Laika

Fair enough, but Toronto has at least been better than Baltimore Since 2000 Toronto has two 5th place finishes and two separate competitive windows (2014 to 2016 and 2020 to present). Baltimore has 8 5th place finishes and one competitive window (2012 to 2016). Toronto's version of bad is extended mediocrity. Baltimore's version of bad is hopelessness. Not quite the same.

Yeah I think it's approach based. Which is why I would not be too concerned quite yet. He's probably physically capable of being a 15 HR hitter it just means his slashline might look more like.... I dunno... .253/.313 /.426? that is Travis d'Arnaud's career line.

Are people saying that praising Baltimore is "not ok"? I don't think so. The full and fair representation of the position would be something like this: Yes, Baltimore has a nice young core breaking into the big leagues right now and an excellent looking farm. Yes, their developmental system seems to be doing very well. However, they have a long track record of being a dogshit organization so maybe we should hold off on the Orioles fellatio for juuuuuust a little bit longer because it's very much within the realm of possibility that they will f*** it up. Prospects will break your heart. A few high profile busts and some failure to spend money properly and they might end up as the same sorry Orioles we know and love in a a couple of years.

Moreno's profile is mildly concerning right now. He has a 6% walk rate, 20.5% K rate, and a 0.085 ISO. In 2022 there were exactly zero qualified hitters with ratios like that, and an above average wRC+. Some comparables with walk, K, and power rates sort of like this might be Ke'Bryan Hayes, Nick Solak, Raimel Tapia. But even these three limp dick bats have more demonstrated game power than Moreno has done so far. But it's only MILDLY concerning because he's so young and his minor league track record implies that more pop is on the way.

Well I guess Matt Mervis isn't good after all Funny how it happens.

Smart move going to Mayza.

too early to say anything about them Kasevish looks like he has no pop Toman has a chance to be a high end prospect but it's a long shot. Not hitting the ground running.

Which "high end" prospects are underperforming? Barger and Zulueta were pop-up guys last year. Sleepers, basically. They aren't high-end prospects. I guess the better question would have been where ARE the high end prospects? Since the Bo Bichette draft, they have not been turning ANY non-first rounders into good "high end" prospects and some of the first rounders have flopped (Martin, Groshans, etc.)

it's not true though Barger and Tiedemann are hurt, that is mostly bad luck. Zulueta is flopping but he always had poor command. Most of the other relevant prospects are doing fine, or at least treading water. And then there are some breakouts in the system.

I'll give you the Yankees but not the Red Sox. They have been good for a long time but they have operated like a clown organization for a few years now so I think their current regime is simply stupid and bad.

BETTER: Rays, Braves, Dodgers, Astros CLOSE: Orioles, Yankees, Padres, Giants, Mariners, Twins, Brewers, Guardians, Cardinals WORSE: Royals, Athletics, Nationals, Rockies, Tigers, White Sox, Pirates, Red Sox, Angels, Marlins, Phillies, Mets, Diamondbacks, Cubs, Rangers, Reds A few of those placements will be controversial but whatever. The general picture doesn't change. Put the Yankees in tier 1 if you want, or the Mets in tier 2. Doesn't change anything.

I can't wait to find out!

Yeah man acquiring Chapman and signing Gausman are real bandaid moves not saying he is great or anything but you could easily put together a list of good moves as long or longer than that Debbie Downer's list of bad moves Toronto is a consistent contender and WC team in a brutal division. Their front office is probably upper third of MLB, definitely upper half. It would be nice if they were elite. I agree it would be nice.

Okay now someone make a rank about everything Atkins has done right

Horrible entertainment in both the NBA and NHL finals. Just two no contest series.

Completely agree. Most hardcore lefties are very forgiving when it comes to their sports teams. It's just a game, after all.

It's the Oppression Olympics! Everybody, flex your Persecution Fetish! The regular posters discriminate against the negative nancies! The mods discriminate against conservatives! The world is unjust!!!!

hmmmmm I'd probably do it you can replace the young guys off the waiver wire or through your draft. williams has injury issues.

Accurate summary of watching Vladimir Guerrero Jr. play baseball: - ah, he just missed that one! - ah, i bet vladdy wants that pitch back - damn, that grounder was right at the second baseman - shoot, a hard flyout to CF - dang, that was a meatball why didn't he swing? - rats, why swing at that? - nice! a hard single off the LF wall. oh f***, thrown out at second. why risk that there? - here is Vladdy with the game on the line. let's get a good AB here. first pitch meatball grounded to short, okay.

Well, Vlad is pretty much to stupidest baserunner in baseball and he has no defensive value Varsho has a fringe hit tool but provides positive value in every other facet of the game funny enough Varsho has a higher ISO and HR count than Vladdy. Hitting for more power!!!! lmao

that is literally my job right now

More than one way to skin a cat If you think the pen is even remotely close to as important as the position player core, or the starting rotation, man do I have some s*** to sell you...

Chapman is a 4 win player getting paid like a 1.5 to 2 WAR player. Definitely not easy to find 2.5 surplus value wins but.... it's possible. The most likely avenue is not even direct replacement. You just put something league average in the 3B hole and then seek the missing value from free agency, anywhere on the roster, or develop it.

They get two more kicks at the can even if 2023 doesn't work out. Nobody walking after 2023 is irreplaceable (Chapman is a big deal but it's one guy. Belt and KK and Whit were hired guns anyway.) And then the only guy walking after 2024 of importance is Jansen.

If Atkins is good at anything it's focusing on the MLB roster and plugging holes on a year to year basis. People have said he's bad at spending money but really the opposite is true. He has made more great decisions than poor decisions when it comes to spending money. This is evident from just focusing on the big choices like letting Ray and Matz walk, signing Gausman. Springer and Bassitt contracts look decent. Chapman and Merrifield trades were good. Berrios extension looks better now. Personally, I think even Kikuchi is almost earning his $$ this season. His fWAR is negative but his RA9 WAR is +0.8 so far. His xFIP is the same as his ERA, which is solid enough. Lots of complaints about the bullpen construction but at least that is one of the least important parts of the team. And it's fine/average. And there are still come shrewd acquisitions in the pen even if Pop/Cimber/Bass look like flops at the moment. Richards looks great this year, Swanson looks great. 2026 is definitely a critical year. 2025 will be the last year for this core. In 2026 they will have Springer and Goose but they might not be impact players by then. Berrios should be fine. Varsho, Kirk, Manoah, and Pearson. Everyone else of significance potentially gone.... but, frankly, the only ones you might even WANT in 2026 and forward are Vlad and Bo. So again it just comes back to Vlad and Bo. If Shatkins manages to extend Bo, everything looks different and you build that next five year core around Old Bo. Similar idea for Vlad, but that plan is conditional on Vlad developing. Right now he is not a "build around" player. As far as the farm goes, I think it's probably a lot better than the current "snapshot" makes us think.