10 replies to this topic

[BSLRoseKatz]

https://baltimorespo...her-infielders/

 

This signing is going to have what seems like a pretty significant domino effect, so I broke that down!

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Good to see on paper what we all suspected. Dumb move by the O's and not sure just what the heck the end game is here. Sign a player at what is probably our deepest position between the majors and AAA.

 

SMDH

[dude]

Pretty much agree with what's presented.  Couple more thoughts...

 

1) Mateo or Urias trade....

 

given what's included in point 3...feels like the Orioles should extract any trade value that Urias has and that should be unrelated to the Frazier signing.  I mentioned the Mets in the Catching thread.  He's a good fit there.  I thought he'd be a good fit with his brother in MIL but we seem to have ignored the Crew this off-season.

 

I'm also a fan of Mateo's non-OPS profile and have zero issues leveraging him in the short term.  I've made the point here (as many have) that speed/athleticism could see a real value boost from the new rules this coming season.  If that's real, maybe let that manifest itself in 2023 and see what 2024 looks like.

 

I disagree the return has to be a 2023 starter.  Maybe it can be, but I'm not sure who that is that I'd care about. I think Urias or Mateo is an interesting piece for a competitive team, but i don't think either one drive a trade.  As you said, maybe one is a second or third piece in a Pablo Lopez (not exciting to me) trade.

 

2) we hate Vavra....

 

I'm all for improving the roster incrementally and there's specific reasons I'd like a guy like Frazier in this role but I don't know why you keep Vavra when you do something like this.  He has zero shot and you are letting him know that.  If we don't hate Vavra...is he a DH?  I think this applies to a number of guys.  You say you want to give opportunity to the players you are developing and then at the point where you should actually be giving them that opportunity, you kick them aside?  Do you really want those guys with the next group at Norfolk? .....you want them like "hey, they screwed me....so they'll probably screw you too".

 

Also, Vavra and Nevin were part of what of Elias' best credited trade?  Don't we undermine that when we refuse the modest opportunity remaining?

 

3) Norby, Ortiz, Westburg...

 

This is the crazy thing to me. Maybe these guys get rolled into a bigger trade and this starts to make some more sense (signing Frazier for 8M can never make sense in the context of this Organization)....Norby has done nothing but hit.  Ortiz has some interesting projection/development.  Both better than I'd have anticipated so...cool.  But none of these guys you need to manage service with.  

 

I actually like Frazier and (I've said several times) have argued for him in the past (like 2020).  If the Orioles had signed him to a 3 year, 8M deal and they were talking about that 450 PA in a super-utility role to create floor and help reinforce emerging youth....zero issues.

 

....but why a team that cries about every nickel dramatically over-pay for a now-31 year old coming off his worst season to be a starter at a position you have plenty of depth that actually needs the ML opportunity.

[BSLSteveBirrer]

One of the best things about this site is that we aren't beholden to any management .....the writers can pretty much tell it like it is from their viewpoint and this article is a great example. Well done Jordan.

[BSLRoseKatz]

Yeah for a potential trade I could live with Urias + Westburg and then some random other trinkets in the top 30 (Hudson Haskin? Jean Pinto?) being used to get a B-tier starting pitcher  

[BaltBird 24]

Any of the options sitting in AAA would've helped make a better infield than whatever the infield is with Frazier a part of it.

[dude]

Here's something fun....

 

If I could pick the between the current 2B/SS/3B Dodgers projected ML starters (Lux/???/Vargas) and the Orioles projected starters at Norfolk (Norby, Ortiz, Westburg), I'd probably pick the Orioles AAA.

[BSLRoseKatz]

Bump for people who missed this over the weekend

[Mackus]

I think we all need a bump after the disappointment so far this offseason.

[BSLSteveBirrer]

I think we all need a bump after the disappointment so far this offseason.

Yeah a bump of schnapps or whisky or whatever your choice is. What a disappointment so far. Could change but not holding my breath.

[dude]

He may have been thinking going more Tony Montana.