Saunders to Seattle

[Gizmo]

I have a sinking feeling we're going to regret not signing Saunders and Reynolds

I have the opposite feeling. Saunders will be pedestrian, and Reynolds, now in his 3rd year in the league, will struggle to match even his last years numbers.

Just my honest opinion. I appreciated both of those guys when they were here

[bmore_ken]

I have the opposite feeling. Saunders will be pedestrian, and Reynolds, now in his 3rd year in the league, will struggle to match even his last years numbers.

Just my honest opinion. I appreciated both of those guys when they were here

Umm Reynolds has 6 years in the league and up until last year has never hit less than 28 homers in a full season. We have no other viable DH option. He should have been signed to play first and DH Davis. As it stands now you have Davis at first and Betemit at DH and you think that's a better combination? I still say something was wrong with Reynolds in the first half of last year that we don't know about. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him top 30 homers this coming season and I in fact am sure he will.

Saunders as I said is a good pitcher, not a great pitcher. If the starters we have perform to last year's numbers, DD will look like a genius. If one or two of those guys falter, we'll all wish he spent the $5m on Saunders

[Far from home]

It's all going to come down to the starting pitchers. if they repeat what they did last year, we have enough offensive firepower to compete. If Chen gets figured out in his second season, Tillman reverts to the guy we saw up until last year, and Hammel goes back to his career normals, it's going to be a long season

Good points, but that is what people said before last season.
Hunter, Matusz, and Arrieta were all depended upon, and they failed miserably.

With Bundy and Gausman on the horizon, and the large number of ML level starting pitchers in the minors, this team has a good shot at being good again.

[bmore_ken]

Good points, but that is what people said before last season.
Hunter, Matusz, and Arrieta were all depended upon, and they failed miserably.

With Bundy and Gausman on the horizon, and the large number of ML level starting pitchers in the minors, this team has a good shot at being good again.

I don't disagree with that. I'm just saying, we don't know if these guys can repeat what they did. With Saunders you at least have a track record.

[Gizmo]

Umm Reynolds has 6 years in the league and up until last year has never hit less than 28 homers in a full season. We have no other viable DH option. He should have been signed to play first and DH Davis. As it stands now you have Davis at first and Betemit at DH and you think that's a better combination? I still say something was wrong with Reynolds in the first half of last year that we don't know about. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see him top 30 homers this coming season and I in fact am sure he will.

Saunders as I said is a good pitcher, not a great pitcher. If the starters we have perform to last year's numbers, DD will look like a genius. If one or two of those guys falter, we'll all wish he spent the $5m on Saunders

I meant that he will be going into his 3rd year in the AL. Everyone has seen him and knows exactly what he is, and nobody is going to give him meatballs to hit anymore. Sure, he's going to hit some out, but I doubt that he hits 30 or bats above .220. I do agree that Betemit does not sound great at DH. Surely the O's have something else in mind, at least I hope so.

As for Saunders, I will acknowledge that I would have liked to have resigned him, but I am OK that we did not and think that we will be fine.

[bmore_ken]

I meant that he will be going into his 3rd year in the AL. Everyone has seen him and knows exactly what he is, and nobody is going to give him meatballs to hit anymore. Sure, he's going to hit some out, but I doubt that he hits 30 or bats above .220. I do agree that Betemit does not sound great at DH. Surely the O's have something else in mind, at least I hope so.

As for Saunders, I will acknowledge that I would have liked to have resigned him, but I am OK that we did not and think that we will be fine.

For the sake of the team I hope you're right although I do have my doubts. Of course I had my doubts last season and look what happened

[Far from home]

I don't disagree with that. I'm just saying, we don't know if these guys can repeat what they did. With Saunders you at least have a track record.

Specifically for Saunders, I'm not happy he's not back with the team either.

[weird-O]

I do agree that Betemit does not sound great at DH. Surely the O's have something else in mind, at least I hope so.

I think he has several really inexpensive options, but none of them can be considered as reliable as the combo of Davis and Reynolds. instead it will be Davis and a platoon that will include any or all of the following: Reimold, Canzler, Dickerson, Pettit, Greenburg, Ishikawa

that's DD's M.O. sign 15 guys and hope a couple of them pan out. it worked last year, but it's a less reliable process than signing an established player that can be penciled in for 150+ games. DD has already DFAed a handfull of guys he signed or traded for earlier in the off season.

he is essentially picking through the garbage cans of the other 29 teams.

as cousin Jim said, having a ? at 1B or DH or LF or 2B isn't so bad. having a ? at all those positions makes it challenging, if not impossible, to compete, especially in the ALe

[Far from home]

I think he has several really inexpensive options, but none of them can be considered as reliable as the combo of Davis and Reynolds. instead it will be Davis and a platoon that will include any or all of the following: Reimold, Canzler, Dickerson, Pettit, Greenburg, Ishikawa

that's DD's M.O. sign 15 guys and hope a couple of them pan out. it worked last year, but it's a less reliable process than signing an established player that can be penciled in for 150+ games. DD has already DFAed a handfull of guys he signed or traded for earlier in the off season.

he is essentially picking through the garbage cans of the other 29 teams.

as cousin Jim said, having a ? at 1B or DH or LF or 2B isn't so bad. having a ? at all those positions makes it challenging, if not impossible, to compete, especially in the ALe

I wouldn't call it picking through garbage cans - more like picking through their garages.
TJ MacFarland has some promise. Jurrjens was a top pitcher that was put off to the side because of his injury issues, which gives him extra incentive on top of his talent.
Most of the pitchers he likes to choose are also the kinds that are durable and aren't afraid to pitch to contact. I think he knows that these kinds of pitchers are the types that you can teach minor adjustments to without much friction. They are also willing to use the defense to make outs.
This is something that propelled Gonzalez to the season he had last year.
You can only use this philosophy if you have some established stars on hand. See StL a few years ago for a good example.

[weird-O]

I wouldn't call it picking through garbage cans - more like picking through their garages.
TJ MacFarland has some promise. Jurrjens was a top pitcher that was put off to the side because of his injury issues, which gives him extra incentive on top of his talent.
Most of the pitchers he likes to choose are also the kinds that are durable and aren't afraid to pitch to contact. I think he knows that these kinds of pitchers are the types that you can teach minor adjustments to without much friction. They are also willing to use the defense to make outs.
This is something that propelled Gonzalez to the season he had last year.
You can only use this philosophy if you have some established stars on hand. See StL a few years ago for a good example.

you're right, garages is a better analogy.

[Gizmo]

I think he has several really inexpensive options, but none of them can be considered as reliable as the combo of Davis and Reynolds. instead it will be Davis and a platoon that will include any or all of the following: Reimold, Canzler, Dickerson, Pettit, Greenburg, Ishikawa

that's DD's M.O. sign 15 guys and hope a couple of them pan out. it worked last year, but it's a less reliable process than signing an established player that can be penciled in for 150+ games. DD has already DFAed a handfull of guys he signed or traded for earlier in the off season.

he is essentially picking through the garbage cans of the other 29 teams.

as cousin Jim said, having a ? at 1B or DH or LF or 2B isn't so bad. having a ? at all those positions makes it challenging, if not impossible, to compete, especially in the ALe

If the O's really try to go into the season with that mindset for DH, I will admit that I could be completely wrong about not signing Reynolds.

Geez, you and Ken have me ready to jump off a bridge.

[bmore_ken]

If the O's really try to go into the season with that mindset for DH, I will admit that I could be completely wrong about not signing Reynolds.

Geez, you and Ken have me ready to jump off a bridge.

No need for bridge jumping. Who knows, maybe Reynolds stinks it up this year and Betemit becomes a beast. You never know

[Rael]

No need for bridge jumping. Who knows, maybe Reynolds stinks it up this year and Betemit becomes a beast. You never know

Or maybe they sign the Impaler! Oh noes, did I wake someone up?

[bmore_ken]

Or maybe they sign the Impaler! Oh noes, did I wake someone up?

You just had to do it

[weird-O]

If the O's really try to go into the season with that mindset for DH, I will admit that I could be completely wrong about not signing Reynolds.

Geez, you and Ken have me ready to jump off a bridge.

Ken is right. things aren't that bleak.

I have confidence that Nate will be a reliable offensive contributor in LF. and his D can't be disputed. Casilla was a bonafied player in Minn. his D is very good, but his bat is a questionmark. however, Flaherty's bat really started to pop at the end of the season. I think he's the answer at 2B if Casilla comes up empty on the offensive side of his game. long term, it looks like Schoop is the guy to take over the job, but probably not this season.

DH can't be sugar coated. there just isn't a clear answer for that spot in the line up. Davis at 1B is promising if his D shows up. he's been called a plus defender, hopefully that's true and he'll show why that's in his scouting report.

the thing is, I laughed at DD last winter. I was expecting an O's team that would be worse than they were in 2011. he showed all of us that his big spending days in Boston didn't erase his memory of how he built a winner in Montreal. he was a major player in building the fabled 1994 Expos.

if he's honestly confident in 2013, so am I. and another good sign is that no one wanted to leave. Nate set his self up nicely when it comes to being a FA. but he waited it out to stay in Baltimore. Reynolds didn't jump on any offers until it was obvious the O's weren't bringing him back.

that seems like a good sign.

[Pickle20]

Looks like the Jurjjen's deal is going to die so it sucks that Saunders signed before we knew about Jurjjens health. Hopefully DD will sign more arms to potentially fill the #5 spot.

[bmore_ken]

To be honest I'm more concerned about the starting pitching than the offense.

[hector]

Or maybe they sign the Impaler! Oh noes, did I wake someone up?

Glad to see you've been paying attention. Keep up the good work.

[rgh]

I have a sinking feeling we're going to regret not signing Saunders and Reynolds

I would have liked to see Saunders for depth and trade bait. Or to allow another younger arm be used as trade bait.

[Pickle20]

I would have rather had Saunders than Reynolds.

That said we have about 3 or 4 guys on the team right now who could probably give you the same production that Saunders gives you. He was great for us in the playoffs last year but he's a mid-4.00, 5.00 ERA pitcher.