Heyman: Orioles current favorite to land Fielder

[scOtt]

Heyman is a known Angelos basher.

Who isn't at this point?

JTrea81.

[El Gordo]

A fair question, tin-foil hat kind of question... How many teams are interested in Fielder as a first baseman? Could sway things a little in our favor.

TEX, LAA, TOR, Cleveland, MIL, Cubs, O's, Gnats, Mariners, and STL, if they don't resign Pujols, could all be interested. But I would say serious players would be TEX, O's, Gnats, possibly Cubs and MIL. Cubs have money issues and no GM at the moment. LAA wasn't willng to spend on Beltre and Crawford, both bigger needs, and they have Trumbo and Morales. TEX has Mooreland, Young and Napoli to rotate between DH and 1B and they need to lock up Wlison and get more SP, like Darvish. Does TOR have the money and inclination to spend that much on Fielder? MIL would like him back but they offered 6/120M and he refused, then they spent most of that on Braun. My money is on the Gnats. They spent on Werth, they could spend on Prince.

[scOtt]

TEX, LAA, TOR, Cleveland, MIL, Cubs, O's, Gnats, Mariners, and STL, if they don't resign Pujols, could all be interested. But I would say serious players would be TEX, O's, Gnats, possibly Cubs and MIL. Cubs have money issues and no GM at the moment. LAA wasn't willng to spend on Beltre and Crawford, both bigger needs, and they have Trumbo and Morales. TEX has Mooreland, Young and Napoli to rotate between DH and 1B and they need to lock up Wison and get more SP, like Darvish. Does TOR hav ethe money and inclination to spend that much on Fielder? MIL would like him back but they offered 6/120M and he refused, then they spent most of that on Braun. My money is on the Gnats. They spent on Werth, they could spend on Prince.

Ok... I was kind of assuming he's not much of a 1Bman. He's... average at least?

[scOtt]

The prevailing rumor is we'll be hiring a new GM after the season. Now we hear the new GM to-be-named-later (or GMTBL) is going to be handed a big checkbook. After all, Pete Angelos really, really wants to win NOW. Right? Right?!!?

We heard that crap during the Teixeira saga. Oh, but we would be foolish to discount this, right? How many times are people going to be suckered into giving Angelos the benefit of the doubt?

"We are coming back strong next year," he said. "I know you have heard that tune before, but this time it will literally come true."

-Peter Angelos, September 29, 2005

The Orioles intend to acquire additional players in the postseason to improve the team's offense and pitching. We intend to be competitive in the new season, and we expect our young players to be especially productive with the experience they have gained from last season

- Peter Angelos, Nov 18, 2002

""My goal is to get the team into a competitive posture this year, and by next year to get us back, not to just within a strike of the World Series, but to the World Series itself," he said. "

- Peter Angelos, February 21, 2004

"Our goal now, over the end of the season and into April 2006, is to do everything we can do ... to see that this team begins the 2006 season in a first-rate competitive position," he said.

-Peter Angelos, September 29, 2005

[El Gordo]

Ok... I was kind of assuming he's not much of a 1Bman. He's... average at least?

Slightly below average, about -3 RS. Same as Reynolds. Fielder is Reynolds if Mark could hit .280 -.290.

[JDubs]

How much has been Angelos and how much has been MacPhail the past 4 years?

We know about Angelos was the problem all the way until MacPhail took over, however not much is known about PGA's role during the MacPhail era. Yet he's an easy target because of the continued losing. Rather than accuse MacPhail, most want to just point fingers at Angelos without a ton of evidence.

We'll find out just who was holding the club back this offseason...

You are a recent Peter Angelos defender and extreme MacPhail Basher, so probably best to stay out of this one.

[JTrea81]

Does TOR have the money and inclination to spend that much on Fielder? MIL would like him back but they offered 6/120M and he refused, then they spent most of that on Braun. My money is on the Gnats. They spent on Werth, they could spend on Prince.

The Nats and the Jays have basically said they weren't interested in Fielder. The Nats have Morse and LaRoche, and want to spend money elsewhere such as SS, and the Jays want to avoid FA at all costs and have David Cooper already...

[Dipper9]

Things really are lining up well for the Orioles to get Fielder, but they have to be willing to spend $25 million on one player, and if they didn't do it for Tex, I really don't think they'll do it for Fielder. I still think the Cubs end up with Fielder and Albert goes back to St. Louis, but if by some incredible chance the Orioles DO sign Prince, then we have to admit that Trea was right to a point and maybe it was in fact MacPhail who did not pull the trigger on Tex and not Angelos.

I don't expect that to be the case, but if it does happen, I'll happily admit I was wrong.

However, on the flip side again, if we sign Fielder and then say we have nothing left to improve the club anywhere else, then it will be a wasted signing and an albatross contract!

[Going Underground]

I think there is a better chance the satellite falling from the sky lands at Camden Yards then Fielder does.

[Dr. FLK]

However, on the flip side again, if we sign Fielder and then say we have nothing left to improve the club anywhere else, then it will be a wasted signing and an albatross contract!

According to Wiki, "The word 'albatross' is sometimes used metaphorically to mean a psychological burden that feels like a curse". Honestly, what kind of curse could we get? Losing every year? Boy, wouldn't that be a tough pill to swallow after all of our recent success?

[TiredofLosing20]

but if by some incredible chance the Orioles DO sign Prince, then we have to admit that Trea was right to a point and maybe it was in fact MacPhail who did not pull the trigger on Tex and not Angelos.

Is/Did anyone really say that not signing Tex was Angelos's fault and not AM's? I think the decision not to sign Tex for what would have been upwards of $200mm was entirely AM's. I also think Angelos was happy that they didn't spend $200mm on Tex.

Pure Speculation Alert - Based on everything we have read heard etc, it appears to be that AM was given unprecedented control of player acquisition which was a departure from the previous regimes. This undoubtedly was due to Angelos's trust of AM. I am guessing that AM was given a budget or some financial framework to work within and was allowed to allocate as he wished. Now no doubt before AM was hired Angelos was comfortable that their philosophies were inline. Where AM did not have freedom was within the organization itself, front office cronies, coaches and other staff. That seems to be a frontier that Angelos has no thought of relinquishing.

[TiredofLosing20]

I think there is a better chance the satellite falling from the sky lands at Camden Yards then Fielder does.

I wonder which one would cause more damage..

Ok that was bad.

[glorydays]

Things really are lining up well for the Orioles to get Fielder, but they have to be willing to spend $25 million on one player, and if they didn't do it for Tex, I really don't think they'll do it for Fielder. I still think the Cubs end up with Fielder and Albert goes back to St. Louis, but if by some incredible chance the Orioles DO sign Prince, then we have to admit that Trea was right to a point and maybe it was in fact MacPhail who did not pull the trigger on Tex and not Angelos.

I don't expect that to be the case, but if it does happen, I'll happily admit I was wrong.

However, on the flip side again, if we sign Fielder and then say we have nothing left to improve the club anywhere else, then it will be a wasted signing and an albatross contract!

If the new GM brings in Fielder - it should only prove that for one reason or another he/she was given the budget by Peter Angelos to sign him this offseason.

Trea uses enough revisionist history and out of context quotes in his post now to make it seem like AM lives in some kind of budgetary Nirvana and didn't take advantage of it that I will refuse to admit anything to him.

Don't forget - at one time Trea said that PA brought in AM to control costs and make him more $$ and that the Tex ordeal was just some attempt by both of them to make it appear to the fans they wanted to spend money when they really had no intention in signing Tex. That means that PA is just as guilty of limiting our ability to spend money this past 4 years as AM.

[TGO]

Anyone interested in some prime real estate property?

What I want to know is how in the hell on a clear day like that they got a picture with only two people in it. If you've ever walked across the Bridge you'll know what I mean.

It must have been two degrees.

[StottyByNature]

Yeah, if there was any time for Angelos to break the bank it was Teixeira. I'm not buying Fielder for a second. Besides, we are still a pitcher or four away from contention.