BBTF's Transaction Oracle Discussion :: Orioles

Transaction Oracle
— A Timely Look at Transactions as They Happen

Monday, June 26, 2006

Orioles - Signed Ortiz

Baltimore Orioles - Signed P Russ Ortiz to a 1-year contract.

Not a bad move, actually. Ortiz at this point could throw a ball off the Washington Monument and miss the ground, but at league minimum, it’s worth a shot to see if Ortiz can turn it around a bit when paired with the pitching coach he had the last time he didn’t stink. Even if he doesn’t pitch better, he’s still an improvement on how Chen/Loewen have fared this season. I expect Ortiz to have half-a-dozen good starts or so and then hit the wall.

Dan Szymborski Posted: June 26, 2006 at 02:37 PM | 17 comment(s) Login to Bookmark
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1. Brandon in MO (Yunitility Infielder) Posted: June 26, 2006 at 06:06 PM (#2076485)

Hopefully Ortiz doesn't start giving Daniel Cabrera some pitching advice.

2. GotowarMissAgnes Posted: June 26, 2006 at 07:00 PM (#2076551)

Just when you thought the Orioles couldn't sink any lower....

3. BTL: Lesser Primate, 4th Class Trainee Posted: June 26, 2006 at 07:02 PM (#2076555)

Worth a shot? Seems like the Mets' Lima experiment. Looked them up --Ortiz had 4 straight years over 100 ERA+, then 64 in 2005, then this year. Lima had two years over 100 ERA+, then a 62 in 2005. Lima did have a long bad stretch before those two years, unlike Ortiz. But finding a pitcher slightly better than Lima isn't much to brag about. One and one-half years is a long stretch of time to be as bad as Ortiz has been. At Ortiz's age, how many pitchers come back from a stretch that bad if not injury related?

4. Petro Posted: June 27, 2006 at 02:10 AM (#2077236)

I think the difference is that the Mets signed Lima when they were in first place, and they clearly had better options already on their 40-man. The Orioles aren't playing for anything and their staff is either terrible (Lopez, Chen), or young and needing more seasoning in the minors (Loewen, Penn, Cabrera?). Taking a flier on Ortiz and seeing if Mazzone can make him useful again probably won't work, but what do they have to lose?

5. TFTIO will now vomit at acceptable levels Posted: June 27, 2006 at 03:48 AM (#2077317)

Oh yeah. That'll work.

6. Honkie Kong Posted: June 27, 2006 at 09:47 PM (#2077965)

fantasy owners of AL East hitters rejoice

as they needed any more reasons to!!

7. zonk Posted: June 28, 2006 at 05:00 PM (#2079365)

Bruce Chen...

Don't get me wrong - I'd like to think of myself as a junior member, but if you were to put together a team comprised of players strongly hyped by the BTF/BP/etc clique, but ultimately busts -- I think Bruce Chen would be the #1 starter.

Bobby Estellala would catch, Jack Cust would play 1B...

8. MM1f Posted: June 28, 2006 at 05:09 PM (#2079375)

I dunno, Chen got plenty of hype from "regular" places too. The Braves were in love with him, their (generally smart, not hack) announcers thought he would be an ace, lots of other folks did too.

I do wonder what that team would look like though

9. ShoeGrit Posted: June 28, 2006 at 05:29 PM (#2079413)

Don't get me wrong - I'd like to think of myself as a junior member, but if you were to put together a team comprised of players strongly hyped by the BTF/BP/etc clique, but ultimately busts -- I think Bruce Chen would be the #1 starter.

Bobby Estellala would catch,<strike>Jack Cust </strike> Hee Seop Choi would play 1b...

Just presenting alternatives here...

10. RoyalsRetro (AG#1F) Posted: June 28, 2006 at 05:32 PM (#2079420)

Bobby Estellala would catch, Jack Cust would play 1B...

The team would have a dozen 1B/DH types - Jack Cust, Hee Sop Choi, Roberto Petagine, Calvin Pickering, Jeremy Giambi...

11. Dewey, Steven Wright Wannabe and Soupuss Posted: June 28, 2006 at 05:34 PM (#2079424)

D'Angelo Jimenez would play second.

12. MM1f Posted: June 28, 2006 at 06:00 PM (#2079465)

Eh, at least Jimenez had some decent years. I'd go Jackie Rexrode (yeah, thats probably unfair)

13. zonk Posted: June 28, 2006 at 06:43 PM (#2079548)

I guess we should define the rules --

Technically, Cust has only gotten 146 big league at-bats... so maybe you could still argue he hasn't been given his fair shot?

14. NBarnes Posted: June 30, 2006 at 05:46 AM (#2082104)

Add Carlos Pena to the list of 1b/DH types on that team. Russell Branyan plays LF/RF/3b/whatever.

15. Mark Shirk (jsch) Posted: July 07, 2006 at 06:46 AM (#2090758)

Was Roberto Petagine really a bust? I dont' think he was ever given a chance, same with Pickering.

And I am pretty sure that Pena was liked by everyone.

16. Ozzie's gay friend Posted: July 07, 2006 at 06:56 AM (#2090760)

I still think Pickering would have been a good player if he got his playing weighton the other side of 300 lbs.

17. Cris E Posted: July 07, 2006 at 06:06 PM (#2091090)

if you were to put together a team comprised of players strongly hyped by the BTF/BP/etc clique, but ultimately busts -- I think Bruce Chen would be the #1 starter.

I didn't think there was such a thing as a pitching prospect...

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Monday, June 26, 2006

Orioles - Signed Ortiz

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