBIRDMAN on Sep 20, 2007 10:21 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

re:

It's a lot when you aren't a team that throws out $7.5 million and when the player in question is Kris Benson coming off of a season-eliminating injury.

by SC on Sep 20, 2007 5:50 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

I was waiting

for you to take the bait.

Coming off an injury, obviously, is a concern. It's something the FO would need to carefully evaluate before picking up the option. But if he's healthy I think taking the option is something we really need to consider. As for,

It's a lot when you aren't a team that throws out $7.5 million

Every team is a team that throws out $7.5 Mil (and usually more) if they want a league average, veteran, FA starter. The only way to pay less nowadays is if the player's under contractual control. That's where we're at.

Friend of the Working Man

by Jonnypops on Sep 20, 2007 7:35 PM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

re:

Every team is a team that throws out $7.5 Mil (and usually more) if they want a league average, veteran, FA starter.

Sure, if they want one. Or think they need one. That Gil Meche sure turned the Royals around, what a great way to spend money. They could've bought four other guys for the same money with the way they usually spend. With the way WE usually spend, Kris Benson's contract could be spent on two other shitty players, another Huff and Payton bonanza.

But I'm not really talking about who wants a league average, veteran, free agent starter, because, like, really, do YOU want one? Do you want a league average, veteran, free agent starter? I don't think that makes the first damn bit of difference. If you put Hayden Penn out for 30 starts next year instead of Kris Benson, you're probably going to wind up with a reasonable reproduction of the expensive model, and you just might get something a shitload better.

Benson is a totally known commodity, so let the fuckin' Giants or someone waste their time. After all, they're considering actually bringing Omar Vizquel back. Because veterans carry clout and help the youngsters! Yaaay! Have fun in fifth place again, the same fun we'll keep having if we keep dicking around with go-nowhere mediocrities (at best) like Kris Benson.

I cannot see any way to advocate bringing Kris Benson back. The best argument really seems to be, "Well, it's good to have extra arms around, innit?!" And it is, if they don't suck and aren't the arm you're going to need to have a spare for in July.

by SC on Sep 21, 2007 3:32 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Well now

let's just see what we have cooking in the pitching dept.

Erik Bedard is a lock at the #1 slot.
Jeremy Guthrie will be back in the rotation, though whether he can get back to pitching like the first half of this season, or even above average again is unknown.
Daniel Cabrera sucks, but will be back.
Adam Loewen will likely be back in the rotation, control problems and all.

Beyond that it gets unclear.

Brian Burres may have earned himself a job in the 5th slot.
Garrett Olson has been unimpressive.
Ditto Radhames Liz.
Jon Leicester has had a good game or two and some bad games.
Hayden Penn seems to be in a bad position with the FO, but I suppose he could get called up.

With our pitching situation shaping up like this I would absolutely look into Benson coming back, again IF he's healthy now. Plus we can always trade him for prospects, which god knows we can use.

Friend of the Working Man

by Jonnypops on Sep 21, 2007 7:16 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

re:

I'd take all of those guys over Benson. Either they're better or just more practical. Since, as you stated, we already have five guys in place (sadly, Cabrera's one of them), we REALLY don't need Benson around.

by SC on Sep 21, 2007 7:26 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

It's not a question of Need.

It's a question of Can. We CAN have him around (and I cannot stress this enough, IF he proves healthy) then use him for either a trade (which would be great) or a "veteran presence". Now you can scoff at that old maxim if you want, but even Bedard, who hardly talks, has credited Benson with helping him. While developing a bunch of guys it's good to have a guy like Benson around...and I must say while he had his big innings where he gets shelled, the guy knew how to pitch, he simply lacked the physical ability to carry him through when his stuff wasn't dead on. I like a healthy Benson. We've seen the kindercare rotation for the past month around here now. I don't see the need to revive part of it next season if we don't have to.

Friend of the Working Man

by Jonnypops on Sep 21, 2007 8:15 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

re:

"I like a healthy Benson."

I don't think after his sixteenth arm injury we're going to see much more of a healthy Benson.

"Now you can scoff at that old maxim if you want"

I will, and here's why. The Orioles are no better with him than without him. And that $7.5 million can go somewhere else. There are, like, ten guys that can do everything Benson will do as far as the performance on the field goes. And they don't run the injury risk or cost the money.

I like Benson for many of the reasons you mentioned, notably the Bedard thing. He seems like a great dude. But I don't think he helps this team next year.

I do prefer him AND the $7.5 million to Cabrera, though.

by SC on Sep 21, 2007 8:43 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

re:

There are, like, ten guys that can do everything Benson will do as far as the performance on the field goes.

Then why aren't they? We have or have had all the "callup" guys I mentioned (except Penn) in the rotation this year. Most of them for more than just a cup of coffee. The only one who merits comparison to Benson's 2006 was Burres and he's still about 10 points behind in ERA+ and has a WHIP .20 above Benson's from the year before.

But let's talk turkey. We're already giving on the job training to both Loewen and, I hate to say it, Guthrie. Guthrie's second half was not so great, and there's plenty of reason to suspect his next year with us will be considerably more challenging than his first. I don't like the idea of a rotation with Bedard, 3 young 'uns, and a crappy Cabrera. Benson allays that a bit. PLUS, and honestly I think this might be the biggest reason to pick up the option, we can trade him. There's a million teams looking for a guy like Benson out there, especially at that price. IF he's healthy.

Friend of the Working Man

by Jonnypops on Sep 21, 2007 9:06 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

re:

I agree we can trade him if he can pitch at all, and that's a positive. The if he's healthy is just such a big "if" with him -- he hasn't really been healthy his entire career past that first major injury. And he's certainly not getting any younger.

But I think for the most part we generally agree about Benson's worth, even if I haven't properly conveyed that.

by SC on Sep 21, 2007 9:10 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs

Benson

isn't worth $10 dollars, not to mention 7.5 million. He's in the Carl Pavano/Jaret Wright league of disposable pitchers. I would rather give room to some of the young starting pitching that the O's have, (anyone not named Danys "Nuke" Cabrera). Oh, and someone tell Danny Cabrera that steroids won't give him better control over his "wild thang" pitches.

by MurraysLaw on Sep 21, 2007 12:59 AM EDT up reply actions 0 recs