Sun: Players want free agent help

[Fan4Life]

6/96 for Soriano....Just like i have been saying.

Any of you still think there is a chance we can get Soriano?

Well, you had a post saying we would be going into next season with about $60 mil.... so if we are willing to go to $95-100 mil, how do we spend the other $35 - $40 to compete next year and there after? Do not start by a trade including Tejada please....

[TonySoprano]

6/96 for Soriano....Just like i have been saying.

Any of you still think there is a chance we can get Soriano?

Mmmm, no.

Just like I, and several others, have been saying;)

[clapdiddy]

If this team does not improve and still holds on to Tejada and others who are unhappy, it could get really ugly in the clubhouse next season.

I really, really, really wish they would just go into total rebuild mode this offseason. If we're not willing to spend with the big dogs, we can't go out and get guys like Luis Gonzales and Craig Wilson and think we're going to compete.

Trade Tejada, Roberts, Hernandez, and anyone else that can bring us high quality prospects/young players back. We've got too many holes to fill to think one big FA signing is going to put us back in contention. If we traded those three, we may be able to bring in a bounty of young talent with the market being so dried up this offseason.

Build with young pitching and defense, acquire young guys who have proven (at least in the high minors) that they can get on base and this team could be competitive in a couple of years. If they keep throwing band-aids on the roster, we'll be waiting another decade to get a winner.

[Sapper]

I think the major problem is summed up here:

We made big mistakes in 2003-04 and 2004-05, and I just don't know that it's going to be possible to make up for those mistakes this winter.

....and if we do we will just end up making more mistakes. Contrary to the prevailing attitude, this is NOT the time to spend for this team.

Paying a guy 16/96 this winter is like slapping a pretty ribbon on wart hog. This team has problems that will take more than a couple FA's to fix.

[Boston Dave]

If this team does not improve and still holds on to Tejada and others who are unhappy, it could get really ugly in the clubhouse next season.

I really, really, really wish they would just go into total rebuild mode this offseason. If we're not willing to spend with the big dogs, we can't go out and get guys like Luis Gonzales and Craig Wilson and think we're going to compete.

Trade Tejada, Roberts, Hernandez, and anyone else that can bring us high quality prospects/young players back. We've got too many holes to fill to think one big FA signing is going to put us back in contention. If we traded those three, we may be able to bring in a bounty of young talent with the market being so dried up this offseason.

Build with young pitching and defense, acquire young guys who have proven (at least in the high minors) that they can get on base and this team could be competitive in a couple of years. If they keep throwing band-aids on the roster, we'll be waiting another decade to get a winner.

I would love to see the Os add the big bats\arms, but you know, I don't think youhave to tear it up, either. Go young and hungry. Bring in "almost there" guys for first and left. Supplement at DH, etc., with high reward\low risk, Frank Thomas-esque guys. Keep the core of the young pitching, and add a middle of the rotation innings guy. It might be ugly, but it's a heck of a lot better than signing 38yo has beens for every hole.

[Sports Guy]

Well, you had a post saying we would be going into next season with about $60 mil.... so if we are willing to go to $95-100 mil, how do we spend the other $35 - $40 to compete next year and there after? Do not start by a trade including Tejada please....

You can say don't start by trading Tejada but i feel that has to be done.

We are not going to get Soriano.

I could see us getting Lee but he would be a terrible signing for what he will get.

We aren't going to spend money on one of the top pitchers, so that is out as well.

So, what does that leave us? Are we going to sign Wilson, Lee and Suppan?

Yea, that is a better team but where does that put us? 85-88 wins maybe? Still 3rd or 4th place? Not competing for a WC?

And, on top of that, we would be into a few contracts that we would likely regret down the road.

[NewMarketSean]

I agree. We are paying for the sins we committed by doing nothing the past 3-4 years. One offseason cannot repair the extensive damage that was done at that time. I love to talk about who we should get as much as the next guy but when you get down to it, the best thing this team can do is trade off all its attractive parts and rebuild from scratch. But you all know that won't happen so we'll win 70 games next year too.

We post rebuilding team records, without the rebuilding. Hear that, warehouse?

[Hank Scorpio]

So, you guys are basically saying that the front office is in an absolute no win situation regardless of what they do/don't do this offseason.

Well, that's grim.

[JourneyFan]

So, you guys are basically saying that the front office is in an absolute no win situation regardless of what they do/don't do this offseason.

Well, that's grim.

With the people currently in charge, yes.

[Hank Scorpio]

Seriously, all I want is for them to get off the losing schnide without setting the team back. I'm not expecting a wild card team next year, but I am expecting this team to finish over .500.

That is pathetic, but as we all know, that's the state of affairs w/ Baltimore baseball.

[Sports Guy]

IMO, this team can't compete by just plugging in a big bat or 2 and a #3 starter, and a BP arm or 2.

We need to improve every aspect of this team...Defense, rotation, bullpen, bench, speed, OBP and power. Everything needs to be upgraded.

There is now ay they can do this with the money they want to spend, which is why trading Benson, Tejada and Gibbons makes sense. Get these contracts off of the books. Get some younger, talented players in here and still go get your big bats but do it with guys you can trade for and won't have these huge long term contracts to be worried about.

Then, in a better FA market, you still have alot of money to spend and at that point, you can spend the big money.

[JTrea81]

I have more faith in the FO signing top free agents then I do in them to blow the team up and rebuild. Sure you might have a Marlins situation but I don't think we can get optimum value for our pieces like they did just because of or FO and the non-communication between them and Angelos. Rebuilding isn't an option - signing top talent is and I expect them to do just that. Money can no longer be an excuse and neither can geographical bias. I don't believe in this have to play for a winning team either. If you show them the $ they will come. We weren't exactly setting the world on fire in 2003 either and yet we offered Tejada the most $ and he signed. We have the money to overpay.

[El Gordo]

It is nothing more than Speculation. Don't believe it. What has Grimsley ever done that make some people believe he is truthful? Nothing. He is trying his dead level best to drag other players down with him. I have never heard that Sheffield was on the juice. At least as far as I can remember.

You have reading and memory challenges.:002_sbiggrin:

[El Gordo]

That's actually better than I was expecting...though only about 2 years and 12 million more than I think he's worth by any standard of sanity. But hey, not my money..Os have plenty..we need a bat. Lets do it.

Paying Sori 6/$96mil. is "lunacy"?

[El Gordo]

I just dialed my expectations down a little more, if that was even possible.

A black hole has infinite density. No light escapes it.:002_sbiggrin: