2019 Orioles Fire Sale: Is It Hot Enough For Ya?

If he can be this cheerful, so can I.

Here we are at the All-Star break, and the good news is we can still win 100 games this year. The bad news is we’d need to run the table to do it. Do you believe? Ya gotta believe. Wait, that was the motto of the 1973 New York Mets, who won the National League East with an 82-79 record, and took the Oakland A’s seven games in the World Series before falling short. I’ll tell you what, if we had Tom Seaver, Jerry Koosman, and Jon Matlack, with Tug McGraw coming out of the bullpen, I might believe. But we don’t.

This man might not be the only thing the Orioles have in common with the ’62 Mets soon…

What I do believe is we pose a genuine threat to the 1962 Mets, who hold the major league record for single season misery by losing 120 games. You don’t break a 57 year old record every year, so let’s cherish this while we’ve got it, because according to many people, this is part of “the process,” of building a consistent, long-term contender. I’m on board for “the process,” even if it means achieving infamy along the way (which we’re sure to achieve when we absolutely obliterate the single-season home runs surrendered record).

The Dash Brothers (as in dashed hopes)

In the off-season we parted ways with almost every recognizable face on the roster, and with them went some considerable monetary obligations. Gone with Machado, Jones, Hardy, Schoop, Beckham and others is $56 million in payroll. If the 2019 Orioles again finish 47-115, the team will be paying $1,574,468 per victory, as opposed to last year’s figure of $2,765,976.59. Does that take the sting out of having to pay Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo a combined $32 million this season? Can anything take the sting out of what Chris Davis is doing to this team?

Obviously, Davis can’t be blamed for every bad thing that has happened this year. He’s not responsible for our depressingly crappy bullpen (in fact, his lone relief appearance actually lowered the team ERA), and he’s actually a good defensive 1st baseman. And of course he can’t be traded, so on a team that you know is going to suck anyway, you have to play him and hope he can turn it around (I know, I laughed when I typed that).

Having stated the obvious, let’s take a look at who can be traded…

Adios, Amigo. You walk away from one kind of history, but perhaps into another…

Andrew Cashner: The 32 year-old right-hander will turn 33 in September, and he gets paid nearly $10 million this year. For some reason he wants to stay in Baltimore so badly he’s threatened to retire if traded. Gee, thanks a lot, buddy. Cashner could be a solid #3 or #4 starter on a serious contender, and come out of the bullpen in the post-season. He has value to any team that needs another arm to get to the post-season, and he’s bolstered that value by pitching very well the last month or so. Hopefully someone will take him off our hands. He’ll be 35 years old by the time we’re any good, if he’s even still pitching by then.

Is there a market for a youngish fastballer who’s already lost a few mph?

Dylan Bundy: He’s only 26, and even though he gives up a lot of homers, like Cashner he could be a solid #4 starter/post-season reliever for a championship contending team. While trading him and Cashner would mean the total collapse of our season (look over your shoulder, ’62 Mets!), I wouldn’t be sorry to see them both go if we’re getting some solid prospects in return.

Our All-Star.

John Means: I hope we hold onto the rookie junk baller, but won’t be too surprised if someone scoops him up. I hold out hope he remains in Baltimore because the current culture in MLB when it comes to pitching is to emphasize velocity, and Means doesn’t have that. Plus he’s a rookie, which makes him attractive because he’s young and inexpensive, but it also makes him somewhat risky trade bait because he might be a bit of fluke this year. Making the All-Star team has undoubtedly put him in more of a spotlight, and if he performs well we’ll probably get some serious interest, despite the fact that he’s the kind of pitcher who’s generally undervalued.

The Job of the Orioles bullpen.

Mychal Givens: Givens has had some disastrous stretches this year (ok, more like he’s had a few good games sprinkled among three months of disaster), but he has good stuff, and that will always get the attention of coaches and managers. As a member of a strong, deep bullpen, he would undoubtedly be more successful, as he could be a good high-leverage situation reliever, or a set up man, and he could be pulled at the first sign of trouble rather than being left out there because you don’t have anyone better than him left. I’d wish him the best, but I wouldn’t be sorry to see him go.

Please don’t go to the Yankees.

Miguel Castro: The 24 year old has eye-popping stuff, but often has trouble with his control and needs to learn to vary his speed. He’s like a puncher with knockout power who’s never learned the finer points of his craft because he’s always been able to KO guys with one punch. Well, not anymore. And after three seasons in Baltimore, it’s apparent our coaching staff isn’t able to change him. Maybe someone else can? You know  there’s a pitching coach out there somewhere, thinking, “If I had that guy…” And honestly, I kinda have nightmares of him throwing the last pitch of the 2020 World Series in a Yankee uniform. But I wouldn’t be that sad to see him go, if we got some pitching prospects in return.

Hey, look! He’s left-handed!

Paul Fry: The only real asset Fry brings to the table is his left-handedness. Otherwise, he’s not especially notable, but there’s always a market for lefties.

A candid look at the Orioles bullpen…

The rest of the pitching staff: nobody wants any of these guys. We’re going to be stuck with them for the rest of this year, and probably many of them will bounce back and forth from Baltimore to Norfolk to the waiver wire next year. If we trade two of the three starters listed above, you can count on seeing a lot of Armstrong, Ynoa, Yacobonis, Bleier, etc, and you can count on the 1962 Mets finally cracking that bottle of champagne and taking a long drink when we lose our 121st game in September.

The face of the franchise.

Trey Mancini: I hope we keep him, he seems like a great guy to build around, and I don’t think he has quite as much trade value as many others believe. He’s not much defensively (though he’s improving at first base), and his numbers aren’t eye-popping for a guy who plays first base and right field. Unless a contender is desperate for a right handed bat, I don’t think we’ll get back what he’s worth to us over the next 3-4 years.

Mr. Smallball.

Hanser Alberto: What a story this guy has been. After spending parts of three seasons in the majors with Texas, he comes to Baltimore, earns a spot in the everyday line up, and bucks the current trend of swinging for the fences by just hitting line drives for singles and hustling out the occasional infield hit. Heck, he’s even bunted here and there. He’s not the best fielder, but he can play well enough to justify keeping his .300 average in the lineup on any given night. And his versatility is more valuable on a team in flux than a solid contender. I think his hit-em-where-they-ain’t approach will have other GMs and managers overlooking him. I expect him to remain an Oriole this season.

I hope he stays.

Anthony Santander: This guy is just starting to fill out his MLB cleats, and I think he has the potential to be a borderline star. He’s made some great catches in the outfield and is hitting better every week. Although he’s not as developed as Trey Mancini, I think the Orioles will get more calls about him than Trey. I hope they keep him, but honestly if someone offers a couple of pitching prospects, we’re in no position to turn that down.

Not the “butt slide.”

Jonathan Villar: I don’t think he’s going anywhere. He looks like one of the best players on the team, but on most good teams he’d be riding the pine. I like his versatility, though I like him a lot better at 2nd base than shortstop. As a middle infielder who’s not an exceptional hitter, I don’t think he’s got a lot of trade value, but as a guy who was in Houston for their rebuild, I think he’s got a lot of value to the Orioles.

 

Dwight Smith Jr.: Smith is a terrible fielder with a weak arm who doesn’t always pay attention to what he’s doing out there, but occasionally makes a spectacular catch. And he’s a decent hitter. He’s been a borderline MLB player, but has been hitting in an everyday role on a bad team. I doubt there will be many teams calling to trade prospects for him. Orioles fans of a certain age look at this guy’s game and think, “Terry Crowley.”

He should be around to help make history.

Keon Broxton: Nobody but us needs a centerfielder who is great with the glove but can’t hit. Broxton will be with us the rest of the year, and that’s fine. If you’re not ok with him being here the rest of the year, remember what it was like with Cedric Mullens in centerfield.

Is there anything he can’t do?

Steve “Duct Tape” Wilkerson: I don’t think anyone will be calling about this guy, and I hope he doesn’t leave this year. His versatility is of huge value to a team with a roster that is going to be in flux for the foreseeable future.

If he can learn to hit as well as Mark Belanger, we’re in business.

Richie Martin: I hope we keep him. And I hope he learns to hit MLB pitching in the second half of the season. If he does, he can hold down shortstop until Gunnar Henderson is ready for the big leagues. If not, he can take another crack in spring training next year, and he can make make the club or go to the minors. He’s the kind of guy who could bring in some really good pitching prospects in 2-3 years, when we’re about ready for Henderson. But he needs to learn to hit.

It’s all about the hair.

Rio Ruiz: Nobody wants this guy, he’s another borderline MLB player. Good glove, nice arm, not much of a hitter.

Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo: We’re stuck with these guys. Let’s hope one or both of them wakes up in the second half. If not, let’s hope we cut our losses in the off-season and let these guys go.

What’s all the shouting about?

Renato Nunez: Someone might need a right-handed DH-PH, but other than HRs his game is pretty limited. I doubt the Orioles will receive many calls for him.

 

The face of a different franchise began the 1962 season with… the Orioles.

Pedro Severino and Chance Sisco: Severino is the better defensive catcher and overall is a better hitter, but the left-handed hitting Sisco has blossomed in recent weeks into a very serviceable back up catcher, to the point where we almost have a lefty-righty platoon. I like both of these guys, and I hope we keep them until Adley Rutchman is ready, but if one of them is traded, I’ll be glad to see Jesus Sucre come back up from the minors. Sucre is not much of a hitter, but he’s very good defensively, and he’s a funny character. He’s exactly the kind of guy Marv Throneberry would like.