If Andy is trying to gauge fan reaction, it would be completely out of character for him. His ability to ignore the day-to-day whims of the fan base is one of my favorite things about him.

Best guy out there, fans/players love him he can play SS also.. Bring him back

Pete

Everybody in the Baltimore area has a Tejada jersey (if they didnt burn it) and would love to start wearing it again but who would get to wear #10? Miggy or Jones?

2 bagga,

That situation is why Miggy wont come back to Baltimore. It would be like the movie the fan. The blogger Wayne would end up stabbing Adam Jones so Miggy gets his number 10 back then would go kidnapping one of Miggys kids and going nuts at a game.

Chicago still refers to him as "Andy the clown", so the jury is still out!

Seth,
Ayyyyy Bobbayyy!!! Great reference.

Who wouldn't pick Tejada over Crede? I don't care if Crede has "better character" or whatever, sign the better player. God forbid we sign a player who wants to win. But I guess we need a "clubhouse" guy" to rally the team for those moral victories.

Wouldn't bring him back for love or money.

The guy was a cancer here and the club doesn't need any more steroid-taking, "it's all about me" players influencing the younger guys either.

If we bring him back, why not bring Gibbons and open a steriod stand out by Boog's BBQ too?

Peter

This is total common sense. MIGGY is so much more durable, and better than Crede with the bat.

But...... HE WILL COST MORE. And the O's are abargain basement team. It don't matter that we all want him back. Its gonna be crede.

Sucks, but ....THATS THE ORIOLE WAY!

I had thought all along that Miggy would be a good fit , and had wondered why it had taken this long for the topic to arise . Who knew ?

I think the fact that Joe Crede hit .225 is enough to beg for Miggy to please come back!

I would love to see Miggy in Orange & Black. Joe Crede, throughout his carreer, has been a very productive player when healthy. But that's the big caveat: when healthy. He has a disastrous injury record and there is no reason that anyone could expect that he would magically have a healthy year if he came here. And, remember that Joe Crede on the 15 day DL = 2 weeks of Ty "I just broke the MLB record for consecutive pop outs on a first pitch" Wiggington in the lineup and at 3B. That just can't happen this year.

And, it doesn't really seem like there are too many other options. So, Miggy it is. His production hasn't been awful and, I think (correct me if i'm wrong), that the ballpark is pretty big in Houston. plus it has a high wall in left. And, if he really is willing to play 3B, he should make for a pretty strong defender.

What I really like about this, though, is the sense of symbolism that goes along with it. Especially if we are able to bring back Bedard as well. Maybe I'm looking at this and reading way too much into it. But, what I see is a set of bookends. These signings could be like the end of the beginning of a new era of Oriole baseball. The return of the guys who we traded away for prospects. Uniting the new and the old in order to move forward.

I know there are many who (1) are totally unimpressed at the prospect of these signings and/or (2) don't want to see these guys back at all. But, what if these guys could return and helps us to win a few games. No one's saying that they're gonna singlehandedly get us a playoff spot. But, what about the idea that you can literally rent out (not trade, rent) a few guys for some outstanding prospects and then get those guys back two years later and for less money than you were paying them before? Admittedly I'm only a backseat GM, but that seems like the epitome of a baseball coup d'etat to me. And, when things like that start to go right for an organization, maybe some other good things will follow.

alright, this is probably way too optimistic. feel free to pile on the declarations that i'm on the warehouse payroll...

Why not sign both Crede and Miggy? See who works out better Atkins or Crede at 3rd and if they both look good try using one at first so we dont need to play the Wiggy/luke/rookie experiment. Why does Miggy need to play 3rd base again?? Our current SS is not as good as Miggy. But in any case I would think signing both would allow more flexibility with all the positions and can allow Trembley the ability to change things up if needed. Hopefully not like the bullpen though!

The poll running right now on the Orioles Hangout has Miggy over Crede at an 84% to 16% clip. Smaller sample, but they are more knowledgeable fans. I'm in the Tejada camp.

Otherwise, I'd prefer to just give 3B to Scott Moore for league minimum then Crede for $2 million. At least Moore has a bit of upside.

Crede would be a great choice if he was healthy.... which he hasn't been since 2006

Pete, Where have the two supposed schools of thought emereged, especially the latter one? If the Orioles have no genuine interest in bringing back Tejada, but are pretending to, then that's unethical.

I can see them wanting to play hardball with Boras, but hope it wouldn't be in such a disingenuous and underhanded way. For this reason, I'd prefer to think that that scenario isn't correct.

Ed D, Steroids aren't an issue and shouldn't be. Tejada's not using them now, and the O's already have a player, Brian Roberts, who admitted having used them once. Can we please move on to current events?

Enzo in Brooklyn, If the O's signed both Bedard and Tejada and those players helped the team, it would be a real slam dunk for MacPhail, especially if he was able to retrade them later for more prospects! LOL

anon, being from Chicago, I can assure you the fans there are as warped as any fans anywhere. They have a passion for all seven pro teams and several major colleges located in and around Chicagoland, not to mention their adoption of Notre Dame and the U of Illinois, that surpasses anything seen in this village.

They tore Jerry Krause a new one just about every year, even though he put together the team that won six Finals in eight years. So, that they would call Mac "Andy the Clown" means nothing.

Mac is doing it the right way, and for a stopgap signing, Tejada would be perfect. He can still play, provides back up at SS, gives the manager some flexibility and should be rejuvenated by being around all the hungry and enthusiastic Orioles' youngins. No doubt Tejada would take very seriously his role of mentor and role model and the youngins will keep him focused. Plus, Roberts and Markakis are established here and would also keep Miggy on the straight and narrow.

For all of his faults, the Mitchell thing and the B-12, Miggy is a good guy.

I know some think it would be a step back to sign Tejada, but if you're going after Bedard, which seems possible, then why not Miggy?

"The other possibility is that Andy MacPhail allowed the story to gain some momentum as either a bargaining ploy to hold down the price of Joe Crede..."

Pete -

Seriously? I didn't know that was such a huge market for a 32-year-old third baseman with back issues that have limited him to 97 games or fewer over the past three seasons.

I don't think Crede needs any help holding his price down.

I agree, bring him back. A .300+ hitter is a darn useful thing to have, no matter what the power numbers. Plug him into the number 3 spot, let Markakis his behind him, let Atkins or Reimold cleanup, Wieters or Scott 5th, and you've got a solid lefty/righty build that no one wants to face.

Unless he's hitting 30+ homers, which he hasn't done since '04, Tejada has absolutely no business hitting higher than 6th.

The guy has grounded into 161 double plays over the past six seasons while leading the league in GDP four times in that span.

I agree, bring him back. A .300+ hitter is a darn useful thing to have, no matter what the power numbers. Plug him into the number 3 spot behind Adam Jones, let Markakis hit behind him, let Atkins or Reimold hit fifth, Wieters or Scott sixth, and you've got a solid lefty/righty build that no one wants to face.

And as far as Erik Bedard goes, I've always been a huge fan of his. Watching his curveball is kinda like watching Ray Lewis in that San Diego game stuffing Darren Sproles on 4th-and-2: There ain't a whole lot better in the world of sports. Now that we've got Millwood and some extra money, let's throw that money at an injury risk; and more than that, a homegrown injury risk.

Both left on somewhat bitter terms with the team, given that they were asking out of the AL East basement, but Tejada seemed worse. Bedard was upset at how the Orioles were disresoecting him in contract negotiations, while Tejada was just upset at losing. I'd rather see Bedard back next season, but Andy MacPhail shouldn't shortchange the FAN when getting the best available third baseman on the market.

I have yet to hear one of Tejada's ex Oriole teammates or someone in the know refer to him as a clubhouse cancer. The guy wanted to win. That said, i can't condone his lack of hustle as that makes me sick. All the Os should watch tape of Nolan Reimold running out routine grounders last year.

He would be sweet to put him in the 2 hole if not for the DPs but I can't imagine him coming here and hitting lower than 5th in the order.

cush -

In a year or two, we'll be watching Reimold jog to first on routine grounders.

It's just the way things are. There are three things in life that you can count on: death, taxes and MLB players not running out routine grounders.

And until managers and team execs do something about it (ie: FINES! FINES! FINES!), it's going to continue.

Tejada would be a solid #6 hitter, Scott #7, Atkins #8.

Then again, I think Jones would be a solid #6 hitter, but right now he's looking like our #4. Kinda sad.

Not Brooks,

So far this offseason Macphail has a perfect record NOT signing any of the free agents who may have had a significant impact on the team and would have cost real money. It makes perfect sense that Macphail intends to sign Joe Crede. He fits the Andy Macphail template for stopgap players on the wrong side of their career obtained on the cheap.
Signing Tejada doesn't fit Andy's MO. I say it's Crede. Pete's closer to it than we are and my guess is that he said what he said not as merely musing but probably from something he heard.

To borrow your line,"Prove me wrong Andy!"

I'm for bringing him back for a year as long as he understands that that by the end of the year, he'll most likely be in the role Wiggy was in last year. I think he gives you that flexability too, where if you needed to play him at SS in a pinch (say... if Izzy gets hurt), you could (even though his range is nothing). It also might make Andino and Turner work a little harder in ST.

I like Crede's glove, but it just looks like there's no guarantee that he's gonna be healthy enough to maintain the position and a corner infield of Atkins/Wiggy sounds like disaster waiting to happen for our young pitchers. His glove can't possibly be any worse than Wiggy at 3rd. I'm still having nightmares from when Mora was on the DL early last season.

Miggy T over Crede every day of the week and twice on Steroid Sunday

Call me nuts but are we so confident in the abilities of Cesar Izturis we would start him over Miggy?!?! LOL!

Nobody take these rumors seriously… Once again AM is messing with us to get some cheaper parts at a discount to add to the scrap heap..

Why?,

Miggy would be a fine SS backup, but unless you want to see Reimold fielding a ton of ground ball singles, I wouldn't start Miggy there over my grandmother.

If the O's wanted a weak-hitting, whining, past-his-prime third baseman, why didn't they just keep Mora? At least he's a decent defensive 3B.

Ed D,

Why wouldn't we bring back Gibbons? Oh, I don't know. Maybe because he isn't good?

The Orioles infield is so horrible and AM was on vacation most the offseason the Orioles may want to sign a couple different infielders like Crede and Miggy and see which one works out best in Spring Training to try to damage control.

I say go for it. Sign Bedard again too. If they are having trade worthy seasons unload them again and get something in return again.

Tejada vs Crede: Offensively, Tejada is likely to hit for a higher average but less power, while Crede has more power but his average is going to hover around .250's. Crede is a really good defensive player, while Tejada not so much; he may falter at third base because he doesn't have exceptional hands. I'll put 20 errors in front of Miggy's name even before he starts playing third. Tejada can hit cleanup; Crede not so much. Tejada is more likely to give you a full season; Crede will have to be protected by DHing him some. Tejada can also be a backup shortstop and render Andino redundant. Neither would bring anything of great value in a trade. Tejada will bring some bad publicity Orioles way; Crede not so much. Edge Tejada by 52 to 47 percent; absentee ballots not included.

While we wait to see which third baseman no one else wants lands in Baltimore, let me bring up a name that I haven't seen mentioned here all winter: Johnny Damon.

Sure, on the surface, it makes no sense, because Markakis, Jones, Reimold and Pie are already penciled into the outfield, but think about it some more...

- Damon's a legit #2 hitter. We don't have one of those.

- Sure, the outfield is packed, but why not put Damon at DH? It's no secret that he's a below average defender with an arm like that one girl that we all played Little League with, so why not get rid that part of his game?

- There's not much of a market for the poor guy this winter. When they added Curtis Granderson, the Yanks appeared to be out, and according to reports, a reunion doesn't seem likely. And the other teams that are looking for a left fielder (Atlanta, San Francisco) don't have much more than $2-3M to spend.

- Jones and Reimold are both health risks going into 2010. Having another guy who can play the outfield wouldn't be a bad plan.

My take: Sign Damon to a 2009 Bobby Abreu-esque deal. One year, $7-8M plus incentives.

Obviously, the chances of this (or anything else significant) happening are somewhere between slim and none, but...

Prove me wrong, Andy!

I like Chris in HI's point about Miggy being able to play SS if needed even though I think Adino is a better defensive option.

I almost would like to witness MIggy's moping when the O's call up Josh Bell at mid-season. If he was a late arriving player before, imagine what he'd do if benched by a rookie call-up. We all watched Mora last year act like a child when his numbers were woeful.

I say spend the money on pitching instead. This team has shown time and again that it needs as many arms as possible, if only to deal with the inevitable Oriole injury pitching curse. Pineiro and Bedard would be nice 4/5 starters to go with our other 4's and 5's. At least they would have enough bodies that they wouldn't have to reach down for 8's and 9's when someone gets hurt, or has a season-long meltdown. Oh yeah -- you *know* it's going to happen to at least two or three guys on the current roster. May as well prep ourselves for it.

Let us not get carried away! AM is not going to pull the trigger on that move when Crede is available at a cheaper price tag! Even when Miggy is an offensive upgrade over Crede or anyone else that played 3b in the last two years, the team is banking on Bell to be here by the All-Star break! So why block his path with an over-aged star who could still give you 300,15,& 75, can also DH AND FILL IN AT SS when you can get an average fielder that hits 235, 8, & 44? Makes sense to me! 2011 CAN'T GET HERE FAST ENOUGH!!!

Ferg

Orioles pitchers having meltdowns and having to leave early in the season?? What on earth are you talking about? That never happens in Baltimore! AM always gets the best guys to throw for us!

The Orioles need hitters who get on base regularly. That means free agents with high OBP, as well as improving the plate discipline of the players who remain from last year, and stressing plate discipline throughout their system.

That said, Miggy gets on base more than Crede, plus he seems to have more power. Of the two, I'd take Miggy.

Randy wrote:

I say go for it. Sign Bedard again too. If they are having trade worthy seasons unload them again and get something in return again.

This actually a really good idea. I hadn't considered the mid-year trade value of these guys. Turn Tejada and Bedard into another group of Adam Jones and George Sherills. That would be sweet!

Of course, given MacPhail's track record in recent trades, how long before other GM's wise up and stop taking our dregs?

Pete,
Should we just go ahead and bring the bags to put over our heads opening day or wait a month?

Tejada is a type A free agent. Even though he has never played third base he would still cost us a drat pick. No to Tejada.

LJ -

The Astros didn't offer Tejada arbitration, so, in fact, he won't cost a draft pick.

LJ,

Tejada is a type A, but he was not offered arbitration by Houston... so no draft pick.

Curse you, not brooks!

Chris -

It must take time for your thoughts to cross the Pacific on the interhighway.

What difference does it make? No signifigant signings so far, so they may as well sign the usual (pronounced cheapest) AM player. This seems to work for the O's because if nothing else, they are consistant. They have consistantly "STUNK" for 12 years. Why should this year be different?

As much as I would like to see Miggy back in b'more, I don't think he'd be worth the price. Also, it's looking more and more like Andy is banking on Josh Bell so signing Tejada to any sort of deal (either short or long term) doesn't seem to make much sense.

Bring him back, fan favorite, Mo jada Mo betta

i still say no to signing crede and tejada.

Good point, leonard.

I just hope that in addition to any more players, the club signs something that says it's ok for the players to have more facial hair than a porn moustache.

I would like to see Miggy back for 2010. His defensive skills, hustle and HR power from the right side would compliment Luke Scott nicely. It would give the Birds time to evaluate Josh Bell. I say let's do it!

The Orioles need a rah-rah guy who wants to play everyday and put up numbers like Markakis and Roberts.

A heck of a lineup! If Andy picks Crede over Miggy its a another money deal.

Speaking of "defying logic," check out this link re: blog entry about O's rise in ticket prices et al. Who knew there's a connection between Mr. Spock and the Orioles? Cuz there doesn't seem to be too much logical happening at the Warehouse...http://www.examiner.com/examiner/x-4258-Baltimore-Public-Relations-Examiner~y2010m1d20-Winning-Back-the-Fans

I don't like Wiggy, but I would take him over Joe Crede. Crede is a bigger risk in my opinion than Ben Sheets.

Miggy would make the lineup as balanced as any 1-9 lineup in the AL plus as others have said, he can play SS so the utility man could be someone with some more pop because he doesn't just have to backup Cesar (Andino, I am talking to you).

Does anyone really see any downside to bringing Miggy back? I think it would be a great signing.

Absolutely, bring him back. We haven't had anyone hit into double plays with the regularity that he did since he left! And with Mora gone, we surely need another old, slow middle of the lineup bat.

First of all, I don't think Wiggy should play third base at all. He would have to lose all of that weight and get a bit shorter to scoope the ball up. Second, while I enjoyed the enthusiasm of Miggy for the first few years, it was throughly distasteful when it seemed to me that he intentionally would drop easy ground outs and cost the O's games. To me that is much worse that what Mora did in saying he was disrespected. At least More talked it out and not act it out. I would take Mora over Miggy just for his defensive ablities and maybe Mora could find his swing. What's the loss since the new thirdbase man is coming in the middle of the season anyway? Third, what in the world are the O's entertaining the idea of a .225 average player like Crede? From what I understand his defense is not all that great; better than Atkins? Probably not, and I don't think Atkins is particularly strong at third otherwise the O's wouldn't look for a third basemen.

The young starters need solid defense behind them for confidence building and that needs to be proven third basemen, which is not Miggy nor is it Wiggy. I would like to see how Scott Moore does at third. What what I remember he had some fairly decent power. I'd rather bring him up and what and see than Wiggy and Miggy.

It is quite amazing to think that I want Mora back given the available options at this point. The second option would be to let Moore and Atkins duke it for third and buy a first basemen like Blalock or Branyan. The third option would be Miggy and then Wiggy as the fourth option.

Just my two cents. . .

Not Brooks,

My are is BETTER than Johhny Damon's.

Gil :)

Folks,

Don't forget to visit the 'Miggy/Wiggy Corner Shuffle' Booth at FanFarce this Saturday.

Just one of many great new Booths announced at FanFarce 2010.

Miggy a "guy who really wants to win"....

..and repeatedly jogs down to first base.

C'mon man!

The other possibility is that Andy MacPhail allowed the story to gain some momentum as either a bargaining ploy to hold down the price of Joe Crede or as a trial balloon to gauge fan reaction to the concept of Tejada coming back. - Peter Schmuck

Leverage.

That's the old standby of the Law Offices of Peter Angelos and no partners.

It's the only game in town.

And the fans are just another set of opponents.

Couple of thoughts:

First, Greg, according to this article here (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/blog/index?entryID=3869973&name=Neyer_Rob), Crede is a very good defender. Injury history is his main problem, which brings me to my second thought:

We will sign Crede because we are counting on him getting hurt in mid-May, at which point we will bring up Bell and not have to listen to complaints about riding the bench....

Not a sermon, just a thought ;-)

I don't understand this. Why would we bring Miggy back? This is the same guy that they said was a cancer in the locker room. I thought we were in the process of rebuilding. Do you really think he is going to be happy being back here for a season or 2 on a losing rebuilding team? It's going to be the same thing. He was doing great in Houston, but they were also in the thick of their division until August came around. Here we're out of the race after the first month. At this point, when it's not going to make us that much better, why take the risk with the young minds we have here.

Hey Orioles....You got rid of him because he LOST A STEP in the field. He wasn't GOOD ENOUGH any more. Remember you had young guys who could do better. Right?? Freddy Bynum. Right?? I don't believe this has any merit at all. For the Orioles to be saying this is like saying you are going to re-marry your X-wife who tried to murder you. HOGWASH.

redsoxxfann - piss off and get a life. you're still mad our ravens knocked your a$$es out for the 2nd yr in a row.

redsoxfan -

You clearly have no idea what you're talking about. The Tejada trade had absolutely nothing to do with Tejada's on-field abilities.

Stick with your own team, buddy.

Just want to comment on something that Enzo, from Brooklyn, had said about possibly signing Tejada...

While I agree that Tejada would be a much better signing than Crede, I don't think the possibility of the O's bringing Tejada back has anything to do with brining in the "old with the new", talking about bringing back the players we traded away from prospects and pairing them back up with the guys we received in return...to me, that just makes no sense...also, Erik Bedard, are you kidding me?!! McPhail would be McFAIL if he were to bring back Bedard, that guy hasn't been able to stay healthy since he's been out there in Seattle...Tejada, yes, I'd be happy to have back, but, not Erik Bedard...I think Tejada would be a plus-defender at 3rd and, if needed, we could also have him play some SS as well...I'm interested to see how brining in Garret Atkins is going to play out, I mean, if you look at trends, his numbers showed that his hitting has gone way south from 3-4 years ago to now...I hope he regains his hitting form, but, I'm a bit skeptical...anyway, if we don't get Tejada, I hope we put the money into acquiring some pitching...

Not Brooks,
I've been wondering about Johnny Damon as a DH all winter. I thought early on the Yanks were going to bring him back, but I can't see why they would be waiting so long if that was really the plan.

I'm sure Damon's hoping for a deal from a contender, but signing him here would have some upside. Damon would be an effective guy in the two hole, and a solid vet in the clubhouse.

Also adding Miggy would give the O's two great veteran hitters to put in the lineup and take the pressure off some of the young bats. It could allow Weiters another year of seasoning in the bottem part of the lineup since Miggy could work one of the RBI spots until Weiters starts to crush the ball. Let Weiters earn his way to the 4,5, hole instead of force feeding him into an RBI slot.

And Markakis and Jones would be better at the 3, 4, or 5, slot then the two hole and each would get more RBI chances.

I'd also think there are some possible trades available for Scott if Damon pushes him out of the DH spot. Scott's got power, but his streakiness vs. Damon's consistancy with the bat should be no contest.

Having Damon in the 2 hole would cut down on the double plays. The guy's not the burner he once was. But he's a heady baserunner that gets great jumps and has a nose for breaking up DP's.

Just want to comment on something that Enzo, from Brooklyn, had said about possibly signing Tejada...

While I agree that Tejada would be a much better signing than Crede, I don't think the possibility of the O's bringing Tejada back has anything to do with brining in the "old with the new", talking about bringing back the players we traded away from prospects and pairing them back up with the guys we received in return...to me, that just makes no sense...also, Erik Bedard, are you kidding me?!! McPhail would be McFAIL if he were to bring back Bedard, that guy hasn't been able to stay healthy since he's been out there in Seattle...Tejada, yes, I'd be happy to have back, but, not Erik Bedard...I think Tejada would be a plus-defender at 3rd and, if needed, we could also have him play some SS as well...I'm interested to see how brining in Garret Atkins is going to play out, I mean, if you look at trends, his numbers showed that his hitting has gone way south from 3-4 years ago to now...I hope he regains his hitting form, but, I'm a bit skeptical...anyway, if we don't get Tejada, I hope we put the money into acquiring some pitching...

Adam -

Whoever signs Bedard is going to have a great low risk, high reward player.

We all know what Bedard can do when he's healthy. If the price is right and he wants to be here, it would be crazy to not take that risk.

not brooks,

Bedard pitched well enough last year, that is, when he pitched....he hasn't pitched more than 30 games since 2006, and that was the ONLY year he's been able to do so...

The only way I can see bringing Bedard back is if the O's were to get him for cheap(no more than $5 mil. per yr., sad to think that's "cheap")...I just think that Bedard wouldn't be worth it, he's pitched 30 games in the two years he's been there with Seattle and, again, he's only pitched more than 30 games just once in his career and has never pitched more than 200 innings...I just don't think he's worth the money that he and his agent are probably asking for.

Adam -

Spending $5M on a guy who could put up a low to mid 3.00's ERA and 200+ K's is absolutely worth the risk, regardless of how slim the chances are of said guy putting up said numbers.

Tack some incentives and an option year onto a $5M guarantee, and you've got a deal.

Not Brooks,

I just don't see the math...Bedard wasn't happy in Baltimore and I don't see why he would want to come back. At any rate, again, Bedard has only struck out 200+ in a season once. Could he do it again? Yes, of course he could, however, I wouldn't be willing to bring back someone who hasn't had the greatest track-record of pitching too many full seasons. I see him as an injury risk, your typical "high risk/high reward" type of player. Again, not saying he can't produce the kind of numbers you are projecting, but, it's doubtful.

Pete -

There still seem to be a lot of loose ends for late January. Corner position, additional veteran starter, injuries that could lead to more questions (Reimold achilles, Koji, Bergeson, etc..), shoring up the middle relievers, buying a big bat like Delgado/Blaylock/Branyon, etc.

It's been a month since the Atkins deal, and tehre's really only been 3 FA signed. I'm surprised we haven't seen 1-2 more transactions/trades.

Do you see this 1-month period as a concern, or am I just overthinking this?

Pete, on April 13th of 2009 wrote, "Now, I know for a fact that he got a little nostalgic for Baltimore last year..." in regards to Bedard.

I don't think he would have a problem coming back here, Adam.

Adam,

There was never any indication Bedard was unhappy in Baltimore. To the contrary most say he was happy here, but was a risk to leave as a free agent and AM was able to make a great deal to move him before it was too late. $5 million plus incentive to take a shot at his talent is a no-brainer. If he doesn't get healthy, Tillman would be thrown back into the mix to see what he can do and if he does a mid year trade of Millwood or Guthrie becomes a possibility.

Considering a 3B signing is probably for 1/2 to 1 full season before Bell gets a shot, do you really waste money signing Crede to spend 80 days on the DL and hit .225 while playing or signing Tejada to play out of position while his offensive numbers continure to erode? At the risk of generating dozens of negative responses is everyone sure that one year removed from .285 23 and 104 that Mora can't bounce back for a decent year - possibly sharing some time with Aubrey (with Atkins swinging between 3rd and 1st). At least we know he's better defensively.

In case anyone hasnt heard in other news, tejada wouldnt mind a reunion, but with another team, the Oakland A's It was reported tejada's agent contacted the A's about some interest. This was prior to their kouzmanoff deal,though tejada could play SS. Oakland has a young SS in cliff pennington that might not be ready yet. Of course, it wont matter to any team unless tejada nrings down his asking price of $8mill/yr

Crede?

Before anyone suggest Crede again, will you please look at his stats. As Wayne would say, this guy is the Stiff of all Stiffs.

Anyone wanting this guy can't really be an Oriole fan.

Miggy over Crede anyday....

brooks... unless you are a scrappy maniac, no players run out routine grounders every time.

The risk/reward is not there, why pull a hammy running out a chopper to second. The stop/start actions taken in baseball makes players prone to nagging injuries (hammy, quad, etc).

What good does running out 150 ground outs to eek out maybe 5-6 extra times reaching. Then, when you finally do get on base because of hustle, then the next guy up has a 70% chance of ending the inning with an out. Better odds winning something on the 1 out of 3 Ravens Scratch-off.

Stay healthy and keep Andino off the field.

The "not scientific' SUN poll, huh? You gotta be kiddin' me! Why would Andy gauge fan interest from such a poll where you can vote as many times as you want. The poll is a joke, no matter what the question is. I don't even understand why The SUN even runs it. It could be 1800 responses from 100 fans as far as I'm concerned.

And as far as Miggy coming back to the O's, that could mean only one thing-------nobody else wants him, except the O's, for a cheap price, of course. Just say NO, Andy. Havn't we suffered enough from the MiggyTheatrics, or do we really need an encore?

He plays everyday, hits with a little power (still), and should have no problem converting to third. We can even DH him at this stage of his career. If, the price is right, sign him, and do it quickly. If it's between him a Crede, Tejada's my choice in a (gag) New York minute.

Hey, here's a idea on raising some cash for some decent FA's. We look around for a cash rich company that bought out another company that once was in the asbestos business. We sue the rich company, get the cash, put a couple of thousand of the their employees on the unemployment rolls, and then buy some free agents with the cash. OR, on second thought, we keep the cash, and say to hell with the free agents.

I'm mixed about this. I always liked Miggy when he was here and when he was traded, I also thought it was the best thing for the club- not necessarily to get rid of Miggy, but to get back a lot of talent for him in our rebuilding plan. Where we currently are- in needing a stop-gap veteran to hopefully pave the way for Josh Bell at 3B- Miggy would be a good solution- certainly better than Joe Crede. Crede is injury prone and not nearly the offensive player- or leader- that Miggy is. Miggy brings a lot of energy.

Depending on the contract, if Miggy was willing to take a one year deal, with an option for next year- and the price was in the $4M range than yes, I would bring Miggy back.

This team will be below .500 again Tejada or no Tejada. Wake me up in 5 years when all our "prospects" become superstars.

mclean,

You are being negative. Just because the team has lost 12 years in a row and will likely chalk up number 13 this year is no reason to give up on this fine organization. Yes, fans are leaving in droves, and no, Andy macphail did not do the things necessary to put the team in a position to compete in the AL East, but it's only his 4th year. Give him a break. Ok, the Orioles raised ticket prices on a Friday night at midnight but heck, everybody does it.

The organization is teeming with potential young talent and a few of them may actually succeed at the Major League level. If not, Andy will just bring in some more until he gets it right.

Rebuilding takes time and patience mcclean, and there is no time frame as to when they team might win if ever. But winning isn't the exciting part, it's the journey. hang in there, things are bound to get better someday

Kevin Cowherd,

Bravo! I'd watch your back around there now though. Negativity + Orioles, usually = Cya!

Nevertheless ------ Bravo for telling the truth!

See I like the addition of miggy because it will help us against one of our biggest weaknesses, left handed pitching. If he comes in with a good attitude then he can be a mentor for some of the younger players, if not then it will be an issue. Honestly, if he has an attitude trade him for a young unproven prospect or two, he would be worth that to certain clubs.

SIgn Crede!

The corner combo of Crede and Atkins could literally set the bar for the worst offensive corner combo in the last 25 years.

The Oriole Way!

SIgn Crede!

The corner combo of Crede and Atkins could literally set the bar for the worst offensive corner combo in the last 25 years.

Whoops, I'm being negative. Sorry, I just looked at their stats and couldn't help myself!

The only reason I can think of for Andy MacPhail wanting to sign Crede is that Crede played for the Twins last year; every player in a Twins uniform looks good to Andy.

Again with the "Bell will come here in mid-season" stuff. Why won't he start the season in the majors? Obviously, it's because he is not quite ready. So how do we know he'll be ready in June, or September, or 2012, or ever? We DON'T! I like the guy, and have high hopes, but I won't even bother starting in on the names of players who looked every bit as promising but just didn't make it, because I'd never stop, but I'm sure everyone can build their own list. Baseball is tough in a way football and basketball are not. There's no guarantee that even a guy who's dominant at one level (which Bell has not been, yet) will be even adequate at the next.My point is that we need a 3b, period. Not a two-month 3b. People seem to be afraid we'll end up with too many MLB-caliber players on our roster. I admit that's a problem we have no recent experience with, but it doesn't frighten me.

Not Brooks,

I do see your point with wanting to sign Bedard and bring him back to Baltimore. He's definitely got the talent, that's no question. However, you talk about bringing Bedard in and not bringing in Crede. I understand that 3B is a demanding position and that Crede is even more injury-prone than Bedard. My point is, why spend the money on either one when they are both injury risks/concerns?

I wouldn't mind taking Bedard back, but, not at an asking price of $5 mil. per year...I'd do a one year, $3 million and incentive-laden contract on him, seeing how he's only pitched 30 games the last two seasons combined. Yes, $5 million in todays game isn't much(that's really sickening to think of), but I still think it's too much to pay for someone who has only pitched 30+ games in a season once, has never pitched over 200 innings and is on the wrong side of 30...

Danny In WV,

I understand your point for wanting to bring Bell up and have him open up the season as the 3B. I believe the reasons are, one, he probably isn't ready just yet and starting him right away would probably put unneccessary pressure on him, such as, if he slumps and starts out badly, and there's a good chance he would, what would that do to his confidence? I don't think they want to risk that just yet...

Also, number two, I think it's somewhat of a financial move as well, somewhat like what Baltimore did with bringing up Wieters. Not exactly sure though, but that's just my take on it.

Speaking of Wieters, I sure hope that he can make good strides to living up to the hype this year. I saw that he finished somewhat strong at the end of the season, so, I'm hoping that'll carry over into this year and he can provide some much needed offense.

Adam: My point with Bell was just the opposite. Far from wanting to bring him in at the beginning of the season, I'd rather not hear any talk about bringing him in later this year, or ever.Let him play at the appropriate level, and bring him up when and if he's ready. Meanwhile, field a complete baseball team, not one which is short-handed while waiting for a minor-leaguer to arrive. (Last year we were waiting for Wieters, but we made sure we had catchers on the team.) Assuming short-term future progress based on short-term past progress makes about as much sense in baseball as it does in the stock market.

Danny in WV,

You'r being far too logical Danny. Aside from then fact that Bell can't catch a cold or hit left handed pitching, Common sense doesn't fit "The Plan".

Plan "A' is to lose until we win.

Plan "B" says refer to Plan "A".

I say we sign Wang too and then have something to gloat about when the Yankees come to town and Wang is winning again!

IF U THOUGHt HUFF AND MORA WAS A TERRIBLE CORNER IF COMBO, ATKINS AND CREDE IS EVEN WORSE

Atkins & Crede, 2007 -- .306/.365/.487, 29 HR 133 RBI (862 PA)
Huff & Mora, 2007 ------.277/.339/.427, 29 HR 130 RBI (1130 PA)

Atkins & Crede, 2008 -- .273/.323/.456, 38 HR 154 RBI (1037 PA)
Huff & Mora, 2008 ----- .295/.352/.520, 55 HR, 212 RBI (1231 PA)

Atkins & Crede, 2009 -- .226/.299/.377, 24 HR, 96 RBI (766 PA)
Huff & Mora, 2009 ----- .249/.315/.372, 23 HR, 133 RBI (1093 PA)

I guess when Andy said buy the bats, he meant buy (even worse) bats than we're used to.

LOL-- "THE PLAN"

for those that think Andy is stinker, and can't do anything right, here's some "outside"-"non-warehouse" independent analysis.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2010/writers/jon_heyman/01/18/top.offseasons/index.html

yeap, it's true. Andy is doing fine.

paulie -

That Heyman article is total bunk.

Here's his overall analysis of the O's: "Quietly, the Orioles have taken significant steps to improve their team, though not enough to threaten in the impossible AL East."

Signing Matt Holliday would have been a significant step. Trading for an ace would have been a significant step. The O's have made some minor improvements, but they certainly haven't taken any "significant steps".

And since the Red Sox, Yankees and Rays all figure to be just as good, if not better than they were last year, the O's minor improvements don't really mean much.

And here's his quote on Atkins: "...corner infielder Atkins has to do better than he performed last year..."

Um... What? Atkins has moved to the tougher league, he won't be surrounded by Troy Tulowitzki, Brad Hawpe and Todd Helton anymore, and outside of Coors Field, he's got a .252/.324/.411 line. He could very well be just as bad as he was last year, if not worse.

"He's got to be better than last year" is the worst argument of all time. Following that logic, any player who was horrible in 2009 is going to be better in 2010. How does that make any sense?

not brooks--

bunk or not, there is a general consensus in other corners of Baseball that the O's are moving in the right direction.

true, there has been no "significant" move forward, but forward none-the-less.

I agree with ur Atkins assessment.

Agree also with Matt Holiday being "significant", but there are a lot of questions about the Holliday signing (more then Tex...is he really worth that??)

--do you just like playing Devils Advocate? :)

paulie -

First off, Holliday got considerably less than Teixeira...

Holliday: seven years, $120M

Tex: eight years, $180M

Second, I completely agree with the national media who say that the O's are developing a solid core of young players. But that doesn't equal forward motion. Suppose the youngsters don't improve as we all hope in 2010? What if Reimold and Jones both get hurt again? What if Tillman flops? What if Matusz ends up being a back of the rotation starter instead of a #1 or #2? Losing any one of those guys is huge chunk of the future down the drain.

What this team needs to do to really move forward is to get serious about acquiring top notch, proven talent. When that happens, I'll believe that this team is taking significant steps toward contention.

Finally, I do enjoy playing Devil's Advocate. It makes the discussions here much more fun.

Jason C,

When MacPhail said buy the bats, he may have been speaking literally, as in the pieces of wood used by batters to swing at pitched balls. This is the only explanation for why he won't "buy" any decent hitters.

my sources tell me that we're waiting for texiera's contract to end up in NY, and then we'll sign him. by then, AM expects to have the pieces in place for a big name FA signing.

huh???,

Hilarious post!

Rather than Crede (who is a disaster) and Miggy (likewise), exactly what would it take to keep Adkins on third and trade for Adrian Gonzalez? What do the Padres want? Such a trade would give the O's instant credibility and jump them into contention. Why don't the O's pull things like this off? Shouldn't it be something being worked on 24/7? Of course you'd have to give up young propects but the O's have plenty and look at the upside.....just amazing! Jeff Passan is giving the O's plenty of positive press....and hopefully it isn't going to their heads. The O's have the prospects and could make the trade of the off season.

not brooks:

agree that there are risks in the youth. there are just as many risks in Free Agent acquisitions too; injuries, players not living up to salaries, restricting future salaries of other Free Agents or long term deals with the youth.

Based on Andy's own admission, there will be free agent additions (obviously) but not all Free Agents are good ones to acquire. Because a guy is available does not mean he's "right" for the club.

personally, I think AM is taking his time to watch the youth, and if Matuz doesn't pan out than he'll look for pitching....but you can't acquire parts, if your not sure which ones you'll need.

"when" is a typical question among fans. "when" will there be the big piece added that puts the O's over the top. "when" are they going to be perennial winners. "when" can I confidently talk trash against the Yankee and Sox fans.

those questions can only be answered "when" it's time. The O's are closer to that point than they've been in a long long time.

the answer is soon. but not soon enough for most.

paulie,

If you asked your boss for a raise and he said "when it's time and you are closer to that point than you have ever been" I don't think you would find that answer very satisfying, as it is nothing more than subjective physchobabble.

That's what the fans are getting from Andy Macphail, and after 12 years of losing it is not nearly good enough.
It is good enough, however for another huge loss in attendance and fan support.

I am not disparaging your fan loyalty, but you are part of a vanishing group. There will be an additonal 250,000 fans this year at Camnden Yards dressed as empty seats.

A 'vanishing group' indeed!

Accept of course when the Yankee and Sox fans come to town. Then camden will be rockin!

Not with O's fans of course, but rockin all the same!

paulie -

I'm all for the youth movement. I'm just as high on Weiters, Matusz, Tillman, etc, as everyone else.

But I believe that, with that core in place, this offseason was the right time to complement the youngsters with a few proven veterans. And if that meant trading Reimold or Tillman, fine. I'll take proof over potential any day of the week.

And until the front office starts to add said proven veterans, the answer to the "when" question is not "soon". It's the same as it's been since the O's failed to sign Vlad Guerrero in 2004: "maybe next year".

Gil,

I get your point about attendance (yes it will drop).

ditto on remaining fans wanting it "now" because "soon" has been a mantra for 12 years running.

however, it's not a raise from the boss fans are asking for (after all, for the majority of the past 12 years in addition to loosing, there was more than enough spending).

my analogy is this: Your dealt KQ suited and it is still before the flop. You can raise big (Matt Holiday), raise a little (Mike Gonzalez), or "limp in" with a loaded hand. I'd like to see the flop (progress of youth) before making any wager.

At this point now, there are soooo many possibilities as to the outcome. One of which is that the O's flop a Full House. Another, high card King. Putting money into the Pot against "big stacks" Yankees is premature now.

The reason Bell isn't going to be on the roster before June is controling his contract an extra year.

Like Weiters last year, Bell will be up the 2nd half to get his feet wet in the majors, since he won't be on the roster the whole year the Birds get a bonus year to control his contract.

It's becoming a very common practice in baseball to stretch that 6th year out an extra season.

Good to hear Bergenson is fully healthy, the O's made the right call to shut him down and give that leg the time to heal right.

He's going to be a vital part this year, lets just hope that Bergenson, Tillman, and Matusz took the lessons learned last year and come back strong this year.

Berken may be best to start back at Norfolk, but Hernandez's power arm may be real useful out of the pen. The pitching should be much improved from this time last year.

So much improved that Koji's name's not even in the mix as a starter. Last year this time he was the O's #2 starter. He might end up being a real asset in the pen, I think he could pitch any where from long relief to closing on a spot basis.

Having the depth in the starting rotation to push him to the pen should improve both the starters and the relief core.

The Orioles already proved when a team trys to rely on FA and forsakes it's minor league system it loses it's soul. There's something about those young guys sharing the struggle to make the majors that bonds them into a team.

They get tight and they become a team, but when the FA's and veteran pickups from other clubs out number the homegrown players, anarchy usually reigns in the clubhouse. We O's fans have seen the results of that for nearly 20 yrs. As much as people hate to admit it the O's clubhouse was well on the way to falling apart when Cal was still filling the stands.

Add a veteran to a group that's on the rise, and magic can happen. Much they way it did when Ken Singleton came aboard with Eddie and the gang.

Or like when Frank Robby came in the 60's.

I agree with Pauley, the right time is real soon. Next winter Prince, Gonzo, and Hanley Rameirez might all be on the market, could take 20-25 million over 8 yrs. or more to sign one of them longterm.

Hanley would be my target, but it's not my 200m that's getting spent. Much of who the O's pursue depends on Waring's season. He goes to Bowie and crushes the ball, he could be the first baseman of the future. The cries for Gonzo or Prince could silenced and short stop becomes the real postion of need.

With the O's other assets, a SS that can bat in the middle of the order, would be the kind of guy to lead this club back to being a winner.

Not Brooks,

I understand your frustration, and others, about not signing "big names", difference makers, people who will make an impact right away. However, I take it from the way that you write, the things that you write and say, that you are knowledgable and you do know that Baltimore is rebuilding.

To bring in some high-priced, dare I say, over-priced, "talent" like they have in years past, would totally go against the youth movement and rebuilding process. Acquiring Matt Holliday would have made no sense at all, neither would Guerrero as we have enough DH's and OF's...the only thing that would've made any sense would've been for Baltimore to go after John Lackey...however, Baltimore, and all of baseball for that matter, can't compete with the Yankees and Red Sox when it comes to shelling out the big bucks or raising the prices for said players to the moon.

Baltimore is doing just what they should be doing, rebuilding from within, getting rid of the older pieces that they had for young, seriously promising talent. Devils Advocate or not, if you're an O's fan, you have to admit that they're doing the right thing.

Mountain Fan,

VERY well said, couldn't agree with you more! I couldn't quite find the right way to put it, but I believe that you just did.

not brooks,

fair point about trades. but even in trades, you have to establish the value of prospects and another year will (mostly) add value.

the O's have said over and over that the Rays are the blue print, and to this point, the Rays have added few "big" pieces. But AM seems to be more of a free agent and trade GM than those in Tampa.

They're only doing half of the right thing, Adam.

Rebuilding is great, and I was excited when MacPhail took the GM job and got off to a great start. But if you plan to rebuild without complementing your young talent with trades and free agent acquisitions, you're going to be rebuilding forever.

I still can't wrap my head around how adding Matt Holliday would have made "no sense at all". Holliday represented what we're all hoping Nolan Reimold will develop into: a right-handed power hitter who can step into the middle of the lineup. He also would have opened up a world of possibilities for this team. With Holliday in left, Reimold moves to DH to start the year. That would have made Luke Scott instantly expendable, and it's been reported that a handful of teams would be interested if he was on the market. Then, if Reimold plays well in the first half of the season, you've got the flexibility to include him in a mega deal for Adrian Gonzalez.

And I haven't even mentioned the massive increase in fan interest that a Holliday signing would have generated.

Matt Holliday made all the sense in the world for the Orioles. And, last year, Mark Teixeira made all the sense in the universe.

But anyway... I am an O's fan. And I'll say that the O's are doing half of the right thing. But if they don't get serious about adding a top notch starting pitcher and a power hitter, this rebuilding project is going to last for a looooooooooong time.

paulie -

Two huge differences between the Rays and the O's:

1. Carlos Peña
2. Evan Longoria

A pair of excellent defenders who make up a true middle of the order threat.

When the O's have two guys who can hit 30+ home runs a piece, then maybe we'll start comparing them to the Rays.

paulie,adam,

I supported Macphail's hiring in early June 2007 and I was on board until Spring 2009. Macphail gets an A+ for rebuilding the farm system and for even deciding to take the hand off from Peter Angelos who said,"You'r it, I'm outta here".

But the situation Macphail took over was not just a team that had a few bad years. They had already stacked up 10 losing seasons in a row. Therefore in my opinion the strategy should have taken two tracks: Rebuild the farm system but don't ignore the quality of the product on the field for the fans who already had the patience of Mother Theresa to go buy tickets. By doing so Macphail has bet the farm on the inexact science of trying to eventually win purely by prospect development and adding a stopgap player or two here and there. The fans have been cheated as this experiment continues to go forward with no real end game in sight.

I am as old as mountain fan and and my father took me to the parade when the St. Louis Browns moved here and became the modern major league Orioles in 1954. I grew up in the Paul Richards era of building the team through pitching and defense. I get it.

That was then and this is now. The reserve clause is gone. If a team wants to compete they have to be willing to play with the big boys and spend money. Baltimore is not Kansas City or Pittsburgh and can do better.

This was not an expansion franchise when Macphail got here, there was infrastructure in place. I say keep rebuilding but add proven talent to compete. It is pretty telling when Macphail passes on Adam Laroche and Scott Kousmanoff because they were too expensive. They could have made this a much better team this year.

That's why I say Macpahil is planning to lose again in 2010 and will sacrafice 2011 if it means he has to sign quality Fa's.

The fans here deserve better than empty promises and green rookies dressed up as major league ballplayers. I think it has now become an outright disgrace.

Brooks, you say what i think and do it coherently.

Gil I agree with most of your post. However i would argue that the Os were worse off thtan an expansion franchise. At least an expansion team starts fresh. The bad momentum AM had to slow down, stop, then reverse is a monumental undertaking.

Either way, we agree that Andy was a good hire and got off to a good start. I, like you, believe he should have been more aggressive in making the on field product better. It sucks knowing your lot before the season even starts, although if things go right, the Os could finish ahead of Toronto.

Mountain Man and Adam, both well said. share ur outlook.

not brooks:

"When the O's have two guys who can hit 30+ home runs a piece, then maybe we'll start comparing them to the Rays."

it's not THAT much of a stretch of logic to see 2 of the O's do such a feat this year.

Gil,

would you not agree, having seen the O's over their entirety (which is frickin' awesome, by the way), that there have been many different ways to make a team?

I believe much like you and not brooks, that a "substantial" free agent should be added. And it might well be tomorrow...but simply looking at those that have not been signed by the O's and concluding that there will be no signings tomorrow...well, I differ on that.

I agree in trading prospects, but who can say if the asking price is too high or the value on the talent the O's have is to undervalued in these deals. Desperation to "get" that big name bat or arm is a bad bargaining tactic.

Gil,

in the end we agree more than we disagree on the point of "adding while re-building". I think you will be proven right...but at a later point.

I think you and I are at the car lot and you want the Blue Vet, and I want the Red BMW.

Gotta like Miggy for his passion for the game. When I found out he did PED's I was just as heartbroken as when I found out about Rafael. However, the O's still need a clean up hitter. If they sign Tejada, will they be able to bring in a Thome, Delgado, etc...? I guess they might trade Luke Scott away, but I don't know how I"d feel about it. If the O's have a plan for him and Atkins, and can still get a Power hitter in the middle of the lineup, I'd back it. Bring back Bedard eventually, too, and reunite the favorite birds of old for a title run.

paulie,

I think many of us on the blog are 75% in agreement and your analogy about the car lot is terriffic. Cush just put it better than I could. It's the dead of winter but for baseball fans like us Spring starts when pitchers and catchers report even if there is two feet of snow on the ground in your back yard. The excitement of the new season is tempered by the realization that your team has little chance of a winnning season.

paulie -

I would say that Reimold and Weiters have the best shot at 30 bombs. Jones might be on the radar there as well and I'll give a major outside chance to Atkins.

That said, I'd be much happier with two guys who will definitely do it than four guys who might do it.

not brooks,

true. but how much sweeter is 2 of the 4? I like Weiters to put the 30 spot. too soon?

Gil,

totally agree. MLB should have an App that'd count down the days till spring training. And the O's can release one that counts down the days till the plan works...it'll be set to infinity...j/k.

paulie -

Weiters has got the tools and he appeared to be putting it all together at the end of last season.

I watched a few videos of some home runs that he hit in 2009. Some of them were absolute BOMBS.

If you were going to force me to make a bet on a Oriole to hit 30 homers, I'd certainly pick Weiters. Give me decent odds though...

PS - I like your enthusiasm paulie. And that you don't take yourself too seriously (your App joke = hilarious). I certainly fall into that trap sometimes.

Hopefully, for all of us, your hopes and dreams for the young O's will come true.

not brooks,

thanks man. It's for the Love of the Game.

I am amazed at the number of people wanting Tejada to return to the Orioles. Tejada spent his last year as an Oriole and maybe his last two years messing up double play balls and relays, waving at ground balls just out of reach so he could force the Orioles to move him and they did. A player who plays for his own personal goals may bring benefits to a ball club. But one who like Tejada seems to underperform for his team to get out of here will not give good defense, be a good club house force and help younger players improve. Keep him out of here for the good of baseball in general.

2011 is THE year...
Joe Mauer (28)
Lance Berkman (35) - $15MM club option with a $2MM buyout
Adam Dunn (31)
Derrek Lee (35)
Carlos Pena (33)
Albert Pujols (31) - $16MM club option with a $5MM buyout
Carl Crawford (29)
Jayson Werth (32)
David Ortiz (35) - $12.5MM club option

Josh Beckett (31)
Justin Duchscherer (33)
Matt Cain (26) - $6.25MM vesting option
Rich Harden (29) - $11MM mutual option with $1MM buyout
Cliff Lee (32)
Ted Lilly (35)
Jamie Moyer (48)
Javier Vazquez (34)
Brandon Webb (32)

That list sure beats the hell out of Holliday, Bay, Figgins, Piniero and Lackey. Maybe MacPhail didn't sign Holliday for 20 mil per so he could focus on the boom 2011 FA class? Can't sign Mauer, Beckett and Crawford when you are stuck with Holliday and his 27 HRs.

ps... kidding about Moyer.

Not Brooks & Gil,

I'm not saying that I disagree with you on adding a veteran, a good one at that, some proven talent that's not washed up, such as what some of our deals had landed us in the past, a.k.a. Glen Davis, Dwight "Dewey" Evans...

I think that the O's will eventually(next year) make a deal to bring over that proven talent that you're talking about...I desperately wanted Teixara to come to Baltimore, however, he turned down the Orioles offer...that's not the Orioles fault, that's greed on the part of Teixara, which is why I can't stand him now and hope he chokes there in NY.

I just think that, sometimes, most times, the asking price for some of these players is just entirely too high, either the dollar amount, or what the other team wants in return. In order for the O's to land Gonzalez in a trade this year with San Diego, such as what a lot of people are hoping for, I guarantee you that they'd ask for, literally, the farm, and then some...that's just not worth it, for one player who may or may not sign and, if he did, at what price? And, that's not just a dollar amount, again, that'd be after we gave up several of our top/key prospects to get this guy(or anyone else in that scenario)...I just don't think that the time is quite right to swing a deal like that...

I do believe that Baltimore will finish at or near .500 this year, so long as the players are healthy, I think that the progression will be there, at least on the offensive side...pitching-wise, I'm not so sure how well these young guys will do, but, I'm not giving up hope...

Personally, part of me wants Miggy and Bedard back, even if only a year, just to complete the total and utter fleecing those trades were to begin with. I mean, Seattle and Houston ended up getting NOTHING out of the deal.

Only 61-39, Tejada over Crede? Crede's terrible w/the bat; we don't need another out in the lineup.

Bring Miggy back!!!! Bring Bedard back!!!! These moves are no brainers. What a story it would be to have the players we traded reunite with the prospects we received to make a legitimate run to the playoffs. I think it's possible..... I'm all for it, no doubt about it.

Bring Miggy back, maybe he'll bring some 'roids. We could use a Brady-like roid-induced 50 homer season outta somebody.