Orioles Sign Luis Ayala

[TuckerBlair89]

The Orioles have reached an agreement with RHP Luis Ayala, according to Roch Kubatko of MASN Sports. The move is still pending a physical.

Ayala, 34, struggled for a few seasons before having a resurgent season in 2011. He posted a 2-2 record with a 2.09 ERA, 4.19 FIP, and a4.15 xFIP in 56.0 innings for the Yankees last season. He has a career record of 31-41 with a 3.47 ERA in seven seasons with the Expos, Nationals, Mets, Marlins, Twins, and Yankees.

The move is expected to be a major league deal, which means the Orioles will have to free a spot on the 40-man roster.

sigh...
I don't really think this is a good move honestly. He has one good season and really struggled the past couple years before.
He is 34...

It's not terrible by any means, but it's not like the Bullpen is in dire need for another veteran...

[ofahn]

When I read the same story on MLB Trade Rumors my first thought was which player they would drop from the 40 man roster. IMO there just isn't any OBVIOUS deadwood anymore that we wouldn't have to eat an expensive contract to release.

To me the most vulnerable players are (in order):

Josh Bell
Jai Miller
Ryan Flaherty

Anyone else have any ideas? Maybe a trade?

This is the first season in a LOOONNNGGG time that I can remember our 40 man roster being full of players that were either legitimate ML veterans or prospects.

[TuckerBlair89]

Possible candidates to be DFA'd

Darren O'day
Josh Bell
Ryan Flaherty (returned to Cubs)
Oliver Drake
Jai Miller
Matt Angle
Joe Mahoney



I put it in order of most likely to least likely in my opinion.
I could be totally off though.

[ofahn]

Possible candidates to be DFA'd

Darren O'day
Josh Bell
Ryan Flaherty (returned to Cubs)
Oliver Drake
Jai Miller
Matt Angle
Joe Mahoney



I put it in order of most likely to least likely in my opinion.
I could be totally off though.

Do you really see Drake and O'Day as legitimate DFA candidates?

[TuckerBlair89]

Possible candidates to be DFA'd

Darren O'day
Josh Bell
Ryan Flaherty (returned to Cubs)
Oliver Drake
Jai Miller
Matt Angle
Joe Mahoney



I put it in order of most likely to least likely in my opinion.
I could be totally off though.

Do you really see Drake and O'Day as legitimate DFA candidates?

He is just the last guy standing in the pen under my impression.
Patton still has options, and everyone else is pretty safe or locked in.
Bell would be an easy cut too though

Drake was just put on, but honestly I've seen them cut people more surprising before.

[ofahn]

Drake was just put on, but honestly I've seen them cut people more surprising before.

I could see a team like the Cubs or White Sox (and others) jump all over Drake because their systems are so empty.

[TuckerBlair89]

Drake was just put on, but honestly I've seen them cut people more surprising before.

I could see a team like the Cubs or White Sox (and others) jump all over Drake because their systems are so empty.

me too

Also here are the contract details:

1yr/$925K
also an option for 1yr/$1M

[A_K]

Alright. I get it, Duquette. You looked at the 40-man roster when you were hired, and were amazed at the stunning dearth of qualified major leaguers. I agree with you. There's nothing there. We weren't a major league team. We had maybe 15 guys who would be on any 40-man roster in the league, then a handful of prospects that are far away from the majors, and then a large pile of ****. I get it. You want a team that has actual MLB players. Point made.

But when can this stop? At what point have you added enough MLB-level **** to go along with all the sub-MLB-level **** we formerly called a team? We're just adding different piles of **** together, giving us a larger pile of ****. None of this new **** is going to turn our collective **** pile into something else. There has to be a breaking point. Please. I can't take it anymore.

[TuckerBlair89]

Alright. I get it, Duquette. You looked at the 40-man roster when you were hired, and were amazed at the stunning dearth of qualified major leaguers. I agree with you. There's nothing there. We weren't a major league team. We had maybe 15 guys who would be on any 40-man roster in the league, then a handful of prospects that are far away from the majors, and then a large pile of ****. I get it. You want a team that has actual MLB players. Point made.

But when can this stop? At what point have you added enough MLB-level **** to go along with all the sub-MLB-level **** we formerly called a team? We're just adding different piles of **** together, giving us a larger pile of ****. None of this new **** is going to turn our collective **** pile into something else. There has to be a breaking point. Please. I can't take it anymore.

While I usually would agree, I don't think this signing is so much of a big deal anymore.
Ayala is making under 1M. He isn't going to severely halt anyone from developing or anything.

It's not a necessity move, but it does make some form of sense (more than a Manny potential ML deal would)

[ofahn]

Alright. I get it, Duquette. You looked at the 40-man roster when you were hired, and were amazed at the stunning dearth of qualified major leaguers. I agree with you. There's nothing there. We weren't a major league team. We had maybe 15 guys who would be on any 40-man roster in the league, then a handful of prospects that are far away from the majors, and then a large pile of ****. I get it. You want a team that has actual MLB players. Point made.

But when can this stop? At what point have you added enough MLB-level **** to go along with all the sub-MLB-level **** we formerly called a team? We're just adding different piles of **** together, giving us a larger pile of ****. None of this new **** is going to turn our collective **** pile into something else. There has to be a breaking point. Please. I can't take it anymore.

You are CLEARLY frustrated with the direction of the team but I wonder how any of what you have described has adversely affected any of the LEGITIMATE prospects in our system.

I see what DD has done is to swap out the deadwood in the system for players that other ML teams might actually place on their rosters. I would hope that he would consider trading some of these guys this year if that trade would help the team build for the future, and release players that have proven themselves as not being part of the solution.

We simply don't have enough legitimate prospects in our system at this point to fill a 40 man roster. Hopefully, that will change in the coming year.

[ofahn]

I don't understand why the team designated Matt Angle for assignment. Does anyone know whether we're allowed to keep him if he clears waivers?

[A_K]

I don't think the signings did adversely affect any legitimate prospect. You're right. We don't have many legitimate prospects in the first place. I intended the first paragraph to demonstrate that I at least understand DD's rationale for bringing in the league's leftovers.

Might point is simply that there eventually needs to be an upper limit on the number of replacement level major league veterans you can bring aboard in a single offseason. While Matt Angle isn't a very good prospect, and the presence of Luis Ayala playing for less than a million dollars is largely immaterial to the team's long term direction, I'd still rather have Matt Angle than Luis Ayala. I'd also still rather have Randy Henry, long-shot that he is, rather than Dana Eveland. And I'd rather have two unknown hypothetical mid-tier prospects than Hammel and Lindstrom. You see my point, I won't belabor it any longer. I realize we speak the same language, even if we arrive at different conclusions.

But I should be clear: I don't necessarily disprove of the organization's direction under Duquette. I just don't really approve of it either. It seems like a largely inconsequential series of moves, made for a purpose I don't yet entirely understand. But if I think the direction has changed much at all in the last two months, it's really a marginal, inconsequential change. Less than five percent, if anything.

[TuckerBlair89]

Well I was REALLY wrong haha. Oh well

[thezeroes]

I don't understand why the team designated Matt Angle for assignment. Does anyone know whether we're allowed to keep him if he clears waivers?

I have him (Matt Angle) as being added to the 40 Man Roster on November 19, 2010 (Rule 5 Protection)
He then was optioned for the first time on 3/19/2011, recalled 7/17/2011 from Norfolk, optioned again on 7/22/2011, recalled 8/23/2011,and now 2/10, 2012 he is designated for assignment. This leaves him with two options if placed on the forty again. This is his first time removed from a forty so if unclaimed he would be assigned to Minor League Camp. If he is claimed, he would have to be placed on the claiming teams forty and this time of year most are full so the claiming team would have to waive someone and the carousel would continue.

The simple answer is yes they would be able to keep him unless he was Rule 5 eligible which I am not so sure of. (2ND year)

[Shorebirdfan]

Justin Turner, Peado Beato...now Greg Miclat and Matt Angle. This organization continues to be ajoke. We sit here and complain about not having players who can contribute while we develop them to the verge of contributing and then send them packing.