There is a difference between Tito having patience with his present roster and the FO having patience with its overflow of upper level prospects. Prospects that don't get used lose their value...and so do prospects that sit on the bench in Cleveland. Even if (when) Amed is moved, there are enough at bats for all the young MIFs.But, aren’t you also the one always complaining that Tribe aren’t trading their prospects while they have your “perceived” value (ASSuming a trade could have been made) and saying we can’t wait another x years to compete? So don’t say others aren’t being patient when you are not with our prospects either.. You say I should trust Tito because he is usually right but you don’t trust FO either when they are usually right. Thus, don’t preach patience to me when you should look in the mirror too.
I am a huge fan of the FO, except in one area...and I've been saying it for at least five years. It is too risk averse with its young players. It is willing to let them go for nearly nothing, but unwilling to trade them for upgrades.
This began when the trade for Andrew Miller was made, which I wasn't happy with. It worked so well, as did the trade for Hand, that I changed my mind.
I looked at four major trades...Miller, Hand, Robbie Alomar, and the Lucroy fiasco. Thats a ton of well thought of prospects involved in those instances. NOT ONE provided major production.
When Naquin came in third in ROY voting, I suggested immediately trading him...to a chorus of hoots. The same with Zimmer and a host of others that eventually turned to dust.
No Tribe/Guardian situation in this century screamed for this FO to make a major move as this past off season. It was the perfect storm, both in our talent and financial situation...and in major, young, controllable talent available.
And, yes, trades can be made....just like FAs can be signed. All you have to do is outbid the others. Every trade and FA signing succeeds by outbidding someone else. This winter was no exception.
If we now had a highly productive RF at below market value for three years, we would have no use for all of Valera, Oscar, and Brennan. They would all be out of options before we could use them. If we now had a highly productive catcher below market value for three years, the same with Bo. Even with Amed gone, we will end up with multiple highly ranked MIF prospects running out of options very soon. Brito is already on the clock. What chance do you think he has of ever getting a serious shot in Cleveland with Jose and Gimenez installed, and one spot available for a slew of others ahead of him? Unless every other youngster fails or we TRADE several of them, the answer is no shot.
Prospects, no matter how good, have ZERO value if there is no room for them and the FO refuses to trade them. And thats the situation we are in, and have been in.
Jones was our top prospect for three years, and a perennial top 100...but there was no room for him. Trading him as part of a package for an upgrade...throwing him in as the extra piece to 'overpay' for an upgrade...would have provided immediate value that we lost.
Patience is a virtue...until it becomes paralysis.
When it comes to marketing prospects, this FO has been paralyzed.