Per Olney tweet, look for resolution in 48 hours

[Dipper9]

You laugh, but how successful has our FA strategy with hitters been?

Interesting we are willing to "bend over" for pitching but try to lowball and find bargains for hitting?

The Rangers really wanted ARod. I mean they REALLY, REALLY wanted Arod. To the point that they outbid themselves by $50 million. That deal set them back years.

Just wanted to show how ignorant your line of thinking is.

[Dipper9]

I think they should just bid against themselves until he accepts. And when he accepts, they should just say "OK, we're going to take our offer, and TRIPLE it."

Because, you know, that's a smart way to run a business.

There is a poster here who will say..."If they REALLY want him that's exactly what they should do."

[clapdiddy]

There is a poster here who will say..."If they REALLY want him that's exactly what they should do."

Because anything LESS would be insulting! ;-)

[JTrea81]

It's amazing the degree to which the business side is lost on you.

I don't care about the business side. The Orioles have plenty of resources to use. It's a matter of how much of them they want to use.

PGA is going to make a profit regardless of signing Vlad or not.

I care about winning and seeing the Orioles commit to putting the best ML product they can on that field.

It seems some people would rather see MacPhail "win" than to see MacPhail acquire Vlad so the Orioles can win more games and have better offensive depth.

Do you want the player or do you want to see a "win" by MacPhail? Which is more important?

Heck even at $6 million, Vlad is a "win" for the Orioles IMO.

[Aglets]

The more I think about it, the more JTrea's style of 'negotiating' for talent seems to be pretty similar to Peter Griffin in Family Guy. They are both from New England.

Peter: I'll give you $40 for that coffin.

Store Owner: Sir, this casket is $1,000.

Peter: I'll give you $2,000.

Store Owner: Sir, that's double what it costs.

Peter: $60.

Brian: [to the store owner] He doesn't know how to haggle.

[Austin]

Matusi got $4.25 million from the A's.

Right. What does this prove? Clearly it means that $4-5 million isn't as ridiculously low as you're making it out to be. Matusi accepted that contract and Manny signed for half that. Now we're making a similar offer to Vlad with no competition and you want us to bid against ourselves.. why?

[DuffMan]

The more I think about it, the more JTrea's style of 'negotiating' for talent seems to be pretty similar to Peter Griffin in Family Guy. They are both from New England.

Peter: I'll give you $40 for that coffin.

Store Owner: Sir, this casket is $1,000.

Peter: I'll give you $2,000.

Store Owner: Sir, that's double what it costs.

Peter: $60.

Brian: [to the store owner] He doesn't know how to haggle.

I was just looking for that clip on youtube!

[LookinUp]

You laugh, but how successful has our FA strategy with hitters been?

Interesting we are willing to "bend over" for pitching but try to lowball and find bargains for hitting?

Pretty terrible, but not all cases are the same. We should have seen the undervalue in Dunn and Beltre [EDIT: 1-2 years ago, not this year] and we should have signed each to multi-year deals. We didn't.

That's different than going out and doing it for an aging DH.

I actually want Vlad on this team, but if we have the best offer on the table than I don't see any reason to let the agent bend us over for more.

Do you know how many opportunities a GM has to be bent over? Just think about all of the draft picks...the free agents...the arbitration...the re-signing of under control players...the international market.

AM needs to set paramaters and stick with them. If you think he's setting parameters too conservatively, I might agree with you. However, I don't agree that he should cave at the tail end of a negotiation every time things get hairy. There's a large distinction there.

[Sports Guy]

Interesting that you suddenly have "no idea" how a Vlad signing would change the Orioles plans...

I never did have an idea of what one signing will effect the budget...But it would be naive to think that if they have gone over budget, that spending more money won't effect other aspects of the organization. No doubt the committment from the FO/ownership on amateur talent isn't strong enough though.

Angelos has also told them to be aggressive in adding more talent before ST. What MacPhail is doing is not being aggressive. He's sitting back and waiting for Vlad to come crawling to the Orioles.

But you don't know how much PA has told AM to spend on Vlad, do you?

[Frobby]

MacPhail is definitely the one holding this thing up as Bowden has said IMO. Angelos wants Vlad, but he's letting MacPhail handle things obviously. And let's not forget MacPhail has said he's more conservative than PGA.

MacPhail is very careful, at all times, not to do or say anything that would give the impression that Angelos has placed restrictions on him. He's a very good employee that way, never one to deflect blame onto his boss, and always quick to credit his boss when good things happen. That's a smart way to operate. But if you believe that Angelos has given MacPhail carte blanche to spend on Vlad Guerrero or whoever else, you are kidding yourself.

[Sports Guy]

You laugh, but how successful has our FA strategy with hitters been?

Interesting we are willing to "bend over" for pitching but try to lowball and find bargains for hitting?

What bending over have the Orioles done for pitching?

They bent over and offered a stupid contract to Vmart this offseason.

[Dipper9]

MacPhail is very careful, at all times, not to do or say anything that would give the impression that Angelos has placed restrictions on him. He's a very good employee that way, never one to deflect blame onto his boss, and always quick to credit his boss when good things happen. That's a smart way to operate. But if you believe that Angelos has given MacPhail carte blanche to spend on Vlad Guerrero or whoever else, you are kidding yourself.

Once again, I paraphrase MacPhail from FanFest...

"We were pretty much done with aquiring players this offseason, but when a guy with the talent of Vlad becomes available at a reasonable price, we'd be foolish not to look into it."

In other words Trea, since this is so hard to comprehend, we were NOT looking to add Vlad until his price tag suddenly became a Blue Light Special. If Vlad is not willing to be sold for the sale price, then the Orioles won't be shopping in his store! Comprende?

[JTrea81]

I never did have an idea of what one signing will effect the budget...But it would be naive to think that if they have gone over budget, that spending more money won't effect other aspects of the organization. No doubt the committment from the FO/ownership on amateur talent isn't strong enough though.

But you don't know how much PA has told AM to spend on Vlad, do you?

No I don't. But I do know the Orioles are not being aggressive in pursuing him.

And if it takes $1-2 million more that would just likely wind up in Peter Angelos' money bin anyway, then give him the money and get the player.

I have no doubt that if MacPhail wants Vlad, Angelos will give him the money he needs to sign him.

[Sports Guy]

No I don't. But I do know the Orioles are not being aggressive in pursuing him.

You do know that? Based on what? They have, reportedly, the ONLY OFFER on the table for him. They have offered him a contract that is comparable to what other DH's have gotten this offseason and adding incentives onto it. So, how exactly is that not being aggressive?

And if it takes $1-2 million more that would just likely wind up in Peter Angelos' money bin anyway, then give him the money and get the player.

And how do you know PA is willing to spend that money?

You must walk out of every negotiation with a lot less money, a smile on the face of the other guys and one sore butt.

[Moose Milligan]

I don't care about the business side.

Of course you don't. Which is why you'd run this team into the ground.