Talk:Are The O's Ready to See .500?/@comment-64.12.116.202-20060318114308

O&quot;s need pitching. However, one good year does not warrant $10 mil/4 to 5 year contracts for 30-something pitchers. Just ask the Yankees. Ask Oakland about "closers" and the value of these guys relative to everyday players. Will Chris Ray sav 40 games? No. Will Ryan save 40 games for the Blue Jays? Maybe. Their pitching, poor offense and poor defense will keep games close, so he&quot;ll probably get 45 to 50 opportunities. Will Ryan and Burnett take the Blue Jays to the playoffs? NO. The Blue Jays poor defense and poor offense will prevent them from getting to the playoffs. Therefore, they are not worth 30% of the total player&quot;s budget. The real questions are will those contracts stymie the Blue Jays future development, and cost the GM and manager their jobs. Burnett is exactly the kind of player who has "potential" which is never reached, resulting in pitching coaches and managers being fired. This situation leads to franchise instability and posts blaming the owner for franchise failures.