This team is a wreck. It starts with the GM. I have one question for him. Why trade young talent for Corbin Burnes when you have little to no interest in having him here long-term? And don't tell me you tried to sign him.
Next up, pitching. Or a lack thereof. We chose to not re-sign our ace starter, Corbin Burnes. Good move. Do you actually think our present starting rotation can compete? You're kidding, right?What a collection of mediocrity.
And then there's our field manager. He couldn't manage a pitching staff if it consisted of Palmer, Cuellar, McNally and....Walter Johnson. Why does it take SEVEN relievers to secure a victory? Or routinely near that number .If you refuse to allow your starters to develop and build up their arm strength and TEACH THEM HOW TO PITCH, then you'll have a staff like ours. And the strange, different lineups every night. The manager has no clue how to maximize a lineup and get his players in the best positions to succeed.
All I'll say about the pitching injuries is that it's not because of bad luck or coincidence. It comes down to organizational philosophy and training. There's no reason why pitchers can't throw complete games. The theory that hitters have the advantage the third time through the lineup is rubbish. And finally, it's not how hard you throw the ball. Pitching is about control and outsmarting the hitter. And if starters didn't throw so many waste pitches when they got ahead in the count, they'd last longer. If you get a batter 0-2, throw strike three!
My two cents. Thanks.
Laurence Berbert - 7 months ago
Unless you are an insider (and maybe even if you are) it is impossible to pinpoint the reason(s) for the Orioles' lackluster play and poor record thus far. Sure, they have had more than their share of injuries (especially to the pitching staff), but others (again, particularly pitchers) have simply not performed well.
But let's remember that it is still April, and penants are won in September. For now, keep the faith. If we are still having this conversation five months from now, then we can figure out what happened and how to fix it.
Joe LaFleur - 7 months ago
All the comments on this question of O's biggest problems have evidence for being a cause for the current struggles. The injured pitchers is the deepest asset lost at this point in the season. That's a lot of talent sitting on the sidelines. It's proven year after year that if you have better than average pitching you can win on days the team doesn't hit. Yes, you need better than fielding to
help the pitchers. After this first month it is about the pitchers not on the field as much as anything else on a day to day performance basis. If this goes on morale could become a factor to address with the young players. Last item, lat and arm injures. Something wrong in what the organization is/is not doing.
Tony Cline - 7 months ago
Tell me what we are good at. Injuries have resulted in poor pitching. But hitting has been below average since after last year's all star time and the gm has not done anything big to improve it. And then our fielding is below average. Right and left outfielders are below average and our ss has to play because of being our best hitter, but he makes too many errors as a shortstop. Also, why does our manager have our catcher, who has not hit well since after last year's all star game, bat 1 through 4. He was a good manager to keep a poor team happy. Not capable of keeping this team competitive. Of corse he can blame the gm for making a team less talented than last year.
Steve Renehan - 7 months ago
At the end of any game, wins and losses are determined by the number of runs on the scoreboard, and the Orioles are failing badly in that regard.
NH - 7 months ago
It’s easy to blame injuries but any issues with this team stem from flagrant mismanagement by the front office and the organization in general. The incomprehensible refusal to address the rotation is just the most obvious failure, but it goes further than that. Aside from hoarding prospects instead of unloading some for big league ready SP talent, the org has also failed to develop these prospects. Aside from Gunnar, are we sure there is a single well above average to elite performer in this “stable” of young hitters? Holliday has shown almost nothing, Kjerstad can’t stay healthy, Cowser was very solid as a rookie but there’s no indication there’s a super high ceiling that hasn’t been scratched, Mayo looks overmatched and may just be a AAAA type hitter. They traded away what looks like a super athletic and well rounded talent in Stowers. Basically every decision the front office has made has backfired, including when they did actually try to move prospects for SP (the Trevor Rogers trade was laughably misguided at the time and looks even worse now that he is predictably never going to be a rotation piece on a decent MLB roster ever again). It all trickles down from the front office and manager position. Not that the players are blameless, but the hype and arrogant attitude surrounding this “window” they supposedly had and the golden age of young talent is what is causing the catastrophic disappointment now mostly. Truth is, this roster was not a title-contending roster on March 27th and the injuries have made it a fringe playoff contending roster now. Even if Bradish comes back healthy and Grayson somehow manages to pitch for longer than a few weeks without getting hurt and Eflin comes back healthy…how does that fix an offense that has one elite hitter and a bunch of ok-to-good bats around him? You don’t just assume 6-8 year windows because you have “young talent”…because this is what can happen. The young talent isn’t as good as you thought, the overlooked areas are fatal (SP), and you wind up like countless other poverty franchises who never came close to winning a ring despite stretches of “contention” (see: Milwaukee, Minnesota, Tampa, Toronto, Pittsburgh back in the McCutchen years). It is hard to see this season as being anything but lost and it’s almost as hard seeing this front office being capable or willing to make the tough decisions to improve the roster enough to truly be a threat come October.
DGT - 7 months ago
With the number of injuries to pitching starters and relievers, I don't see it would be possible to have enough spare arms in the minors that could competently cover the player losses. All we can do right now is hope that Morton can find his control, Kremer returns to last year's form and Sugano pitches reasonably well. Povich still has a long way to go. Maybe Kyle Gibson can work some magic?
RFS - 7 months ago
Lack of refillable soda on the Club level, raising the price of the soda by $2.50. Few gluten-free options, terrible sound, no bourbon. Unhappy fans lead to a failing team.
Mark - 7 months ago
While I believe that injuries are the biggest reason for the poor record, I do worry about the team culture. I worry the constant platooning and shifting lineups doesn’t sit well with the players, especially the young, budding (hopefully) ”superstars” on the team. I’m worried the team is not bought in to the philosophy anymore, and morale and locker room issues are an issue.
Mark Browne - 7 months ago
Too much emphasis on the home run and not enough on 2-strike hitting. The old “Oriole Way” of sound fundamental defense and pitching doesn’t appear to be hammered into their preparation. Over managing constantly toying with lineups. Too much dependence on talent alone. Appears leadership incapable of taking talent to next level.
Will Kravitz - 7 months ago
INJURIES are greatest equalizer in any sport. Elias, who I have always felt is a sub-par GM, could have sent Coby Mayo even up to CHI SOX for Crochet but Elias said no. This fellow Blewelt pitched well in relief twice and Elias DFAs him. Os no longer run bases like crazy and never bunt or hit behind runners...everybody swings for the fence so why not more HRs. I believe Os will finish 4 or 5 in AL EAST and hope by "tanking" they can get a couple of better draft choices especially pitching which he and Scouts have ignored. Why guys like Rutschman and Henderson are sporadic hitters perplexes all...most consistent RBI man on team is URIAS.
Elias is a dumpster-diver in trades and looking for bargains but who could have expected the dearth of Os pitching. No help in Minors so bad season ahead...as was said "WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR."
David B - 7 months ago
Not re-signing Corbin Burnes.
Robin Ficker - 7 months ago
The game Sunday was the biggest embarrassment for a Major League Baseball team I have ever witnessed.
JH - 7 months ago
Injuries are the major issue as to the horrendous pitching. Whether Elias or Hyde want to admit it, which they won’t, they have done absolutely nothing to address the hitting processes that plagued the team during the second half of last season. For a while it seemed like the players were willing to hit opposite field and were trying to cut down on strike outs. Well, not anymore. This team can strike out with anyone in baseball.
Margaret Goodlin - 7 months ago
Injuries sure haven't helped, but the real reason for their struggles is that they never got the starting pitching we needed in the offseason. Would love to see them upgrade starting pitching!
Bob - 7 months ago
It actually could be a combination of all the above. However, since last mid season, the Orioles have played very poorly with a losing record. The hitting has fallen off significantly. Poor hitting with runners in scoring position, as well as unable to score with runner on third and less than 2 outs. Maybe other teams have made adjustments to the Orioles offense, but apparently the Orioles have made little to no adjustments. At the last midseason, the Orioles were rated nationally as one of the best teams in baseball. Sometimes I think that the Oriole players read how good they were. Since then, their performance has fallen off significantly.
KPR - 7 months ago
With the lack of commitment the front office has shown in regards to getting a top tier starting pitching crew, and the fact they are showing nothing in regards to signing their young talent to longer term contracts gives the players no reason to go out and play meaningful baseball. I don’t know why the Orioles brag about their draft picks then do nothing to keep them around once they get to the big leagues.
This team is a wreck. It starts with the GM. I have one question for him. Why trade young talent for Corbin Burnes when you have little to no interest in having him here long-term? And don't tell me you tried to sign him.
Next up, pitching. Or a lack thereof. We chose to not re-sign our ace starter, Corbin Burnes. Good move. Do you actually think our present starting rotation can compete? You're kidding, right?What a collection of mediocrity.
And then there's our field manager. He couldn't manage a pitching staff if it consisted of Palmer, Cuellar, McNally and....Walter Johnson. Why does it take SEVEN relievers to secure a victory? Or routinely near that number .If you refuse to allow your starters to develop and build up their arm strength and TEACH THEM HOW TO PITCH, then you'll have a staff like ours. And the strange, different lineups every night. The manager has no clue how to maximize a lineup and get his players in the best positions to succeed.
All I'll say about the pitching injuries is that it's not because of bad luck or coincidence. It comes down to organizational philosophy and training. There's no reason why pitchers can't throw complete games. The theory that hitters have the advantage the third time through the lineup is rubbish. And finally, it's not how hard you throw the ball. Pitching is about control and outsmarting the hitter. And if starters didn't throw so many waste pitches when they got ahead in the count, they'd last longer. If you get a batter 0-2, throw strike three!
My two cents. Thanks.
Unless you are an insider (and maybe even if you are) it is impossible to pinpoint the reason(s) for the Orioles' lackluster play and poor record thus far. Sure, they have had more than their share of injuries (especially to the pitching staff), but others (again, particularly pitchers) have simply not performed well.
But let's remember that it is still April, and penants are won in September. For now, keep the faith. If we are still having this conversation five months from now, then we can figure out what happened and how to fix it.
All the comments on this question of O's biggest problems have evidence for being a cause for the current struggles. The injured pitchers is the deepest asset lost at this point in the season. That's a lot of talent sitting on the sidelines. It's proven year after year that if you have better than average pitching you can win on days the team doesn't hit. Yes, you need better than fielding to
help the pitchers. After this first month it is about the pitchers not on the field as much as anything else on a day to day performance basis. If this goes on morale could become a factor to address with the young players. Last item, lat and arm injures. Something wrong in what the organization is/is not doing.
Tell me what we are good at. Injuries have resulted in poor pitching. But hitting has been below average since after last year's all star time and the gm has not done anything big to improve it. And then our fielding is below average. Right and left outfielders are below average and our ss has to play because of being our best hitter, but he makes too many errors as a shortstop. Also, why does our manager have our catcher, who has not hit well since after last year's all star game, bat 1 through 4. He was a good manager to keep a poor team happy. Not capable of keeping this team competitive. Of corse he can blame the gm for making a team less talented than last year.
At the end of any game, wins and losses are determined by the number of runs on the scoreboard, and the Orioles are failing badly in that regard.
It’s easy to blame injuries but any issues with this team stem from flagrant mismanagement by the front office and the organization in general. The incomprehensible refusal to address the rotation is just the most obvious failure, but it goes further than that. Aside from hoarding prospects instead of unloading some for big league ready SP talent, the org has also failed to develop these prospects. Aside from Gunnar, are we sure there is a single well above average to elite performer in this “stable” of young hitters? Holliday has shown almost nothing, Kjerstad can’t stay healthy, Cowser was very solid as a rookie but there’s no indication there’s a super high ceiling that hasn’t been scratched, Mayo looks overmatched and may just be a AAAA type hitter. They traded away what looks like a super athletic and well rounded talent in Stowers. Basically every decision the front office has made has backfired, including when they did actually try to move prospects for SP (the Trevor Rogers trade was laughably misguided at the time and looks even worse now that he is predictably never going to be a rotation piece on a decent MLB roster ever again). It all trickles down from the front office and manager position. Not that the players are blameless, but the hype and arrogant attitude surrounding this “window” they supposedly had and the golden age of young talent is what is causing the catastrophic disappointment now mostly. Truth is, this roster was not a title-contending roster on March 27th and the injuries have made it a fringe playoff contending roster now. Even if Bradish comes back healthy and Grayson somehow manages to pitch for longer than a few weeks without getting hurt and Eflin comes back healthy…how does that fix an offense that has one elite hitter and a bunch of ok-to-good bats around him? You don’t just assume 6-8 year windows because you have “young talent”…because this is what can happen. The young talent isn’t as good as you thought, the overlooked areas are fatal (SP), and you wind up like countless other poverty franchises who never came close to winning a ring despite stretches of “contention” (see: Milwaukee, Minnesota, Tampa, Toronto, Pittsburgh back in the McCutchen years). It is hard to see this season as being anything but lost and it’s almost as hard seeing this front office being capable or willing to make the tough decisions to improve the roster enough to truly be a threat come October.
With the number of injuries to pitching starters and relievers, I don't see it would be possible to have enough spare arms in the minors that could competently cover the player losses. All we can do right now is hope that Morton can find his control, Kremer returns to last year's form and Sugano pitches reasonably well. Povich still has a long way to go. Maybe Kyle Gibson can work some magic?
Lack of refillable soda on the Club level, raising the price of the soda by $2.50. Few gluten-free options, terrible sound, no bourbon. Unhappy fans lead to a failing team.
While I believe that injuries are the biggest reason for the poor record, I do worry about the team culture. I worry the constant platooning and shifting lineups doesn’t sit well with the players, especially the young, budding (hopefully) ”superstars” on the team. I’m worried the team is not bought in to the philosophy anymore, and morale and locker room issues are an issue.
Too much emphasis on the home run and not enough on 2-strike hitting. The old “Oriole Way” of sound fundamental defense and pitching doesn’t appear to be hammered into their preparation. Over managing constantly toying with lineups. Too much dependence on talent alone. Appears leadership incapable of taking talent to next level.
INJURIES are greatest equalizer in any sport. Elias, who I have always felt is a sub-par GM, could have sent Coby Mayo even up to CHI SOX for Crochet but Elias said no. This fellow Blewelt pitched well in relief twice and Elias DFAs him. Os no longer run bases like crazy and never bunt or hit behind runners...everybody swings for the fence so why not more HRs. I believe Os will finish 4 or 5 in AL EAST and hope by "tanking" they can get a couple of better draft choices especially pitching which he and Scouts have ignored. Why guys like Rutschman and Henderson are sporadic hitters perplexes all...most consistent RBI man on team is URIAS.
Elias is a dumpster-diver in trades and looking for bargains but who could have expected the dearth of Os pitching. No help in Minors so bad season ahead...as was said "WAIT TILL NEXT YEAR."
Not re-signing Corbin Burnes.
The game Sunday was the biggest embarrassment for a Major League Baseball team I have ever witnessed.
Injuries are the major issue as to the horrendous pitching. Whether Elias or Hyde want to admit it, which they won’t, they have done absolutely nothing to address the hitting processes that plagued the team during the second half of last season. For a while it seemed like the players were willing to hit opposite field and were trying to cut down on strike outs. Well, not anymore. This team can strike out with anyone in baseball.
Injuries sure haven't helped, but the real reason for their struggles is that they never got the starting pitching we needed in the offseason. Would love to see them upgrade starting pitching!
It actually could be a combination of all the above. However, since last mid season, the Orioles have played very poorly with a losing record. The hitting has fallen off significantly. Poor hitting with runners in scoring position, as well as unable to score with runner on third and less than 2 outs. Maybe other teams have made adjustments to the Orioles offense, but apparently the Orioles have made little to no adjustments. At the last midseason, the Orioles were rated nationally as one of the best teams in baseball. Sometimes I think that the Oriole players read how good they were. Since then, their performance has fallen off significantly.
With the lack of commitment the front office has shown in regards to getting a top tier starting pitching crew, and the fact they are showing nothing in regards to signing their young talent to longer term contracts gives the players no reason to go out and play meaningful baseball. I don’t know why the Orioles brag about their draft picks then do nothing to keep them around once they get to the big leagues.