Markakis Max Return

[El Gordo]

These three numbers are what most concern me: 17.4 IFFB %, 5.8 HR/FB %, 6.2 IFH%, all well down from career norms and haved been progressing in this direction over the past 3 years.

[TiredofLosing20]

Truth #1: Nick is clearly struggling, especially when it comes to driving the ball for any kind of extra base hit.

Truth #2: His "decline" over the last several years isn't really a linear decline when compared to league averages.

Truth #2 has been completely forgotten/ignored/lost because of April and May of this year and the lack of HR last year.

[Malike]

I'll refer to what I said in a previous thread:

I understand Markakis is a fan favorite, but is it really worth paying him that money for the performance he's giving? It's a valid question to ask, and if he's still sub .750 OPS by August, you've got to consider all that money you owe him.

If another team is willing to eat it all, that is not a bad thing and then you just have Roberts' contract to worry about with a ton of payroll room going into the offseason.

MLB average OPS is .709 this season. So if that holds up, and Markakis is .740 OPS he should be released? You are going to have to realize that getting an .800 OPS from every position on the field is a great feat.

[HokieOs]

MLB average OPS is .709 this season. So if that holds up, and Markakis is .740 OPS he should be released? You are going to have to realize that getting an .800 OPS from every position on the field is a great feat.

Trea doesn't care.... he just wants Fielder and Reyes (who is actually less of player than Markakis and going to cost even MORE).

The fact is that it would be incredibly stupid to trade and/or allow Markakis to go on waivers. Just unbelieveably stupid.... unless he goes back to a .600 OPS and someone is willing to eat the whole contract on waivers. Trading is absolutely stupid because any trade would probably net us an average player at best AND part of the obligation to Markakis.

The fact is, NM will be an Oriole throughout 2011 and in 2012. And given recent trends... he'll have much better stats in a month than he does right now.

[JTrea81]

MLB average OPS is .709 this season. So if that holds up, and Markakis is .740 OPS he should be released? You are going to have to realize that getting an .800 OPS from every position on the field is a great feat.

Is a .740 OPS worth a 3/44 contract?

And we wouldn't be releasing Markakis, rather putting him on waivers to see if anybody would claim his contract.

I think we can do more for the Orioles with that 3/44 than Nick Markakis will provide the Orioles over the next three seasons.

[JTrea81]

Trea doesn't care.... he just wants Fielder and Reyes (who is actually less of player than Markakis and going to cost even MORE).

The fact is that it would be incredibly stupid to trade and/or allow Markakis to go on waivers. Just unbelieveably stupid.... unless he goes back to a .600 OPS and someone is willing to eat the whole contract on waivers. Trading is absolutely stupid because any trade would probably net us an average player at best AND part of the obligation to Markakis.

The fact is, NM will be an Oriole throughout 2011 and in 2012. And given recent trends... he'll have much better stats in a month than he does right now.

So you are fine paying $14 million a season for a .750-.800 OPS/sub 3.0 WAR player on a team with limited payroll room?

[SrMeowMeow]

Is a .740 OPS worth a 3/44 contract?

And we wouldn't be releasing Markakis, rather putting him on waivers to see if anybody would claim his contract.

I think we can do more for the Orioles with that 3/44 than Nick Markakis will provide the Orioles over the next three seasons.

This is all true, if you think that Markakis is a .740 OPS player. Who cares if it's over league average? It's not worth 3/44M from a RF.

[Roll Tide]

This is all true, if you think that Markakis is a .740 OPS player. Who cares if it's over league average? It's not worth 3/44M from a RF.

In looking for a reason for the decreased power is it possible he's gotten lazy with marriage and stuff. I'm not trying to be a smart ass ....I just find it hard to believe he's had such a production drop off. Is it at all possible he used PHDs? He doesnt have the phsyche that screams it but Palmerio didnt either.

[HokieOs]

So you are fine paying $14 million a season for a .750-.800 OPS/sub 3.0 WAR player on a team with limited payroll room?

Yes... I am. You need SOME continuity on the team to keep the fans coming back and Markakis, while expensive for his production is a fan favorite that does put fans in the seats... and you can bet there will be some fans that jump ship should we ship out Markakis.

That also said... who's to say that Markakis is just a ".750-.800 OPS with a sub 3 WAR". Hell, only once in his entire career before this season has Markakis's OPS been in the .750-.800 range (and it was .799). If you want to be more honest with his actual skills, he's more of a .800-.850 OPS guy and probably projects around a 2.5-3 in WAR. Still an expensive contract for that production, but not eye-poppingly horrible value either. And you can't just shed the contract of a guy the second his production dips below his price. And especially not the contract of a fan favorite.

And FWIW, your boy Jose Reyes had a few down years before getting it turned around this year (hey what a coincidence... it's his contract year). Maybe Markakis will start to turn it around soon. A couple down years doesn't mean the end of a career.

[Remember The Alomar]

In looking for a reason for the decreased power is it possible he's gotten lazy with marriage and stuff. I'm not trying to be a smart ass ....I just find it hard to believe he's had such a production drop off. Is it at all possible he used PHDs? He doesnt have the phsyche that screams it but Palmerio didnt either.

I always knew that Markakis was too smart for his own good!!!

[ledzepp8]

So you are fine paying $14 million a season for a .750-.800 OPS/sub 3.0 WAR player on a team with limited payroll room?

You're fine paying $25 million a season for a guy that has been worth less rWAR, coming into this season, than the guy you don't want to pay $14 million a season for.

Do you really not see the issue with that?

[JTrea81]

Let's look at Markakis' performance since 2008:

2009

April: .381/.460/.560/1.020

May: .240/.281/.438/.719

June: .304/.354/.402/.756

July: .291/.333/.485/.819

August: .325/.366/.516/.882

Sept/Oct: .236/.311/.330/.642

2010

April: .284/.385/.455/.839

May: .327/.424/.416/.840

June: .296/.386/.408/.794

July: .271/.322/.477/.799

August: .257/.311/.354/.665

Sept/Oct: .344/.391/.500/.891

2011:

April: .204/.275/.286/.561

May: .287/.352/.357/.708

June: .290/.315/.362/.677

So in the last three years, we have 3 months out of 15 where he's given premium peformance, 3 more good performances, 4 more mediocre and 5 months with poor performance.

[ledzepp8]

Let's look at Markakis' performance since 2008:

2009

April: .381/.460/.560/1.020

May: .240/.281/.438/.719

June: .304/.354/.402/.756

July: .291/.333/.485/.819

August: .325/.366/.516/.882

Sept/Oct: .236/.311/.330/.642

2010

April: .284/.385/.455/.839

May: .327/.424/.416/.840

June: .296/.386/.408/.794

July: .271/.322/.477/.799

August: .257/.311/.354/.665

Sept/Oct: .344/.391/.500/.891

2011:

April: .204/.275/.286/.561

May: .287/.352/.357/.708

June: .290/.315/.362/.677

So in the last three years, we have 3 months out of 15 where he's given premium peformance, 3 more good performances, 4 more mediocre and 5 months with poor performance.

You've already been called out on your arbitrary use of the term "premium player/premium performance".

First of all, it's something you're making up. What defines a "premium player/performance"?

Second, you're creating a strawman by arguing that Markakis isn't one, because no one has said that he is.

[Remember The Alomar]

Obligatory "Derided Player X is having a good game!" post.

[Jersey O's fan]

No way Angelos trades the Greek kid.

No

way.

Exactly this.

Markakis isn't as bad as he's been, he's a .290 barely 800 OPS player. Slightly above average.

Is he robbing the O's with that salary? Yes, but as you can see all the people running to his defense, he's a fan favorite. So it makes the contract not as bad.

Are they getting the perennial 900+ OPS player they thought they were getting when they gave him 66M, no way.

I have no idea why he gets a free pass when PEDs are concerned. That is the only explanation for the complete power decline.