Hope springs eternal!

incredible... he may never play an inning of ball in the big leagues, but at least they took the chance and got him... the went to the wire and Boras blinked... i'm astonished, but very happy

Where are all the smart ass comments now. Ten minutes ago everyone was saying they wouldn't step foot in Camden Yards again until new ownership.

Does that all change now that this guy was signed? Step up if you are real fans and start supporting an organization that is busting its tail to get better.

Angelos has stepped up so stop buying all the media crap and start thinking for yourselves. The only way the O's get better is if fans step up and support the club.

Hooray!!!

I had been reading on the Oriole's website about how they were "millions" apart from Weiters. I can't wait for that lineup to be a reality. Go O's!

Okay so everyone can say "just kidding" about all those things they said about Mcphailure? He just stood toe to toe with the Supreme agent and called his bluff - the O's are now officially in good hands...and hopefully so too will be their pitchers when Wieters gets here! Time for there to be an O's nation or something like that! We should all start thinking a little more positively...a great day to be an Orioles fan for sure! Bedard plucks Jeter and the O's take the series...this is just the capper!

Uhhhh....Brian Roberts?

Talk about some welcome news before I go to bed!

I was just thinking today (and this was during the game so at the time I thought they weren't going to sign Wieters) that if you want to blame Angelos for everything that's gone wrong the last ten years, you also have to credit him for things he's done right.

For example, how would we all feel about this season if Marcus Giles and Adam LaRoche made up the right side of the infield instead of Brian Roberts and Kevin Millar?

How would the team have ever made the playoffs if it had traded away Bobby Bo and D. Wells for future 4A talent in '96? And not traded for Eddie Murray?

Now I'm no Peter Angelos-flavored Koolaid drinker, and they seemed to have gotten extremely lucky in this instance, but hey, all I'm saying is, if you're going to blame the owner for everything that's gone wrong, at least give him his credit when he gets it right. And tonight, despite his best efforts, he did.

Whoooooooo!

Great quote from Jordan. Hope the evil old owner takes it in context.

YEEEEE HAAAA!!!!! Whew! That was close. Now all these bloggers who swore off the Os can return to the park. But this is great news for the club. I can't believe they got him at their price when the market seemed to dictate a higher number?! I suspect Boras will make them pay *if* they ever get into negotiations for Tex.

Un-freakin-believable! Thank you Peter Angelos! Thank you Andy MacPhail! Way to step up to the plate! A series win in NY against the Spanks and now this - what a great day to be an O's fan! Welcome to Baltimore, Matt, we're all looking forward to seeing you in an O's uniform.

It seems it is a $6 million bonus, second highest ever, I'm sure Boras didn't come all the way down to $6 million, but at least there was some sort of sanity and some sort of realization that our fans need some kind of hope. And it certainly has been a pleasure beating the Yankees every series so far this year. Two more wins, and the season series is ours. Now let's see how we do against Toronto's fine pitching.

Roch, to jog your memory about Boras compromises...

Jered Weaver - two years ago... $10.5m was the demand, $4m is what he signed for.

I'm headed to bed.

Fellas, it's been emotional.

Thanks for truly living up to your blog's name today, Roch. You worked literally around the clock!

I logged in expecting to read the bad news about failing to sign Wieters. That's a pleasant surprise right there. Do we have a real catching prospect now? Well, we have something better - hope!

Great, if slightly surreal news, from the Warehouse. Bizarre when we can talk about the O's getting the "better" of Boras at the same time he's collecting his chunk of six big ones...he'll cry all the way to the bank.

At least they showed they weren't desparate to the point of stupidity in they're desire to get Wieters, which may have been what Boras was counting on.

But the signing of Wieters is exciting to read, no doubt. They've got to bring him up next month, no?

As for his future, he's already being listed as 6'6" and at his age may tack on another inch or so. That's just crazy tall for a catcher, though. He played some first in high school, so it seems logical to move him back there. Still, he's supposed to a plus defensive catcher, so it's a nice dilemma for the Birds to have.

Sidebar trivia: Wieters pitched some relief at Georgia Tech and got the ball up to 98 mph at times.

I'm very pleased that Wieters signed. Welcome to the O's.

Guess the free agent fan thing is put off for a while.

Thanks Mr. Angelos, I'll see you at the Greek festival this year.

Thanks for staying up with and for us, Roch!

The last time Boras came down this low, or almost this low, was the Johnny Damon signing. Wasn't he originally seeking seven years?! He's not even done his second year and he's been shifted to left field and is struggling in nearly every aspect of the game.

It should be stated that most Boras clients -- Beltran, Damon, Drew, Kevin Brown, Barry Zito -- are, one way or another vastly overhyped. That may not be the case here with Wieters.

I do think the O's brass recognized the leverage they had here: when you're Wieters and you're rated as the top pick in the draft, you've got a ton of financial stability and luxury at stake. If you're Wieters and his family, you're wishing for the jackpot but you're not likely willing to forego all of it for a year and take the risks that come with that.

As an O's fan, I haven't felt this tense since, well, probably the last game we played, but I'm just flat-out relieved, as I'm sure many of us are.

Next up: Roberts and Bedard, both of whom are good enough to be vital parts of a championship club.

Question: how does this seemingly tense negotiation with Boras impact the potential for a deal with Patterson (assuming, I hope, the O's are even interested in him)?

Reality Check: Yeah, Scott Boras went down considerably in what he was asking, but to do that the Orioles surely had to give him something in return. There must be something under the surface here. What could it be?

Well, two days ago, Fox's Ken Rosenthal opined that even if the two sides could agree on a contract amount, another sticking point could be whether or not Andy MacPhail would "be willing to grant Wieters a spot on the Orioles' 40-man roster." So that might be something the team has agreed to do. As good as the kid is supposed to be, this hardly seems that big a gamble though.

Whatever the case, you've got to think there's a little more than meets the eye and that will probably be announced tomorrow.

This is a huge, huge step in the right direction. Credit ownership and the F.O. for getting the deal done. However, this is only one step, there are plenty more to take to get this franchise back to respectabilaty.
Up next: re-sign Bedard!

Let's us at least spend a moment to dwell on a good week. 2 of 3 from the Yanks and the unexpected signing of Wieters.
In the words of Monty Burns "Excellent!!!"

I broke out the champagne!

Great to see the O's trying to build with younger players. Get Bedard on the fold this winter. I wonder if this might be the last Boras client we sign for awhile, the stress is too much.

Well done.

To quote the Gilda Radnor character from the early SNL years:
"Nevermind!" Even if this kid doesn't become an amazing major leaguer, I'm glad Andy signed him. It shows that maybe Peter is allowing the baseball people to do their jobs. Finally, the light at the end of the tunnel does appear to be the exit and not an oncoming train. Now, we have to lock up Roberts, Bedard, and the other players needed for our foundation.

Wow. I just posted a comment in the previous thread that I opened at 12:25, when I officially gave up hope. Had another swig of Old Crow and watched the replays of yesterday, then finished my post. I was already thinking of more reasons to hate Weiters (my Terps vs his Jackets.) Nevermind.

That's one small step for Scott Boras. One giant leap for Oriole-kind.

McPhail evens up the count at 1 and 1

"O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!"

What a perfect birthday - first the O's snatch victory from the jaws of death (after first snatching death from the jaws of victory) and then Andy Mcfail doesn't fail.

Could all this be a sign?

The only thing that would have made it perfect would have been for the O's to announce a Noon press conference with The Owner and JR.

Alas, as the great philosopher Meatloaf said: "2 out of 3 ain't bad."

Not to let him get lost in the hullabaloo - this from ESPN:

"The Orioles also agreed to a $1.1 million signing bonus with right-handed pitcher Jake Arrieta, another Boras client, just before the midnight deadline. Arrieta was picked in the fifth round out of TCU."

Was there anyone they didn't sign?

Just a moment of fantasy - because I know the Ghost of someone or another will also do it - a prospective line up for opening day 2009:

Roberts - 2B
Bynum - LF
Markakis - RF
Reimold - CF
Wieters - C
Rowell - 3B
Snyder - 1B
Majewski - DH
L.Hernandez - SS
Bedard - P

the orioles didn't blink.. but you did!

I had given up late last night. Then I wake up and see that it got done. I'm glad Angelos and McPhail didn't delay our future anymore. It's obvious that Wieters didn't want to go back to school - we won one against Boras. Who knows if the kid ever makes it but we had to get him in the fold.

This is a good start. I want to see more. Signing their top picks is what they're supposed to do.

Reason for optimism!

Well.... Let's see how lucrative this deal really is.

How many years?

Time limits to reach majors?

When can he walk?

I am pleased, but the devil is always in the details.

Good job to the FO for getting ink on the paper.

I thought physicals had to be complete by the deadline.

Are we sure it's a done deal?

I have never awoken to better news! I hope Wieters is good because I will probably be braving DC rush hour traffic to see him for years to come... now the O's need an outfield bat, another dh/firstbase bat that has consistent power... 2008- Why Not!? C'mon Orioles you can win this one!!!!!

Finally, light dawns on Marblehead. I guess he wasn't offering Confederate money after all...

Is it sad is the first thing I thought about this morning when I read this news was "Good, this should shut up all the whiners on Roch's blog"?

Thank you, Orioles, for rewarding the faith of your numerous people who love you so much we devote much time to message board posting and reading. In the future, please keep our feelings in mind and don't scare us like that!

And if you can keep the Yankees out of the playoffs by continuing to take series from them, even a sub-.500 record won't seem so bad.

Grinning from ear to ear this morning. Well done, gentlemen. Thank you for showing that winning baseball games, now and in the future, is something that matters to you, something that isn't just lip service. If I'm gonna rip you when you screw up, I have to give you enormous credit for getting this deal done one way or another.

Now let's get to work signing Bedard long-term, shall we? Add a rotation of Bedard, Loewen, Erbe, and Olson to the lineup Roch mentioned above. Chase that with a bullpen featuring Jim Hoey, Cory Doyne, Radhames Liz, and even Chris Ray. Now we're talking!

I will reserve judgment on how much Boras came down until I see the full contract details. We've only seen the signing bonus - which by the way was the largest up-front signing bonus in MLB history. Justin Upton had gotten $6.1M, but his was paid over multiple years (multi-sport athlete). Did Matt sign a major-league detail? If so, what are the terms and length of that contract???

This crow doesn't taste too bad, now that the O's signed Wieters. Let's see if the O's stay smart, pass on the mediocre free agent class this offseason, and save their money for 2008 free agents Johann Santana and Vladimir Guerrero. The only money spent this off-season should be on extensions for Bedard and Roberts. A lineup with Markakis, Wieters, Rowell, Guerrero, Roberts, and Tejada should win a few games in 2009, and a staff of Bedard, Guthrie, Loewen, Cabrera and Santana just might help, too. Plus, by then all of the inane contracts--Huff, Mora, Baez--will be in their final year. We might finally (deserve to) outnumber Red Sox and Yankees fans at Camden Yards!

How interesting, so far, no comments by any of the people who were so quick to comment 45 minutes earlier . . . I guess they have to figure out the next thing to vilify Angelos for or the next thing they are going to say "[pick your poison] just shows how bad the Os are, I am done with this team until [whatever] happens."

I guess they will all be harping on Brian Roberts by mid-day, and if that get's done, they can move on to Bedard.

Why did he sign for the lower number?

Do the math.

It may not have been a matter of "coming down" from $11M to $6M. It's losing the $6M that was offered forever. Just because he goes back to school doesn't mean his value goes up to make up for what was on the table. Not to mention the possibility of a bad injury that might impact his current value.

This is step #1. Step #2 is re-sign Patterson, who is very competent as a #2 hitter and CF. Step #3 is one major free agent signing in the offseason, probably a LF. Step #4 is to extend Bedard for four years. Bullpen is stcoked well enough and the rotation will develop as the young arms mature. The infield can stay as is. Millar isn't the best 1B you can have but he brings intangibles. Bring back Gomez and get a back-up C. Team can compete next year if the starters progress.

I'm curious (and I'm sure we'll never know) what was going on between Boras and Weiters. The fact that Weiters just suddenly accepted an offer of about half what he was asking for says that he didn't want to go back to school. Was Boras bluffing the whole time, or did Weiters pull the rug out from under him at the last minute? I can't imagine Boras is too happy right now for what is a pretty reasonable contract. He didn't establish the next "Teixeira contract" and didn't even get a Major League contract either. This deal looks great if you're the Orioles.

That said, the O's got REALLY lucky. I have a hard time believing that they thought Boras was bluffing and they really low-balled the offer. That Weiters accepted it is more an indication that he had no desire to go back to school than that the Orioles "stepped up" or had the good negotiating strategy.

I don't thank my garbage man for picking up the trash, it's what he is supposed to do.

Yes, they signed Wieters, but make no mistake, Wieters wanted tp play pro ball more than make a few extra million.

The most positive sign is that a Boras client has seen something special happening in Baltimore, whereby, they want to come here for less.

And Jordan... if you're going to call out the city of Baltimore, put "Baltimore" on the away jerseys.

Excellent news when I woke up this morning. Everyone who expressed how important it was to sign this kid should buy a ticket and show up for the game when Wieters is introduced at Camden Yards. We need a show of faith from the fans to preview for ownership and the front office that if they do the right thing we will fill up Camden Yards. Let's sell out the night they introduce Wieters.

I admit, I was one of your readers that said he would bail on the Angelos-owned Orioles if they failed to sign this kid. I live in DC so I couldn't get any Baltimore radio stations to fill me in this morning, but I felt like a little kid on Christmas morning when I saw the Sun's webpage.

Good job Angelos. In the words of Rex Barney, Thank Youuuuuuuuu.

Great News!!! I suspected that one of two things would have to happen for this to get done. Turns out they both did. Angelos intervened . . . . that may not always be a bad thing and secondly, Weiters did not want to return to school. Also great that they signed Arrieta.

This may bode well for future negotiations with Boras clients. Although I'm sure he's not happy that the Orioles won, it has at least opened the door.

Also, as many mentioned here yesterday this goes way beyond just Weiters. It speaks volumes, hopefully as to this organization really wanting to turn itself around.

Next assignment Mr. Angelos and MacPhail - LOCK UP BEDARD FOR FIVE YEARS!!!

WOW!

Chris in Rosedale - Don't worry, it won't....

huge news. lets reward the front office by all o's fans buying tickets to the sox series in september and actually having more orange in the stands than red. its obvious that this organization is going in the right direction with all the young pitching and now this signing. we all need to start showing up at the ballpark and showing support!

Glad you're back Driskill!

2 quick thoughts -

Could $6 mill have been the target # all along and $11 mil was a neogtiating position? Hmmm.

Chris W - why don't you thank your garbage man? What is wrong with showing appreciation for a good job? It has a bigger benefit than money sometimes.

Behavior modification is all about rewarding desired behavior and ignoring (not punishing) undesired behavior.

We WANT them to spend beaucoup $$ on good players!!!! We should be sending flowers, candy, champagne and bootleg HD copies of the "Amber Dousing" clip to McFail, Jordan, Flannagan, Duquette and even The Owner when they do.

But, given that we are too cheap and Roch doesn't have the $ to do all that for us, we can say "thanks" to the men.

Chris W--perfect post. I am thrilled to have gotten Weiters and I think all Orioles fans should be encouraged. BUT... the attitude of the ball club is so incredibly defensive it is amazing. In the moment which should be a CELEBRATION for the team ownership and fans alike, they take a shot at the fans! i repeat my question from a few days ago: what universe are they living in? why do you attempt to drive a wedge between you and your fan base, especially when it is apparent that you have been doing a fairly poor job for the better part of a decade. They just couldn't help it, could they? In a moment of triumph (whether by luck or good negotiating), their thoughts were on validating themselves to the fans.

It's like they are saying, "There--are you happy now? We did what you wanted, now back off!"

If the O's had a halfway decent PR person the lines out of Joe jordan's mouth should have been, "The Orioles have just finished some intense negotiations with Matt Weiters and we believe that we are bringing a jewel to the city of Baltimore and their fans. This is a move that we feel strengthens an organization that is moving forward at all levels. We thank the fans of this team for their continued support and look to fielding a winning team for many years to come."

Instead, we heard a defiant expression of organizational insecurities. Take a step back for a second and think about why fans are frustrated and angry. Realize that you have some lumps to take and that fielding a winning ballclub is the only way to make ammends. And for God's sake, get your troops in line. What company takes 3 shots at its consumers in one week?

My last comments notwithstanding, I do like the direction the team is moving and I am now more willing than ever to buy O's tix. I like Andy's comment of selling out the Yard to greet this kid and I am far less likely to be part of an organized dissent against the team because they are doing their jobs across the board (PR still a bit shakey) for the first time in a while.

TOM D--too many question marks in that lineup for my liking. If two of the four (Reimold, Majewski, Rowell, and Snyder) turn out I will be ecstatic.

The Orioles should be celebrating progress because they are still a ways from competing with the big boys. I applaud the effort and direction of this team.

Dave. I agee with your line of thinking. We should stay away from the free agent class this year. Andruw Jones-warts and all-is going to get at least 15 mill/yr. I think Torii Hunter is a better player but he will also be looking for 75-100 mill.
We should be looking to use that kind of coin on our own players, with Bedard a major priority, along tieh Roberts. I know Corey Patterson is an enigma and can amaze you one minute and drive you crazy the next. Personally, I am leaning towards re-signing him but that would depend on what the market is. The Snakes just did us a disservice by giving Byrnes 10 mil/yr for 3 yrs. Corey could be looking at some decent money but if I'm the O's we could offer him 3 yrs-15 mill-hard to say what other teams think of him.

Here is a question for discussion -
When Wieters comes what do you do with Ramon Hernandez?

a) Keep him at C to school Wieters while Wieters backs him up for a season? b) DH? c) 1B while waiting for Snyder/Majewski to reach the big club? Or d) Trade?

The players the O's have under contract thru 2009:
Roberts
Tejada
Mora (no trade)
Ramon
Baez
Gibbons
Huff
Bradford
Walker

Of this group I would want to keep Roberts (duh!), Tejada, Mora, Hernandez, Huff and Walker.

Gibbons is a question mark because he can undoubtedly play the game but he does not always seem to be focused.

Bradford and Baez can become someone else's heartache. But Baez will be hard to move because of the $$.

But whatever your list of keepers is, there is still some work to do and some of it might involve eating salaries.

I can see Angelos opening up the purse strings a little but I do not see him eating salaries....

Just a thought, if you're Wieters, how do you turn down the highest singing bonus ever provided?

It could be that Boras has been figured out. The Red Sox held firm to the Dice K contract offer, and Boras had but little choice to have Dice K sign it. If Dice K didn't sign the contract, no Japanese player would have ever used Boras.

With Wieters, Boras had a choice, hold him out for a year, like he did with JD Drew, or accept the biggest offer ever offered to an amateur. He couldn't live it down.

The sad part of it, is, like the NFL guys, a holdout stunts professional development, thus a Lithicum type callup in 2008 may not be possible.

Great move by Angelos. Welcome to Baltimore Matt!!

I want to see the Orioles go all out toward making the playoffs in 2008. Get a high priced free agent. I suggest Aaron Rowand. I am not enamored of Corey Patterson especially on this team which is a power hitter away from being a good offense next year.

The Yankees and Red Sox are getting older and are beatable next year even if they spend in the offseason on free agents.

As far as Wieters/Hernandez in 2009 platoon them at catcher and give them some time at DH. Wieters playing some first sounds like a possibility too.

Way to go Orioles! Please keep it up.