MacPhail Says Orioles Will Be “Active”
This isn’t really news to those of us who follow the team closely, but it’s nice to see all the same: Andy MacPhail is on record — again — saying the O’s will be players this offseason.
When you take a look at that article it’s actually amazing just how clean the team’s financial slate is. They’ve got plenty of room to make big plays without crippling the future. Ideally they’d never hand out a contract that goes bad, but they’re in a position to perhaps weigh reward more than risk.
I stand by my previous assertion that they’ll be hampered by the unwillingness of certain players to come here. Let me add to that, though, that it’s not as if I think they won’t try. They will, and I think they’ll find success. I just don’t think success will wear the name “Lackey” on the back of its jersey.
Maybe that’s OK anyway. I look at a guy like Ben Sheets and I’m intrigued. Ditto Jon Garland and, yes, Erik Bedard.
Speaking of, how funny would it be to get the Elusive Canadian back after the way we swindled the Mariners?
Whoever it is, there are options out there. Very few of them look to be blockbusters, but that’s probably not a bad thing. I think I’d be as happy with a slate of solid, valuable moves as I would be with one or two big splashes. As long as the net result is a better team.
If my read on MacPhail is accurate at all then one thing we can be sure of is that things probably won’t happen quickly. I don’t see the Orioles setting the market. I see them helping shape it, maybe, but not setting it.
Hot Stove Season starts Friday, folks. Strap in.
I’m on official record right now with this: I want Bedard back. He was my favorite player for that one year, and I believe he’s coming back. I’m not saying it’s the smartest move, but its the one thing I’m most comfortable saying.
How fucking ironic would that be – when my greatest fear was first that he’d leave us for New York and second that we wouldn’t get rid of him?
I’d like to see Bedard come back because he is certifiably weird, and I love that. There’s always a concern about chemistry but he never struck me as a guy who caused problems in that area. I think he was a headache for the PR staff more than he was for his teammates and coaches.
If he does come we can count on above average performance when he’s healthy, and we can count on him not always being healthy. As long as he’s brought in to be a complimentary player and not an “ace” then I figure that’ll probably work.
I like the idea of landing Bedard again. We already know what he can do agains the AL Beast, plus that would take a lot of the load off Guthrie. Any of the three would help but do you guys really see the O’s landing a “big name” pitcher in the off season?
I could see Sheets or Harden, but Lackey isn’t going to happen, Bay isn’t going to happen, and Holliday isn’t going to happen. And big-time trades aren’t going to happen, either. I have absolutely no idea what Andy’s plan is for the corners, and I’m glad it isn’t my job to figure it out.
My mancrush for MacPhail lives on and will continue to do so until he makes multiple blatantly bad decisions, and I really don’t see that happening. When I see that nerdy little smile, I confess to sort of melting in a completely asexual, but nonetheless genuine, way. But I digress..
I’m not sure anyone wouldn’t think it at least amusing to have Bedard back. For one, he can be had pretty cheaply (still), and he’s every bit as dominant when healthy. He’s almost more of a sure thing than Harden or Sheets, and he knows the organization. The one extreme change since his departure: the entrenchment of Dave Trembley and Andy MacPhail. The thing about when we dealt him was that, not only did we MacPhail need to come in and restock the farm, he also wanted to change the culture. And shipping out Bedard and his 6-inning cap and his purposefully snide media comments (multiple media guys have said he would go out of his way to be a dick and then laugh about it) and his injury history certainly was a big part of that culture change. Would Andy and Dave have him back knowing his personality and his penchant for wussing out on the mound? Or could DT keep him in check? One thing is for sure – I don’t think the team is worse with Bedard on it. It would sure as hell be fucking interesting and hilarious.
As far as the corners, there’s plenty of options, many of whom could put up 30HR, but exactly Zero of them are a sure thing. And that’s not Andy’s fault. The third base version of Tex isn’t out there and he’s not going to sell the farm for Adrian Gonzalez. It’s going to be real interesting for sure, simply because the time for “marked improvement” has coincided with one of the worst free agency crops in years. Go figure, huh?
But Neal makes a good point – the money currently invested in contracts is like pocket change. This is truly MacPhail’s team now. Mora, Miggy, Gibbons, Walker, Bradford, Baez, Bedard, Payton are all gone and not only gone, but off the books. It’s set up perfectly so that our young guys are just getting good when we have the money to help them out. So far so good.