As part of our annual Offseason in Review series, MLBTR is hosting team-specific chats in conjunction with each entry as it’s released. Yesterday, the Orioles’ installment of the series was published. After you check that out, click here to read the transcript of the Orioles-centric chat.
I think they should sign Profar after there off-season he would be good.
“The Flying Rutschman”. Mwaaahhh!
Uh, no.
Stop calling it Camden. It’s OPaCY or Camden Yards. CAMDEN is in New Jersey.
The veteran MLBTR writers do great chats and really know their stuff but I enjoy the newer guys chats like Darragh and Simon. The new writers seem more willing to answer unique questions.
Pretty underwhelming off season for them, but they remind me a lot of the Mariners pre ‘21. Good young ball club with a couple studs coming up in the system ready to make a big splash and change the atmosphere.
Someone asked what to do in Baltimore? Easy.
Crabcakes. Koco’s Pub for a super local experience and the best in town. Pappas Restaurant if you want the second best in town with a more complete restaurant experience. Can’t go wrong at either. If you want to pick your own crabs, LP Steamers is my go to spot.
Lots of other good restaurants. Baltimore has an underrated food scene.
Believe it or not the best crab cakes I ever had living there was from a place near Delta, PA. But we’re talking 10 out of 10 versus 9.5 out of ten for Koco’s and several other places. In living in other places, what is called “crabcakes” is hugely disappointing. You must have Maryland crabcakes.
Other than crabcakes for food, a truly Baltimore experience I would have recommended Haussner’s but I believe that closed down. I moved away in 2014 so I’m not current.
I’ve been to about 7 other cities’ aquariums with my kids at this point and Baltimore’s still beats them all.
Pappas has a good crab cake. Vince’s in middle River too has a great one & it’s pretty damn cheap.
I think the chat was pretty thorough. Some points:
1. Unless Adley changes agents, he’s not signing anything and will wait until he goes to free agency. But he would be the best extension candidate.
2. Nothing in the chat….the offseason…the events…show encouragement that the Orioles are willing to increase payroll anytime soon for help to build around the young core and hoping that every prospect turns into a superstar like its the 70s and early 80s again (ya’ll know how I feel about prospects)
3. The Orioles are built much like the 2012-16 squads…pinning most hope on prospects/younger guys…great bullpen…subpar starting pitching…hoping offense is “good enough.” :PECOTA underestimated those teams every year, I think its fair to say they are doing so again in 2023 but so much room for fluctuations when dealing with young guys, prospects, and that type of starting staff. I’ve been poo-pooed for my prediction of 79-83 but I’ve got them higher than PECOTA.
4. If they do get to July out of contention I think the correct trade bait was named, though I think Santander’s peak market would have been this offseason. I just hope they get to July either solidly in contention or completely out, not at the fringe a few games under .500…because then they’ll stand pat and fade down the stretch, killing 2023 and not improving the future status
Adley might sign. Boras will sign an extension. It won’t be a cheap one but I’d do it. He looks as good of a bet as anyone to be a solid middle of the order catcher with great D for the foreseeable future.