19 replies to this topic

[BSLChrisStoner]

MASN: Notes & Quotes from Press Conference
http://www.masnsport...conference.html

[RichardZ]

Great stuff from Duquette. He pretty much went over everything in a pretty plain and simple way. Once again, he mentions Valencia as the RH DH compliment to Betemit. Where there's smoke, there's fire. Sure seems like a Betemit/Valencia DH is the plan going in. I guess that means Reimold is fighting McLouth for the LF job.

SportsGuy should take the time to read this (not my post but the link) slowly.

[Russ]

How cool must this be for Duquette? Out of the game for more than a decade, first year back and he takes a perennial loser to the playoffs and then gets a long extension. He can implement a long term plan. For a guy as smart as he is this has to be a dream come true.

[bmoreb]

DD definitely sells it. I find it hard to disagree with him, based on last seasons success. That said, I do see him as the kind of negotiator to over value his product. Knowing we have Bundy and Gausman in the wings, I would think parting with a couple young starters wouldn't have been so hard.

[JeremyStrain]

DD definitely sells it. I find it hard to disagree with him, based on last seasons success. That said, I do see him as the kind of negotiator to over value his product. Knowing we have Bundy and Gausman in the wings, I would think parting with a couple young starters wouldn't have been so hard.

Bundy and gausman are two of the young pitchers he didnt want to trade.

[Mike B]

DD definitely sells it. I find it hard to disagree with him, based on last seasons success. That said, I do see him as the kind of negotiator to over value his product. Knowing we have Bundy and Gausman in the wings, I would think parting with a couple young starters wouldn't have been so hard.

Every organization over values there talent. Teams like the Dodgers and braves never trade unless they are outright winning the deal.

As far as whether we did it at the expense of making a deal. we may never know. Posters post trades and think guys like both JJ's should be traded but the Orioles have to approach this year like contenders and as such can not trade key pieces unless they are getting equal value back.

[Mackus]

Bundy and gausman are two of the young pitchers he didnt want to trade.

This isn't really much of a statement. Bundy is very possibly the single best prospect in all of baseball and Gausman isn't even allowed to be traded yet.

[JeremyStrain]

This isn't really much of a statement. Bundy is very possibly the single best prospect in all of baseball and Gausman isn't even allowed to be traded yet.

You act like you know the players that they werent trading. I know for a fact that they turned down multiple deals over bundy and gausman and know of none that anyone else held up. And players to be named that are big players can be dealt anytime. Plenty of teams would do it to get a top chip like gausman...its just risky so its not done often.

[SportsGuy]

It's all very exciting!

[bmoreb]

Bundy and gausman are two of the young pitchers he didnt want to trade.

That was kinda my point, knowing we have Bundy and Gausman, I thought parting with some young starters was a real possibility.

[RichardZ]

It's all very exciting!

I'll give you that. 10 three team trades per off season would be much more exciting.

[JeremyStrain]

That was kinda my point, knowing we have Bundy and Gausman, I thought parting with some young starters was a real possibility.

They dont have any value to other teams. Teams would like them but arent going to pay theoretical value they are going to pay market value. We could trade them all and still get no real players back right now...but if you let them play out and they have good years you will have a lot of chips to trade next year.

[SportsGuy]

We ADDRESSED first base by the signing of Ishikawa?

Really...who the hell is he trying to fool? Are people really dumb enough to believe some of this?

[JeremyStrain]

We ADDRESSED first base by the signing of Ishikawa?

Really...who the hell is he trying to fool? Are people really dumb enough to believe some of this?

What do you want him to say? We signed a bunch of depth journeymen that we don't think are going to pan out, but it's cool to say that because they haven't learned about those interwebs things you guys use.

You can't get all hostile about PR answers, no one is going to trash their own team, if they are they shouldn't be here anyway.

[RichardZ]

We ADDRESSED first base by the signing of Ishikawa?

Really...who the hell is he trying to fool? Are people really dumb enough to believe some of this?

He comes right out and says that he didn't get the MOO bat he talked about. He also says that Chris Davis is the #1 1B option for this team. The fact that Ishikawa was signed as a backup option in case Davis fizzles or is terrible defensively is what it is. A depth move. You're only dumb if you can't figure this out.

[SportsGuy]

What do you want him to say? We signed a bunch of depth journeymen that we don't think are going to pan out, but it's cool to say that because they haven't learned about those interwebs things you guys use.

You can't get all hostile about PR answers, no one is going to trash their own team, if they are they shouldn't be here anyway.

He could say that we improved the depth of the organization with some low risk players who could help us in certain roles.

To say we addressed our first base need is a really poor statement that says, our fan base is dumb and they will buy this.

[JTrea81]

To say we addressed our first base need is a really poor statement that says, our fan base is dumb and they will buy this.

Ah but they are if you check the mainstream pulse. Everything's OK in Birdland because we are bringing back the same team that lost the ALDS...Pop the champagne corks!

Also nobody from the Orioles has even once mentioned the World Series as a goal.

Not Duquette, not Showalter, nobody.

It almost seems like they think last year was a fluke and they want to reset the clock for competition.

Even Louis Angelos was praising their inaction.

If now isn't the time to go for it, then when? When Markakis is gone? When our young pitchers have turned into 29 year old Daniel Cabreras? When Adam Jones is in his 30s and declining?

The Orioles need to admit they were a contender last year, and that they need to get back to the playoffs and finish the job. It may not have happened the way they wanted it to, but it happened and the fans responded. You can't just reset the clock now.

[Mike B]

Ah but they are if you check the mainstream pulse. Everything's OK in Birdland because we are bringing back the same team that lost the ALDS...Pop the champagne corks!

Also nobody from the Orioles has even once mentioned the World Series as a goal.

Not Duquette, not Showalter, nobody.

It almost seems like they think last year was a fluke and they want to reset the clock for competition.

Even Louis Angelos was praising their inaction.

If now isn't the time to go for it, then when? When Markakis is gone? When our young pitchers have turned into 29 year old Daniel Cabreras? When Adam Jones is in his 30s and declining?

The Orioles need to admit they were a contender last year, and that they need to get back to the playoffs and finish the job. It may not have happened the way they wanted it to, but it happened and the fans responded. You can't just reset the clock now.

I agree with some of what you say here. A few things however. Buck has repeatedly said he wants to be here to finish the job and win the whole thing, and while DD has not personalized it, if you think he does not have the WS as a goal you are wrong. He was ostracized by the baseball world. Don't you think he wants to hold that trophy to show them they were wrong.
The problem is and has always been the ownership. Could DD do more with the budget, certainly but the budget is certainly restrictive.

[SportsGuy]

Ah but they are if you check the mainstream pulse. Everything's OK in Birdland because we are bringing back the same team that lost the ALDS...Pop the champagne corks!

Also nobody from the Orioles has even once mentioned the World Series as a goal.

Not Duquette, not Showalter, nobody.

It almost seems like they think last year was a fluke and they want to reset the clock for competition.

Even Louis Angelos was praising their inaction.

If now isn't the time to go for it, then when? When Markakis is gone? When our young pitchers have turned into 29 year old Daniel Cabreras? When Adam Jones is in his 30s and declining?

The Orioles need to admit they were a contender last year, and that they need to get back to the playoffs and finish the job. It may not have happened the way they wanted it to, but it happened and the fans responded. You can't just reset the clock now.

I don't need them to come out and say, we are trying to win the WS this year. That is obviously everyone's goal and doesn't need to be said.

What I want is for them to make moves that improve us short and/or long term and they did neither.

You can argue that keeping what we have and finding out what we have is a move for that...that's fine to an extent.

But you know what you have with guys like Johnson and Hardy and if you are going to be strapped for cash and you aren't going to make moves to improve the 2013 Orioles, why are you keeping them?

The only positive in keeping them is if they play well but you aren't in it and you could then look to move them at the deadline...I would agree that very good first halves for each of those guys will mean a higer trade value in July than right now. But its a risk and if it blows up in your face, you are looking at potentially non tendering Johnson since he would be in line for 8-11M next year and having an expensive Hardy that you can't move and one who is blocking Machado from manning the position he will be for years down the road...we all hope.

So, I like the idea of going with the odds right now and dealing these guys to get better long term and to put Machado where he belongs...not to mention, seeing what else we can do with other closer candidates.

I am fine if they want to go for it in 2013...I am fine if they want to punt 2013, trade some vets, get better long term and see what your youth does this year. I definitely can see a scenario where we trade the 2 JJs and aren't any worse off for 2013 anyway.

What I don't like is what they have done...try to sell us on this team being able to do what it did last year and add very little to the team(despite wanting to do just that) to help short and/or long term.

[Mike B]

I don't need them to come out and say, we are trying to win the WS this year. That is obviously everyone's goal and doesn't need to be said.

What I want is for them to make moves that improve us short and/or long term and they did neither.

You can argue that keeping what we have and finding out what we have is a move for that...that's fine to an extent.

But you know what you have with guys like Johnson and Hardy and if you are going to be strapped for cash and you aren't going to make moves to improve the 2013 Orioles, why are you keeping them?

The only positive in keeping them is if they play well but you aren't in it and you could then look to move them at the deadline...I would agree that very good first halves for each of those guys will mean a higer trade value in July than right now. But its a risk and if it blows up in your face, you are looking at potentially non tendering Johnson since he would be in line for 8-11M next year and having an expensive Hardy that you can't move and one who is blocking Machado from manning the position he will be for years down the road...we all hope.

So, I like the idea of going with the odds right now and dealing these guys to get better long term and to put Machado where he belongs...not to mention, seeing what else we can do with other closer candidates.

I am fine if they want to go for it in 2013...I am fine if they want to punt 2013, trade some vets, get better long term and see what your youth does this year. I definitely can see a scenario where we trade the 2 JJs and aren't any worse off for 2013 anyway.
What I don't like is what they have done...try to sell us on this team being able to do what it did last year and add very little to the team(despite wanting to do just that) to help short and/or long term.

I have no doubt you can see how we could trade the JJ's and nothing will change as far as 2013. Can you also see a scenario where we trade Hardy and Manny struggles adjusting in his second year and needs to go back down. It has happened with good prospects before. Can you also see whoever we plug in as a closer struggling.
I would trade both if we are getting the right piece back, and the only name we have heard was Porcello, and we will agree to disagree as to his ceiling.
We do not know if there were any serious offers.
I agree with your last sentence. The Orioles continue to blow smoke at us over what they have accomplished this off season. That has become the normal off season for us.