Looked at the odd E-Rod situation, the bullpen and some prospects who I'm a bit surprised survived the deadline

 

https://baltimorespo...trade-deadline/

Good article.  Agree with the questions.  No real disagreement, but I'll break out some comments on the 3 areas.

So far, last summer, last off season, and this summer, the FO has shown zero interest in trading any of our real prospects. 

ERod.  Would have loved to get him.  I can be talked out of it.  I don't know what's going on with him, but in a world where people show you some red flags, you may want to pay attention.  Could still be an offseason target as a FA (ha!).

 

...but for me, this is more about the Tigers and Scott Harris.  What the hell are you doing. (period, not a question mark)  

 

Scott Harris is the only one with all the info and it's literally his multi-million dollar job to figure this out and I don't know how he doesn't get an F-.  There are really zero excuses.  It's your player.  You are the only one that gets to talk to him and his agent.  Did you really not talk to them?  It's not like the Trade Deadline sneaks up on anyone.  You have months to prepare and your answers is...

 

...a failed deal with another team because you forced your player to invoke his no-trade? 

 

What the hell have you been doing. You seemed to work out a trade so you wanted to make a deal.

 

If ERod loves Detroit, I get that (well, actually, I don't, but whatever) and he wants to stay there that's great.  The opt out is in the contract. 

 

Talk to him/agent.  "Hey, man, we have a deal with the Dodgers but we'd love to get you back in the offseason and lead this group so, here's a new contract that will be sitting here for you as soon as you're ready to sign in the offfseason.  Go have some fun in the Playoffs, build your resume and we look forward to getting you back."

 

You can use the 2023 savings as a bonus in the new contract, add a year, make it make sense for both parties but don't sign it...it's just there if you want it in the offseason.

 

...and ERod...I get the family thing, but you spend half your life already on the road.  Make it a 2-3 month vacation.  Get a Penthouse in every city, you have millions of dollars to make it work however you want.  Is your family somehow committed to breathing Detroit air only?  Seems like so many easy - literally trivial - ways to make it work out, I don't get it.   You don't have to be any more or less without your family, you don't have to change your address, you create more opportunity for the Tigers and yourself....read the freaking room guy.  WTH.

 

Also, I used to do this more often, but I went to the Tigers Org Chart to look at something and it takes like 15 seconds to figure out what the problem is in Detroit.  Ugh.  There's an "L" in the Performance Formula for a reason.  Chris Ilitch, call me.

One other thing.  This is exactly like the JJ Hardy situation years ago (2011) with the Giants.  They needed a bat and every outlet had them in on JJ Hardy because they needed a SS too.  The Giants wound up trading Zack Wheeler (who the Orioles should have drafted in 2009 instead of Matt freaking Hobgood) for Carlos Beltran.  

 

Wheeler could have been an Orioles for 2 months of JJ Hardy and still had the exact same contract he signed as an extension for the 2012-2014 seasons, heck, we'll throw a 3M signing bonus in there for your trouble.  Just put the contract together with the player/agent.  Leave it unsigned on the table and when the season is over after spending some time in the playoffs with the Giants, come right back to Baltimore and sign this piece of paper.

 

<<SMH>>

^ I remember when they did that with Ponson and it seemed like genius. Get guys for nothing basically. Too bad the guys ended up being nothing, Ainsworth was never healthy, and Ponson wasn't good anymore. 

 

More recently it was annoying that the Yankees did that with Chapman and basically got Torres for nothing.

 

I'm surprised this kind of thing doesn't happen more often.

^ I remember when they did that with Ponson and it seemed like genius. Get guys for nothing basically. Too bad the guys ended up being nothing, Ainsworth was never healthy, and Ponson wasn't good anymore. 

 

More recently it was annoying that the Yankees did that with Chapman and basically got Torres for nothing.

 

I'm surprised this kind of thing doesn't happen more often.

Happened in reverse with Verlander at this deadline.

Bullpen: What happens from here.

 

Seems like the easiest place to improve the Deadline grade/opportunity.  

 

We left opportunity on the table for sure so you [Elias] need to own this one.  All of this doesn't add up. 

 

IF you are scouring the market for opportunity, then you think you need to make changes so you are willing to change out something in the bullpen to get better.

 

IF you have assets, financial flexibly and everything else needed to make deals in a fairly reasonable market...then why no deals?

 

Where we only interested in Hader?  If so, and we aren't making other changes (ok, own that) then is all of the other discussion just fluff for a sound byte?

 

Wells to the bullpen can certainly work (may be other issues as he enters ARB).  We have DL Hall and Means coming back.  Givens in an option (but has looked terrible).  Fujinami is interesting as a wild-card but you can't melt down with a little pressure.

 

The numbers don't really work with the guys coming back.  You have to make some choices.  We don't seem to trust anyone outside of Bautista at this point...so we need to keep everyone, but trust no-one, but we can't add better options?

 

As uncomfortable as everyone seems to feel, we do have the best record in MLB with a lead after 6 so I guess we're just riding that anomaly into the sunset.  Hey, let's Go.

So far, last summer, last off season, and this summer, the FO has shown zero interest in trading any of our real prospects. 

 

Yeah the big caveat is we don't know who got offered without a deal actually being finalized but I'm definitely more inclined to believe they've fully flipped the switch to win now once they're ready to get rid of a top-100 prospect(s) like Norby/Ortiz 

Yeah the big caveat is we don't know who got offered without a deal actually being finalized but I'm definitely more inclined to believe they've fully flipped the switch to win now once they're ready to get rid of a top-100 prospect(s) like Norby/Ortiz 

Rose what I don't understand about flipping the switch to win now is what the heck are they waiting for? They have the best record in the AL. Not sure what scenario in the future is "better."    

Rose what I don't understand about flipping the switch to win now is what the heck are they waiting for? They have the best record in the AL. Not sure what scenario in the future is "better."    

 

Think the most likely answer is they had a timeline when they took over and that timeline didn't say 2022 was a WC contender and 2023 might be the AL #1 seed and as such I think they're stubborn on budging on their grand plan. Selling at the deadline last year and the preseason quote in Ricker's signature of like "we can't chart a course where they win the division" would seem to back up the idea that the team is ahead of schedule and that means no major investments for FA or spending prospect capital yet 

Think the most likely answer is they had a timeline when they took over and that timeline didn't say 2022 was a WC contender and 2023 might be the AL #1 seed and as such I think they're stubborn on budging on their grand plan. Selling at the deadline last year and the preseason quote in Ricker's signature of like "we can't chart a course where they win the division" would seem to back up the idea that the team is ahead of schedule and that means no major investments for FA or spending prospect capital yet 

I think you are correct. The concern I have is that they are way to hung up on some "plan" and unable to deviate based on what's staring them in the face. So the flip side is what happens when the "plan" says next year is the go for it year. Come the end of July they are 10 games out of the WC but they trade away pieces because that's what the "plan" says.

 

Its Management 101. Start with a plan but adjust as the market dictates. They have a plan but no adjusting allowed.

Think the most likely answer is they had a timeline when they took over and that timeline didn't say 2022 was a WC contender and 2023 might be the AL #1 seed and as such I think they're stubborn on budging on their grand plan.

 

This thought gets shared a fair amount, but it's sort of an odd rationalization of what I'd suggest are more likely influences. 

Think the most likely answer is they had a timeline when they took over and that timeline didn't say 2022 was a WC contender and 2023 might be the AL #1 seed and as such I think they're stubborn on budging on their grand plan. Selling at the deadline last year and the preseason quote in Ricker's signature of like "we can't chart a course where they win the division" would seem to back up the idea that the team is ahead of schedule and that means no major investments for FA or spending prospect capital yet

This is exactly it. The team mucked up the plan the last two years by getting good too fast. Elias has been in damage control ever since. They haven't reached their timeline of building a foundation and they aren't gonna budge until that's met. I hope they're right because the future isn't guaranteed for anyone. A lot of things can go wrong.

This thought gets shared a fair amount, but it's sort of an odd rationalization of what I'd suggest are more likely influences. 

And w/o writing a novel what would those be?

And w/o writing a novel what would those be?

 

1) He's hugging his assets

2) He's not allowed to do more

Blocked infield prospects:

 

I wouldn't just include Ortiz and Norby, but Mateo and Urias too.  

 

It just feels like kind of an odd roster right now.  We can all shut up because they are winning and have the best record this side of the Braves, but it seems odd.  The deadline was the time to move around assets.

 

Everyone wants to play more but everyone is playing less.  Mateo, Urias and Westburg are somewhat redundant. They have to make some choices but seem content to just hold, not make choices and let [something else] define moves.

 

These moves aren't really about buying or selling, but the deadline is a chance to shape the roster and they chose to [do nothing].

Think the most likely answer is they had a timeline when they took over and that timeline didn't say 2022 was a WC contender and 2023 might be the AL #1 seed and as such I think they're stubborn on budging on their grand plan. Selling at the deadline last year and the preseason quote in Ricker's signature of like "we can't chart a course where they win the division" would seem to back up the idea that the team is ahead of schedule and that means no major investments for FA or spending prospect capital yet

I take them at their word that they took some swings. I think they wanted Cease or Logan Gilbert but the clubs in question wouldn't budge off Holliday. Depending on how much you like Civale I have to think Elias would have been serious about moving prospects for him.

I fault Elias for not trying to outbid Tampa for Civale (how much you fault them here depends on your evaluation of Civale.) But it isn't entirely his fault if none of the other teams with cost controlled pitchers were willing to deal.

There were a few reports saying that teams with non rental trade pieces were asking for the moon.

When your approach never requires you to step out (and that's more than this deadline)...maybe it's intentional.

 

...because if it's not intentional and you have every intention of getting it done and have all the resources (prospects, budget) to get it done, then why.

Yeah I definitely don't think you can take this year for granted but I would feel better at the deadline being quiet if they move for someone on a contender who wasn't available now who'll also probably get moved in the offseason because they have one year left (Corbin Burnes feels like the lock of the century for this because the Brewers are sure as hell not extending him)