OH's Bedard Contract Offer/Trade Update?

[Gurgi]

I always liked Millar until this fiasco.

But as an old Chicago song says

"Even lovers need a holiday. Far away from the one that they love" LOL. Bye bye Millar.

[Boston Dave]

If the 8\160 number is ballpark, I can't imagine anyone would pay him that- that must be code for "what it would take to sign with this team."

Wonder what he would take to play for the BJs?

I don't even care anymore- ship him out.

[clapdiddy]

Just like Mussina did when the team was winning...

Mussina left after the 2000 season. We were well on our way through the downward spiral by then.

EDIT: Sorry JTrea! I think you are talking about the 1st contract extension he signed!

[Mad Mark]

"Well, Erik...it was fun while it lasted. I hope you can adapt to life in sunny Southern California. But, hey, at least you get to hit out there every start."

[Trinidad]

8/160 is insane. I have thought that some OH offers were lowball, but this is crazy!!

I wouldn't have a problem with 5/80 or or 4/64 though.

[JTrea81]

Mussina left after the 2000 season. We were well on our way through the downward spiral by then.

EDIT: Sorry JTrea! I think you are talking about the 1st contract extension he signed!

Yep, there was no sarcasm there, Mussina took a hometown discount because the team was winning. He got a lot of crap from the player's union for doing that. If we had some hope of competing in the next 2 years, Bedard would sign, but since we've done jack squat before we've offered him this extension, he'll decline it. It's just a token offer because we aren't serious about extending him, otherwise we would have made moves before offering him the extension...

We offer him a token extension, he turns it down and becomes another pariah and the fans are OK with him leaving. Frankly it's somewhat insulting for the FO to think that we'll think Bedard is a villian for turning down a token offer. Just trade him if you don't want to extend him.

[Maverick2143]

I cant see paying an antisocial injury prone pitcher this much money.

Sorry.

I mean its not like he is a fan favorite.

Its hard to like a guy that doesnt talk much.

I've heard Yankee fans say that no matter what A-Rod will never be a true Yankee. I guess I kind of feel that way about Bedard. His destiny belongs in another uniform.

What does it matter if people (ie. the media) like Bedard??? I wouldn't care if he spent his entire post game interview time picking his nose and weighing his boogers.

This type of logic just baffles me. Is his job to get batters out or make friends? I agree that the media comes with the terrority, but it's not like he is the yelling physco type, he obviously justs wants to do his job (which he is damn good at) and go home.

As long as he performs every 5th day I could care less about his people skills.

[Gurgi]

We are talking about his contract. Contracts are not just paid on what the players do on the field but what they bring to the team as a whole. Part of that is how the fans percieve a player. If he wants the big bucks it would help to have the fans demanding the owners pay up. Like many fans did for Mora several years ago. It hurts him that he is the way he is.

[bej6789]

To come up with a fair offer, I really took into account three separate players and their contracts they recieved. Mark Buerhle, Roy Oswalt and Carlos Zambrano all have recieved contracts withtin the past 2 seasons, and they are all (maybe except Buerhle) considered to be elite pitchers in the majors.

Buerhle's contract: 4 years @ 56 million (14 million per season)

Zambrano's contract: 5 years @ 91 million (18.2 per season)

Oswalts's contract: 5 years @ 73 million (14.6 per season)

Where does that put Bedard? Well, there's two different answers. Statistically speaking, he should be below Oswalt and Zambrano. He did it for only one season. And it wasn't an entire season to boot. There's no question in my mind that he's better than Buerhle, but I'm not prepared to put him in either Zambrano or Oswalts class... yet. There in lies the issue. As it stands right now, 73 should get it done based off of market value. If he's not satisfied with 15 million a season, then he's not satisfied with Baltimore, and that won't be getting better in 3 months till the trading deadline. That being said, the Orioles have groomed this kid to become one of the better LHP pitchers in the game. As Mcphail said, they don't grow on trees here. Overpaying to secure his services is something that's going to have to be done. The offer that I would construct for Bedard would look something like this:

5 years, 85.5 million, with a limited 5 team no trade clause. 85.5 million puts him inbetween Zambrano and Oswalt, both in terms of the avg. per year salary and total dollar figures. The limited trade clause provides Bedard with a say as to where he can potentially be traded to. Being as the type of media magnet that he is, I don't think Bedard would have much trouble coming up with a list of places that he just flat out doesn't like.

If Bedard maintains this isn't enough money, then ship him out. I don't approach 100 million with him. In no way shape or form do I reward a player who has yet to play a full dominant season 100 million. When a player recieves 100 million it has to mean more than just talent. It shows commitment, work ethic and the heart and desire to be with the current ballclub. Bedard didn't rehab in Baltimore, and he's not the first to take the blame for anything. If he wants 160 million over 8 years.... thanks, but no thanks. That's an offer for Mark Teixeira, not Bedard.

[Elon Os Fan]

I would go with 5 years 80 million.

[DuffMan]

We are talking about his contract. Contracts are not just paid on what the players do on the field but what they bring to the team as a whole. Part of that is how the fans percieve a player. If he wants the big bucks it would help to have the fans demanding the owners pay up. Like many fans did for Mora several years ago. It hurts him that he is the way he is.

O man I wish we could take a mulligan on that one!

[AnythingO's]

If the 8\160 number is ballpark, I can't imagine anyone would pay him that- that must be code for "what it would take to sign with this team."QUOTE]

Or maybe he is just saying that if he is going to extend he wants it to be for the duration, not just the first 2 years of FA so he will be around for the revival of this franchise. IMO the 8/160 is Boras-like posturing to see how serious we are about keeping him long-term as a building block-beyond the next 4 years. So, if we want him around for the next 4 years, get creative. Start with the 4/$56M base and add 4 consecutive 1 year options@ $20M each that vest (1 at a time) with say 175 IP in the prior season, but give him the right to opt out. If he is still pitching at Cy-level at age 33, 34 you can always renegotiate the out years. We get his prime years for what we are willing to pay and retain negotiating rights to the out years without being locked in. He gets the right to move on if it isn't going well.

[Hank Scorpio]

The most I would offer Bedard would be 4/56 with a team option for a 5th year.

He would most likely balk at that, which is fine. At that point, I call up Neddy and see what we can hammer out.

[Sports Guy]

To come up with a fair offer, I really took into account three separate players and their contracts they recieved. Mark Buerhle, Roy Oswalt and Carlos Zambrano all have recieved contracts withtin the past 2 seasons, and they are all (maybe except Buerhle) considered to be elite pitchers in the majors.

Buerhle's contract: 4 years @ 56 million (14 million per season)

Zambrano's contract: 5 years @ 91 million (18.2 per season)

Oswalts's contract: 5 years @ 73 million (14.6 per season)

Where does that put Bedard? Well, there's two different answers. Statistically speaking, he should be below Oswalt and Zambrano. He did it for only one season. And it wasn't an entire season to boot. There's no question in my mind that he's better than Buerhle, but I'm not prepared to put him in either Zambrano or Oswalts class... yet. There in lies the issue. As it stands right now, 73 should get it done based off of market value. If he's not satisfied with 15 million a season, then he's not satisfied with Baltimore, and that won't be getting better in 3 months till the trading deadline. That being said, the Orioles have groomed this kid to become one of the better LHP pitchers in the game. As Mcphail said, they don't grow on trees here. Overpaying to secure his services is something that's going to have to be done. The offer that I would construct for Bedard would look something like this:

5 years, 85.5 million, with a limited 5 team no trade clause. 85.5 million puts him inbetween Zambrano and Oswalt, both in terms of the avg. per year salary and total dollar figures. The limited trade clause provides Bedard with a say as to where he can potentially be traded to. Being as the type of media magnet that he is, I don't think Bedard would have much trouble coming up with a list of places that he just flat out doesn't like.

If Bedard maintains this isn't enough money, then ship him out. I don't approach 100 million with him. In no way shape or form do I reward a player who has yet to play a full dominant season 100 million. When a player recieves 100 million it has to mean more than just talent. It shows commitment, work ethic and the heart and desire to be with the current ballclub. Bedard didn't rehab in Baltimore, and he's not the first to take the blame for anything. If he wants 160 million over 8 years.... thanks, but no thanks. That's an offer for Mark Teixeira, not Bedard.

No where because he these guys had more service time than Bedard.

[Sports Guy]

I would go with 5 years 80 million.

So, you are ok with paying him over 20 million a year in his FA years?