I hoped for more from MacPhail. This really is a no-brainer. Markakis is a corner-stones to future success, relatively inexpensive, and MacPhail is diddling around?

When have you ever seen AM move fast on any matter of importance?

One would think that having him signed long term would:
1) Make clearer the O's salary expenditures over the next 6 or so years.

2) Send a positive sign to all free agents that don't play right field.

They need to sign Markakis and determine if they can sign Roberts.

The only way Baltimore becomes viewed as a destination for success is through keeping its homegrown talent. Extend Roberts and Markakis so that it sends a message to the rest of the organization that if you play well, you get paid well.

I really think that's the only way Tex and Burnett and others will come. They need to see that MacPhail treats his personnel right, and apparently he doesn't care much about 2nd basemen that bring a positive light to the club in every aspect of the game. I mean, the guy is no Robby Alomar in his prime, but he's better then the rest of the crappy FA 2B out there.

Markakis needs to be signed first. ASAP.
Then Paul Byrd.

It probably would take one more large free agent signing to get Roberts to even consider signing up for a few more years, so Burnett or Teixeira will need to get done or Roberts, sadly, will have to be traded before the season starts.

I wouldn't be surprised if Teixeira takes bids up to spring training, so it will be a nail biter.

As a certain ignominious former defemnse secretary and even more ignominious formerRepublican veep candidate would say, "you betcha." In the Angelos era, the O's have been inescuseably irresponsible in not holding onto some of their best players

I agree, this is ridiculous he is the future of the franchise, along with Adam Jones, he has been great in his three seasons with the team and there is no reason why he should not have been signed yet.

"Markakis wants to be an Oriole long term"

That's an interesting comment. I'd sure like you to elucidate. Beyond the guaranteed money, which can be very persuasive, I don't get the attraction to Baltimore. He'll certainly have the chance to play in relative obscurity here. If he has any desire to play meaningful games in October, Baltimore is still a very risky bet.

The O's are such poor evaluators of talent they still figuring out if he worth the money.

The Orioles don't need to do anything silly like sign Nick Markakis and Adam Jones; the team did enough when it invested all that money into those new uniforms!

Agreed. It is a no brainer to luck him up for the next 5-7 years. Open the Bank Peter!! Face it, this is a once in the lifetime chance to really solidify the foundation of our championship teams. Get Texiera and Burnett, then we are playoff contenders in 2010, at least. Meanwhile, keep investing in the Farm System and Player development. Win Championships at all levels, and the young O's to win. No brainer.

Agreed. It is a no brainer to luck him up for the next 5-7 years. Open the Bank Peter!! Face it, this is a once in the lifetime chance to really solidify the foundation of our championship teams. Get Texiera and Burnett, then we are playoff contenders in 2010, at least. Meanwhile, keep investing in the Farm System and Player development. Win Championships at all levels, and the young O's to win. No brainer.

Why is it that so many sports writers think they can be managers? McPhail has a lot of experience in assembling winning franchises, and everybody agrees he has done a great job so far. Let him do his job. Schmuck you would be the worst kind of owner/manager. You are always complaining about someone. I remember you going after Tejada, and Ray Lewis. Complaining about Ray Lewis, really? Sheesh. Now you are second guessing McPhail. There are lots of topics to write about in sports, other than how people, far more succesful than yourself, do their job. Do your job, and write about those other topics. Man, you are painful to read. When will the Sun do us Baltimore sports fans a favor, and get rid of you?

Wayne Hicks

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Pete's reply: Wayne, I'm on vacation in Russia. Jeff Z has been filling in for me, but I'll stand by whatever he has to say on the subject.

what does everything have to drag out for the O's management....every decision takes forever. Markakis should have been signed long term last year....he will be in a Yankee or Red Sox uniform in a few years

I think everyone agrees that Nick should be locked up ASAP so why hasn't MacPhail pulled the trigger? Markakis is a better all-around player than Tex so get this done!

No free agents are going to sign unless the Markakis & Roberts deals are done .The Markakis deal should have been done early in the year, but now the front office is going to pay the price to sign Markakis ( If he still wants to sign long term. Let's just wait and see the numbers the front office insults Markakis with this year! )

I've said on blogs for months that Nick is ticked about the way his situation was handled last off season and will leave if he doesn't get what he wants, as he should. He owes the O's nothing; they owe him marquee money -- they'll benefit as much or more than he does. To stay here is to be on bad teams for three more years, minimum. And, as I've said before, his owning a house here means nothing. Houses are replaceable. Outstanding young right fielders are not. You watch. You just watch.

Time to spend the MASN money. Sign Mark Teixiera, Rafael Furcal, A.J. Burnett, Randy Wolf and Javier Valentin and let the chips fall where they may. Then we would have the best O's team since 1997.

Oh, and please don't tell me we don't have the money. The MASN money is sitting in the bank. Fans would come back in droves in response to the renewed commitment from ownership, the competitive product on the field and the improvement in the standings.

Just do it.

I'm getting a little nervous. This is the same Andy MacPhail that thought Adam Loewen would sign with us once he was released. Markakis has been making MLB minimum wage so far, just pay the guy!

In response to dignam, I thought I read that Nick recently married and bought a house here..?

I agree the O's need to sign Nick to a long term deal even more than they need to sign Tex. Then they need to either sign BRob to an extension or trade him for some solid prospects. Andy's conservative nature might be a benefit in some instances but there are time that you need to shrike while the iron is hot or you will find yourself wondering what went wrong.

No Markekis , No Roberts, No other free agents, those you trade for will leave soon too...........

It is time for a more speedy approach to our own in resigning. Tempus Fugit. And so do the good players. Anywhere but Baltimore.

Markekis, then Roberts then free agents. That may be the statement process to show the culutre is changing in Baltimore.

Hey Wayne Hicks!

Lay off the Schmucker. He's one of the good guys. You wanna get on someone's case, what not try Mike Preston, there is someone who is really negative. Schmucker gets my vote, the guy is funny, engaging and fair. Go Schmuck!

This is definitely the 1st time I've been disappointed in MacPhail. What good is a free agent spree if you risk pissing off and losing your best hitter (Sorry Mr. Hugg)?

Nick actually hasn't even improved to be as good as he's going to be yet The longer the team waits to sign him, the more its going to cost. Its times like this that make Brian Roberts want to leave and play for a winning team.

Markakis is going to be traded. It is all part of Mcphails master rebuilding plan.

. Really Berdard shouldn't have been traded last year. Roberts and Markakis should be kept. But I expect them to leave and the Orioles to finish in last place again next season