If you were the O's GM, what move(s) would you make right now?

[Zach]

I still don't understand this obsession with trading away Jones. He has shown his value this season and we don't really have a sure thing behind him to replace him in the future. While pitching should be our focus this should not occur to the total decimation of our offensive future. He has shown that he could be a future leader of this team. He is still young and will be around when those guys come up to the majors and should be a piece of a team with them.

[CSPitt17130]

I still don't understand this obsession with trading away Jones. He has shown his value this season and we don't really have a sure thing behind him to replace him in the future. While pitching should be our focus this should not occur to the total decimation of our offensive future. He has shown that he could be a future leader of this team. He is still young and will be around when those guys come up to the majors and should be a piece of a team with them.

Many people view Adam Jones as a very good player but not a great player. He probably won't sign an extension for anything less than great player money and knows that some team will offer that in free agency. The Orioles aren't one or two players away from contending and the multiple players that they'd get in a trade could help more than Jones.

[ofahn]

I still don't understand this obsession with trading away Jones. He has shown his value this season and we don't really have a sure thing behind him to replace him in the future. While pitching should be our focus this should not occur to the total decimation of our offensive future. He has shown that he could be a future leader of this team. He is still young and will be around when those guys come up to the majors and should be a piece of a team with them.

On the plus side Jones is a good, young CF with power. On the bad side his many flaws keep him from being an elite player. The problem is that "free" agency seems to WAY overvalue a player like Jones and he will expect that kind of money. Even when we start winning again and draw 3M the payroll will cap out at about 120M, which is about 40M more than we're spending now. To me, the most important question in the future success of this club is: How do we spend that money?

I don't think many fans will argue that Brian Roberts and Nick Markakis are a drag on the team right now. Combined, they account for about 22M in salary. Markakis is a good bet to improve, but does anyone really think that we'll see the old Roberts again? Those two examples are why it's SO important for a team like the Orioles to spend their money wisely.

To me, Adam Jones is Nick Markakis with a LOT more flaws. With his inability to correct MAJOR flaws in his play he could regress substantially if he no longer has to worry about what next year's contract will be. What happens if he gets the big contract other players like him receive in "free" agency and decides to become a 40 HR guy at the expense of his average? Now you're on the hook for about 80M for the next Mark Reynolds. YIKES!

IMO the money is better spent on players like Wieters, who is ABSOLUTELY irreplaceable; or perhaps Arrietta, who may become a dominant starter. As long as we have the money we might be able to pickup a big contract in a trade for a key player.

Offering Jones and someone like Jim Johnson to the Nationals this year would allow us to strip mine their farm system. Harper is probably untouchable, but Rendon might be available along with three or four other top tier prospects for those two.

We have a solid Class of 2014 (Machado, Schoop, DYLAN Bundy, Michael Wright, Clayton Schrader) and 2015 (Bridwell, Delmonico, Esposito); but we have little in the way of a Class of 2013. Trading Jones, and a few others, this year can give us that Class of 2013 as well as expand the Classes of 2014 and 2015. I want to build a consistent winner and the farm system is the proven way to do it.

[OriolesRedskins28]

As others have said:

2. Replace Luis Ayala with whatever the next best available reliever is in our minor leagues (Jason Berken?).

3. Trade Reynolds for a pack of chewing gum and call up Antonelli to replace him.

What's wrong with Ayala?

Giving Reynolds some time to start hitting and gain some trade value is probably what the front office is currently thinking.

Ayala has mediocre stuff with poor command. It is only a matter of time before his ERA rises greatly. His FIP last year with the Yankees was 4.19 and he doesn't pass the eye test for me. He reminds me of a slightly better Jeremy Accardo.

Why give Reynolds time to build his value up? Even if he's hitting very well (by his standards) I seriously doubt the O's would get much at all for him. He is a proven commodity; he plays poor defense, strikes out a TON, and hits a lot of home runs. A poor or great start probably wouldn't effect his value that much. I guess they could wait for him to pick it up a little bit but honestly I don't even know if it's worth it. I would rather get some better defense out there ASAP.

FWIW from Mlbtraderumors.com: "Scouts say the Orioles would “do anything” to trade third baseman Mark Reynolds and right-handed reliever Kevin Gregg."

[ofahn]

FWIW from Mlbtraderumors.com: "Scouts say the Orioles would “do anything” to trade third baseman Mark Reynolds and right-handed reliever Kevin Gregg."

IMO Mark Reynolds is at a crossroads in his career. The Orioles will probably give him another month to improve his play and then he's gone. Whichever team signs him will almost certainly require him to prove in the minors that he can hit again, and may want him for a DH. I don't think Reynolds really wants to do either of those things.

If I were Mark Reynolds I would ask Mike Bordick to spends HOURS before each game to work on my footwork and throwing. If he wants to stay at 3B then he'll have to play AT LEAST league average there.

If I were Buck I would start giving him days off and playing him at DH more often. If Reynolds doesn't get the message then he'll ask Buck why he's not starting at 3B and there will probably be a FRANK discussion about his future with the team. I think Buck was doing that late last year when he moved him to 1B. At least Reynolds got that message and came to camp in a lot better shape.

This is an excellent opportunity for Adam Jones to prove he's a team leader. If he went to Reynolds and admitted that he had his own problems with swinging at low and outside pitches and offered to work hard on his problem if Reynolds would start taking the outside pitches the opposite way that Reynolds is now trying to pull; it would really help the team. THAT'S how you become a team leader, not just saying you want to be.

The other leadership thing that Jones could do is suggesting to Chris Davis that he take Reynolds throws at 1B while Reynolds is working on his 3B problems since Davis could stand some improvement there.

[birdwatcher55]

I still don't understand this obsession with trading away Jones. He has shown his value this season and we don't really have a sure thing behind him to replace him in the future. While pitching should be our focus this should not occur to the total decimation of our offensive future. He has shown that he could be a future leader of this team. He is still young and will be around when those guys come up to the majors and should be a piece of a team with them.

Many people view Adam Jones as a very good player but not a great player. He probably won't sign an extension for anything less than great player money and knows that some team will offer that in free agency. The Orioles aren't one or two players away from contending and the multiple players that they'd get in a trade could help more than Jones.

I think you pretty much nailed it. I expect Jones to be moved before the season is over

[OriolesRedskins28]

Nice outing by Ayala tonight. I'm glad he's proving me wrong so far.

[Ampontan]

Im not sure what i would do with Matusz, if you send him down who do we bring up and would it shatter what is left of his confidence if he gets sent to AAA.

Shame about Wada and Britton; if either of them were healthy, they'd have the spot.

I'm not big on this shattering someone's confidence if they get sent down stuff. If he can't see he's better off there than not giving the team a chance to win, he's not being realistic. Getting sent down should be a wakeup call. If it shatters his confidence, I don't want him on the team. I want guys who take the mound in mid-October in Yankee Stadium expecting to win.

[Beaker]

1. Release Kevin Gregg
2. Bring up Zach Phillips from Norfolk
3. Send Dylan Bundy to Norfolk
4. DFA Nick Johnson