5 hours ago, fathom said:

Orioles pitching gonna look even worse now that left field isn’t the Grand Canyon 

I still don’t get what Elias is doing.  Sugano is just a cheap flier.  He could be great or he could be a bust.  But even signing a guy like Quintana would be a big improvement to the Orioles rotation and they could surely afford him.  This tells me Elias will wind up landing some decent top half of the rotation starter eventually.

10 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

No idea what the O's are doing.

Even our old Orioles friends are starting to question their GM at their Orioles Hangout.

I still think he lands someone eventually.  I have a hard time believing that everyone but Elias knows what the Orioles need most.

11 hours ago, JUSTgottaBELIEVE said:

They were 40-41 in the second half of 2024 and then swept by the Royals at home with a patchwork rotation. I’m not sure I’d call that success.

That sounds like the 2nd half of 2021 after Rodon got tired and the Sox were around .500 for the 2nd half. That was the beginning of the end.

Almost every decision they made after that ended in disaster.

Baltimore still has superior young position player talent but injuries to them or the BP collapsing along with lack of depth in SP could lead to a worse than expected season.

Probably not 81-81 like the 2022 White Sox but 85 wins wouldn't be shocking.

3 hours ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

I still don’t get what Elias is doing.  Sugano is just a cheap flier.  He could be great or he could be a bust.  But even signing a guy like Quintana would be a big improvement to the Orioles rotation and they could surely afford him.  This tells me Elias will wind up landing some decent top half of the rotation starter eventually.

There was an article basically saying he didn't want to spend even if ownership authorized it. 

5 minutes ago, SoCalChiSox said:

There was an article basically saying he didn't want to spend even if ownership authorized it. 

That sounds weird but without having read the article it's hard to believe if the owner said you can spend up to a certain amount that every GM doesn't find a way to properly spend it.

23 minutes ago, CaliSoxFanViaSWside said:

That sounds weird but without having read the article it's hard to believe if the owner said you can spend up to a certain amount that every GM doesn't find a way to properly spend it.

It does sound weird, but that is the story at least…

“SOURCE: Orioles GM Unwilling to Spend Despite Green Light From Owner

Orioles GM Mike Elias unwilling to spend in free agency, source says.“

Edited December 29, 20241 yr by WhiteSox2023

5 hours ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

Even our old Orioles friends are starting to question their GM at their Orioles Hangout.

I still think he lands someone eventually.  I have a hard time believing that everyone but Elias knows what the Orioles need most.

Can’t wait to visit the Hangout and see what Sportsguy has to say.  Last I saw he felt that giving up Mountcastle for Luis Castillo was too much, so my guess is they aren’t going to be happy now that all the free agents are off the market.

9 minutes ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Can’t wait to visit the Hangout and see what Sportsguy has to say.  Last I saw he felt that giving up Mountcastle for Luis Castillo was too much, so my guess is they aren’t going to be happy now that all the free agents are off the market.

Dude was the very definition of a homer.  Only Orioles prospects ever pan out 100% of the time.  Meanwhile, Cease, Crochet, etc. we’re just mediocre pitchers unworthy of trading top prospects for.

Over time, we all learn that prospects are great and exciting but you never know when or if they will pan out.  I would venture to guess that the majority of time, the team acquiring the established player wins the trade.

Edited December 29, 20241 yr by WhiteSox2023

6 hours ago, Chicago White Sox said:

Can’t wait to visit the Hangout and see what Sportsguy has to say.  Last I saw he felt that giving up Mountcastle for Luis Castillo was too much, so my guess is they aren’t going to be happy now that all the free agents are off the market.

Castillo is due roughly $100 million, including a vesting option based on innings pitched, over the next four years.

That seems like a relative bargain on today's market.  

Talentwise, clearly you go with Castillo. 

Unless you invested all your savings into solidifying that offense and counting on a Rodriguez return to form season.

Edited December 29, 20241 yr by caulfield12

Sounds like Baltimore made a big offer to Burnes but he simply wanted to stay in Arizona. 

The Orioles obsession is getting a little weird…

I hope every Orioles fan that’s championed Mike Elias as some godsend all these years is happy

He sucks at his job!

— Orioles Haiku (@Os_poems) December 28, 2024

3 hours ago, Y2Jimmy0 said:

Sounds like Baltimore made a big offer to Burnes but he simply wanted to stay in Arizona. 

Isn't he originally from California, and that's why the Giants were considered at one point another favorite in signing him?

2 hours ago, WestEddy said:

This isn't a haiku nor any other type of poem. I feel robbed.

18 minutes ago, Quin said:

This isn't a haiku nor any other type of poem. I feel robbed.

Elias broke the Haiku engine.

16 hours ago, WhiteSox2023 said:

I would venture to guess that the majority of time, the team acquiring the established player wins the trade.

For shits and giggles I evaluated the biggest trades from 2014 to 2020 using WAR as a comparison between established player value and eventual prospect player value.

The team trading for the established player got more value 6 times.

The team trading for prospects got more value  5 times.

6 hours ago, caulfield12 said:

Isn't he originally from California, and that's why the Giants were considered at one point another favorite in signing him?

He is from California. 

7 hours ago, Quin said:

This isn't a haiku nor any other type of poem. I feel robbed.

I think it's a bit ridiculous to be writing off Elias at this point in the offseason.

There's inevitably going to be some "bargain" veterans pitchers of the Chris Flexen variety that can hold down the fort at the #5 spot for a pittance of resources.

It happens coming into every spring training.

Also, remember Flaherty's still an option for the Orioles (despite under-performing his first go-around) because there's no draft pick attached to his free agency.

 

Finally, Max Scherzer's lurking out there as well, and a team like BALT would be perfect for him...one would think.

 

https://www.mlb.com/news/jack-flaherty-rumors

 

Highest wRC+ in 2024, among hitters in 2024-25 FA class:
Minimum 400 PAs

1. Juan Soto: 180
2. Joc Pederson: 151
3. Jurickson Profar: 139
4. Teoscar Hernández: 134
5. Tyler O’Neill: 131

“The Athletic’s Katie Woo and Will Sammon report the Orioles have interest in a reunion with Jack Flaherty.

Baltimore has an obvious need for a frontline starter after former ace Corbin Burnes bolted for Arizona last week. Flaherty, who spent the final few months of the 2023 season with the Orioles following a trade from the Cardinals, is the top starter left on the open market by a considerable margin. The 29-year-old faded down the home stretch last year with the Dodgers, but was outstanding with the Tigers at the outset of the year. He makes a ton of sense for the Orioles, who have yet to make a big splash in free agency with the exception of brining in veteran Japanese righty Tomoyuki Sugano. We’ll see if general manager Mike Elias is ready to finally make a big move.”