royallypwned Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 y'all can have Uehara back. :doh: Dude has blown ass for us. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rocky21 Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Who is our next GM going to be? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovetoaster Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Who is our next GM going to be? I am going to guess Blue Jays assistant GM Tony LaCava. He would be my pick at least with Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine a close second. From what I hear, both are on the short list, and both would be good selections. More on LaCava: If Tony LaCava becomes a general manager, he probably won’t have a particularly hard time assembling a front office. The Blue Jays’ vice president of baseball operations and assistant General Manager has also worked for the Angels, Braves, Expos and Indians in his two-plus decades in MLB front offices and is known by his peers as someone who’s personable and well-connected.LaCava has interviewed for GM jobs in Pittsburgh and Seattle in the past and some say it’s a matter of when, not if he becomes a GM. He oversees player development and Latin American operations for the Blue Jays, who have one of the top-ranked farm systems in the game. That kind of experience could tempt owners who are interested in replicating Toronto’s aggressive model of talent acquisition. ... While working with the Expos, LaCava became acquainted with advanced metrics through contact with Baseball Prospectus writers. As a result, he doesn’t shy away from including advanced stats like xFIP and BABIP in his analysis of a player. A couple of years ago, it appeared that the Nationals might make LaCava their GM, but it turned out to be a false alarm. The next time you hear similar rumors, they could very well come true. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/08/gm-candidate-tony-lacava.html More on Levine: Depending on the day, Rangers assistant GM Thad Levine can be found negotiating draft bonuses, discussing multiyear deals, talking trades, working with Texas’ minor league staff or preparing for arbitration cases. Levine, who turns 40 this fall, joined the Rangers in 2005 after working for the Rockies and Dodgers.I spoke with him yesterday. Here are some highlights from our conversation: On growing up as a baseball fan: I grew up a big Orioles fan and when I graduated from college I wrote to all the teams [regarding job opportunities] and I got formally rejected by three and was ecstatic that I actually got rejection letters from them. On breaking in to the game with the help of college friend and former Diamondbacks GM Josh Byrnes: Josh gave me the opportunity to come on board in a very junior capacity in the Rockies front office and I actually had never spoken to or met [GM] Dan O’Dowd until my first day on the job. Dan and Josh were the guys who gave me my first opportunity. It’s kind of a small world. Paul DePodesta at the time was working for Oakland. He and I grew up in the same neighborhood and had played sports against each other. So within the close-knit community of baseball people, I had two guys who were both rising stars in the game at that time, both of whom were kind enough to counsel me and give me very good advice, so I had two great benefactors and Dan O’Dowd ultimately gave me the first opportunity, so I’m forever grateful to those three guys. On his relationship with Byrnes: We were both diehard Orioles fans and I would say it was quite literally from the first moment I spoke with Josh that he and I were dissecting every single move the Orioles made, putting our own twists on it as we were trying to fine-tune the team into a playoff contender. We had almost constant dialogue about the Orioles and when he started working for Cleveland I think it opened up the perspective. http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/08/gm-candidate-thad-levine.html Byrnes is also in the mix as well... ---------- Post added October-12th-2011 at 11:33 AM ---------- Jordan's out... The Orioles can add the position of scouting director to their front office search.After seven seasons as the Orioles' director of amateur scouting, Joe Jordan is leaving the organization to take a job with the Philadelphia Phillies. Jordan is expected to be named the Phillies' director of player development. He interviewed with the team Monday and accepted the position today. Jordan interviewed Monday with the Phillies general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. along with Phillies senior advisor Pat Gillick and assistant general manager Benny Looper. http://www.masnsports.com/steve_melewski/2011/10/os-scouting-director-joe-jordan-is-leaving-to-join-the-phillies.html I have a mixed reaction to this. Jordan made some good picks and some questionable ones, but we don't know whether he was able to make the decisions he really wanted to some years. Either way, this is going to be an offseason of significant change, so this is probably best for both parties, as Jordan may not have been retained anyways and a new GM will likely want to bring in his own guys. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capcrunch98 Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 I absolutely agree, but some contracts make more sense than others. A guy like Wilson does not make sense to me because I doubt that he would be pitching at the same level when (hopefully) we are ready to compete. But Fielder is still relatively young and will be productive for a while and if we deem that Darvish is a guy that will prosper in MLB, he has a lot of years in front of him as well. We have to bring some guys in here, because the best guys in our system are not going to be ready for a few years. I don't think Buck would be here if we were looking at a few more years of teetering on 100 losses. Fielder will almost assuredly get a Carl Crawford - Mark Texiera type contract, which would probably leave the Orioles to scour the lost-and-found bin to plug their many other holes (most notably pitching). If we knew guys like Britton, Matusz, Tillman, Bundy (in a few years) were going to pan out, I'd say go for it. We definitely need to bring in guys, but I am weary about committing everything to one player when this team needs a lot of help in a lot of areas. Fans were clamoring for Texiera a few years ago, and in hindsight I think it's a good thing we didn't get him because he probably wouldn't have made that much of a difference on these weak Oriole teams (maybe an extra 5 wins per year). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovetoaster Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 Fielder will almost assuredly get a Carl Crawford - Mark Texiera type contract, which would probably leave the Orioles to scour the lost-and-found bin to plug their many other holes (most notably pitching). If we knew guys like Britton, Matusz, Tillman, Bundy (in a few years) were going to pan out, I'd say go for it. We definitely need to bring in guys, but I am weary about committing everything to one player when this team needs a lot of help in a lot of areas. Who is Fielder going to get that contract from though? The Red Sox and Yankees are going to be out on Fielder. The Dodgers have quite a mess to sort out and I have a feeling that the Cubs are going to go all out for Pujols. I don't disagree that he is going to get big money, but I think it would be bigger if some of the traditional big spenders were not on the sidelines, as the will be in this case. I am usually very leery about committing to one player, but I think it makes a little sense here, and I don't think it will be to only one player. I think we are going to spend some money this offseason. Now whether it is done intelligently...that is another question. I think Prince would be a pretty good decision because he is young enough that he will hopefully still be productive when we are hopefully in a position to contend. Those are the guys that we need to be after. No more over 30 stopgap guys. I have changed my tune on Fielder a little over the last few months. I used to be against it for a lot of the same reasons that you state. I know it would have to take some convincing for hime to come to Baltimore, but I think it can be done without going completely overboard. The next few months should be interesting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capcrunch98 Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 I just want to let my extremeskins family know that I am still here and still a Red Sox fan! I mean, come on, collapse or no collapse, it's wayyyy better than finishing in the basement EVERY YEAR http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/7091574/boston-red-sox-collapse-terry-francona-distracted-pitchers-john-lackey-josh-beckett-jon-lester-party-report-says :cool: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boston Skins Posted October 12, 2011 Share Posted October 12, 2011 http://espn.go.com/boston/mlb/story/_/id/7091574/boston-red-sox-collapse-terry-francona-distracted-pitchers-john-lackey-josh-beckett-jon-lester-party-report-says:cool: I wish I cared more about these stories. I really do. If anyone thinks that these kinds of antics don't go on in other clubhouses across MLB, then you're just plain naive. The difference is, it's the Boston Red Sox. No one would really care, apart from the DMV, if the Orioles were partying in the clubhouse during yet another losing season. It's all relative. If these reports are true, then I'm happy with the moves being made by the ownership. Letting Tito and Theo go proves that the ownership isn't going to accept this and that a change in culture is desperately needed. And, if ANYONE knows about rooting for teams that employ over-priced, self-entitled *******, it's us Washington Redskins fans. Glass houses and stones, my friend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hersh Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 I really don't get why people here want the O's to go after a guy like Prince Fielder. Sure he is a great player, but offense isn't the O's problem. Plus I wouldn't be surprised to see the O's move Reynolds to first base full time next year. I think Fielder ends up with the Nationals with a contract that is 20-30 million more than anyone else offers. Hopefully the biggest move on offense comes in the form of locking up Adam Jones long term. As far as this off season goes, it's all about pitching and more pitching. I would take a hard look at Papelbon to close which would allow the O's to move Jim Johnson to the rotation. I'm not really sure the O's will look for more than one starting pitcher so it actually does make sense to go hard after a CJ Wilson or even a Mark Buerhle. If Johnson pans out as a starter, the O's land a reliable starter like Buehrle and with Britton is a lock to keep starting that leaves an open competition for the 4th and 5th roles between Guthrie, Arrieta, Hunter, Simon and a collection of others that I don't think pan out. BTW, I don't think Bundy takes long to get to the majors. Maybe not this year, but next year even if they work him out of the bullpen at first. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DM72 Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 I agree that pitching is our biggest concern, but adding Prince or Pujols would make guys like Jones, Markakis and Weiters soooooooo much better. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hersh Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 No doubt it would be great to have Pujols in the lineup but it's a luxury not a need. Does anyone really think the O's will pony up the money for either of these guys? BTW, I favor him because he is capable of playing multiple positions and watching records fall would be awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovetoaster Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 No doubt it would be great to have Pujols in the lineup but it's a luxury not a need. Does anyone really think the O's will pony up the money for either of these guys? BTW, I favor him because he is capable of playing multiple positions and watching records fall would be awesome. I don't think we stand a chance at Pujols. I think he is either going to stay in St. Louis, or go to the Cubs. Which is weird to say. I think Fielder is a possibility, but I would not list it as a particularly strong one, but a chance nonetheless. Like I said before, I have a feeling that we are going to spend a little cash this offseason, but we'll see. And obviously we need pitching help, but I think we will be out there looking for a bat as well. I would stay away from Wilson and Buehrle though, as I think they are going to be done by the time we are in a position to contend. If we are going to spend the kind of money it would take to land a guy like they are, I would rather them be a few years younger. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hersh Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 I don't think we stand a chance at Pujols. I think he is either going to stay in St. Louis, or go to the Cubs. Which is weird to say. I think Fielder is a possibility, but I would not list it as a particularly strong one, but a chance nonetheless. Like I said before, I have a feeling that we are going to spend a little cash this offseason, but we'll see.And obviously we need pitching help, but I think we will be out there looking for a bat as well. I would stay away from Wilson and Buehrle though, as I think they are going to be done by the time we are in a position to contend. If we are going to spend the kind of money it would take to land a guy like they are, I would rather them be a few years younger. The problem with finding free agent pitchers that are younger is that it they will never be significantly younger given how long teams keep players under contract to begin their careers. Barring a trade for a pitcher, most pitchers will be free agents the first time around 28-30 years old. At some point the O's have to take a chance on a pitcher in that age range. Like I said earlier though, I favor a guy like papelbon to come in and close and moving JJ to the rotation plus adding a proven commodity. With a couple of good moves and some good fortune, I think the O's will be contending for a playoff in 2013 with guys like Machado and perhaps one or both Bundy brothers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DM72 Posted October 13, 2011 Share Posted October 13, 2011 Reading what you guys are saying, I truely hope we get realigned into a division that we can compete in. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheDoyler23 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 MRen is hoping we can get Fielder... and seeds. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sportjunkie07 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Reading what you guys are saying, I truely hope we get realigned into a division that we can compete in. i dont want to be realigned. i want the orioles to show that they can compete in the east, even if the odds are stacked against us. screw the yankees and red sox. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
capcrunch98 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 i dont want to be realigned. i want the orioles to show that they can compete in the east, even if the odds are stacked against us. screw the yankees and red sox. I agree completely. The whole "we play in the AL East so we should be held to a lower standard" argument is such a copout. Tampa, which has less resources than the Orioles, has been doing just fine over the past few seasons. And while Toronto isn't setting the world on fire, they've been a lot more competitive than Baltimore over the past decade. Poor drafting, player development, and personnel decisions will doom the Orioles to failure in any division, not just the AL East. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hersh Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I agree completely. The whole "we play in the AL East so we should be held to a lower standard" argument is such a copout. Tampa, which has less resources than the Orioles, has been doing just fine over the past few seasons. And while Toronto isn't setting the world on fire, they've been a lot more competitive than Baltimore over the past decade.Poor drafting, player development, and personnel decisions will doom the Orioles to failure in any division, not just the AL East. For all Toronto's competitiveness, the have been in a longer playoff drought than the O's. The only reason I would love to see realignment is so the other teams and fans would realize the difficulty of overcoming an enormous money gap. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattFancy Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 For all Toronto's competitiveness, the have been in a longer playoff drought than the O's. The only reason I would love to see realignment is so the other teams and fans would realize the difficulty of overcoming an enormous money gap. The money gap is only a part of it. The O's have some money, not like Boston or NYY, but Angelos just doesn't spend it. For a team like the O's, the draft and player development is HUGE. Those are 2 areas we haven't been very good in over the last 10+ years. Having the same amount of money as the Sox or Yankes would only take us so far, we need to be able to develop our own talent and right now, we're not very good at it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bdiamond Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Don't know if it's been mentioned here or not but the home and road caps will both be changing next year. Speculation is the white panel will become the full time home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovetoaster Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Don't know if it's been mentioned here or not but the home and road caps will both be changing next year. Speculation is the white panel will become the full time home. I don't think it has been discussed here. I heard that there was going to be a change, but I had not heard about the white panel. I did hear that there is likely to be a cartoon bird return though. Give me black hat/cartoon bird or black hat/orange bill/cartoon bird and I would be happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MattFancy Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 Please bring back the cartoon bird! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DM72 Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I agree completely. The whole "we play in the AL East so we should be held to a lower standard" argument is such a copout. Tampa, which has less resources than the Orioles, has been doing just fine over the past few seasons. And while Toronto isn't setting the world on fire, they've been a lot more competitive than Baltimore over the past decade.Poor drafting, player development, and personnel decisions will doom the Orioles to failure in any division, not just the AL East. We'll see if they can still compete when Sheilds', Price's and Longoria's contracts come up. And how many times have the Jays made the playoffs since the early 90's? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hersh Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 The money gap is only a part of it. The O's have some money, not like Boston or NYY, but Angelos just doesn't spend it. For a team like the O's, the draft and player development is HUGE. Those are 2 areas we haven't been very good in over the last 10+ years. Having the same amount of money as the Sox or Yankes would only take us so far, we need to be able to develop our own talent and right now, we're not very good at it. There is no doubt that we need to be better developing players and we also need to be spending a lot more on international scouting. However, when you can spend $200 million, player development isn't as important to contend year in and year out. Imagine if this team could have added a Cliff Lee or CC Sabathia and Texeria (I'd take his 39 HRs and gold glove defense) at first. We'd still only be at $130-140 million. Now let's go out and get who this year? Papelbon for a couple years, if we didn't get Tex, Prince and Pujols would be there to pay big money. Ya know what, let's go get CJ Wilson too and make him our number 2 starter. What this does for player development is that it stops teams from rushing players through their minor league system. Also, it's not a big deal money wise if you miss on a free agent a la Burnett or Lackey. It doesn't prevent you from spending the following year like it would a mid-market team. ---------- Post added October-18th-2011 at 03:21 PM ---------- We'll see if they can still compete when Sheilds', Price's and Longoria's contracts come up. And how many times have the Jays made the playoffs since the early 90's? I will be surprised if the Rays don't move in the next few years. Not sure where they would go, but they have awful fan support for being a good team over the last few years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TD_washingtonredskins Posted October 18, 2011 Author Share Posted October 18, 2011 Please bring back the cartoon bird! I'm excited and saddened by this news. I'm saddened that this will probably be the off-season news that excites me the most. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lovetoaster Posted October 18, 2011 Share Posted October 18, 2011 I will be surprised if the Rays don't move in the next few years. Not sure where they would go, but they have awful fan support for being a good team over the last few years. They have to. They had such a low payroll this past year and they are going to have to lower it again. The problem is that there are not many places that they could move that could legitimately sustain them. Especially if they were to stay in the AL East. Although I routinely argue against it, the only real possibility that I see in the east is Charlotte. There are some here that want it and some that don't, but there has been periodic talk of building a downtown stadium for the AAA team that would have the ability to expand for a MLB team. There has not been much talk about it here for a little while, but I imagine the topic will come back up soon as Tampa ownership begins to explore their options. Now there are plenty of arguments against a team in Charlotte, like the fact that we don't really support the AAA team and the NBA team is among the most poorly attended in the league. I have several counter points to both of those arguments, but in the end, I just don't think it would work because Charlotte is not a great sports city. It just isn't. But I got met with something that I could not argue against when I was saying why I did not think a team could work in Charlotte. Someone came back at me with "we could not be any worse than the support they get in Tampa." Another thing to think about is that if they moved, a city would likely get a franchise that would be a winner and thast plays good baseball. A winner puts asses in the seats in most cities not named Tampa/St. Pete. You would also get a ton of home games against the Yankees and Red Sox, so that would guarantee good attendance for those nights. So it will be a good situation for some city, as I think the Rays are going to have to leave Tampa at some point in the relative near future. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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