Peter,

I am one of those folks who think that Adam should have stayed with the Orioles. However, if I received an offer from my favorite team, I'd have to strongly consider it as well - especially if it was better than the offer from my current team.

I want to know who the Orioles are looking at to be the shortstop in 2009. Khalil Greene? Rafael Furcal? Orlando Cabrera? David Eckstein? Blake Davis? Ryan Theriot? JJ Hardy? Who?

I'm also of the position that we HAVE to trade Brian Roberts. By the time we're ready to compete (2010 at the earliest), Brian will be 33 and on the downside of his career. Let's see if we can't get the Cubs to cough up Theriot, Cedeno, Marshall, and Ceda for B-Rob. That solves both middle INF spots and gives us 2 good young pitchers. Theriot is the type of scrappy guy that can help the O's win some games from the SS position (and no, we're not related).

Or maybe the hometown swing has nothing to do with this--maybe he thought reconnecting in Canada would have him faring better if all of this Baseball stuff doesn't work out.

Or maybe, just maybe, he grew tired of the inconsistent upper-management of the Orioles and simply wanted a fresh start in a new place.

Pete, the man wanted to play for a team in his country. He did what he wanted to do as it's done in 99% of all pro player decisions. It's no big deal. As for the money invested, good freaking grief... take a look at our history of busts... most recently Gibbons comes to mind. This is much ado about nothing. If this had happened during mid season, it wouldn't have hardly made a dent in the media world but since there's nothing else to talk about baseball wise, it's getting way more attention than it deserves.

Maybe he wanted to play for Toronto from the beginning, and was disappointed when the O's picked him in the draft. Maybe it's a cultural thing. Maybe his grandma lives in Toronto. Maybe, like an old girlfriend, he's gone, and we'll never know all the reasons why. Oh, and trade Roberts if the booty is good enough.

Peter, you are making this way harder then it is. Whether he would have panned out or become the next Rick Ankiel, after all the money the O's paid him he owed it to them to at least give us one year to see if he could make the transition. But that's the mentality of today's slacker youth. Whatever, good bye to bad rubbish, but what's right is right. Running to the Blue Jay's after he stole the O's money wasn't right.

"Nationalistic appeal of playing for the Blue Jays"...oh brother...
This guy's only true talent seems to have been his capacity for a PR line of bull that he has used since he came here to somehow try to make you think he is just a fine guy with great character who just loved Baltimore and the Orioles.
His arm didn't fall off "pitching for the Orioles"...your previous comment makes it sound like this was some noble sacrifice on his part...No, like every other greedy pro athlete, he was only pitching for what he could get out of it- namely, the guaranteed 3.2 million and guaranteed ML contract that the Orioles foolishly agreed to at the last minute in 2003 after we had passed over Prince Fielder and Cole Hamels and many others to draft this yahoo.
As a result of his own greed and his own bad decisions, his body then turned out not to be ready for the rigors of ML pitching.
After his injury, he then again seems to have misled the Orioles into giving him the considerable benefit of their instructional league resources including Terry Crowley presumably with the implicit understanding that he would re-sign, but apparently to just get the word out to other clubs. He then took the deal that offered him the most money both now and potentially in the future..what a big surprise!
"Nationalistic appeal"...yeah, right..that's why he signed..he is a true patriot...Loewen and his agent fully realize that his marketing appeal in Canada would pay him much more for any future success than it ever would have in Baltimore.
Here's hoping for a year or two of a below .200 average in the low minors of the Blue Jays system before he finds another field where those PR talents would come in handy...like politics.

T-Mac:
Why don't we see if they'll throw in Soriano and Derrek Lee to shore up the 3B and LF situations... and maybe Kerry Wood could help out our bullpen. Thats a lot to ask for Roberts who only has 1 year left on his plan. They arenot in the business of giving up prospects just to help us out. After the trades that were made last offseason, EVERY major league general manager is going to be cautious to deal with McPhail for frear of playing the fool. I would venture to guess that the Cubbies might give us Thierot and 1 of the other prospects, but thats if they are even answering McPhail's calls.

Anonymous..Wow, pretty bitter about Loewen!!! Do you feel the same way about other Orioles draft picks(Matt Riley/Darnel McDonald,etc) that didn't pan out? Maybe your anger should be directed to the scouts who selected these guys. In 2 years, the only thing we are going to read about Loewen is his release from A ball in page 10 (small print) of the sports pages.
Tmac. I'm sure MacPhail would make your Cubs trade in a minute but I highly doubt the Cubs would even trade Theriot straight up. Even if he did, would either team be further ahead as both will fill one spot and create another hole. Besides, the Cubs can live with Derosa at ss and Theriot should continue to improve.
My guess is that MacPhail offers an extension to Roberts, he declines and asked to be traded and everyone here lables him 'disloyal'!

Good Riddance!

We probably just saved a boatload of money, and a hell of a lot of time and resources. Sooner than later he was heading for north of the border. Cito _ _ _ _ _ !

I guess if you are going through your born again baseball career knowing full well you'll probably never make it back to the majors, why not go balls to the wall and sign with your boyhood team? It may never happen again for him.

I dont get it. Toronto may be his home town team but he might not even get there. He has to develop through the minors. Thats a low blow on his part

How many Canadian players are actually on the Blue Jays?
It's gotta be a big draw for a guy who likely got teary-eyed whenever they sang "O' Canada" after the SSB at the Orioles games, eh?
Once a canuck, always a canuck.
I wish good luck to this canuck,
and write it here, with Peter Schmuck.

Hey P.S.,
You the man! Loewen is the winner of our Schmuck of the week award. Thanks for leaving America, go stink up Canada!

Mather,

I'm not asking for the farm here. Theriot was a starting SS, but they have Mark DeRosa to play there. They also have Mike Fontenot to back up SS and 2B. With Roberts, the Cubs are able to drop Soriano and his power (and high K's) to the middle of the batting order, where he is of better use.

Just because MacPhail made a couple of good deals last year doesn't mean he can't do it again this year.

In all seriousness, what are the chances Loewen even stays with the Jays? They have to keep him on the 40-man roster. Heck, he could get claimed in the Rule V next month (Josh Phelps, anyone?). Otherwise, when the Jays face the inevitable roster crunches with injuries and needs next summer, who do you think will be the first to go on waivers? It's a wonderful irony that by being disloyal to us he might stand LESS of a chance of playing for his "home team".

sheets -

He signed a minor league deal, so he does not have to be kept on the 40 man roster in Toronto.

Mather -
You make it sound like Andy is desperate to deal Roberts. If we've learned anything about Andy MacPhail, it's that this guy does not make frantic phone calls looking for a deal. He will investigate the market on a player, and make the deal if it fits into his plan for rebuilding the team. And if I were a betting man, it was the Cubs who were placing the calls. Gotta have a willing partner when it comes to discussing possible deals. I think the Cubs fit that description! And they still might.

I still like the way that Andy is looking to improve this club, and feel he'll continue to operate this off season with purpose & patience.