Luke Jones and Nestor discuss the mind of Mike Elias and Orioles in hours before MLB trading deadline
SUMMARY KEYWORDS
orioles, players, kyle gibson, pitching, bullpen, innings, point, trade deadline, give, ace, deadline, prospects, batista, money, elias, draft, year, trading, add, good
SPEAKERS
Luke Jones, Nestor Aparicio
Nestor Aparicio 00:01
W n s t testable the more at Baltimore positive it is an anniversary week. The Orioles cannot lose the Raven so far can if anything go wrong a camp and we get this little trading deadline thing I feel like it’s 9096 or 97 all over again and I’m just I’m not even at wn st yet I’m just doing nasty Nester sports for him afternoon drive and pack Gil it’s out trading. This is the most exciting trading deadline we’ve had long long time we’re gonna be over Costas on Thursday celebrating 25 years look I’ve got Show and Tell today I know you know we’re going to talk about beaten the Blue Jays we’re gonna talk trading deadline, certainly whatever ravens residue that we have, and I know you’ve been doing that players are talking and all that stuff. But I asked them old school giveaways that we’re going to have a cost this I don’t you weren’t around for spank the Yanks right? How old were you in 1996
Luke Jones 00:58
I was 13 years old that October.
Nestor Aparicio 01:01
I got socks older than you. This is an original spank the Yank sign you’ll get nasty signs. You’ll appreciate this. This is before you join me. This is not steep. Ashati I assure you. This is This is Steve McNair for 2006 We had some purple free the birds. Let’s see what else we have wacko for Flacco How about that you remember that and then see Joe throw. We did all that and I know you and I have pictures of you with this one here. Believe in Joe and the RE 252 These were the original signs from the parade in New Orleans. So I’m giving all this stuff away. I have no way or SES I have fixed the teams I have free the birds. I have shirts, I have hats, all of that stuff. We are doing 25 years all cursor friends to the Maryland lottery even they’re doing 50 years given these will be at $100 winner last week, our friends at window nation 866 90 nation with some new offers here in August and Leonard Raskin cannot join us but he’s sent along the crab mallet that opens the beers. Luca, we got a trading deadline here. And look, I you know, and I hope to get you down the drug city on Friday for a big boy milkshake for the Mets come to town. I know we all have visions of sugar plums of adding pitching and adding more pitching and not giving up anybody and all that as we get closer to this. I think we both have been pretty outspoken that they need help. They deserve help they want help. What do you anticipate as we get up on this?
Luke Jones 02:33
Well, I think as we get closer and closer to today’s deadline 6pm Of course being the deadline, which is a little little different than it’s been in the past, but I can’t say I expect anything huge. But I think and we talked about this over the weekend with Tyler well as being options. You’ve got to add a starting pitcher, you’ve got to add another bullpen arm, are these going to be moves that move the needle dramatically for thinking about October and not just getting knocked over but making a deep run? Probably not. But you need to get there first. Right? You still have two months of baseball to go. We’ve spent so much time talking about the Tampa Bay Rays and we’ll continue to but the Toronto Blue Jays go back to how they played since early June. Their record is fairly similar to the Orioles. The difference is the Blue Jays have struggled in ALS play. Yeah, they’ve been really good against everyone else and they’ve struggled in the division. So the point is, the rest of the division is not going away. I mean, okay, well, maybe the Yankees because they can’t hit it other than Aaron judge and kind of had another disappointing performance for themselves on Monday night. But this is a tough division. We know this. So if you’re Mike Elias and I think Monday was a great example of this, my goodness be remissed right off the bat. Let’s talk about Austin Hays and the catch he made saving the game in the ninth inning. I mean, one of the plays of the year easily. And
Nestor Aparicio 03:56
every night is a different star. That’s the magic of Orioles baseball. Yeah, that was the magic of Oreo. That was a Devere over the fence special that was old school.
Luke Jones 04:09
No question about it. But it also was a reminder of just how difficult these games are on a night by night basis. Kyle Gibson gives the Orioles six really good innings. They needed that after Kramer and well struggled at the end of the Yankee series. But Danny Coolum Jr. Can no waiver you know it really struggled big time and Batista has to throw 35 pitches and walked a couple batters which, you know, he hasn’t done a lot of years of late action especially so they got it done. But, boy, they walked seven batters, including five from the bullpen and some of their best bullpen guys. So as I tweeted out in the moments after the for to win to me this was a first of all great win, you know, good win on the road. Good when to start this four game set. With the Blue Jays. But another reminder for Mike Elias and he knows this. But this team absolutely could use some reinforcements need some reinforcements. And I think the key word here at this point Nestor, they deserve some reinforcements because these guys have played their butts off for four months now. And I mean, it’s just
Nestor Aparicio 05:23
tapped on the shoulder not easy, or it’s Westberg. Or, like, if they’re gonna get anything real, they’re gonna have to give up cows or westward they have to give something up.
Luke Jones 05:32
Well, something in their system, I don’t think it necessarily means they’re gonna have to give up someone on the major league roster. You know, it all depends what the deal is. I mean, that they, Nestor, they have so much minor league talent that, look, I’m not saying they won’t trade Colton counselor, I’m not saying they won’t trade Jordan Westberg or someone else on the major league roster, but do they need to know, because they have that much talent in their pharmacists. And I think that’s where so many people are making this argument that, look, I’ve said it over and over and over, I don’t want to see them decimate their farm system for one run here in 2023. However, if you have conviction about what you’re doing as an organization, meaning your ability to draft your ability to add international talent, which is still a work in progress on that front, but they’ve certainly made some hay there over the last couple of years, your ability to develop young talent, your ability to fix players, when they arrive here, as we’ve seen them do with Ryan O’Hearn, for example, this year, a guy who had kind of washed out in Kansas City and looked like he was a quad a player and he’s been one of their best players over the last couple of months.
8Nestor Aparicio 06:39
It’s when John means was he was the original sort of right, I mean, the original awakening to what they had down in Houston in the same way with with Michael, right. Like he was a guy that they sort of fixed.
Luke Jones 06:50
Right, right. So if you had the conviction and everything I just laid out and look, I, I feel strongly about all those things that they’re able to do. Then you look at this opportunity that you have at the trade deadline for right now, to fortify your rotation a little bit, certainly to strengthen and augment your bullpen. These guys deserve this. The fan base deserves this. These players and coaches deserve this again. And that’s not to say that I’m impatient sitting here. In many cases, waiting until right at the deadline can be beneficial. Other times it can blow up in your face you end up overpaying. So this is where we’re finding out about Michael is in the state where he
Nestor Aparicio 07:31
made a week and a half ago, right? He went out in the middle of the night got this guy he thought was the seventh inning guy who’s looked quite frankly better than cudos look the last two weeks, right, literally,
Luke Jones 07:41
yes, he has since his you know, since is what a second outing where things didn’t go as well. But the point is that I was trying to make is we’re finding out about all these young players now playing in a pennant race. In the same way, we’re finding out something different about Mike Elias, and maybe more. More importantly, ownership, quite frankly, if we’re talking about deals that require adding money and not to say that every trade requires adding payroll, but that’s part of it. Right? So we’re finding out about this front office, this current regime that we’re at a different stage now, in the same way that we’re finding out about guys like Austin Hays playing in a pennant race, right. So that’s not to say that I don’t have trust in Mike Elias or faith in Mike Elias, but we’re finding out about how he proceeds being at a different stage of this entire process. Now, the rebuilds over we talked about that the second half of last year. So
Nestor Aparicio 08:35
Well, Jeremy Angelos was around making decisions piston $9 million away on Sid Fernandez, 27 years ago, you know what I mean? So John Angelos isn’t new to I mean, whatever he thinks he knows about baseball as a fan, as an owner as a guy born on third and thinks he had a triple, whatever it is, there’s been billions of dollars that have circulated through this business, hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars a year, every year from national television revenue from mass and funny money, all of that that’s going on. Don’t tell me you don’t have $8 million for a pitcher. I mean, like, come on. I mean, you know that that’s, I’m just saying not to you to him or anybody that’s listening. Don’t let them cry poor. I mean, come on, man. Come on.
Luke Jones 09:22
No, I’m not gonna allow that. Well, no one’s gonna buy that. And I’m not even suggesting that. That’s what what is happening here. But that’s part of the entire conversation going on right now. At some point in time, whether it’s today, whether it’s this offseason, whether it’s the next trade trade deadline of 2024, whether it’s the offseason after that, at some point in time, no matter how good the Orioles are right now, no matter how great their farm system might be, at some point in time, they’re going to need to make a bold move if they want to get over the hump. That’s just a I mean, look at the last 10 World Series winners at some point in time, they made a bold move, the Tampa Bay Rays made a pretty bold move on Monday trading for a pitcher who they gave up some really good prospects for Somali and and he’s good, but they’re also some, you know, you look at some of the underlying metrics and you kind of wonder, is there more to this? Do they see something they can untap with him. But my point is, we’ve seen the rays make big moves before to just because they’re a low, you know, a small market team doesn’t mean that you can’t make bold moves. So that’s where I’m not saying the Orioles must make a bold move today. But at some point in time, we’re gonna have to find out, they’re gonna have to do that if they want to get over the hump, meaning putting themselves in optimal position to try to win a World Series. Again, whether it’s this year, next year or the year after that,
Nestor Aparicio 10:49
well, back to money. And at some point, you know, every day Henderson and and rutschman get more expensive. That’s true. It was true for Machado was true of Lamar Jackson, in the end, it’s just, it’s true Joe burrow right now, you know, he’s not throwing the football for a month. Like, it’s just that’s where it is. So, you know, John Boyd needs to put on big boy pants, and it’s daddy’s money in his franchise and mom, and all of a sudden, oh, my god, we’re winning, what do we do? These are these really big wise in the road, where you show that you know what you’re doing, and you have full commitment to doing things the right way, or you’re going to continue this 30 year course of, we’re going to promise something that’s not going to be there in the end, because they’re going to have to spend money loop that’s, that’s a fact. Right? Like, on something on somebody, they’re gonna have to invest this capital, you know, they’re gonna have to spend 100 150 $200 million a year at some point, if they want to keep three or four Richmonds and Gunnar Henderson’s around because the other part of this is they’re not drafting one one anymore, right? They’re done getting the Richmonds. And they’re not going to get that.
Luke Jones 12:02
Gunnar Henderson wasn’t one one. So your point is well taken. And I agree, it’s it becomes more difficult. But you better be able to still draft competently. And this is where I will give even John Angela some credit because he hired Mike Elias and sigma dal and they’ve had carte blanche to be able to run things. From a player development stance standpoint
Nestor Aparicio 12:24
of real Nikola money in real money, they haven’t spent any of anybody’s money.
Luke Jones 12:28
I’m not disagreeing with you on that Nestor. But I’m acknowledging what has been different than the last 30 years, they never had a farm system like this, they never cared about that danjou Cat was selling off competitive, you know, competitive balance picks to go sign a free agent, you know, there was never a priority for that. But you’re right. That’s why I was saying we’re getting to a different stage of this entire process that started in 2018, with the organization burnt to ash and having a handful of decent prospects. And that was it. But we’re now at a zero. Yeah, and that’s, and that also suggests money isn’t everything either, because they spent very unwisely, in many cases. I mean, you know, money is not everything. But yeah, you’re gonna have to spend and you’re gonna have to spend wisely, and you need to be in vesting in the right players, so that we’re going to get to that point. But in the meantime, as you have all these young, controllable players, you want to try to maximize your ability to win. So again, I’m not saying how much that that’s the only factor going on right now with the trade deadline, because there are players you can acquire that aren’t going to cost a whole lot. But I’ve said it, they’re going to have to be bold at some point in time here. Again, whether it’s today, whether it’s this offseason, whether it’s trade deadline a year from now, it’s difficult for me, it’s difficult for me to look at them as they’re presently constructed, as good as they are considering they have the best record in the AFL. But talking in terms of this team playing in October and playing into early November, which means the World Series, it’s difficult for me to look at them right now and say that they’re just going to stay the course and not have to make a big move at some point in time. And again, I’m not even saying I expect that today. But what I do want to see today is adding a starting pitcher who can raise the floor of your rotation it you know, Lorenz in from Detroit, you know if they get someone like him who I get it, he’s had a nice season, but he’s 31 You know, he made an all star team. Is he really a guy that you’re starting in game one against Garrett Cole, hypothetically, although not looking like the Yankees are gonna be in the playoffs? But the point is, he’s not a legitimate ace. But he’s someone that will help you get to October and he’s someone who can help you in October. He’s not going to cost a whole lot could because he’s a pending free agent. So there are moves to be made. Whether you’re talking about bullpen arms, whether you’re talking about a starting pitcher, you No, that’s a rental. I don’t want to see Mike Elias overpay for that. And that’s part of this process that he hopefully is reading the market correctly and is going to get to this afternoon, let’s say, and there might be more options there than teams that are looking to continue to buy. So maybe then he gets one of these guys for a lesser package of third, second and third tier prospects or whatever it might be. So you let it play out. But I think what’s clear at this point, and you said this, and I wholeheartedly agree, when you see them on Monday night, great win in Toronto don’t want to diminish that whatsoever. But it, it’s a struggle for them right now in terms of looking at the pitching and saying, Okay, how are they going to navigate the next couple months? Not to make the playoffs? Because at this point, they’re 90 plus percent better like the playoffs? Right. But the point is, you want to navigate this and not be in a position where all right you get to October but two more starting pitchers are either hurt or shut down because they’ve gone so far over their earnings. Patrice is running on fumes because he’s had to throw so much because Chronos not looking like the guy who was in the first half of the season.
Nestor Aparicio 16:15
I told you that the sky is falling piece of this. That’s happening right now which is pitching is look worse than it’s looked in a while. Right? I mean, let’s be honest, on the totality of what they have, they do not have an ace. They have very much a question mark and Rodriguez Wells is on the Skids. You’re worried about innings with Bradish Gibson he is what he is and you hope he stays what he is which is a number four star numbers I mean like literally but a veteran Sutcliffe he kind of wisdom Yoda guy you want bullpen? Been a mess the whole time been overtaxed the whole time? Quinoa and Batista were incredible for six, eight weeks that patted you out and got you from 10 about 500 to 20 above five under your winning, winning winning. But I would think if you’re in an organizational meeting, this isn’t sports radio, or what those knuckleheads over the fan are talking about or what I thought about when you’re really in an organizational meeting? I bet you’re concerned you’re trying to win a World Series here. I bet when the doors shut, you had the pitching coach, the manager, the real management people, people in Norfolk people watching the pitching and saying, We need pitching. Forget John Angelo, she’s not even in the room, just a baseball decision. If we need to win, where are these innings coming from? If I’m Brandon Hyde, if I’m Mike Elias, and saying where how are we getting from here to there? We need help. So the first acknowledgment is to your point that the smartest guys in the room Luke, I would think that this is smelled a little bit like a fire sense. I don’t know since Cano wasn’t right, right around the all star game and things got a little weird with that twin series. And then Batista got lit up in the All Star game. And then from that point forward, they’ve won a lot. But they haven’t looked great doing it or felt great doing or, like in any of those ways. And they’re certain hit the ball on the male castles. It’s it’s some home runs and Anderson’s muscling up and mostly healthy. But for the most part, they’re mostly healthy. But this is, I would think they’re on fire, not just you and me talking about it this morning. I would think this is a real critical issue inside of the organization today.
Luke Jones 18:26
Yeah, the one thing I will stop you on Batista has been great. Don’t Don’t give me the all star game thing he’s been he’s been dominant. I mean, Batista. He probably he I don’t think he will be in this conversation. But he probably should be getting some, at least a little bit of friend Cy Young Award talk. That’s how great he’s been this year. So I’m concerned about him having to work as hard as he has just in general. But Monday’s outing aside, where he walked a couple batters, he’s been great.
Nestor Aparicio 18:54
So I’m not thinking about bringing him in the eighth inning at any point, right. And that’s an unnatural way to phrase every night by a runner to you’re gonna feel like you’re gonna pitch him four days a week.
Luke Jones 19:03
Right. And that, and I just wanted to frame that the proper way. Cano has looked shaky Batista has been awesome. I mean, he’s, he’s been fantastic. He’s got a 0.87 era. I mean, he’s striking out two batters per ton and he’s having a historic season. But the point is, is there enough around him is there enough to get to the ninth inning without having to have him throw 35 pitches to get five outs, as t did on Monday night. So that’s where the question is. And look, Fujinami has looked good. I think he’s part of that equation. I think you’re gonna see if the Orioles are in a tight game and have a chance to win tonight, you know, a post trade deadline because whoever they acquire, presumably is not going to be there in time to pitch in tonight’s game unless, unless you’re getting someone for the Blue Jays but I don’t think that you’re gonna see a trade like that. The point is Fujinami might have to pitch two innings tonight. I mean, that’s kind of where we are right now. But you look at The rest of the bullpen look, I like Danny Coulomb. He’s he’s been really good for them, you know, I have a certain amount of trust in Him. Mike Baumann has been more good than not for the most part over the last couple months. He, you know, I kinda, I kind of view him as I’ve you viewed Brian Baker earlier in the year when he was pitching Well, so, you know, it’s not as though the cupboard is entirely bare. I don’t know if I’d agree with categorizing it as being on fire or anything like that. But it’s just you just don’t have enough arms. And the guys that you’re having to lean on in some of those medium leverage situations, aren’t getting the job done consistently enough. And look, let’s be clear, this was not Mike Elias his plan. He signed Michael Gibbons in the offseason who has given them what, four innings this year, because he hasn’t been healthy. Dylan Tate has not thrown a pitch in the major leagues this year, and probably won’t, because I don’t think he’s going to pitch this year, the way it’s looking. And those were two guys that were counted on to be seventh and eighth inning guys for them. So
Nestor Aparicio 21:00
essentially missed eight to 10 starts to that that he they thought he would have taken right.
Luke Jones 21:05
Well, I’m talking but I’m I’m focusing more specifically on the bullpen right now. But I’m just I’m
Nestor Aparicio 21:09
at innings in general. I got Yeah, yeah.
Luke Jones 21:12
So I don’t know if I’d say it’s on fire as much. But you’re trying to project out what’s going to happen the next couple of months, right? I mean, it sounds silly to talk about this in terms of being panic, because my goodness, they’re 24 games over 500, they have the best record in the NFL, what they’ve done to this point has been phenomenal. And that’s why I keep saying they deserve some help. They deserve some reinforcements, because you’re trying to project out how the next couple months are going to go. And I will say this, and I’ll point this out, after a fantastic July, where they went What 17 and nine, did not play a team that currently has a losing record. Again, another impressive month, we talked about May in that context, right with the juggernaut of a schedule, they did it again in July. So this team has proven itself over and over and over again. However, it is a long season, pitching and performing an August and September, let alone talking about October is different than April, May and June because the fatigue factor is real. So what can you add to kind of reinforce, take a little bit of the load off of Batista, take it take the foot off the gas with Cano which I think needs to happen at this point. I think that’s evident. You know, he’d be pitched well on Sunday. But it’s been a struggle for more times than not at this point in time. And, you know, that’s unfortunate because of how well he’s pitched. But he’s pitched a lot to your point. So you’ve got to add another piece. I mean, you could really make an argument for two more bullpen pieces, if we’re being honest. And all right out here. Some of their internal candidates like a DL home, maybe in a few weeks, John means in September. It’s not as though they don’t have some possibilities within their organization to add to the bullpen, but you got to add a bullpen arm. And you certainly on the heels of what happened with Wells, you’ve got to add a starting pitcher. I mean, you just do I just I shudder to think what could happen to what has been such a good team. If you do nothing here today. And Fujinami is the only thing you do over the trade deadline. And look, I expect him to make a move or two doesn’t mean I think it’s gonna be Justin Verlander. To be very clear, but I think they’re gonna add a bullpen arm. I think they’ll add a starting pitcher. Just gonna be a matter of what kind of profile was it? Is it someone that profile and your trends closer to another Kyle Gibson type, which by the way wouldn’t be terrible? No, they need innings. They need competitive innings. Now Kyle Gibson has been a positive for them. He’s got a four and a half era. I know he’s not great. But he’s been a positive for them. He’s been a net positive in terms of a player acquisition. So you know, whether it’s a Lorenz and whether it’s one of these rentals, you know, like a jack Flaherty type. We’ll see what happens. I mean, I there is there the possibility that it could still be a big move for I don’t know, Dylan Cece, even though you would think the White Sox want to hold on to him, but they’ve traded everyone else. You know, he’s under team control for a couple more years, that would be going and getting getting an ace, you know, I mean, so I don’t expect that but you know, that’s on the higher end the possibilities, the lower end is going and getting a rank they feel
Nestor Aparicio 24:27
like they need an ace more than any Colton Couser and they like literally maybe they’re just as as a strata Matic player. I’ll hear that right. I mean, there’s a fantasy rotisserie guy. I’ll hear the I’ll give you a Colton cows or a Jordan Westberg and whatever you want, if you’re gonna give me an ace because I’m worried about Rodriguez Gibson eight long haul I don’t know where my long haul guys are. At one point we thought it might have been DL hallway. I don’t know where the next where’s our where’s our C’s? Where’s I mean? Rodri guess is that guy and he hasn’t been that guy yet we hope is every time I hear Ben McDonald on the broadcast and I want to give you a little oxygen because I want to go a little longer today because you got a chance to watch the games. I love Ben on TV. And I think back to Ben McDonald and Messina and thinking about what one was supposed to be and what the other one wound up being. And we you know, all that scuttled, but with Buster Olney coming into town and being the bad guy and all that, but the 35 and rutschman and not be in Messina, you know, I think about who who are those? Who’s the Clavin Smoltz and if they’re gonna win for five years, it ain’t gonna be with Kyle Gibson. I mean, I just don’t think it’s gonna be with that.
Luke Jones 25:40
No, I don’t think it will be either. And they’ve got some guys in their system that are coming. And Kate Povich being someone that they acquired in the Jorge Lopez deal last year, and I don’t know maybe he’s in the bullpen at the end of the year. But your point is well taken. And that’s where we’ve talked about this. We’ve talked about this for a few years now. It’s no secret that the Orioles have skewed heavily towards college bats in the draft. And look that’s worked out I mean, even though Gunnar Henderson high school player, Jackson holiday high school player and that’s gonna be the left side of their infield a year from now. I mean, barring an injury, Jackson Holliday will be their shortstop by next summer. I mean, I don’t think there’s any way to to deny that that’s how talented the kid is. But as talented as they are as flush as they are with position player talent. You’re right. So the logical assumption has been probably not that you’re going to go out and buy a ton of starting pitching, although they’ll do some of that. And they’ve done that with Kyle Gibson’s. But in order to land the big fish, if it’s going to be that ace, it’s probably going to be a trade something along those lines. So maybe it is Dylan sees maybe when you and I reconvene, and we’re talking about this on Wednesday morning, they’ve acquired Dylan Stanley be incredibly
Nestor Aparicio 26:50
bold. And I don’t know as an organization, John hasn’t done anything bold. He hasn’t even signed a lease, cease that lease, lease lease and sees he’ll never deal for him. So But literally, this is a time for accountability for them. We’ve held the Ravens accountable so much that they’ve thrown me out and only let you in, you know, holding the Orioles accountable to the moment, getting back to the beginning of what you were talking about. This is a big moment for them. And they’ll there’ll be other moments. Hopefully, there’s better moments than Delmon, Young’s double right. Hopefully, it’s a little better. We have better moments than that down the line. But it’s in these moments, like when you decide to draft a high school kid and project them at your shortstop before he’s 21. Right or draft a high school outfielder and think we can turn that kid into a power hitter and, and a shortstop and or third baseman, I mean, they made these decisions sort of in darkness to some degree on these, these draft nights. The NFL draft is not made in darkness. I mean, every I fell asleep on Lamar Jackson and woke back up five minutes. It was midnight, and the whole world is paying attention to that. But the whole world’s paying attention is trading deadline. And from an activity standpoint, I see all these people down at the ballpark. I see the orange carpet, I see the squirt zone. I see Adam Jones running around doing his thing. He’s all involved. Everybody wants to be involved in it. But now there’s an accountability part that that the old man never liked. You know, I’ll dare you question the great king Peter. I don’t know, Elias is on front of this. I don’t know how he comes back if they don’t make a deal over money. And you know, he has to carry the water for the family because lord knows enough of these guys had done that for the period of time. But I think we’re all as much as you want. I put 45 minutes into it this morning and all week long and everywhere I go people are talking about it. There better be a wn S T texts from coons Baltimore Ford coming out with something that feels like they’re all in. Because the fans feel like they’re all in we’re going down or paying the money paying to park and come be in a we’re in. Everybody’s in the cities in. You gotta be all in tune not well, we’re three quarters in this year, but we’re waiting on holiday and we’re waiting on the cat. No, no, no. What? What does that mean to this year’s team in this? And Peter live that way? Right. Peter never wanted to trade out. Because people bought tickets. That was his original. I owe it to the fans to be all in this year because the fans are all in. Well, you know, I don’t want to hear your poor I don’t want to hear it’s the turkeys not in the oven yet. And it’s still too young. And we’re gonna grow the arms and by the bats and like all of that. This is their first place man, dude, they’ve got hundreds of millions of dollars they squirrel up like literally, they just put it like they haven’t spent any money. So they I don’t want to hear that. It’s about money. It’s about prospects fine, but I don’t want to see somebody else’s ace on another team in a deal that the Orioles could have made. And we talked about that whether Tane last week. I don’t want to hear that anything’s off the table. Oh, For money or over prospects, if somebody else is willing to do the deal and get an A get a young ace, you know, well, young ace is coming from I don’t I don’t I don’t know where that’s happening.
Luke Jones 30:11
Well, Grayson Rodriguez could still be that guy. I mean, let’s, you know, let’s not he got off to a rough start. But look, this is this is where I, I don’t know if I agree with that. They’re all in, you know, are they all in in the way that the Texas Rangers are all in with the payroll that they have and what they’ve invested? I don’t think the Orioles are at that point. But but there’s a wide range of outcomes between Fujinami being the only thing you do and going out and getting Justin Verlander and trading. going and getting Verlander and Dylan Cece, let’s
Nestor Aparicio 30:46
get goofy Steinbrenner, Angelo stuff from the nine. Right, right. Right. So adding Jimmy keys, not enough. Yeah. Had to add David cone and David Wells, right? Like, right, yeah, so
Luke Jones 30:57
So do I think they’re all in to that degree, where they’re going to go out and make a crazy move and trade, their best prospects and also take a lot of money. I don’t think they’re at that point. But I want to see them do something here. It doesn’t have to be Dillon seats. But go get Eduardo Rodriguez. And look, he’s probably going to opt out. So that’s probably a rental. So you theoretically shouldn’t have to give up as much. And maybe waiting until an hour before the deadline, as opposed to some of these other rentals who were acquired over the last few days, maybe that actually turns out to be a good a good thing. And maybe you don’t give up quite as much. Or sometimes that can mean that you might have to give up a little more than that you would have maybe four days ago for Jordan Montgomery, you know, whoever you want to throw out that’s already been dealt So. So. But your general point I agree with this team has been so good. You don’t want to do anything to jeopardize the future. I get that, you know, I wholeheartedly agree with that sentiment. But at the same time, you don’t want to squander this opportunity that you have right now, that may not be your optimal chance to win a World Series over the next five years. But it’s still a chance, it’s still a legitimate chance. You know, I saw some comments from various talking heads and national pundits who have watched and paid attention to the Orioles more closely over the last month or so. And there are a lot of people that really liked this team outside Baltimore, too. Let’s be clear about that. It’s not just local media and fans with orange colored glasses. I mean, well, they were a bunch of
Nestor Aparicio 32:27
young players that are getting better every minute, right? Like literally, that’s the way Right, right. So that’s the way I would portray it. But they need more pitching. They do.
Luke Jones 32:37
And that’s where again, doesn’t mean it’s all in to the point where you’re trading half your system. At the same time. You can be willing to part with a few pieces here and there. Why? Because you have the conviction that you’re going to continue to draft well develop well add, continue to add more international talent, and you Oh, yeah, you can still fix guys, you can still bring in broken guys and fix them. And the way that they’ve done that with a handful of players over the last couple years. So making a trader to where, yes, you part with a couple prospects. That’s okay. Because if you have conviction in your process, and what you do as an organization, you should be able to make that up and then some over the next five years, you know, so it’s not as though the prospects in your system are a finite resource, you just had a draft, you just added another first round pick and more more talent that theoretically is going to be your next set of top prospects. So, you know, again, there’s a wide range of outcomes here from going truly all in. And I don’t think you meant all in in terms of like, burning down your system trading for guys. But there’s there’s a, you can go for it, while still maintaining a very healthy farm system. And that’s what I want to see the Orioles do. And we’ll see how this plays out. We’ll be getting tonight necessarily possible.
Nestor Aparicio 33:59
Right, getting the best player that’s going to be dealt the best pitcher getting that guy because that’s what they need.
Luke Jones 34:08
Yeah, I hear you at the same time. If there’s a team out there that’s wild with their offer for a guy and you just say we’re not going to do that in the same way that the Ravens valuable player, right? The Ravens have a price for every player. And, you know, like they wanted to keep CJ Mosley, the New York Jets went nuts with what they offered CJ Mosley and you know what they said, we’re not doing that. You still need to have discipline, you still need to have conviction and how you value players and how you value where you are right now compared to the future. So we’re not going
Nestor Aparicio 34:41
to deal untouchables holidays not going anywhere today. Right? And we would think, but if you got an ace pitcher, you could make that case.
Luke Jones 34:50
Sure. Sure. I mean, again, I’m not saying that, that there are 20 guys in their system that are untouchable. I’m not suggesting that However at the same time, you also want to be careful You want to make sure that you’re not dealing for something that you’re saying is an ace, that isn’t really an ace. And that’s where you just, you’ve got to be measured here and Mike Elias, I, that’s what I do trust that he will do that. You know, Michael Lorenzen was an all star this year do I think he’s truly an all star pitcher, who just blossomed at age 31. So I don’t think he’s going to move the needle that dramatically, but he’d helped them. I’m not opposed to acquiring him. Now, Jack Flaherty is not great. But I think it helped them based on what they need in terms of another starting pitcher. So we’re just got to see how it plays out. And we’ll certainly react and we’ll probably overreact to what happens or what doesn’t happen. But the point is, there are moves out there still to be made, you know, whether it’s on the high end like a Dylan CeCe or trying to get Mitch Keller from the pirates, who is someone that I know, Brandon Hyde talked about very complimentary, earlier this year, but he’s going to cost he’s going to cost a lot because he’s got team control. And that doesn’t mean the Orioles can’t do that, or shouldn’t do that. But it is different than looking at some of these rental pitchers who will help you the next couple months. But, you know, unless you’re talking about an Eduardo Rodriguez tight, could certainly question how much it’s going to help you when you actually are playing in October. So we’ll see how it plays out. But, again, I think at the end of the day, when the dust settles at 601 or 630, whenever the last deal was announced, as the trade deadline, activity comes to an end, absolutely want to see the Orioles have another starter and another bullpen arm. At a minimum. If they don’t, then I’m going to have some concerns over the next couple months doesn’t mean I think they’ll collapse per se. Let’s be clear about that. But I could definitely see it being way more of a struggle for them if they don’t at least try to fortify with another starting pitcher and another bullpen arm of note.
Nestor Aparicio 36:55
Birds north of the border and Toronto Bradish Rodriguez, who knows you might be starting here by the time we get to Thursday or Friday. Luke Jones can be found at Baltimore Lukey can also be found on the back fields in Owings Mills because they don’t let me in. He is double duty and up all night with baseball around all day with football and we’ll be home with the brave and the Mets and the Orioles this weekend. As well as as the Ravens getting going with some big football happening here. As we turn the page into August. It is our 25th anniversary. On Thursday. We’re going to be a cost to somewhere in the cost of shirt today because I couldn’t find my fountain shirt. I wear my drug city shirt tomorrow. We’re going to be there on Friday cost this 11 to four on Thursday drugs city 11 The four on Friday. We will be giving away scratch offs in the Maryland lottery. I think Ross is getting a fresh batch of these instant lottery throwback errs we had $100 Winner they were lucky batch over Coco’s couple of weeks ago. Also our friends when donation 866 90 nation celebrating the one year anniversary of my windows on August the eighth and we are going to be celebrating for the next 25 weeks here at wn st celebrating the 25 wn st stories of glory and all the cool stuff we’ve done, including trying to fix the team. So now that the team is fixed, we are appreciative. Thank you Mr. Angelo’s, and we’re having fun and we spank the Yanks. If anybody wants any signs, old get nasty signs. We have hats, shirts, stuff, giveaways, nasty newsletters, tchotchkes, Stamey downs, just stuff will be given that away at cost this from 11 to four on Thursday. And if you just want to stop by grab the microphone, sing a song tell an old story. Anybody has a sido Suk shirt that were one of mine. I’m looking for those. I’m looking for pictures of that. I have found the old barn ads and invitations and pictures I didn’t know I had and stories written about me that I didn’t know were ever written. So I’ll be sharing all that on social media as well. While Luke goes out and sweats it out with the Orioles and the Ravens and the Maryland crab cake toward our 25th anniversary. I’m Nestor we are wn st am 1570, Towson Baltimore. Get on that WNS T tech service. You know the Orioles deal for today. I’m sure it’ll be Verlander, something exciting like that. Stay with us.
