Marlins sign Mark Buehrle and the Os *crickets*

[BilboBaggins]

The Marlins just took another leap forward with their signing of pitcher Mark Buehrle. In comparison, like in the past, we're not making the signings we should.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/12/marlins-to-sign-mark-buehrle.html?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=twitterfeed

I'm not down on Duquette, but once again, we're sitting on the sidelines while everyone else is making forward momentum. Yankees went after Nakajima, Blue Jays and Red Sox are certainly working the market and we're doing small time stuff.

Again.

The Marlins' heavy offseason spending continued today, as they agreed to sign lefty Mark Buehrle to a four-year, $58MM deal, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports. The durable lefty will head to the National League for the first time in his career to bolster Miami's rotation. Buehrle, who spent his entire career with the White Sox after being drafted in the 38th round in 1998, follows former Sox manager Ozzie Guillen to Miami. This offseason, the Marlins have shocked baseball by committing $191MM to Buehrle, Jose Reyes, and Heath Bell in preparation of the opening of their new stadium next year.

That's right, Angelos is broke.

[Frobby]

Are we going to have a thread like this every time another team lays out some money for a free agent? Duquette made it clear his first day on the job that he wasn't likely to go after any of the top-priced free agents, so just deal with it already!

[BilboBaggins]

Are we going to have a thread like this every time another team lays out some money for a free agent? Duquette made it clear his first day on the job that he wasn't likely to go after any of the top-priced free agents, so just deal with it already!

This is the exact same tone we had when MacPhail got here. I'm not saying its you who felt this way, but I do remember the "small steps" to improve argument. Once again, we're trapped in the "not quite rebuilding, not quite contending" phase we've been in for the last 4 years and even with the new blood in the FO, we haven't truly deviated from this path.

The 2018 Orioles will probably be one of the greatest teams on record, but for right now, we're not exactly scaring anybody.

[murph]

Are we going to have a thread like this every time another team lays out some money for a free agent? Duquette made it clear his first day on the job that he wasn't likely to go after any of the top-priced free agents, so just deal with it already!

Frobby, I almost always agree with you and your right on Duquette's clarity, but it does sting a little every time a FA who would look good in a O's uniform signs somewhere else and really what else are we going to do this time of year but vent our frustrations.

I do hope Duquette has the vision to push the O's back towards contention and stay there, but right now at this moment it just sucks to watch a team like the Marlins pretend to be the Yankees, while nothing happens for us.

[waroriole]

Are we going to have a thread like this every time another team lays out some money for a free agent? Duquette made it clear his first day on the job that he wasn't likely to go after any of the top-priced free agents, so just deal with it already!

Seriously. There were already like 10 of these threads from just today. Do we MSK starting a new one to cry about Buehrle going to FL when we were never in the running, and DD already said so?

[BilboBaggins]

Frobby, I almost always agree with you and your right on Duquette's clarity, but it does sting a little every time a FA who would look good in a O's uniform signs somewhere else and really what else are we going to do this time of year but vent our frustrations.

I do hope Duquette has the vision to push the O's back towards contention and stay there, but right now at this moment it just sucks to watch a team like the Marlins pretend to be the Yankees, while nothing happens for us.

This is exactly how I feel at this time.

I won't post every time someone gets signed, but its amazing to look at what the Marlins have done in just 3 days vs. what we haven't been doing for the last 4 years. There's absolutely no excuse for this and it appears that the FO always get a free pass from the Baltimore press. Someone should be on this right now and hold this FO accountable at least once.

Just one week of Boston or NYC-level media scrutiny might do wonders for this organization.

[lint06]

I'm not down on Duquette, but once again, we're sitting on the sidelines while everyone else is making forward momentum. Yankees went after Nakajima, Blue Jays and Red Sox are certainly working the market and we're doing small time stuff.

So, you're trying to spin the fact that the BJs and Sox have done about the same or less than us into a negative?

[Roll Tide]

Seriously. There were already like 10 of these threads from just today. Do we MSK starting a new one to cry about Buehrle going to FL when we were never in the running, and DD already said so?

Its easy for fans to get depressed when the new GM uses his magic potion while talking about a SP, RPs, & a 4th OF to go along with the util INF and Backup C that he's added. All the while another franchise is making a statement to its fans that they are serious about winning.

[TonySoprano]

Are we going to have a thread like this every time another team lays out some money for a free agent? Duquette made it clear his first day on the job that he wasn't likely to go after any of the top-priced free agents, so just deal with it already!

I agree in principle, the OP rant is about those deep-pocket Marlins.

Your last line is ironic considering you brought up Pujols again today. You know we have no intention to even kick the tires, so we should deal with that already also.

[MrOrange82]

I agree in principle, the OP rant is about those deep-pocket Marlins.

Your last line is ironic considering you brought up Pujols again today. You know we have no intention to even kick the tires, so we should deal with that already also.

Pack enough disenchanted fans into a given space, and everything that could be considered must be considered, and everything that everyone else says is obnoxious. Nature of the beast.

[Stotle]

Are we going to have a thread like this every time another team lays out some money for a free agent? Duquette made it clear his first day on the job that he wasn't likely to go after any of the top-priced free agents, so just deal with it already!

The only thing I'll say on the matter is that several posters guffawed at the idea that a team could cut down on payroll and actually save that money to be spent later. I suggested it and was met with "OBVIOUSLY the extra money would just go to ownership and the team never sees it again."

Well, like it or LOVE it, the Marlins did just that. Yeah, they'll likely be dumping payroll again when Josh Johnson and Hanley Ramirez get ready to hit free agency. But they are setting themselves up for a 2 or 3 year run at their third world series in 15 years.

[GoldGlove21]

The Marlins just took another leap forward with their signing of pitcher Mark Buehrle. In comparison, like in the past, we're not making the signings we should.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2011/12/marlins-to-sign-mark-buehrle.html?utm_medium=facebook&utm_source=twitterfeed

I'm not down on Duquette, but once again, we're sitting on the sidelines while everyone else is making forward momentum. Yankees went after Nakajima, Blue Jays and Red Sox are certainly working the market and we're doing small time stuff.

Again.

That's right, Angelos is broke.

Almost $15M per year over the course of 4-years for Beuhrle? I knew he would get more than he should. That guy is not a young pitcher and I wouldn't have thrown that kind of money his way. The Marlins may have the money to sign Pujols too, but the Beuhrle signing leads me to believe that the Marlins will sign another pitcher and pass on Pujols IMO. If they land Pujols than they would have a shot in a tough division.

[GoldGlove21]

The only thing I'll say on the matter is that several posters guffawed at the idea that a team could cut down on payroll and actually save that money to be spent later. I suggested it and was met with "OBVIOUSLY the extra money would just go to ownership and the team never sees it again."

Well, like it or LOVE it, the Marlins did just that. Yeah, they'll likely be dumping payroll again when Josh Johnson and Hanley Ramirez get ready to hit free agency. But they are setting themselves up for a 2 or 3 year run at their third world series in 15 years.

They did do just that, but they are banking their future on that new stadium too. I think that people will come out to see that product and they will be ok as long as they win. For latin players (I know Beuhrle isn't one of them) Miami is a great destination compared to Baltimore. As far as night life and the ladies go, that would be Miami too.

[Frobby]

I agree in principle, the OP rant is about those deep-pocket Marlins.

Your last line is ironic considering you brought up Pujols again today. You know we have no intention to even kick the tires, so we should deal with that already also.

In hindsight, I probably should have just commented on what I thought about Pujols' negotiations in the MLB forum. I've never thought we were likely to be in on Pujols, but then, I had expected the bidding for him to be much more aggressive and so it was causing me to re-think whether the O's should get in, even though I know they won't.

Personally, I understand the frustration that we haven't really done anything at the winter meetings, I just feel like the same positions are getting reiterated any time any other team does anything.

[Lucky Jim]

The only thing I'll say on the matter is that several posters guffawed at the idea that a team could cut down on payroll and actually save that money to be spent later. I suggested it and was met with "OBVIOUSLY the extra money would just go to ownership and the team never sees it again."

Well, like it or LOVE it, the Marlins did just that. Yeah, they'll likely be dumping payroll again when Josh Johnson and Hanley Ramirez get ready to hit free agency. But they are setting themselves up for a 2 or 3 year run at their third world series in 15 years.

We'll see. Clearly they're trying to do what you said. I can't say I love their allocation.