MLB Network discusses Fielder to Nationals

[Rene88]

I hate to say this as a lifelong O's fan... but if things are the same five years from now as they are now... I may be switching over to the Nats. It all depends on Angelos. The Nats are proving that they know how to build a ballclub. The O's are just... well you know. I'm also a lifelong Redskins fan but hate Snyder and don't trust him the way I don't trust Angelos. I often find myself rooting for the Ravens. If that can happen and I somehow get attached to their players then I'll abandon the Skins and the same thing might happen with the Nats. I can only put up with so much. I'm sorry.

Why wait 5 years? I love the O's, but I am tired of wasting my hard earned money and getting a laughable product. If Buck wasn't our manager, it would be hard to even watch the games.

[24fps]

The Lerners are Scott Boras' Huckleberry.

It looks uncomfortable all bent over like that...

[solarkkg]

Why wait 5 years? I love the O's, but I am tired of wasting my hard earned money and getting a laughable product. If Buck wasn't our manager, it would be hard to even watch the games.

Hey man.. I agree with you. I live in MoCo and I just might spend what little money I have watching Strasburg pitch on his days. And then Bryce Harper the following year.. I just may be a regular.

[HedonismBot]

Why wait 5 years? I love the O's, but I am tired of wasting my hard earned money and getting a laughable product. If Buck wasn't our manager, it would be hard to even watch the games.

The combined 44 seconds you get to see Showalter on the broadcasts is the deciding factor in you watching the games?

[Putz47]

Prince Fielders isn't coming here, PERIOD! he's not going to Washington either, Cubs won't pay that price for him, Rangers don't have the money to pay that price or the price Boras wants.. who get's the Prince? i still think it will be a AL team... we shall know soon!

[solarkkg]

Prince Fielders isn't coming here, PERIOD! he's not going to Washington either, Cubs won't pay that price for him, Rangers don't have the money to pay that price or the price Boras wants.. who get's the Prince? i still think it will be a AL team... we shall know soon!

I'm tired of seeing Scott Boras finding a team for his clients. In all honesty... if Prince wants to win then he should resign with the Brewers. God.. if only I had the option of choosing between a winner at a discount or a loser at 20 million more.

NL Central is wide open for years to come. All you need to go is hold off Votto and the Reds. Cards are going to decline. Pirates aren't there yet and the Cubs will be 100 game losers for a long time. I'd love to see Prince here only to reenergize the fanbase but that simply won't happen. Oh I guess I forgot the Astros... hmmm...

[BaltimoreTerp]

Why wait 5 years? I love the O's, but I am tired of wasting my hard earned money and getting a laughable product. If Buck wasn't our manager, it would be hard to even watch the games.

Sounds like the question you should be asking yourself involves far less time.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I'm tired of seeing Scott Boras finding a team for his clients.

You're...tired of him doing his job?

[solarkkg]

You're...tired of him doing his job?

I'm sorry. I guess I didn't word that correctly.

I know that Boras is doing his job and he is amazing at it. But at some point MLB clubs need to show him up by NOT ponying up to his demands. What he wants for Jackson is ridiculous. I hope the Fielder/Jackson saga goes well into February and hopefully no club folds. We all know what these players are worth. Just give us that, Boras. Thank you.

[scOtt]

The Nats are in a better position to sign Fielder...no doubt about that. But people have to understand the frustration of many Os fans if the Nats do sign him. The Nats came to dc in 2005, were owned by MLB for a stretch, lost 100 games in 2010 and now are poised to make a run by signing Fielder and trading for Gio. Oh, and the Nats get just a small percentage of MASN money and are actually putting it back into the payroll. Meanwhile the Os continue to tread water and make lateral moves that change nothing about the quality of the team. Yeah...Os fans will be ok with the Nats signing Fielder...

Yes they are... and TEN TIMES that amount from the Lerners! Their MASN money is a pittance, a line on a ledger.

[GoldGlove21]

What folks are missing is that the Nationals may have the second best pitching staff in baseball behind the Rays in 2012. The Nats finished 80-81 last season without Strasburg (5 starts) and that was without Harper, Rendon or Prince Fielder! Washington only scored 624 runs last year and how much better could those guys make them? I think those guys equal 10 wins pretty easily and I think the Nats could win a World Series with that group as soon as this season. I know what I am saying and I do think they could be that special.

[Juanvald]

Who says you can't root for both the O's and the Nats? As an O's fan in NOVA, Ill never give up my love for the O's. But I'm also willing to give the Nats a chance if they show they know how to run an organization and put a winning product on the field. As others have said before in this thread, we are all just dying for some good baseball and if that means rooting for the team closest to my house, so be it. I'm also a Skins fan, but they are terrible. So I have no problems rooting for the Ravens as well because they are a quality organization that is always competing. Plus I grew up in Howard County which is smack in the middle of both towns. I consider both towns my hometown.

[weams]

"The [Orioles who are in almost as bad shape as the] Cubs are rebuilding and don't want to commit to a huge contract for Fielder as it would be a waste."

We really are ( in a rebuild), even if we are also .500 had goal oriented. It is a lofty proposition, but lets see if he can do it.

[ledzepp8]

Huh? He goes further out on a limb than you, or just about anyone else on here.

I'm not sure why you seem to be upset. I agree that he usually always makes grand predictions. I just pointed out that the whole, "I think we have a 50/50 shot at him", was silly. Of course it's 50/50...they either sign him or they don't sign him. It's always that way.

[CA-ORIOLE]

I'm an Angelos basher and have been for years. The man is the root cause of the problem. However, regardless of Angelos, there is a very real upper limit for spending. That limit is debatable and I think we should try to come to some agreement on what we think it should be. Once we do, we'll see what options actually exist for us and where it would get us.

BTW, I continue to be surprised by the number of people who characterize the Nats as "big" spenders relative to the Orioles. Payroll from Cots -

Nationals

■2011: $ 68,306,929

■2010: $ 66,275,000

■2009: $ 60,328,000

■2008: $ 54,961,000

■2007: $ 37,347,500

■2006: $ 63,143,000

■2005: $ 48,581,500

■2004: $ 41,197,500

■2003: $ 51,948,500

■2002: $ 38,670,500

■2001: $ 35,159,500

■2000: $ 33,500,000

Orioles

■2011: $ 86,942,583

■2010: $ 73,812,500

■2009: $ 67,101,666

■2008: $ 67,196,246

■2007: $ 93,554,808

■2006: $ 72,585,582

■2005: $ 73,914,333

■2004: $ 51,623,333

■2003: $ 73,877,500

■2002: $ 60,493,487

■2001: $ 74,279,540

■2000: $ 83,100,000

Not all these years are germane since the Lerner's didn't own the team, but the Orioles have spent 18 million, 7M, and 7M more than the Nats on payroll in the last three years. That is 32 million more dollars than them. The perception that they spend and we don't is ludicrous to date though that could be true going forward. We simply don't spend it well.

Source: http://www.baseballprospectus.com/compensation/cots/?page_id=144

That's all fine and dandy and I'm aware of that, but it doesn't adress the MASN windfall that apparently is or has been rolling in for some time now. Rosenthal seems to think the Nats can/will pay for Fielder with their newly negotiated MASN share (which should be a portion of ours). I did not say the Nats were spending more than the Orioles at this time. You kinda made that up. I understand that revenues and payroll have to correlate. But, the clear implication by Rosenthall is the Nats are willing to spend MASN money towards the club and that MASN money is being considered a revenue source to help the club. I don't think that's germane to us. I would like to know what that money is and where that money is going on our part. I consider that money integral to the Baltimore Orioles franchise. What money PA makes on his law praictice and his other endeavors is a different story. So yeah, I'm beginning to question that "very real upper limit for spending".