We asked readers whether the Orioles should re-sign Corbin Burnes and/or Anthony Santander.
Here are the results from our online poll:
Both — 302 votes
Burnes only — 166 votes
Santander only — 78 votes
Neither — 39 votes
Here’s what some fans told us (answers have been edited for clarity and grammar):
Burnes, as advertised, stepped in and was an instant ace for a staff that desperately needed one after losing Kyle Bradish to elbow surgery. Santander had a career year, though he is a bit one-dimensional as a home run hitter (while perhaps underappreciated as a right fielder).
Nevertheless, each is likely closer to the end of his career than the beginning, and each (especially Burnes) is expected to receive a lucrative (onerous for the club) long-term contract.
The Orioles might do better by signing (via trade or free agency) a younger pitcher who they believe may be on the cusp of greatness (no easy task, I know); and obtaining a more complete outfielder (by trade, free agency or from within). By doing so, they will earn compensatory draft picks, while also “keeping their powder dry” for future needs (e.g., extending Gunnar Henderson).
— Laurence Berbert
I’d love both, but if we can only afford one, Santander is my choice.
— Sean Tully
Readers also responded to the Ravens’ 41-10 victory over the Broncos on Sunday:
It’s impossible to overstate what Lamar Jackson means to the city of Baltimore. He’s an incredibly gifted athlete, but as a leader he also extolls the value of his teammates and gets the most out of them.
Baltimore can boast the best crab cakes in the world and the finest urban aquarium in the country. However, our baseball team struggles to get out of the first playoff round, we’re vying to create a second-tier convention center and the mass transit system is struggling to meet the vision of its leaders.
Meanwhile, every weekend brings the possibility that our football team, the Baltimore Ravens, will deliver the best performance in the country. That was certainly the case this past Sunday.
Is this a lot to ask of a quarterback that merely tosses a pigskin 20 times a year? Of course, it is. But what other leader has been able to inspire and unite the entire metropolitan area? Let’s see if he’s “MV3” and ready to win his third NFL Most Valuable Player Award.
— Eric Greene, Annapolis
If you saw last Sunday’s Baltimore Ravens game against the Denver Broncos and if you saw the moves Zay Flowers made on Denver’s defensive backs, you saw what quarterback Lamar Jackson would look like if he were a receiver!
— Jim Mundy, Ellicott City
We also heard from fans about Maryland men’s basketball’s expectations this season:
Kevin Willard is a great defensive-minded coach, as we’ve seen in the past two years, but he needs to figure out how to organize the offense. But we have some good pieces like Derik Queen and Julian Reese and both of them have good offensive skills. So, I think he needs to figure out how to groove them together to make some great chemistry.
— Brett Wang
I’m expecting a better year than last year. We had an event earlier this year called the Midnight Mile with the men’s basketball team. We actually got to speak one-on-one with the coach. He said they’ve been specifically working on the 3-point percentage because last year was a little low. So, I’m expecting this year to have a little more of the long-range game going on and I expect us to win a little bit more games than last year. We’re kind of on rebuild.
— Caden Ennis
The Baltimore Sun reader poll is an unscientific survey in which website users volunteer their opinions on the subject of the poll. To see results from previous sports polls, go to baltimoresun.com/sportspoll