Making the Orioles Matter - An MLB 2K8 Dynasty

[JBH3]

I decided I wanted more of a challenge then dominating the NL w/ my Fightin Phils sooo it was high-time to start a franchise up w/ my fav AL team the O's.

More on this dynasty to come......

[JBH3]

Re: Making the Orioles Matter - An MLB 2K8 Dynasty

I start this thread already into June in my O's dynasty...

My strategy/goal right now is to meet the goals of my owner, slash payroll/bad contracts, and improve the team.

My owner goals consist of the following:

Do not over spend the given budget
Bring in X amount of dollars for profit
Release/Trade Melvin Mora - Completed SEE WRITE UP
Win 70 games
Win the series vs. The Nationals - Completed

Of the 5 goals given so far two (2) have been completed, more on that in another post.

Current State of Affairs:

I finished April w/ an 11-17 record...4th best in the AL East behind the Blue Jays.

Needless to say the game hasn't been so kind since April.

Mora, Markakis, and Huff carried the O's through April each giving solid outings, and hitting .304, .287, and .280 respectively w/ 2 HR/13 RBIs, 5HR/20 RBI, and 6HR/18 RBI respectively.

May was the month that killed the O's and we still have not recovered...After finishing April 11-17 the O's have since won nine (9) games the most recent loss coming on June 3rd @ Minn. (more on that in another post), to bring their record to 20-39, albeit the worst in baseball.

The downfall thus far through 2 plus months has been pitching. Both the staff and bullpen has struggled. Not one starter has an ERA under 5.00...Daniel Cabrebra has been the only "somewhat" reliable guy having posted back to back complete game wins in May, but he has still been inconsistent given his entire performance through the yr so far.

[JBH3]

Re: Making the Orioles Matter - An MLB 2K8 Dynasty

GOAL UPDATE/STATUS:

Mora and Baez traded to the Pirates.

The Pittsburgh Pirates, a team currently above .500 and very much in the mix of things in the NL Central, mortgaged part of the future today in the hopes of finishing w/ a winning record for the first time in a decade AND possibly playing into October.

The Pirates traded CF Andrew McCuthcheon, a highly touted prospect (w/ a potential overall rating of 93), and SS Brian Bixler to the Orioles for Melvin Mora and Danys Baez.

A move that the Pirates GM stated "should help solidfy our offense, and bullpen, and bring some veteran leadership to our young team".

Mora has had a productive year at the plate so far posting a .291 avg. w/ 4 HR's, and 22 RBIs, and the Pirates hope to see him improve upon that given the desparity between AL and NL pitching.

Baez, who was with the O's AAA affliate (the Norfolk Tides) was the teams setup man. He has been very dominant in AAA showing signs that his injuries and struggles might be past him as he has put up some great numbers in AAA posing a .086 ERA w/ 25 K's in 23.2 IP's.

The Pirates GM stated that "Danys is a guy who we feel can immediately make an impact on our team setting up games for closer Matt Capps, and he looks to be at the top of his game right now".

Only time will tell how this deal will pan out for the O's. Will McCutcheon blossom into the elite talent he is poised to be? Again, only time will tell.

Speaking w/ Orioles GM John Haralson after the deal was finalized, he seemed happy about the trade, stating "I think this move will be great for our ballclub down the road", "Of course seeing a guy like Melvin leave is difficult as he has been a cornerstone of our team and a veteran presence in the lockeroom, but this move will eventually be something that propels our ballclub into being a competitive force in the tough AL East for years to come".

Owner Peter Angelos was happy about the move his GM made stating "It was sad seeing Melvin go, he was a guy that meant a lot to our ballclub, but we weren't headed in the right direction this year and it was time to see some changes made".

"RELEASE MELVIN MORA" GOAL COMPLETED, AND BUDGET INCREASED BY 500,000 FOR NEXT YR.

[JBH3]

Re: Making the Orioles Matter - An MLB 2K8 Dynasty

Orioles trade Trachsel and Aquino.

The last place Orioles traded away veteran pitcher Steve Trachsel and reliver Gregg Aquino to the Houston Astros for two minor leaguers.

The Astros, who are currently 29-29, are desperate for pitching as the rank 21st in the majors in team pitching.

The Astros GM said "If we hope to be competitive in our division or for a wild card this year then improving our pitching is a priority".

Trachsel finished the month of April w/ decent numbers, but poor run support and a couple of bad outings against the Rangers, Red Sox, and Yankees caused is ERA to skyrocket from 3.10 to 5.86. His record so far is 3-10. However, some of thos losses come on games where the O's lineup was shutdown and Trachsel lost due to poor run support.

The Astros think that their high octane offense, which ranks in the top 5 in the majors, can give Trachsel the kind of run support he needs. Trachsel will step in and be the teams # 3 starter behind Roy Oswalt and Wandy Rodriguez, and the Astros think he will fit in fine as Trachsel's career shows some success against NL opponents.

"Steve is going to come in here and immediately give a boost to our staff", said the Astros GM. "We haven't had many of our younger guys step up like we had hoped so hopefully Steve can come in here and eat some innings for us, and pass some of his experience on to our younger guys". As for Aquino he will share middle relief duties, but could eventually set up games for Astros closer Jose Valderde.

The Orioles, were happy in getting two young arms in return for veterans Trachsel in Aquino. Stated the O's GM "Trachsel and Aquino are both guys who were going to be free agents for us at season's end. Given our current record and the fact that we have some young arms in AAA in need of some experience this move was beneficial to us because it allowed us to get something in return for two guys who would most likely not be on our roster next season". "The Astros were a team in need of some starting pitching, and this deal just made sense for the both of us".

The Orioles get in return 25 yr old lefty Wesley Wright, and 23 yr old righty Fernando Nieve.

"Both guys will need more time to develop in our minor league system. We plan to give Wright a look see in September, and have already told him that he will have a chance to make our team next year in spring training".

Where does that leave Jamie Walker for next year?

The trade will mean that Adam Loewen will be called up from Norfolk, and will replace Trachsel as the teams 3rd starter. The Starting 5 will now look like this:

RHP Jeremy Guthrie
RHP Daniel Cabrera
LHP Adam Loewen
LHP Garrett Olson
RHP Matt Albers

Matt Morris, acquired in May as a FA on a one yr deal, will move to the Long Reliver role and youngster Matt Albers will take over his duties as the 5th starter. The O's also called up righty Lance Cormier to fill in for the departed Gregg Aquino.

Bullpen

Closer George Sherrill
Setup Chad Bradford
MR Fernando Cabrera
MR Lance Cormier
MR Jim Johnson
MR Jamie Walker
LR Matt Morris