tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484762138483195409.post2063940357485780301..comments2023-12-15T07:22:02.492-05:00Comments on The Tao of Stieb: Angst Now, or Angst Later?Tao of Stiebhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12459135109404905466noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484762138483195409.post-52911787982600763242012-09-24T15:15:02.642-04:002012-09-24T15:15:02.642-04:00I'm all for moving Escobar. Stats aside, I thi...I'm all for moving Escobar. Stats aside, I think he sends the wrong message about on field deportment.<br /><br />I have concerns about Lawrie long-term because his gung-ho attitude is too over the top. The price is paid in base running errors and injuries.<br /><br />Crazy, innit, to criticize one player for being too intense and another for not being intense enough?<br /><br />Most controversially, I felt at the end of last season that Bautista was at the peak of his value and rather than hope all these prospects became legitimate very day major league players, better to use Bautista in a blockbuster. If you subscribed to the notion that the team was within striking distance of the playoffs, trading him made no sense. If you believed, as I did, that they were realistically a few years away, by which time Bautista would likely only be every day as a DH, then a trade made sense. I feel that way more than ever now that we've seen how many 'can't miss' prospects turn out to be wearing no clothes.<br /><br />Hopefully Buffalo will provide a more realistic look at players than the stats-inflating Las Vegas stints have.tincanman2010noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484762138483195409.post-14656329075901285722012-09-24T12:29:50.649-04:002012-09-24T12:29:50.649-04:00I think Lawrie really is untouchable. Beeston wou...I think Lawrie really is untouchable. Beeston wouldn't allow AA to trade him, if only from a marketing perspective. I wouldn't anyway, he's uber young and has so much talent with the bat, despite the somewhat-worrying lack of extra base power this year.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484762138483195409.post-23569823651763343992012-09-24T12:04:23.340-04:002012-09-24T12:04:23.340-04:00Here's a question: Are the Orioles challengin...Here's a question: Are the Orioles challenging for first in the East with John Farrell at the helm?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484762138483195409.post-35135781721471754202012-09-24T09:56:08.660-04:002012-09-24T09:56:08.660-04:00I don't know what's more depressing - the ...I don't know what's more depressing - the fact that the term "emerging adequacy" is in play and the best descriptor of current hope... or being, y'know, 20 games under .500 and pretending this team is in shape to contend next year.The Ackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12374953233006854310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484762138483195409.post-7850105574096846782012-09-24T09:31:55.497-04:002012-09-24T09:31:55.497-04:00It's been a pretty dismal season, really.
T...It's been a pretty dismal season, really. <br /><br />The injuries will get a lot of the blame (and there were many, to be fair). But I hope that the front office let them obscure the fact that the players who were out there for most of the season - Encarnacion aside - were mediocre to awful.<br /><br />It's very hard to blame "injuries" when Kelly Johnson, Colby Rasmus, and Rajai Davis put up the numbers that they did. Frankly, in the second half of the season, Rasmus has been one of the worst players in the American League. Ricky Romero, who as far as I know has not been hurt, has been dreadful. <br /><br />Brett Lawrie has, let's be perfectly honest, been less than thrilling at third base, making mental mistakes on the field and putting up numbers that would be OK for a second baseman...<br /><br />Bautista will be back next year (we hope), but if one takes a long, hard look at the actual performances, does anyone really think this current roster can win 85 games in 2013? 81? DWBuddhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12955276932812880108noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484762138483195409.post-43823093353283755052012-09-24T09:27:55.642-04:002012-09-24T09:27:55.642-04:00I would not call this "angst" -- I would...I would not call this "angst" -- I would call it objectivity. This was not a bad season solely because of injuries. The fact is that three players who were considered keys to the future -- Escobar, Rasmus, Romero -- underperformed. (I would not put Lawrie among them. For a 22-year-old in his first year in the majors, his offense + defense was fine. OTOH, his unapologetic attitude needs a serious adjustment.) It's only reasonable to look at upgrades at these positions. One problem, apart from selling low, is that there are no immediate internal replacements. That's another problem this season -- none of the minor-league players (e.g. Hech, Gose, Jenkins, Mcguire) showed that they're ready for the majors. Finally, if the Blue Jays are going to be serious contenders, Rogers has got to open the wallet. Unless a team is extremely lucky (e.g. Hudson, Mulder, Zito; Longoria, Price, etc.), they cannot rely on the minors alone. So unless Rogers interjects some money, AA's moves are just rearranging the chairs on the Titanic.Davidnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2484762138483195409.post-77656922986594369122012-09-23T20:51:18.367-04:002012-09-23T20:51:18.367-04:00i think all that's left for us is to do those ...i think all that's left for us is to do those imaginary trades + fa signing posts, then show how the imaginary 'new' lineup would be awesome. i'll start:<br />hech + Gose + single A premium arm + for Jup + david hernandez<br />ejax for 4 yrs 50m<br />moises sierra + Kelly Johnson (re-signed) to phils for doc...<br />adam lind for justin morneau in a change of scenery/salary dump...<br />b-mccarthy for 3 years 20m<br /><br />rogers ponies up the extra 50m in salary and puts grass in the roger-dome.<br />turns out 2013 rules.<br />..?plain_ghttp://www.plain-g.comnoreply@blogger.com