Prince could accept 3 year deal

[weams]

I respectfully disagree

2007 90 games played

2009 89 games played

2010 133 games played

2011 121 games played

Considering that Texas has the DH available for him it looks to me that he hasn't played a full season since 2008 when he played 156.

Don't forget he can't use pain meds.

True. Of course, he would probably be healthier out of Centerfield.

[weams]

And he will get a 4 60 contract. Somehow, that seems just a healthier approach.

[.500_OR_BETTER]

So who do you give up in these trades? You don't have to give up anything to get Fielder. So you want to trade for an inferior player that will cost us a bunch of quality players in return?

If fielder goes to Seattle Smoak shouldnt be hard to get.

[weams]

And just to be clear. If all Prince can get is a 6 110, I am a fan.

[.500_OR_BETTER]

And just to be clear. If all Price can get is a 6 110, I am a fan.

We will find out next week. I would think a deal would be done within the first week of 2012.

[Fan4Life]

And just to be clear. If all Prince can get is a 6 110, I am a fan.

If we can sign him for that, wouldn't it mean that the best offer on the table from anyone else would have to be less? Or, we'd have to pay $125+ if that is the best offer on the table?

[Fan4Life]

We will find out next week. I would think a deal would be done within the first week of 2012.

I think Fielder happens within a week of the Darvish signing. TEX has until Jan 18th, so it may be closer to late Jan before Fielder makes a choice.

[MrOrange82]

If we can sign him for that, wouldn't it mean that the best offer on the table from anyone else would have to be less? Or, we'd have to pay $125+ if that is the best offer on the table?

6/125 wouldn't make sense for the O's, but it wouldn't be an organization-damning contract, either.

And yes, I think it's safe to say that if his otherwise-best offer was 6/110 (assuming that offer wasn't the Orioles'), then Baltimore would have to go over it.

[DrungoHazewood]

6/125 wouldn't make sense for the O's, but it wouldn't be an organization-damning contract, either.

And yes, I think it's safe to say that if his otherwise-best offer was 6/110 (assuming that offer wasn't the Orioles'), then Baltimore would have to go over it.

A team in need of about six good MLB players and a whole farm system to get into regular contention instead using $125M on a single free agent is pretty dumb. They could acquire all of the amateur talent the Jays have gotten over the last several years, just three times over for that amount. But $125M isn't a completely unreasonable cost for the wins you could expect out of Fielder over the next six years.

[atomic]

A team in need of about six good MLB players and a whole farm system to get into regular contention instead using $125M on a single free agent is pretty dumb. They could acquire all of the amateur talent the Jays have gotten over the last several years, just three times over for that amount. But $125M isn't a completely unreasonable cost for the wins you could expect out of Fielder over the next six years.

that is what they paid for reynolds, lee, and vlad last year. I would rather have Prince over the three of them. And I am sure reynolds is gone if Fielder is signed. I don't see anything preventing the Orioles from signing fielder and developing players internally as well. These aren't either/or options. Do you think tampa spends 40 million more a year on player development and amateur signings than we do? I highly doubt it.

[BaltimoreTerp]

that is what they paid for reynolds, lee, and vlad last year.

Using previous overpaid players like Lee and Guerrero to justify a different large contract is not sound logic.

[atomic]

Using previous overpaid players like Lee and Guerrero to justify a different large contract is not sound logic.

Yes it does. It is better to get one star player instead of two has beens and a never was for the same money. The Orioles have a budget they should use it to improve the club.

[DrungoHazewood]

that is what they paid for reynolds, lee, and vlad last year.

Sure, I'd be all for using $25M on Prince Fielder instead of setting it on fire, which is essentially what the Lee and Vlad signings were. But spending it on building an organization would be better.

I don't see anything preventing the Orioles from signing fielder and developing players internally as well. These aren't either/or options.

Yes and no. A normal team should be able to walk and chew gum at the same time. But this is the Peter Angelos-led Baltimore Orioles. The team that hasn't had a truly productive farm system since the 1970s, and whose best young talent almost always spends near zero time in the minors (Mussina, Wieters, Markakis). This is a team that's had an above-average payroll over the last 15 years despite one of the worst records in baseball. This is a team that spent $80M on payroll in 1998, and has barely budged that number since.

Do you think tampa spends 40 million more a year on player development and amateur signings than we do? I highly doubt it.

No, but they have an excellent front office, and have had that for 5+ years. They have excellent scouting and excellent trainers and have pulled off excellent trades. And they've hit on a pretty good percentage of their large numbers of high draft picks, not all because of luck.

The O's aren't that smart yet, but they can move in that direction by putting substantial resources into scouting, development, analysis, infrastructure, and the like. They don't have infinite resources, and they have a higher MLB payroll than the Rays, so there's a good case to be made that this is an either/or thing. I'm not sure they can spend $100M+ on MLB payroll while successfully playing catchup (from waaaaaaaay behind) with the other teams in the division on building a real organization.

[DrungoHazewood]

Yes it does. It is better to get one star player instead of two has beens and a never was for the same money. The Orioles have a budget they should use it to improve the club.

The goal is to get to the playoffs. Allocating $125M (or $150M or whatever) to Prince Fielder makes a 69-win team into a 73- or 74-win team. Using that same amount of money to build a top-notch scouting/development/analysis/training/health/technology system will hopefully set up a foundation for a self-sustaining 90+ win team.

So, yes, the O's need to use their resources to improve the club. Hopefully by a lot more than the 20 or 25 wins over 6 years you'll get out of Fielder.

[murph]

Starting pitching is available every offseason.

Name a hitter other than Joey Votto that will be available in FA in the next 4 offseasons that is better than Fielder on a LT deal.

4 years/seasons is a long time...I know teams have control for 6 or so, but who knows what happens with any player in the next few years. Late bloomers could show up as the real deal right before they are about to hit free agency in the next year or two. I do not have anyone in mind, but things change fast in baseball, I know its rare but another Jose Bautista could happen.

Having said that, I do think we should sign Prince, for a "reasonable" contract, if nothing more than my personal desire to have a reason to keep watching O's games after June.

Also, I am betting this does drag out until after the Darvish deal is done.