Hey Roch, in reference to your last post about trade possibilities...are any teams talking with the O's about possible trades? What's the status on Baez and Hoey? How's the rehab going with Ray?
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I'm sure plenty of teams are talking to the Orioles, but I'd mostly be speculating if I started listing them. The Sun ran capsules on most marketable players and possible trade partners. Baez isn't pitching again this year, and we might not see him before May in 2009, if at all (at least with the Orioles). Ray wants to return in September, but the Orioles seem more inclined to wait until spring training. Haven't heard anything new on Hoey. Will check. - Roch

I think Ramon is the first human in history to lose weight, get in better shape and actually become a slower athlete.

I hope we see a different Jamie Walker in the second half. As in different team. He seems like a stand-up guy but his stuff isn't fooling anyone right now.

We had a saying in fraternity at Maryland, "You can fill Byrd Stadium with nice guys but do you want them all in your fraternity?" The same goes with building a baseball team.

I believe Cintron is a vital influence that has been missing since his injury. He has some experience that was beginning to pay off before he got injured. Damn hammies.

It is eerily quiet on the Loewen front. I cannot remember if it took this long for Dr. Andrews to make his assessment last year .

Cross fingers I guess.

hey has anyone thought about trading these guys for some darn draft picks!?!?

I agree with the poster who said we should try to trade for Gamel and Escobar from the Brewers. Would Huff and Bradford be enough to do it? They're also on the lookout for a 2B, so maybe Roberts goes there if they pony up? The point is, if we could grab those two prosepects then we manage to fill 2 major gaping holes on the left side of our infield, prospect-wise. And the BrewCrew is looking to make a push to compete right now, so now is the time to make a deal. I hope Andy Mac has some long conversations with his counterparts in Milewaukee.

Hey Axl...you're not allowed to trade draft picks in MLB.

GET IN THE RING AND I'LL KICK YOUR B*TCHING LITTLE A$$ PUNK!

I hope they can find some team that would take walker off the orioles hands,I really think i am just wishing and hoping. he won't be any better in the second half.These next 11 games all at home against some very good teams will make your job alot easier. Please Andy please continue what you started and unload the rest of this baggage.

Jeff V - In 1982 the O's were pretty close to winning the division. Ditto in 1989. In 1997 they were a warning track fly ball, snatched for a homerun, from being pretty close to being in the World Series. My point? I don't care how my closer gets people out, so long as he gets them out.

YOU CAN'T TRADE DARN DRAFT PICKS IN BASEBALL!

Both Bergeson and Hernandez looked pretty good in their one inning each in the AA All-Star game last night. Bergeson started.

Can't understand why you wouldn't want your best pitcher(Guthrie) starting the first game back from the break. Having Olsen pitch between Guthrie and Cabrera makes far more sense to me. If Olsen gets bombed again tonight, having him pitch at all will be in question.

Two problems with getting Gamel in a trade from the Brewers. One, his defense at 3b is awful. Two, after trading Laporta he is basically untouchable. They plan to move him to a corner outfield spot. Besides, Huff and Bradford wouldn't be close to enough for Gamel, let alone throwing in Escobar.

Why is Freddie Bynum still in this organization?

I think we should trade Huff for some draft picks. For serial.

Gametime baby!

I wonder if it's going to be Nolan Reimold's turn soon.

I can see McPhail shopping Huff real hard the next week or two. His asking price will be high, as it should be, but if he gets it done, I suspect we will see Reimold up here finally by the end of this year. He has little to prove in the minors and deserves his shot.

Is there a baserunning coach on this team? If so, he should be fired. I don't understand how mistakes like the ones Mora and Markakis can be made at this level. This stuff should be learned in little league and perfected by high school.

We run into waaaay too many outs!! Where are the "fundamentals" that DT was supposed to be stressing?

its vulgar.

Anyone who says shortstop is our top priority is crazy. We need Starting Pitching far above anything else.

MOP!

Let's be sure NOT to build our baseball team as if it's a fraternity at the University of Maryland.

speaking of not being able to trade draft picks (i believe it was mentioned once or five hundred times)...
can you not trade draft picks...in and EXPANSION draft? i do believe the rays and the dbacks made several trades during the expansion draft in 97.
rays: 3rd pick...from the Philadelphia Phillies... little known guy named Bobby Abreu...traded BACK to Philly for....Kevin "Franchise!" Stocker.
dbacks: 39th pick, RHP Matt Drews.. later traded back (alongside some miscellany spare parts) to Detroit for Travis Fryman.
and this was done DURING the draft.

maybe expansion drafts operate under different rules?

Hey Roch, have any O's scouts been sited in Nashville or Huntsville. The Brewers MUST follow up on the Sabathia deal--in for a penny, in for a pound. Or as their GM said, "I guess we're going for it." The next deal might as well be with the O's. When they moved Laporta, Escobar was on the list of guys being offered. They have a terrific ss in JJ Hardy, so Escobar should be availble in return for a piece that gets them into October.

BTW, how old is Liz? How old is Garrett Olson? With the exception of maybe Hillman, all of the guys you mentioned, plus Hernandez and Penn, are about the same age. And JJ is older than all of them, and deserves a chance to start. Sure, he's been great in the pen. But starters drive the bus in the bigs. DT knows that. Give him his shot in the second half. Maybe some of the farm hands, too. Let's find out who is going to be a rotation guy, who is going to break down, and who is going to the pen. That's what the rest of this season should be about. And maybe win a few more games in the process.

Now, let me touch the third rail. How come nobody talks about trading Guthrie. Most of the contenders are looking for starting pitching. We signed him for nothing. If we get what he's worth, and that's "ace" value, why not? Another Bedard type deal would make us deeper, much deeper, and Andy Mac says we need depth.

AK,
I agree. The decisions made by the Oriole baserunners are similar to the poor decisions made when fraternity guys get together. Its a great way to spend 5 or 6 years in college but it is a terrible way to build a contender.

It sure as heck beats being an independent at university though.