Napoli and Gomes will combine for 55hr. Victorino will play a great RF. and they are as solid up the middle defensively as anyone in MLB.

They will be just fine.

Not to nitpick but Dempster is actually 1 1/2 years and a day older than Lohse.

As for the fewer runs these days there isn’t much difference. Since high water marks since 2000 teams score less than 1/2 run less.

The truth is Dempster is an average to below average pitcher who rode a great 2/3 of a season to a $13.25 million per year contract, if he had played to his career during the first 2/3 of last season he’d be getting $2-3 million per year.

If they want to succeed, what should they do? Spending some money on complementary players is not going to help them make the postseason. Even bringing in a big star will probably not be enough. Unless they are willing to bring in several major pieces right now, they should save their money and continue the rebuilding process.

The O’s leadership hasn’t looked smart very often in recent years, but not making a move now looks smart to me.

If Lohse continues his dominance, it will be a great turnaround story. However, as of now Dempster has the much stronger resume. And they are less than a year and a half apart in age.

Like I said, I didn’t expect Grienke OR Hamilton. I expected an upgrade. Teams who have room to upgrade typically upgrade, not sit back, twiddle their thumbs and say “well we’re not that close so let’s just do nothing.” Team’s don’t improve that way. And based on the O’s SUCCESS last year (say what you want, they finished 2nd and 1 game behind the Yanks in the AL East, beat the Rangers in play in, and made the Yanks earn their series win) the ideal move would be to use that as means to coerce players to come join this up and coming team. We haven’t had a playoff appearance on our side until this offseason. And since we’re at it, how can you say they overachieved? Tell me who would you replace aside from the spots I mentioned? Markakis or Jones? Weiters? Hardy? Crush Davis? Machado? The 3rd best BP in baseball? This is a team with a great lineup and a great pen, just a few holes that need filled. McLouth back means platoon in LF. Given. But we need a 1B/DH and a 2B. 2B is not gonna happen since the market is thin at best, so their best bet is to pursue a DH or 1B. Unfortunately, my theory is that they wait it out, do nothing at all, and call Thome back to DH, moving Davis to first. It’s a downgrade from Reynolds, who didn’t even get an offer (made sense if they were looking for an upgrade but since they didn’t I’m lost for words). Rotation doesn’t really worry me with Hammel, Gonzalez, Chen and Tillman. Our 5th may end up being Saunders, but only time will tell.

It’s just rough as an O’s fan knowing that no matter how solid your team looks, we will never make another splash to upgrade. Uncle Pete keeps that check book locked up until he’s ready to discount shop in 2013. Sad truth.

And suggesting that Lohse has only been exceptional for one year is uninformed. Early in Lohse’s career he was a different pitcher than he has been for his tenure in St. Louis. Once he came under the tutelage of Dave Duncan he excelled.

In 2008 learning his new approach he posted a 15-6 record with 3.79. Then in 2009 he got off to a strong start, but suffered two odd injuries, one which wasn’t immediately properly diagnosed. He attempted to pitch through his trouble, with little success. Then in 2010 he again tried to pitch through pain and was ineffective. Once he got his arm repaired and healed, he reasserted himself.

In 2011, he went 14-8, with a sparkling 3.39 ERA. Then followed it up with a Cy Young caliber 2012, 16-3 and 2.86. He led the majors in starts, and finished 4th in MLB in quality starts with 24, only 3 behind leader R. A. Dickey.

Seems to me Lohse is heading the a better direction and he is 2 years younger.

The Red Sox want to sell tickets and by seeming to be interested in the free agent market they appear to Pink Hat “fans” to be interested in improving their worst team since 1966.

This is fluff. They need pitching and they are doing this not to improve the team necessarily, but to just be able to field a MLB roster.

Weak move in an ever weakening market. The AL West is apparently where its at now, East cost EVERYTHING be damned.

Far too much is being made of Dempster’s 5.07 ERA in twelve starts with Texas last season. He had a couple of games go poorly, and it’s taken to be proof that he can’t pitch in the AL.

Dempster is a few years older, but other than that he is preferable to Lohse in every way.