its 1035 and no hits to this post yet?

Everyone on happy pills or something?

I've looked at a list of next year's free agents and the only two position players that really stick out are Konerko and Crawford. I really believe that Pujois wants to finish his career in St Louis.

If Pie has improved so much and with Reimold out there too, do you think that the O's will give only a half hearted effort to get Crawford? Konerko is an interesting option, but I am sure Boston will make a big push for him. The other first baseman having a good year is none other every blogger's favorite whipping boy - Aubrey Huff.

I think the O's want to spend money on a bopper but who? Manny Ramierez?

Who would you go after?

Would love to see the O's make a run at Cliff Lee, though I highly doubt he would evern consider Baltimore. Crawford doesn't make a whole lot of sense. Komerko seems to be a good fit but I would prefer a younger first baseman.

Not to worry. Pete accidentally (intentionally?) hit upon the weekend's constant talking point.

Why? Because joke or not, the reality is that Mr. Angelos may very well do exactly that - decide that we're winning without any big guns and there are no serious first base guns out there anyway and maybe we can pick one up in the draft which, while still expensive, will be nowhere near as expensive as a free agent and worse comes to worst, why have we been bragging about that Snyder kid if he is not going to be as good as that Pujols fellow out there in St. Louis, so why bother?

Well hey, sometimes Pulizer Prizewinning journalistic concepts are better left unsaid, no matter how astonishingly great the journalist, y'know what I mean?

I heard on the radio the other day that the Cards and Pujols may part ways because he'll demand too much money.

Now is the time for the O's to be bold. Pujols is a huge bat, not just a big one. How much better would Markakis and others hit with Albert in the line up?

Since he's 30 now, offer him a 5 year, $150 million contract. With the stats he's put he, he'd be worth it.

peter your news item was
very good. myself and a friend of mine call it your (fact & opinion). will peter angelos step up, no i don't think so. of the free agents mentioned in the article, i would try for carl crawford, but i don't think the orioles will come anywhere near to acquiring him. i say no to bringng aubry huff back. i still am asking the question, why are the orioles playing better baseball under buck showalter than the previous three managers. jeff's aricle on luck scott and felix pie was very good. it is something that has been needed for quite sometime. the manager can't do it all. a player or players need to step up in the club house to show some leadership.

Stretch, I think you need you head examined. Pujols to the O's surely you jest. But since we're all jesting maybe the Card will throw in Matt Holliday and we give them Pie and Wiggington .Sign and Trade deal.

Also, I doubt the Rays will give up on Crawford, Upton maybe. Not Crawford.
It all depends how far they go in the play offs.

Lastly, it seems like everyone has this impression that Cliff Lee is some sort of snob or something. All I have seen since I have started tuning into As the Lee turns he's done nothing but work hard and try to win games from where I sit. If the O's show they are serious about winning and are willing to spend, I see no reason why Cliff Lee wouldn't consider playing for the O's

The Buck will force them to get him some new players. And, they will listen to him and obey his every wish and demand.
We dont need Crawford, we need 1-2 sluggers and a veteran to take Millwood's spot in the rotation.

Reasons Angelos won't step up.

1. Only one premier big free agent signing in 14 years - Albert Belle
2. Angelos doesn't know baseball
3. Does not care about baseball
4. Does not care about team's record, unless it affects the bottom line. Enough wins to make enough money, low risk steady reward theory.
5. NY and Boston fans will come to the stadium regardless of what the O's record is
6. MASN is very successful
7. Does not care about a World Series win. Not one bit.
8. Doesn't even care about making the playoffs. Proof is in the pudding.
9. The Nationals are still sucking
10. Last but not least: He is cheap.

I looked at the upcoming FA and the list is not very exciting outside of Lee and Crawford. Konerko is good, but getting long in the tooth. He could give us a couple of productive years, but will it be worth the inflated price tag due to lack of quality FA? Carlos Pena is a bopper, but K's alot... wouldn't be a bad add... I think the O's should sign Lee and roll the dice that he continues to dominate after getting paid. I think they should then make milwaukee an offer they can't refuse for Fielder. If that doesn't work, I would call KC about one of their 3 1B.. (Bulter or Kila, preferably). Other than that we need to re-sign Ceasar because the other options @ SS are all older and not as good defensively. I am willing to give up offense @ SS for the D that we get with Izturis. Then, bring back Wiggy and get ready for 2011!!

Lee and Sabathia are best freinds and they have both been quoted in the press that thy would like to be team mates again.

New York is a foregone conclusion.

I am surprised at the negative comments regarding Crawford. He is a 5 tool player who has always hit well against the O's.

They will have to resign Izturis or Lugo. The only FA that is decent is JJ Hardy. Hardly an upgrade.

Tony,

Not exiting? Any of these players could help the O's more than most players on their roster:

1. Crawford
2. Cliff Lee
3. Yes, Penna
4. Dunn
5. Reies
6. Pujols - How 'bout that? Empty the bank account on that guy.
7. Woerth
8. Beltre
9. Jeter
10. Rivera

While Houshmandzadeh used up your spell-check quota, there's no real excuse for confusing you're with your in the NFL ticket price/TV item.

Cliff Lee has shown recently that he is hardly invincible.
Guthrie is the best candidate to "lead" the starting staff. We don't need to sign any pitchers at all (except to re-sign Uehara).
We also don't need to sign any outfielders.
A slugging first and/or third-baseman however, might put us right up with and beyond the current division leaders.

That's why Albert Puljols should be pursued with both barrels. After we acquire him..... I think the Orioles will become much more appealing to Adrian Beltre.

Those two guys alone would put this team in the World Series.

Pulhols is 30..... same age as Frank Robby was when we acquired him.

Roberts 2B
Markakis RF
Puljols 1B
Beltre 3B
Scott DH
Jones CF
Weiters C
Pie LF
Izturis SS

Sorry, Meso, but there's no one on your list worth a dime.

Exceptions are Pujols and Dunn, and Pujols is not until next season. If you want Pujols at that time, drop a $300M/10Y on his gold-plated lap, give him 48 hours, and force him to say no to becoming the first $30M man. It's our only shot., although with the young guns starting to produce I suppose we could toss in the old "build around your greatness" routine.

Dunn is really the best bet. We'd have to promise him first base, but so what? It's not as if we have one who would have to be desposed of.

The others are either useless or useless to the Orioles as part of the current stage of the rebuilding plan.

Truthfully, the first order of business should be re-signing Itzuris. Sadly, too many out there dismiss him, showing their age to be from recent times - under 30 or so - with no appreciation of the value and greatness of defense. What that guy does with a glove is magic, making Itzuris a far more important signing than most of the batters whose names we are tossing about for no particular reason. Whoever put Izzy in the same sentence with Lugo should be arrested.

Even sadder is that I am going to get hammered for saying how important it is to re-sign Itzuris, but it is the absolute truth nonethess Just ask the pitchers.

I just have to believe that a guy who made billions playing 'my b@lls are bigger than yours' in asbestos litigation has to want to end this 13 year misery streak and make a run at the sux/yankers/rays. Yes, the TV $ is the big haul and already guaranteed but filling the Yard does make a difference on the bottom line; also marketing/merchandising are totally dependent on winning and the Orioles' brand is teetering on the edge of irrelevance. But spending $ on players still has to make sense in the long run. Hells no on Konerko. Not sure about Dunn -- I note that his nickname listed in baseball reference.com is 'Big Donkey' and has finished no higher than 26th in MVP voting (I know ... bad teams ... but 26th?!?). Crawford is a special player. I gotta believe we could make room for him somehow.

Anyone with an ounce of baseball sense realizes that Ty Wigginton is more valuable as an everyday first-baseman that Adam Dunn could ever be.
I can't understand people's enamoration with Dunn. He's a terrible defender and he'd never be more than a DH in the AL.
And we don't need a DH.

Either we get Puljols or keep Wigginton.

And yes, I support re-signing Cesar Izturis as a priority.
Izturis, Wigginton, Uehara, Patterson, and Hendrickson should all be brought back.

I'm afraid Angelos will feel he can stand pat as well, and we're now getting the argument that there is nobody in the FA market worth having again? What is this crap? I'd take Beltre over Bell in a heartbeat at 3b, and I'd back up a Brinks truck to Pujols' door, though I suspect he'll stay where he is anyway.
Buck is getting more out of this team than anyone could have ever predicted, but that doesn't change the fact that the O's are short on talent and will not be competitive until they address that

with this being the fnal year of albert pulhos's contract with the cardinals. i don't think it will be what he wants to stay with the rd birds. it will be what scott boras wants. you can bet it will be off the wall with what boras will be asking.

Pujols has a club option for 2011. He is not a free agent.

Adam Dunn WAS- Like to see him DH here, but thinking he may want to win for a change (also note the resurgence of the Reds post-Dunn)

Konerko snubbed the O's the last time his contract came up. Wouldn't waste your breathe on him.

Carlos Pena is falling into Izturis argument (glove helps, but no bat). The HRs help, but a .201 average doesn't. He is basically the Dominican Dave Kingman (440 HRs, .236 Avg).

Papi's option won't be picked up in Boston. (I predict he pulls a Johnny Damon and signs with the Yanks)

Beltre's option will be picked up in Boston.

Derrek Lee got old fast this year. Same with Berkman.

Meso- Stop acting like Belle was the last FA PA signed. Remember Miguel Tejada 1.0? At least get your act together before you rant.

leonard-

Don't think Pujols is with Boras. At least not according to BB Ref. Pujols will never see Free Agency. The Cards have the option on him.

Wonder if the Yanks up Jeter this year after the pedestrian season he's having?

I would look at:

Dunn
V Mart
Crawford
Werth

Free agents overall are drying up. This should have been a good year, but it looks lousy because of the declien of many and the fact that teams are locking up their own in advance of free agency

sham,

I had the same observation about the Free Agent market loosing it's luster. No Mauer, no Beckett. blah.

Crawford makes sense for two big reasons besides his talent, the O's would be taking him away from Tampa and denying his services to the Yankees.

Besides that he's a talented 5 tool outfielder just entering his prime. Pie's done a nice job, but Crawford's in upgrade in every catagory. He's a guy that I'd empty the bank for.

Look how much better the rest of the O's hitters are once Roberts got back. Crawford is even more disruptive then Roberts, the two of them together could really put pressure on teams.

The Cards aren't letting Albert go anywhere this winter.

Guthrie seems to be making the step up to being the staff leader that the O's have needed for some time. Bergenson seems to be finally regaining his arm strength. Matusz, Arrieta, and Tillman all seem to have matured, taken their lumps this year, and are looking strong going down the stretch.

With Britton waiting in the wings, starting pitching isn't a terrible need.

I don't see a pitcher out there that Buck & McPhail will go to the mat to sign. And Angelos has a long history of second quessing big FA deals for pitching.

I would resign Koji. All of the sudden with Johnson, Gonzo, and Koji healthy the back of the pen looks solid.
Right now there's a need for a LH matchup guy like Ohman, hidden in Tillman's stats is an excellent SO to walk ratio to LH hitters. Could he be the guy?

Hernandez is the guy that looks to have that closer mentality and the stuff to go with it. Those sliders he threw last night were "filthy". Mid 90's fastball with a slider like that, lots of people going to the dugout cursing...

I've got to agree, Izturis is the best FA SS, resign the guy, it's the best investment the O's can make to backup the young pitchers.

With Bell installed at 3rd, and Wiggy playing a solid defensive 1st along with Roberts return, the O's are suddenly playing solid infield defense.

That improved IF D has been a big part of these starters putting together their solid run. Dunn's added pop in the lineup vs. Wiggy's glove? Sign Dunn and move Wiggy to 3rd? Would create a terrible defensive infield, just what the young staff needs.

Pena's HR/SO machine and good glove vs. Wiggy's solid not very splashy bat, and good glove along with his ability to play some 3B?

In the end I wouldn't be surprised to see Wiggy resigned.

Everything depends on Buck's evauluation of what he has here. Haven't heard him say he needs two big bats and a stud starter to win. His history has been to identify a core of young talent and then to stick with them to build a baseball team.

Buck's got that depth chart on his wall that lists the O's minor leagurers, I'm thinking this evaluation period goes into the spring, this winter will see a couple of moves but not wholesale changes.

The move that makes the most sense on a lot of levels is to go get Crawford.
I'm thinking he wouldn't have taken the job if his evaluation of the talent here isn't higher then what is the common assumption.

Oh I'm sorry Sham!

2 notable free agents, including Tejada. I don't really put Tejada in the same league with Belle. Belle in his prime was a monster. Care to research how many notable free agents the Redsox or the Yankees have acquired during the same period?

Yeah, that's right. You better check your crap before you rant.

There you go again people..bashing Mr. Angelos. He is a great man! He wants to win more than you.

Everything he does is with care and perfection. You joke about his law firm and the type of cases he won..YES WON...ask the people that he won cases for, especially 'Class-Action Lawsuits.'

One crazy person mention Albert Belle was the only high price free agent of quality. What about Rafeal P, R. Alomar, Bobby Bonilla, and David Wells? Get your facts straight.

Peter Angelos would never bash you, unless you were his opponent in court.

There you go again people..bashing Mr. Angelos. He is a great man! He wants to win more than you.

Everything he does is with care and perfection. You joke about his law firm and the type of cases he won..YES WON...ask the people that he won cases for, especially 'Class-Action Lawsuits.'

One crazy person mention Albert Belle was the only high price free agent of quality. What about Rafeal P, R. Alomar, Bobby Bonilla, and David Wells? Get your facts straight.

Peter Angelos would never bash you, unless you were his opponent in court.

meso-

Sorry if $6-7 mil a year isn't big enough for your zero comprehension of large numbers XBox riddled brain.

Javy Lopez 3/22

Sir Sidney Ponson 3/21

Ramon Hernandez 3/18

The $40 mil bullpen

Paid most of Sosa's $17mil.

Paid Markakis, Roberts, Mora all big money to stay.

Paid Millwood to come here.

Sorry they didn't kidnap Tex and make him come here with Holliday, AGonzo, Beltre, CC, Burnett, et al.

The team has spent money, albeit poorly.
Look back and see how great a lot of the Mega Deals are panning out for teams. You hear much more bad than good.

The man can't do anything right for the fans. Early 90's, the O's didn't spend. Then they did, ignoring the farm, got to the playoffs. Fans wanted a rebuild after that, so he did, team sucked for several years. Fans got impatient, he spent money again in 2004, team had a great half and faded. Then they spent like crazy on the bullpen the next year, of course it didn't work out. Then he got MacPhail to gut the org top to bottom, he did, team hasn't won quite yet, historically bad start to 2010, fans want him to blow money again.

I think they have a shot at a Cliff Lee or a marquis hitter. They have proven they can win with the right manager. However, they will have to pay a premium to get a star. If the Yankees offer a 5 year 90 mil to Lee, O's have to pay a premium to get him. Say 6 year 120 million. It has to be something he would have a hard time to say "NO" to.

I know everyone loves to hate Angelos, but aside of some serious errors over the years will you please credit him with keeping the Os in Baltimore?
That is not a little thing.

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Pete's reply: It wouldn't be a little thing if he actually had kept the O's in Baltimore, but the Orioles were never in danger of leaving. They had an iron clad new lease on Camden Yards, which was the most profitable stadium in the 1990s. Nobody was going anywhere, regardless of who bought the team. He did bring the team back under local ownership. That may be what you're remembering.