Pete,

Why do I believe you'll be feeding the warehouse what they want to hear when you talk about the offseason moves at 2:20?

I mean it's easy to overlook Millwood's 07 and 08 stats when everyone spins this particular move, but how are you going to spin the Atkins move? Seems much tougher.

The Gonz move actually isn't bad, although no one knows if he's a closer.

Anyway should be interesting.

Schmuckie's Bluff. I love it.

I had to take a nap after shoveling the two feet of sunshine off my driveway.

Come on,

The Ravens fans will be there Pete. Bears fans, with their team out of it, will stay away rather than battle elements they hoped to get away from for a weekend. Baltimores not Miami, but it's the tropics compared to Chi-Town. Usually!

I'll be there and if you want to come find me djph or whoever else it was that acted the punk lately, I'll be in Lot O along the back fence with the big santa hat. Come grab a brew and then you can say the kind of things you've said face to face. See you there!

6 p.m.-Since all snack runs have been canceled, had to resort to searching under sofa cushions for orphaned Cheeto's. Last resort will be scraping the green fur off of whatever's in that container that's been lurking in the corner of the fridge since the Clinton administration.

7 p.m.-Only things in the house that appear edible are asparagus spears, chocolate syrup and saltines. A new Smores recipe in the making, perhaps?

9 p.m.-Called Domino's but am told they don't deliver to snow drifts. I knew I shouldn't have tried to walk to the 7-11.

Good luck, Pete. Just remember, no matter how hungry you get, do NOT eat the yellow snow.

Good article on the O's moves. I agree that the team should not recklessly throw out a big free agent contract just to generate buzz, and the moves they've made do improve the team. However, to say that the team is better now than they were at the end of the season, when they finished with 98 losses, isn't exactly the strongest endorsement of their current position...

I also think the Orioles have a severe credibility problem with fans and players, which impedes the franchise's ability to maintain revenue and attract players, both critically important to long-term success (since MacPhail loves to allude to his long-term thinking). This team told fans last year that it would be prepared to open the pocketbook this year, and despite the recent moves Baltimore's current roster payroll stands at 26th out of 30 major league teams (and this includes Millwood's full salary figure, which isn't really accurate). Simply stated, the team clearly told fans it was going to do something (spend money this year) and now is reneging on that promise.

Further, I think the idea that we shouldn't sign a big name free agent until the exact time when we feel ready to make a run for the pennant is misguided. First, as I've pointed out the Orioles have the money and promised fans they would spend it. Secondly, signing a cornerstone player would presumably accelerate the team's improvement and provide important knock-on effects in several areas, including team leadership, the development of younger players, and in the team's brand across the league. Third, we would presumably be signing such a star to a multi-year deal, and the team continues to tell us they are "close" to competing, so if they really believe that what would be the harm in signing a top-tier player one year early?

I respect MacPhail's abilities as an executive, but sometimes I think he is so set on proving his ideas around building a team on the cheap (or fixed on the idea that we won't be able to outspend NY or Boston) that he doesn't recognize the impact of signing the occasional big-name free agent, even if we have to overpay a little.

So let's go make a real run at Gonzalez or some other top-tier player (not a half-hearted low-ball offer) who could anchor the batting lineup or pitching roster, and generate some much-needed excitement among players and fans.

.............................................................................................
Pete's reply: I agree with much of what you're saying, but I don't think Holliday is a cornerstone player. He's just getting that buzz because he's one of the best players in this market. I'm much rather have an Adrian Gonzalez, so it comes down to how much of the rest of your club you're willing to downgrade to get him. That's a fair debate to have.

peter the three players the oriloles have acquired this month is very good.,but to tell us that we still need to be patient is wearing a bit thin. why did the orioles bother to get in to the mat holliday bidding if they don't plan on acquiting a impact player. since they threw their hat in the ring they should make every effort to acquire him instead of teasing us.

What a fantastic post Andrew,

Honestly Pete, Andrew just wrote the piece that should be printed in the Sun this weekend.

I mean to suggest that the current make up of the team is better than the end of 09, as if that's a big deal, is just sad Pete. Did you feel fans would really buy into that kind of overhyped nonsense?

And I knew it was bad, but I didn't realize we were 26th in spending. How embarrassing! For a market the size of baltimore, PA and AM are just robbing the fans blind. That's a story by itself, or at least a paragraph Pete.

As for breaking promises Andrew. That's simply their MO. Look at all of PA's promises during the last 12 years, as well as the promises AM made to Chicago fans during his first 7 years. It's right there for everyone to see.

Your blog makes so much sense, yet get ready for the warehouse spin (it's coming, trust me). The truth seems to get lost around here.

Anyway Pete, maybe you can do a follow-up to Andrews post? Please print his first though as it would be the most blunt, honest Sun read in quite some time.

Like many others, I also wanted Orioles to trade for Adrian Gonzalez. But ever since I saw reports that the O's, in fact, had touched base with the Padres I've concluded that the asking price for Gonzalez was probably blizzardly. Now I think that Delgado would be the best fit for the O's next year because he can hit cleanup as well.

Reads like a blog written by a guy that just got back from a warm climate and was greeted by 20" of snow. Thanks for the uplifting piece Peter.

Snow? What snow? Oh yeah, you shouldn’t have left Northern California, Pete. Nice and sunny here. ☺

I understand the frustration on this blog. While we can all admit we’ve been waiting for a while for a winner and we also know that the Orioles have far more to spend than they have done so, the question is: should the spend $$ for the sake of spending or should they do it wisely. If you just throw money at whoever is available, you will regret it. Anyone remember how much we doled out for David Segui? Danys Baez? Albert Belle? The O’s don’t have a problem spending money, they have a problem spending in right. This year’s free agent class is mediocre at best (let’s see if Lackey stays healthy, Holliday hasn’t proven he can hit AL pitching like an MVP, and Jason Bay, while a very good player, will not change a franchise). Short-term commitments at bargain rates should be appreciated. Do I want to see them land a big fish? Sure. Hell, when Hanley Ramirez is a free agent, I say they give him enough money to make his head spin.

As for Adrian Gonzalez, it’s not a money issue. The Orioles would gladly pay his salary for the next two years and could easily extend him at Markakis money and feel fine about it. The problem is he won’t come for free and I think Padres have already turned down some pretty impressive offers from the Red Sox. If the Orioles offer Tillman, Arrieta, and Snyder, that might be interesting to them. There’s a lot of evidence of these deals going horribly wrong (how about Bartolo Colon for Cliff Lee and Grady Sizemore? Bedard for Jones, Sherrill, Tillman, et al). As an Oriole fan, I have flashbacks to Schilling, Harnisch, and Finley for Glenn Davis. Imagine the 1990s if those guys had stuck around. While I try to be cautiously optimistic, the fact is that there is more promising talent on this team than I have seen in a long time. Let’s not hand over that promise just yet.

I’m not saying we shouldn’t go after Gonzales (though I preferred it five years ago when the rumor Gonzales from the Rangers for Sidney Ponson), but the “at all costs” approach could have him leave the Orioles high & dry in two years while we lose prospects that we will regret like the Davis deal. Patience is a virtue. I think we need to trust that Andy can make the decisions that maximize the gain and minimize the loss (it worked nicely when he gave up Ray instead of Hernandez in the Millwood deal). The Orioles need 78 wins to have the best season they’ve had since the days of the playoffs. Getting to that point without giving up the future promise of the franchise (the bevy of talented young improving studs that are under club control for the next five years) should be the goal for the next year. That’s what I’d like to see.

Pete:

I always thought the O's should make a run at Jason Bay--a right-handed power bat to take advantage of the short gap in left center. Batting him 4 or 5 would provide plenty of protection for Markakis, Jones and Weiters. Either he or Reimold could play left with the other at First. Also, it seems he would thrive here as the pressure to win right now is so much less than the teams he is considering; he appears ill-suited for the oppressive media markets found in NY and Boston. Demands of $14-15 for 5 years do not seem out of line for the O's payroll. I'm surprised his name has not come up in connection with the Orioles.

Down the road, do you think the O's should move Weiters to first so he can just focus on batting and ultimately prolong his career? It seems easier to find/develop a defensive minded catcher than a switch-hitting, slugging first baseman that can anchor your line-up for the next 10-15 years (see Tex in NY).

Wayne,

Your mommy's calling you for dinner. Time to shut down your new lap top that your step-dad bought you for your 48th birthday and come up from the basement.

In MacPhail we trust!

Thanks Rob K,

Already had dinner though, but thanks for thinking of me.

And wow..... haven't seen the 'in macphail we trust' line in quite a while now. Thanks for bringing it back to remind me there are people who still actually say things like that.

My goodness.... Good job Rob K!

....bet you wish FlanaBeatty was still running the show. My how we had such hope in the future when that two headed monster was calling the shots.

Back to my orange flav kool-aid....and I'm chatting with Andy on facebook too.

um, nope

haven't seen the kool-aid reference in a while either.

Bob, are you the Oriole Bird? Come on, really.... Are you?

Very cool!

Dwayne,

It's Rob...not Bob. Nope, I'm not the Oriole Bird.

You aren't that guy from the Cosby spin-off show, A Different World....Dwayne Wayne?

To Andrew and Wayne,

While I agree with your sentiments about problems of reputation and not needing to wait... I question the timing of your words as much as I question the Orioles'.

Namely, which 'big name' free agent do you want this year? Matt Holliday, when we already have 4 established outfielders (maybe 5 with Montanez?). Signing a name, even a great one, that we don't need does nothing for this club.

Holliday is about the only big name out there I really want. Sure, Lackey would be nice. Harden could have been nice. But neither is particularly fantastic.

Again, I agree that the O's don't need to wait until they are "ready to compete" to sign players. That's just silly. But I also would hate to see this team waste money.

You can even relate this to Tex last year. Personally, he's making way too much money. Now, maybe that's something that I have to come to terms with (they all make too much money and that won't change). But Tex is making "once in a decade" type money and I simply don't seem him as a "once in a decade" kind of player.

I want this team to be good. I want to make good signings. I'm tired of names like Atkins, Wigginton, Millar, Payton, etc etc being shoved down my throat as "great upsides with low risk!" But I don't want to throw 50, 70 or 100m at a guy just to get the big name - even if we don't need 'em.

If the rumour is true that the Sox offered Bucholz, Ellsbury, Bard and 2 minor leaguers and SD said no go, who do you suppose the O's can offer up? That's a pretty good package- 3 guys who can step in right now and play, and a couple top tier prospects. And thats a rejection from the SD GM who used to work for Epstein.
Maybe SD is thinking that trading the All-Star face of the franchise might create some credibility problems for them.

Unrelated to the specifics...I thought it was pink slip day at Tribune again with your headline Pete.

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