If a mega-contract isn’t materializing for Imai, what are the odds that 1) He signs for something like the Michael King deal (3/$75M, opt-outs after every year; maybe you give Imai a higher total guarantee) and 2) The Orioles would be interested in offering that kind of deal?
Heard a report that said Imai said has no concrete offers. Deadline is Friday afternoon. Interesting to see what happens with him especially after Murakami.
I see a lot of people (including myself) mentioning Imai for a new starter. But has there been any actual murmur of real talks going on with him? I've seen stuff for Ranger and Valdez, but I'm not sure I remember any real report about Imai.
If they get Kyle Tucker (doubtful), would Mayo, Beavers and Povich be enough to get Freddy Peralta? Assuming that you are confident you can get Freddy extended?
definitely. cy young corbin burnes went for a defensive SS, a reliever with starter upside and a draft pick.
for peralta (who we can agree is not corbin burnes) you are arguably giving up more. beavers and mayo have the same amount of team control as hall and ortiz did and they have higher offensive potential than ortiz. povich is pretty close to being a solid #5 and you have him for 5 more years.
Can somebody explain the desire to get Valdez to me? I just don't get it. He's been a good but not necessarily high #1 ace, but he's going to take that amount of money to sign, he's 32, and has a history of not being a great teammate. I get that we want to cast a wide net, but guys like Cease/Suarez (or maybe even Gallen) seem to profile as a much better "true ace" to me, but maybe I'm missing something. I do like that he has been super consistent, stays healthy, and eats innings though. Maybe he's the rock-solid anchor of the rotation while Bradish will always be the one with the highest "true ace" ceiling.
I'm not huge on him either, but he's consistent and durable. He's also a lefty. From 2020 to 2025 his savant page is a lot of red, and his stuff is definitely there. He took a step backwards last year, which is concerning. But I think even if what you got is a lefty version of Dean Kremer who gives up fewer homers, I'd still be pretty okay with that as long as the contract isn't something outrageous like $200M/7yrs.
I'd rather give him a higher AAV but shorter contract with various options, than a longer, guaranteed deal. The question is, would a 32 year old take that? Probably not. I'd rather the FO not over-pay for an albatross just to appease the perceived need for him, when we could trade for a rental and then go big on a better option next offseason.
So ultimately I guess I get it. We have a couple of guys already who might have a higher ceiling than Valdez in Bradish and maybe Rogers. But what Valdez would hopefully bring to the table is what we don't have: rock-solid reliability and durability where you almost always know what you're going to get. A "high floor" pitcher rather than necessarily a "cy young-caliber ceiling" pitcher. And that actually makes a ton of sense given the makeup of the rest of our rotation. I realize that I mostly just argued and discussed this with myself, but good job self. It's been a nice chat.
Well of course we all want him. I suppose I should have worded it better originally, but my question was more about does he actually profile like a top-of-market starter, which is close to the contract he will likely get. I don't think that a real "top 10 SP in baseball" is available as a free agent this year, but upon further reflection he is probably exactly what this rotation needs if he can keep up this level of production and consistency.
I covet Framber because I think he's going to raise the floor the of the rotation the most among the pitchers that are available.
I don't think he's a perfect fit because, as others have pointed out, our infield defense in 2025 was really bad, and it's probably going to be even worse with Pete Alonso manning first. The combination of Westburg/Gunnar/Holliday/Alonso in 2025 totaled up to -18 OAA and -13 FRV where Westburg is the only average or slightly better fielder by both metrics.
I don't think that a real "top 10 SP in baseball" is available as a free agent this year, but upon further reflection he is probably exactly what this rotation needs if he can keep up this level of production and consistency.
I don't really think he's a top of the market pitcher, and I don't think he'd necessarily perform that way with the O's anyway. But because this team didn't nab guys like Crochet, Fried, or even Cease or Sonny Gray, the FO has painted itself into a corner where the alternatives are Imai, to whom nobody has made an offer,
Ranger Suárez, destined to sit 90 before long, and Zac Gallen, who doesn't pop on any public stuff models and whose K-BB% has collapsed from ~20% to ~13%. The Twins weren't (aren't?) selling Joe Ryan, and they shouldn't do the Burnes thing again with Freddy Peralta unless they can pull off an effective sign & trade (not technically a thing in MLB) like the Dodgers did with Glasnow.
You already said it but he's a workhorse to the tune of 180 more IP than Suarez over the last four seasons. You can make a bull/bear case for all of the remaining FA SP. We need to sign someone who can comfortably start a playoff game for us and I personally don't care who that is out of the available top 3. If our front office decides they aren't concerned with character and offer him a contract, fine by me. If they don't, then they need to sign Suarez or Imai.
Yeah, in researching and thinking more it actually seems like he's a perfect pairing for our current "high ceiling, but you don't always know what you're going to get" guys.
There is some good news regarding the Orioles aggressiveness towards the higher end starting pitchers. Basically they want to be aggressive but don’t want to bid against themselves. And few teams if any, are willing to play a game of chicken/matching the Orioles in terms of aggressiveness with money. Which is refreshing
What’s really interesting is that it seems that they are considering 6-7 years, if another team is willing to raise the stakes with them/keep pace
Eflin’s interview today was encouraging and I’m hoping he plays awesome this year. Seems like a good dude and I’m happy our team is full of good as well as talented people.
I am looking for advice on where I can sell a small collection of Oriole memorabilia. I have things like signed photos of Al Bumbry, Ron Hansen, Jim Palmer and, of course, Brooks. There are other things like a 1979 World Series program and 2 bottles of Coke commemorating the 1983 World Series championship. I also have some Raven and Baltimore Colt related items. Does anyone know of a shop or collector who would be interested in a small collection like this?
Returning Orioles RHP Zach Eflin said he's scheduled to throw his first bullpen session post-back surgery on Jan. 6. He's hopeful to be ready to go by Opening Day.
Had to add this one.
Eflin: "I feel better than I ever have in my life and I’m fully prepared to be ready for that first week of the season"
Reading a few other things from Eflin, it does seem the back has been fucking with him for awhile.
This is a really good signing, IMO. Under new ownership and the resources that they are willing to commit, this is a low risk signing with a high potential upside. It's a player who was here before, who has a reputation as a great teammate, who said he wanted to return to this team, and who will--that's just good vibes right there. And as we saw in 2024, he's got a pretty high ceiling when he's on. And this by no means precludes signing another starting pitcher.
The team still has assets to trade, and likely still has liquid assets that they are willing to spend.
Been away for a while, I've basically been entirely off social media for the past month or longer. But I wanted to say that I'm happy with what we've done this offseason. Got two big bats, two good bullpen pieces, and traded for one pitcher and re-signed an SP that hopefully will have his injuries issues resolved. I wouldn't be surprised if we make 1-2 more moves, mainly through trades, but even if we stopped now, I'd say this is a very successful offseason.
Alright, so if Im tracking my rotation correctly, its (in no particular order):
Rogers
Bradish
Eflin
Baz
Kremer
Not bad, honestly. Would like to see if we can get another front end starter but this rotation isn’t bad so much as it is a question mark with Bradish and Eflin still coming off injury, Rogers having inconsistency, and Kremer probably still being a broader line 5/6 MLB quality starter.
Not the worst rotation, maybe not a top ten rotation.
I think that's a good assessment, and I think that they will make additional pitching moves this offseason. We're one move away from having a very good starting rotation.
Also, I am not saying that the Orioles are pursuing this, but if we happened to sign a Japanese pitcher, we would have a competent 6-man rotation, which could be very beneficial for that Japanese pitcher as they adapt to the MLB starting format.
This offense is going to score some fucking runs this year.
Well, as long as they shake off the stink from 2025.
If a mega-contract isn’t materializing for Imai, what are the odds that 1) He signs for something like the Michael King deal (3/$75M, opt-outs after every year; maybe you give Imai a higher total guarantee) and 2) The Orioles would be interested in offering that kind of deal?
A contract with a player option after a year? Sounds like our kind of guy
If Imai or Ranger was currently willing to about 3-5 years up to a point, one of them would be signed here by now.
Imai
Heard a report that said Imai said has no concrete offers. Deadline is Friday afternoon. Interesting to see what happens with him especially after Murakami.
I see a lot of people (including myself) mentioning Imai for a new starter. But has there been any actual murmur of real talks going on with him? I've seen stuff for Ranger and Valdez, but I'm not sure I remember any real report about Imai.
If they get Kyle Tucker (doubtful), would Mayo, Beavers and Povich be enough to get Freddy Peralta? Assuming that you are confident you can get Freddy extended?
definitely. cy young corbin burnes went for a defensive SS, a reliever with starter upside and a draft pick.
for peralta (who we can agree is not corbin burnes) you are arguably giving up more. beavers and mayo have the same amount of team control as hall and ortiz did and they have higher offensive potential than ortiz. povich is pretty close to being a solid #5 and you have him for 5 more years.
I’m glad that we’re bringing Eflin back. I’m confident that he’ll bounce back.
Can somebody explain the desire to get Valdez to me? I just don't get it. He's been a good but not necessarily high #1 ace, but he's going to take that amount of money to sign, he's 32, and has a history of not being a great teammate. I get that we want to cast a wide net, but guys like Cease/Suarez (or maybe even Gallen) seem to profile as a much better "true ace" to me, but maybe I'm missing something. I do like that he has been super consistent, stays healthy, and eats innings though. Maybe he's the rock-solid anchor of the rotation while Bradish will always be the one with the highest "true ace" ceiling.
I'm not huge on him either, but he's consistent and durable. He's also a lefty. From 2020 to 2025 his savant page is a lot of red, and his stuff is definitely there. He took a step backwards last year, which is concerning. But I think even if what you got is a lefty version of Dean Kremer who gives up fewer homers, I'd still be pretty okay with that as long as the contract isn't something outrageous like $200M/7yrs.
I'd rather give him a higher AAV but shorter contract with various options, than a longer, guaranteed deal. The question is, would a 32 year old take that? Probably not. I'd rather the FO not over-pay for an albatross just to appease the perceived need for him, when we could trade for a rental and then go big on a better option next offseason.
You just did
So ultimately I guess I get it. We have a couple of guys already who might have a higher ceiling than Valdez in Bradish and maybe Rogers. But what Valdez would hopefully bring to the table is what we don't have: rock-solid reliability and durability where you almost always know what you're going to get. A "high floor" pitcher rather than necessarily a "cy young-caliber ceiling" pitcher. And that actually makes a ton of sense given the makeup of the rest of our rotation. I realize that I mostly just argued and discussed this with myself, but good job self. It's been a nice chat.
3.7 fWAR projection for 2026, which would lead the Orioles.
His fWAR + innings pitched the last 4 seasons.
4.4 - 201
4.4 - 198
3.7 - 176
4.0 - 192
Outside of the issue with his catcher, I don't see how anyone can look at those numbers and not want to sign him.
Well of course we all want him. I suppose I should have worded it better originally, but my question was more about does he actually profile like a top-of-market starter, which is close to the contract he will likely get. I don't think that a real "top 10 SP in baseball" is available as a free agent this year, but upon further reflection he is probably exactly what this rotation needs if he can keep up this level of production and consistency.
I covet Framber because I think he's going to raise the floor the of the rotation the most among the pitchers that are available.
I don't think he's a perfect fit because, as others have pointed out, our infield defense in 2025 was really bad, and it's probably going to be even worse with Pete Alonso manning first. The combination of Westburg/Gunnar/Holliday/Alonso in 2025 totaled up to -18 OAA and -13 FRV where Westburg is the only average or slightly better fielder by both metrics.
I don't really think he's a top of the market pitcher, and I don't think he'd necessarily perform that way with the O's anyway. But because this team didn't nab guys like Crochet, Fried, or even Cease or Sonny Gray, the FO has painted itself into a corner where the alternatives are Imai, to whom nobody has made an offer, Ranger Suárez, destined to sit 90 before long, and Zac Gallen, who doesn't pop on any public stuff models and whose K-BB% has collapsed from ~20% to ~13%. The Twins weren't (aren't?) selling Joe Ryan, and they shouldn't do the Burnes thing again with Freddy Peralta unless they can pull off an effective sign & trade (not technically a thing in MLB) like the Dodgers did with Glasnow.
You already said it but he's a workhorse to the tune of 180 more IP than Suarez over the last four seasons. You can make a bull/bear case for all of the remaining FA SP. We need to sign someone who can comfortably start a playoff game for us and I personally don't care who that is out of the available top 3. If our front office decides they aren't concerned with character and offer him a contract, fine by me. If they don't, then they need to sign Suarez or Imai.
Yeah, in researching and thinking more it actually seems like he's a perfect pairing for our current "high ceiling, but you don't always know what you're going to get" guys.
Just wasted two minutes on a Camden Chap piece about Silent J that contained no new information.
There is some good news regarding the Orioles aggressiveness towards the higher end starting pitchers. Basically they want to be aggressive but don’t want to bid against themselves. And few teams if any, are willing to play a game of chicken/matching the Orioles in terms of aggressiveness with money. Which is refreshing
What’s really interesting is that it seems that they are considering 6-7 years, if another team is willing to raise the stakes with them/keep pace
I’m stuck in bed with pneumonia and some baseball would be really cool right now… Alas.
Posted not that long ago, but no matter how many times I watch, I still enjoy the 9th. I hope you do, too, and get well soon ✊
Eflin’s interview today was encouraging and I’m hoping he plays awesome this year. Seems like a good dude and I’m happy our team is full of good as well as talented people.
I am looking for advice on where I can sell a small collection of Oriole memorabilia. I have things like signed photos of Al Bumbry, Ron Hansen, Jim Palmer and, of course, Brooks. There are other things like a 1979 World Series program and 2 bottles of Coke commemorating the 1983 World Series championship. I also have some Raven and Baltimore Colt related items. Does anyone know of a shop or collector who would be interested in a small collection like this?
Reddit - right here lol
eBay of course. Or sports memorabilia stores around
Had to add this one.
Reading a few other things from Eflin, it does seem the back has been fucking with him for awhile.
but also the classic best shape of my life quote during an offseason lol
This is a really good signing, IMO. Under new ownership and the resources that they are willing to commit, this is a low risk signing with a high potential upside. It's a player who was here before, who has a reputation as a great teammate, who said he wanted to return to this team, and who will--that's just good vibes right there. And as we saw in 2024, he's got a pretty high ceiling when he's on. And this by no means precludes signing another starting pitcher.
The team still has assets to trade, and likely still has liquid assets that they are willing to spend.
Been away for a while, I've basically been entirely off social media for the past month or longer. But I wanted to say that I'm happy with what we've done this offseason. Got two big bats, two good bullpen pieces, and traded for one pitcher and re-signed an SP that hopefully will have his injuries issues resolved. I wouldn't be surprised if we make 1-2 more moves, mainly through trades, but even if we stopped now, I'd say this is a very successful offseason.
Alright, so if Im tracking my rotation correctly, its (in no particular order):
Rogers Bradish Eflin Baz Kremer
Not bad, honestly. Would like to see if we can get another front end starter but this rotation isn’t bad so much as it is a question mark with Bradish and Eflin still coming off injury, Rogers having inconsistency, and Kremer probably still being a broader line 5/6 MLB quality starter.
Not the worst rotation, maybe not a top ten rotation.
I think that's a good assessment, and I think that they will make additional pitching moves this offseason. We're one move away from having a very good starting rotation.
Also, I am not saying that the Orioles are pursuing this, but if we happened to sign a Japanese pitcher, we would have a competent 6-man rotation, which could be very beneficial for that Japanese pitcher as they adapt to the MLB starting format.
Valdez or Suarez would really make this an excellent rotation.
Bradish, Suarez/Valdez, Rogers, Baz, Kremer/Eflin depending on health.
Povich and Wells could move to the pen where I think they’ll be much more valuable.
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