Anyone have a link to MacPhail's Q&A from today?

[Lateralus]

Man, a certain poster on here reminds me of Travis_Moon. Dunno if that's exactly a good thing.

[El Gordo]

I think the main reason we would be reluctant to spend $100 MM plus on one player, is that PA doesn't want the team to spend at too great a deficit. I think he sees the team always being close to breaking even, in terms of revenues, as the fiscally responsible thing to do. I think all the talk oh him lining his pockets is pure

[hoosiers]

I think it's pretty simple. Take the 2003 Rangers. Their payroll was something like $103M. Without ARod it was $81M.

There were four American League teams that finished with between 83 and 96 wins who had payroll of $55M or less.

You're telling me that ARod caused the Rangers to not be able to compete, when four other AL teams had payrolls at least $26M less than the Rangers without ARod, and still won more than they lost?

The Rangers during ARod's tenure lost because they spent $81M on a 60-win team, when an average team spent $68M on an 81-win team.

First, I never said "ARod caused the Rangers to not be able to compete". Kind of surprised at this leap in logic from one of our best posters.

Second, I do not understand the point of the post generally. What does the payroll of the other AL teams have to do with anything? Just speculating, but I imagine the low payroll teams received substantial contributions from younger pre-arb players.

I'll repeat what I've said above - the Rangers were never going to compete seriously while ARod was in town - even with his massive contribution - 8 WAR. At the time the deal was signed, Texas lacked the existing pitching and minor league talent to compete even with ARod and could not make that up with free agent signings. I am sure one can use 20/20 hindsight and connect the dots to the free agent pool and to technically figure out how to better spend the $ given to guys like JuanGone, ChanHo and Carl Everett, but it's disingenous to believe a very good front office would have closed the gap enough to compete. That team was consistently three all-star players short of competing while ARod was in town.

AM's points in the referenced forum regarding ARod's signing are spot-on.

[Sports Guy]

First, I never said "ARod caused the Rangers to not be able to compete". Kind of surprised at this leap in logic from one of our best posters.

Second, I do not understand the point of the post generally. What does the payroll of the other AL teams have to do with anything? Just speculating, but I imagine the low payroll teams received substantial contributions from younger pre-arb players.

I'll repeat what I've said above - the Rangers were never going to compete seriously while ARod was in town - even with his massive contribution - 8 WAR. At the time the deal was signed, Texas lacked the existing pitching and minor league talent to compete even with ARod and could not make that up with free agent signings. I am sure one can use 20/20 hindsight and connect the dots to the free agent pool and to technically figure out how to better spend the $ given to guys like JuanGone, ChanHo and Carl Everett, but it's disingenous to believe a very good front office would have closed the gap enough to compete. That team was consistently three all-star players short of competing while ARod was in town.

AM's points in the referenced forum regarding ARod's signing are spot-on.

You never directly said it but everything in your posts suggests that is exactly how you feel.

[carolinaoriole]

First, I never said "ARod caused the Rangers to not be able to compete". Kind of surprised at this leap in logic from one of our best posters.

Second, I do not understand the point of the post generally. What does the payroll of the other AL teams have to do with anything? Just speculating, but I imagine the low payroll teams received substantial contributions from younger pre-arb players.

I'll repeat what I've said above - the Rangers were never going to compete seriously while ARod was in town - even with his massive contribution - 8 WAR. At the time the deal was signed, Texas lacked the existing pitching and minor league talent to compete even with ARod and could not make that up with free agent signings. I am sure one can use 20/20 hindsight and connect the dots to the free agent pool and to technically figure out how to better spend the $ given to guys like JuanGone, ChanHo and Carl Everett, but it's disingenous to believe a very good front office would have closed the gap enough to compete. That team was consistently three all-star players short of competing while ARod was in town.

AM's points in the referenced forum regarding ARod's signing are spot-on.

Great Post!!!!

[allstar1579]

Ok, just to put it to bed, it wasn't ARod making 22.5m in 2001 that killed them, it was the awful amount of other large contracts with NO production that did.

Ken Caminiti 38y $3.5m 0 WAR

Tim Crabtree 31y $1.3m -0.4 WAR

Andres Galarraga 40y $6m -0.1 WAR

Rusty Greer 32y $4.6m 0.3 WAR

Darren Oliver 30y $7m 0.5 WAR

Mark Petkovsek 35y $2.05m -0.9 WAR

Kenny Rogers 36y $7.5m 0 WAR

Randy Velarde 38y $3.15m 1.3 WAR

Chad Curtis 32y $1.9m 0.2 WAR

Rick Helling 30y $4.5m 1.7 WAR

That's $41.5m for a TOTAL of 2.6 WAR. That's not how you build a good team. Not to mention their pitching staff was worse that the O's pitching last season. That's not the time to add a $22.5m player, like some around here want to do. If you don't have the correct supporting cast, you are just going to be a 60 win team with a really expensive player on it, compared to a well built properly drafted and signed team for $65m that wins the WS.

[DrungoHazewood]

First, I never said "ARod caused the Rangers to not be able to compete". Kind of surprised at this leap in logic from one of our best posters.

Second, I do not understand the point of the post generally. What does the payroll of the other AL teams have to do with anything? Just speculating, but I imagine the low payroll teams received substantial contributions from younger pre-arb players.

I'll repeat what I've said above - the Rangers were never going to compete seriously while ARod was in town - even with his massive contribution - 8 WAR. At the time the deal was signed, Texas lacked the existing pitching and minor league talent to compete even with ARod and could not make that up with free agent signings. I am sure one can use 20/20 hindsight and connect the dots to the free agent pool and to technically figure out how to better spend the $ given to guys like JuanGone, ChanHo and Carl Everett, but it's disingenous to believe a very good front office would have closed the gap enough to compete. That team was consistently three all-star players short of competing while ARod was in town.

AM's points in the referenced forum regarding ARod's signing are spot-on.

So I guess MacPhail's point was that you don't take a bad, inefficient, expensive team, and add ARod and expect to win? Ok, I agree with that. I don't know of anyone who wouldn't. It's basically what we've been saying here for years - you don't take a crappy Oriole team, add Prince Fielder or Mark Teixeira, and expect to win.

But MacPhail said "Alex Rodriguez to Texas was the worst signing in the history of baseball in my view." I think that's hyperbolic, and it obscures the real reasons for the Rangers' failings, which were all the other things besides the ARod signing.

[HedonismBot]

Ok, just to put it to bed, it wasn't ARod making 22.5m in 2001 that killed them, it was the awful amount of other large contracts with NO production that did.

Ken Caminiti 38y $3.5m 0 WAR

Tim Crabtree 31y $1.3m -0.4 WAR

Andres Galarraga 40y $6m -0.1 WAR

Rusty Greer 32y $4.6m 0.3 WAR

Darren Oliver 30y $7m 0.5 WAR

Mark Petkovsek 35y $2.05m -0.9 WAR

Kenny Rogers 36y $7.5m 0 WAR

Randy Velarde 38y $3.15m 1.3 WAR

Chad Curtis 32y $1.9m 0.2 WAR

Rick Helling 30y $4.5m 1.7 WAR

That's $41.5m for a TOTAL of 2.6 WAR. That's not how you build a good team. Not to mention their pitching staff was worse that the O's pitching last season. That's not the time to add a $22.5m player, like some around here want to do. If you don't have the correct supporting cast, you are just going to be a 60 win team with a really expensive player on it, compared to a well built properly drafted and signed team for $65m that wins the WS.

Ouch, that's a terrible list. Beyond terrible.

Thanks for posting..if only for the trip down memory lane. Rusty Greer AND Chad Curtis! I'm not so sure some of the homers Helling served up as an O have landed yet.

[El Gordo]

Ok, just to put it to bed, it wasn't ARod making 22.5m in 2001 that killed them, it was the awful amount of other large contracts with NO production that did.

Ken Caminiti 38y $3.5m 0 WAR

Tim Crabtree 31y $1.3m -0.4 WAR

Andres Galarraga 40y $6m -0.1 WAR

Rusty Greer 32y $4.6m 0.3 WAR

Darren Oliver 30y $7m 0.5 WAR

Mark Petkovsek 35y $2.05m -0.9 WAR

Kenny Rogers 36y $7.5m 0 WAR

Randy Velarde 38y $3.15m 1.3 WAR

Chad Curtis 32y $1.9m 0.2 WAR

Rick Helling 30y $4.5m 1.7 WAR

That's $41.5m for a TOTAL of 2.6 WAR. That's not how you build a good team. Not to mention their pitching staff was worse that the O's pitching last season. That's not the time to add a $22.5m player, like some around here want to do. If you don't have the correct supporting cast, you are just going to be a 60 win team with a really expensive player on it, compared to a well built properly drafted and signed team for $65m that wins the WS.

If they had used ARoid's $250 MM to eat those contracts and replace them with league average players they would have been better off. In that sense ARoids contract was a bad one, because the money could have been much better spent. But IMO opinion Soriano's contract was much more crippling. The Cubs might have made it to the WS if they could have replaced him.

[bej6789]

I was at the symposium, and I came away very impressed. I expected a dry speech, and it was nothing like that. With regards to Nestor, it's not surprising he attacks MacPhail when it's over. The event was for the students, not for media. He came in, sat in the front row, and fiddled with his cell phone the entire time while other speakers were on stage. MacPhail didn't run from any question. He was much more candid than I thought he would be. His description of how the Derrek Lee deal was consummated gave me the impression that he neither cares nor represents the slow moving guy he has been made out to be by some.

Macphail is what he is. He's not going to be rushed into a decision, as he made it abundantly clear that the biggest free agency moves in terms of dollars are the ones that cripple a franchise for years to come if it's the wrong move. He plays his cards close to the vest. When addressing the point of competition yesterday, he mentioned that Gregg and Lee both had more guaranteed money from other teams yet they still managed to sign them.

There's a difference between disagreeing and disagreeable. With the money the Orioles had, and the free agents available -- Macphail did the best that he could with the cards he was dealt. In order for the Orioles to take the next step, they have to become competitive. Developing talent can only go so far. How do you draft to overcome Gonzo and Crawford in one season? You can't. What you can do notice a window of opportunity, take it, then build off of an 85 win season so that next year maybe Adam Dunn and Victor Martinez will look at Baltimore differently. It worked for Detroit. It can work for us.

[allstar1579]

If they had used ARoid's $250 MM to eat those contracts and replace them with league average players they would have been better off. In that sense ARoids contract was a bad one, because the money could have been much better spent. But IMO opinion Soriano's contract was much more crippling. The Cubs might have made it to the WS if they could have replaced him.

And the best part is the young players they had on the team as role players and not getting playing time were:

Carlos Pena

Justin Duchscherer

Joquain Benoit

Fransico Cordero

and

Danny Kolb.

Two future closers to go with Zimmerman who had a 2.40 REA that year, a SP with a career 3.13 ERA, a set up man who just got a $16m contract and Pena. Not to mention they had Hafner and Blalock at AA/AAA that year.

Talk about how not to run a team.

[Flosman]

So I guess MacPhail's point was that you don't take a bad, inefficient, expensive team, and add ARod and expect to win? Ok, I agree with that. I don't know of anyone who wouldn't. It's basically what we've been saying here for years - you don't take a crappy Oriole team, add Prince Fielder or Mark Teixeira, and expect to win.

But MacPhail said "Alex Rodriguez to Texas was the worst signing in the history of baseball in my view." I think that's hyperbolic, and it obscures the real reasons for the Rangers' failings, which were all the other things besides the ARod signing.

I think AM is exactly correct. Because of Texas' situation it was the dumbest contract ever. I think it will be interesting to watch how he manages payroll and individual contracts if we become a winning team.

[Frobby]

Dave Cameron weighs in on ARod's first big contract: http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/a-rods-first-contract-was-a-good-move/

[SrMeowMeow]

MacPhail is wrong. End of story.

Jayson Werth

[JTrea81]

The fact that MacPhail thinks the A-Rod contract was the worst in baseball history just goes to show how far out of touch he is with free agency and today's baseball economics and how uncreative his philosophy is when assembling a team.