Miggy offers to talk to Soriano....

[inmiggywetrust]

I love Miggy for so many different reasons. I really really hope we can become a winner with him still on this team.

[TGO]

I think the one who will most influence Soriano is Grover.

Actually, trucks full of Grovers and his friend Benjamin

Haha...too bad they don't print Grovers anymore. I think Alfonso would gladly take a check, though.

[66-70-83-??]

- You fail to mention his top 10 includes Larry Walker and Jeff Kent, two likely HOFers who lasted until their late 30s.

- You fail to mention that his BB-Reference comps don't include his 2006 numbers

- His Baseball Prospectus comps, which are far more thorough and include things park and league translations, and body type comps include players like Ryne Sandberg, Kent, Nomar, Robby Thompson, Tim Wallach, Bobby Thompson, Joe Carter, Andre Dawson, and Paul Blair. How much do you think he's worth based on those nine multi-year all stars? How much more is he worth when you realize he's comparable to those guys before his best season?

Good post.

You beat me to it..........with the BP comparables.

Wow ! If this was a boxing match, you just won by a 1st round KNOCKOUT !

[markpolis]

They are in that we will have to blow away any offer to get Soriano here, something we didn't do for Vlad.

They are also comparable because Vlad and Soriano also have the same agent. The agent who played the Orioles to drive up the Anaheim offer for Vlad and the same agent who will do it again this offseason. Money being equal, Soraino will sign with the Angels.

[66-70-83-??]

They are also comparable because Vlad and Soriano also have the same agent. The agent who played the Orioles to drive up the Anaheim offer for Vlad and the same agent who will do it again this offseason. Money being equal, Soraino will sign with the Angels.

No doubt Tellem will use the Orioles as leverage this offseason. Hopefully, we will at least have a slim chance to land him.

We didn't have a shot at Vlad. He wanted no part of the O's.

He just didn't want to come here and would have settled for less to play for the Angels.

[Sports Guy]

No doubt Tellem will use the Orioles as leverage this offseason. Hopefully, we will at least have a slim chance to land him.

We didn't have a shot at Vlad. He wanted no part of the O's.

He just didn't want to come here and would have settled for less to play for the Angels.

If we had offered Vlad 6/90, i think he is an Oriole.

We will have to offer that, if not more, to get Soriano IMO.

[TonySoprano]

They are also comparable because Vlad and Soriano also have the same agent. The agent who played the Orioles to drive up the Anaheim offer for Vlad and the same agent who will do it again this offseason. Money being equal, Soraino will sign with the Angels.

Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it:cool:

[66-70-83-??]

If we had offered Vlad 6/90, i think he is an Oriole.

We will have to offer that, if not more, to get Soriano IMO.

I agree with the second statement about Soriano.

But, not the first.

I don't think any amount of money would have landed Vlad here.

Why did the NY Mets get a second look, but we didn't ?

If it was about the years or money- why didn't we get another look ?

We had the only offer on the table for a month. Wouldn't you think simple professional courtesy would have dictated that we got a second look, unless we were simply being used by Tellem and there was NO intention all along of coming here.

In the end, Tellem "negotiated" with only NYM and LAA.

[Fan4Life]

If we had offered Vlad 6/90, i think he is an Oriole.

We will have to offer that, if not more, to get Soriano IMO.

Soriano will be 31 in Jan. So a 6 year deal would put him to 37. I would like him onboard, but can't see paying him $15 mil at age 37. Maybe you sign him with the idea of trading him in 3 years and replacing him with a younger similar type / cost player. Or do you take into account that salaries probably aren't going down in the next 3-5 years so signing a 40-40 guy in 2009 could cost you $17 mil a year?

[NationalBoSign]

What's with the infatuation with this guy? Was he a superstar when he was at Texas? Did he carry that team to anything? Does everyone remember his home/away stats last year? He's not very consistent and if the O's spend 15+ million a year on the guy he'll need to produce every year like this year. I doubt very seriously he'll respond to that kind of pressure.

[bigloe]

What's with the infatuation with this guy? Was he a superstar when he was at Texas? Did he carry that team to anything? Does everyone remember his home/away stats last year? He's not very consistent and if the O's spend 15+ million a year on the guy he'll need to produce every year like this year. I doubt very seriously he'll respond to that kind of pressure.

Then what do you suggest the Orioles do to improve?

[Mackus]

Then what do you suggest the Orioles do to improve?

There are lots of ways we could spend $15M that would improve us as much or more than signing Soriano.

Signing Soriano to a huge contract only makes sense if he's the piece to take us from a contender to a WS hopeful, or perhaps even from a .500 team to a legit playoff contender. Signing him to take us from a below .500 team to a slightly above .500 team is pointless, because by the time we'd get to be a contender, Soriano and his contract will be a hindrance. It would be acceptable to deal with 2 years and $30M for a .750 OPS LF if that same guy got us to the playoffs in his first 3 years, but I don't think thats likely.

I'd spend money on guys that are shorter term gambles, like Burrell, who is only owed money for two more years. If we're going to give out long term contracts, it should be to younger guys - like Teixeira and Matsuzaka.

[El Gordo]

- You fail to mention his top 10 includes Larry Walker and Jeff Kent, two likely HOFers who lasted until their late 30s.

- You fail to mention that his BB-Reference comps don't include his 2006 numbers

- His Baseball Prospectus comps, which are far more thorough and include things park and league translations, and body type comps include players like Ryne Sandberg, Kent, Nomar, Robby Thompson, Tim Wallach, Bobby Thompson, Joe Carter, Andre Dawson, and Paul Blair. How much do you think he's worth based on those nine multi-year all stars? How much more is he worth when you realize he's comparable to those guys before his best season?

Sounds like you actually like Alfonso. Even with that OBP? Would you be in favor of signing him?

[NationalBoSign]

Then what do you suggest the Orioles do to improve?

Get back to their winning ways of the 70's and 80's, and gentlemen that was by no means through free agency. It was through player development.

When you look at the track record of high priced free agents that have come here it's not very good. What makes anyone think that Soriano wouldn't be more of the same? This team needs a serious attitude adjustment first and filling holes with numbers would only mask that problem.

Suppose we do sign Soriano, Schmidt, et. al. that still won't stop them from swinging at pitches in the dirt when a pitcher is struggling, throwing to the wrong base late in the game to allow a runner to advance, walking lead-off batters late in a close game, losing after outhitting and opponent. Are we just going to ignore that?

You guys watch the games, how many teams are playing that kind of baseball against us? Not to many (maybe the DRays).

Basically getting that sure fire, first ever, 100% first ballot Hall of Famer Alfonso Soriano and putting the team payroll closer to $100 million is going to magically make the O's a playoff contender? I doubt it. If you want to compete that way with the Yankees you better start thinking about a payroll closer to $150 million. I for one love this team bacause of the way they beat teams with pitching, defense, and timely hitting years back and that formula is still effectively being used today by the Twins and the Braves.

Lets put a solid team on the field first, then worry about overpaying for the Soriano's of the world. When he goes on one of his strike out binges and boots a few balls out there in left with his boards as hands will you forgive him as easily as a player like Markakis because his OPS is over .800?

Given the apologists for Tejada here, you probably will.

...and 2 years down the road when they've gone 11 straight seasons under .500 will he still be considered part of the answer?

[El Gordo]

What's with the infatuation with this guy? Was he a superstar when he was at Texas? Did he carry that team to anything?

Did ARod?