Geoff Baker echos my thoughts on FA and the standard cliches (excuses) for a non-contending team

[SrMeowMeow]

This thread is like watching someone read a quotation from a book to prove their argument and then you find out they've been holding the book upside down. Because they can't read.

[Sports Guy]

Have you not seen his stats? His away stats last year were worse than his home stats.

He'll be 25 next season and Adam Jones has been more productive and more valuable than him at that age.

He doesn't K a lot...He walks a good amount..that's not Chris Davis territory.

If you want to say he has been disappointing, that's fine...but saying he is in Chris Davis territory is idiotic.

[Sports Guy]

This thread is like watching someone read a quotation from a book to prove their argument and then you find out they've been holding the book upside down. Because they can't read.

I like how THIS article validates his argument but the countless counter arguments are ignored...Oh well, only a few more months.

[allstar1579]

Depends on what happens in years 1-4...

No way this team is ready to compete before year 3, no matter who you have, and then you get a 2 year window before you can't afford to resign players, and you are still stuck with that large, under-performing contract. You are great at planning the 400m sprint, but you need to build for the full marathon.

Your window here is going to be when Machado and Schoop get here and get a good year under their belt. By then Jones is a FA, you still have Markakis giant contract, and Wieters is getting expensive and 2 years from FA himself.

I'm not saying not to sign Fielder this year, and go out and get a SP or two next offseason when the market is thick with them, but you have to find pieces that aren't expensive to support those big splashes or you are just a bad team with a good player on it. BOS didn't make that step up until they hit on guys like Millar, Mueller, and some of the assorted role players they already had. For every Pujols there is a Freese, for every Holliday there is a Molina.

[MikeAD]

I like how THIS article validates his argument but the countless counter arguments are ignored...Oh well, only a few more months.

But then there will be blame. We really made an offer to Fielder but he just wouldn't take it. Boras was using us to drive up the price and such.

[allstar1579]

This thread is like watching someone read a quotation from a book to prove their argument and then you find out they've been holding the book upside down. Because they can't read.

Reminds me of a couple episodes ago on Boardwalk Empire when Chalky says he's reading some book, and at the end you realize it's an entirely different book and he was just pretending to read.

[CA-ORIOLE]

This thread is like watching someone read a quotation from a book to prove their argument and then you find out they've been holding the book upside down. Because they can't read.

He reminds me of my kids when they were little and I had them circle the toys in the Sears catalogue indicating what they wanted Santa to bring them for Christmas. Half the freakin book was circled and I had to tell them that Santa had a strict 10 toy limit.

[MikeAD]

No way this team is ready to compete before year 3, no matter who you have, and then you get a 2 year window before you can't afford to resign players, and you are still stuck with that large, under-performing contract. You are great at planning the 400m sprint, but you need to build for the full marathon.

Your window here is going to be when Machado and Schoop get here and get a good year under their belt. By then Jones is a FA, you still have Markakis giant contract, and Wieters is getting expensive and 2 years from FA himself.

I'm not saying not to sign Fielder this year, and go out and get a SP or two next offseason when the market is thick with them, but you have to find pieces that aren't expensive to support those big splashes or you are just a bad team with a good player on it. BOS didn't make that step up until they hit on guys like Millar, Mueller, and some of the assorted role players they already had. For every Pujols there is a Freese, for every Holliday there is a Molina.

In all seriousness, the team could have a quick turnaround. If what Duquette said he wants to do is true, and he has the power to do it, we could turn things around in less than 2 years. In that sense, FAs like Fielder are still a terrible idea, but we could compete a lot sooner than you might think.

[allstar1579]

He reminds me of my kids when they were little and I had them circle the toys in the Sears catalogue indicating what they wanted Santa to bring them for Christmas. Half the freakin book was circled and I had to tell them that Santa had a strict 10 toy limit.

This happened to me yesterday with the Target catalog. My 3 year old wants every toy on every commercial right now.

[Sports Guy]

I definitely would rather go out and sign Fielder than sign say Pena, Willingham and E Jackson.

There is no doubt about that.

[CA-ORIOLE]

This happened to me yesterday with the Target catalog. My 3 year old wants every toy on every commercial right now.

Hey, Enjoy them while you can (they look like cute ones). Soon enough they'll turn into foul mouth teenagers that'll give you an urge to punch them in the face.

[Mr Snuffleupagus]

No way this team is ready to compete before year 3, no matter who you have, and then you get a 2 year window before you can't afford to resign players, and you are still stuck with that large, under-performing contract. You are great at planning the 400m sprint, but you need to build for the full marathon.

Your window here is going to be when Machado and Schoop get here and get a good year under their belt. By then Jones is a FA, you still have Markakis giant contract, and Wieters is getting expensive and 2 years from FA himself.

I'm not saying not to sign Fielder this year, and go out and get a SP or two next offseason when the market is thick with them, but you have to find pieces that aren't expensive to support those big splashes or you are just a bad team with a good player on it. BOS didn't make that step up until they hit on guys like Millar, Mueller, and some of the assorted role players they already had. For every Pujols there is a Freese, for every Holliday there is a Molina.

They won't get here. We'll have traded them for a two year lease on Joey Votto.

[allstar1579]

In all seriousness, the team could have a quick turnaround. If what Duquette said he wants to do is true, and he has the power to do it, we could turn things around in less than 2 years. In that sense, FAs like Fielder are still a terrible idea, but we could compete a lot sooner than you might think.

If the stars aligned, in 2 years we could make some waves, but that would COMPLETELY depend on some of the young players we have panning out to become productive ML. If we signed Fielder, left Reynolds at DH AND resigned him, Davis steps up to his rookie year numbers at 3B, Adams can handle splitting 2B with Schoop while he breaks in, Andino is still around to help Manny find his footing at SS, Britton becomes what he can be, Matusz returns to form, we sign 2 more SP, Guthrie and Jones either extend or we get equal value in trade...ok you get the point.

The core we have we'd have to retain and hope they don't regress, we have good complimentary pieces, and then you just need to add a couple stars to the lineup and you might have something.

[CA-ORIOLE]

I definitely would rather go out and sign Fielder than sign say Pena, Willingham and E Jackson.

There is no doubt about that.

Exactly. On this point I agree with Trea.

[allstar1579]

Hey, Enjoy then while you can (they look like cute ones). Soon enough they'll turn into foul mouth teenagers that'll give you an urge to punch them in the face.

Thanks! NOT looking forward to that...having two girls less than two years apart is going to be torture in high school. I'm cherishing every little kid thing I can get my hands on