So there are reports linking Jarrod Washburn and Chien-Ming Wang with the Orioles.
Most people aren’t buying it. I am not buying it either. It’s one thing to bring in someone with high-upside to sit your youthful starters. But these guys are high risk, low reward players. The O’s don’t have to do that anymore.
But, what if? What if one of these deals happens. Then what? Which one would you rather have? Would they be willing to a minor league deal? Thoughts?
Here are what other people are saying;
Baltimore Sun
MASN
The downside to bringing in Washburn is that he will take away innings from a young guy, likely Chris Tillman. Plus I am not really sure how good he is. Yes he is a vet who will log some innings, but he has not thrown more than 200 since 2003 and has not won more than 10 games in a season since 2004. Washburn got off to a good start in Seattle (a pitcher freindly park) last year, but after he was traded to Detroit he was bad. Not sure I like him pitching in the AL East and in a smaller ball park, when the alternative is giving a younger a shot. Plus, I read that the Orioles are well down on Washburn's list of desired destinations. Beggars can't be chosers though.
I have less interest in Wang. I think he is done, but it is not so risky bringing him in with a minor league deal. I just don't think he will make the club.
Cue Mark Brennan…….
I'll use Ozzie Newsome's philosophy…right player, right price. If you can sign Wang to a minor league deal similar to what Seattle gave to Bedard, why not? It's not our money folks and you can never have enough arms. If he will not be available until late summer, that's OK, that's usually when our guys start breaking down.
Don't worry about these guys. If you read Roch's blog it sounds like Andy MacPhail and the Orioles remain on the same plan he's instilled since he arrived in Baltimore.
The O's threw out Wang's name because he remains unsigned and would only bring in Washburn to a minor league deal. I like hearing that the Orioles are interested in these guys, but only when they're stock is at it's lowest possible point. Which is exactly what Andy Mac is doing. No one is taking away time for Tillman to bring in a guy that gave up 10 runs in an inning last year (Wang, great game to watch by the way, I think it was against the Angels???)
This is just a topic to get mad O's fans fired up on a snow day. But I say breathe easy my friends. Good baseball is on it's way.
Good baseball is on its way?
Where is it coming from and how fast is it coming?
I know about Bell and Snyder and the like.
I also know that this team will lose @ 90 once again and we'll be having this conversation next year. When exactly is the right time to get some legit free agents in here?
Do you guys really think all of these prospects are gonna pan out?
They do have boatloads of cash Mark. Let's play GM for a second though. Who would you have realistically gone after if you were running the Orioles?
I know the record didn't show it, but can you honestly say that the Orioles are not 100 times better than they were before McPhail took over? They had virtually no scouting department, they hadn't had a spring training complex since the early 1980's, they had a depleted minor league system with little or no prospects, and an aging, underachieving major league team. McPhail and his staff have righted just about all of those wrongs. Scouting department upgraded? Check. Spring Training complex? Check. Minor League system? Check, just look at Baseball America's rating of the O's minor league system. The major league team is still in question, but again, aside from a few plug in guys, the team is young and will go through growing pains. If they don't hit .500 this year, barring major injuries like to Markakis, Jones, Wieters, then I'll start second guessing, but for right now I gotta believe.
And even after all of that BS like the spring training fiasco (which by the way is about as embarrassing as it gets) the team is still owned by PA.
100 times better? Nah.
Better? Well, not really. I mean, they lost 98 games last year. Sure, all these young guys are "supposed" to be great but again, I'll believe it when I see it.
Right now I see a 90 loss team. It's about wins and losses. AM told us fans that the team will now be judged on wins and losses. And while I laugh at the notion that any MLB isn't judged on wins and losses, I get what he means.
The problem is, I don't think he gave Trembley nearly enough to sniff .500.
.500 ball means this team will have a 17 game improvement.
You really believe that?
I've got no choice. It's in my blood. They're like my kids…sometimes they disappoint me (never Zach : ) ) but you love them just the same.
I say that a guy in Zach's position should start a campaign called CYA. Camden Yard Attitude, where we take back the Yard, stop allowing competing cities to control the crowd noise and curtain call EVERY dinger hit by the home town. It will get the fans back in the game and inspire the young players to succeed. IF nothing else it gets the crowd to stop sitting on their hands and hopefully put the magic back in Orioles baseball. IF the opposition crowd noise gets out of control-the score board guys should use the Wizard of Oz-silence to bring things back under control. Losing is one thing, allowing the Yard to be controlled by the opposition is another. It's C-Y-A time. Zach-get Tommy D. and Amber on board. I see shirts with CYA on the front and Silence with NY tape on their mouth and Boston being out rooted on the back.
I want nothing more than for Orioles fans to take back the yard. Get the Yankees and Red Sox fans out of town. I went to 20+ games last year, including opening day, got yelled out for being too loud and came to the conclusion that the only way it will happen is if the team starts winning.
I believe Orioles fans will fill the yard quite soon.
Zach
Here is why I think you are misreading the discontent of many Oriole fans. It goes FAR beyond the losing. Peter Angelos alienated a shocking amount of fans during his reign of terror starting in 1998. I know many people my age who could give a rats ass about this team the losing is only a minor part of it.
Winning will certainly bring some fans back but it will never be like it was pre 1998.
The wounds are that deep and that bad.
I think you're wrong Mark. There's a new generation that is just itching for good baseball. It might take longer than it should to get the pre-98 fans back at OPACY, but if the O's start to win they'll just up on the bandwagon and be right back in their seats cheering for the orange and black.
We'll just have to agree to disagree.
The Orioles are an afterthought to a large segment of the young generation. I have many friends with kids who wear purple 7 days a week and LOVE the Ravens.
Only a few have any interest at all in the Orioles.
That's just a microcosm in my opinion.
We are the die hards man. But we are few and far between.
I totally agree that we will see an uptick in attendance if they actually win but not to the level in which you think.
And even if I agreed with you I would say this.
They are gonna be scratching for quite a while.
Yeah we've been on the merry-go-round before.
I think you're friend will be back, but the Orioles have to earn it. I believe they will.
Will-o,
That's what I'm talking about! CYA let's do it!
Look, it's easy to be a fan when things are going well. Just listen to these chucklehead fans who have jumped on the Ravens' bandwagon and put down anything and everything the Orioles do. I'm a fan of both teams, but find my self more critical of the Ravens just because so many fans have come out of the woodwork. I look forward to the day when the Orioles take back the yard.
I say that we use this forum to bring some positive energy to the men who wear orange and black. IF they can use facebook to get 5,000 people to participate in a snow ball fight. WE can bring respectability back to the Yard. WE can revive the Wild Bill days when the crowds were loud and you could cut the energy with a knife. Zach- get your buddies on board and lets bring in the professionals to make the O's players feel special. Set up a blog to create C-Y-A and lets see how much interest we can create…
Will-o,
I'm first in. Nothing like being on the bandwagon before it really gets rolling.
That's two, where are the rest of you O's fans. IF we cannot muster any enthusiasm during this February blizzard, how are we going to expect anything different come May. It's time to put your emotions where your heart is…it's real easy to sit back and complain about PA and AM. Spirit can overcome lots of short comings…whose in??? Lets take back the Yard and show the O's we are behind them 100 percent. C-Y-A, C-Y-A.
If they were my kids they'd be in military school!
I am weighing in a day late, but let's face it until BIG brother steps up and either rearranges the teams according to amount spent or they instill a cap (which will never happen) the O's will always be team looking up at the NY and Bostons of the league. Let's use that as a baseline and hope the O's can be the Tampa Bay of the new decade. IF that fails lets look at the O's as bad entertainment, but embrace them just the same. EVERY movie is not an Oscar winner- so enjoy the time spent at the Yard and IF they should win a few more games than they lose that's icing on the cake. The Saints were bad for 43 years and look at what they accomplished this year. Maybe one of these years the O's will be the Saints??!
Part of this is moot now…Wang signed with the Nats.
There you have at. The Orioles didn't sign Wang. (Sigh of relief).
I read that the Nationals are pursuing him but not that he signed.
Ruths Chris Dinner says they will lose no more than 89 games 😉