Kevin Gausman has now signed for the Orioles

[Flash- bd]

This. Is, say, Gausman > Zimmer + Velasquez + Poche?

That's a good question. You can make the case that the answer to that question is: no.

Overall, I think it's fair to criticize the overall draft approach as RZNJ does, but to criticize our negotiating over the past few days and what has happened after the fact is pretty unfair/pretty presumptuous, to me.

[Lucky Jim]

That's a good question. You can make the case that the answer to that question is: no.

Overall, I think it's fair to criticize the overall draft approach as RZNJ does, but to criticize our negotiating over the past few days and what has happened after the fact is pretty unfair/pretty presumptuous, to me.

Part and parcel, to me. To each (part) their own (parcel).

[mark_beckens]

For the record I am not freaking out. I am just annoyed and do not think they handled the situation properly.

Wondering how you know they handled it improperly? You got hidden cameras or inside knowledge?

[Lucky Jim]

Wondering how you know they handled it improperly? You got hidden cameras or inside knowledge?

Does "think" = "know"? I know lots of folks make that mistake around here. Do you?

[mark_beckens]

Does "think" = "know"? I know lots of folks make that mistake around here. Do you?

OK, what makes you "think" they handled it improperly? Just wondering if you have some knowledge of the discussions the rest of us fans don't.

Is there a youtube video I can watch, to form my own opinion on the negotiations?

[Lucky Jim]

OK, what makes you "think" they handled it improperly? Just wondering if you have some knowledge of the discussions the rest of us fans don't.

He's explained pretty thoroughly why he thinks what he does. Are you really wondering this or just being passive-aggressive?

[mark_beckens]

He's explained pretty thoroughly why he thinks what he does. Are you really wondering this or just being passive-aggressive?

Is he forming his opinion based on speculation or facts?

[Lucky Jim]

Is he forming his opinion based on speculation or facts?

Both. He's looking at facts (what we paid, what we lost, the other options available - i.e., opportunity costs) and he's trying to fill in the blanks (which requires some speculation). Not a foreign process.

[mark_beckens]

Both. He's looking at facts (what we paid, what we lost, the other options available - i.e., opportunity costs) and he's trying to fill in the blanks (which requires some speculation). Not a foreign process.

But the only people who know how the negotiations were handled, were the people in them, or the people who were told about them. So unless he's one of those people. It's just an opinion based on total speculation. We don't know what he was asking for or if the O's knew what he wanted before the draft. I have yet to see it posted anywhere here. For all we know, Gausman was asking for 5 million and the O's got him down to 4.32, as an example.

[Lucky Jim]

But the only people who know how the negotiations were handled, were the people in them, or the people who were told about them. So unless he's one of those people. It's just an opinion based on total speculation. We don't know what he was asking for or if the O's knew what he wanted before the draft. I have yet to see it posted anywhere here. For all we know, Gausman was asking for 5 million and the O's got him down to 4.32, as an example.

You don't need to know how the negotiations were handled to know the alternatives, and the risk posed by those alternatives. He's not really even condemning the process or freaking out. The outcome clearly wasn't optimal, however - and he may be of the opinion that it's less optimal while others may approve more. Not a big deal.

If we subscribe to your theory, we can't really praise, or even discuss, the signing. I mean, who knows, Gausman might have been asking for $3.2m but we insisted on $4.3m!

[mark_beckens]

You don't need to know how the negotiations were handled to know the alternatives, and the risk posed by those alternatives. He's not really even condemning the process or freaking out. The outcome clearly wasn't optimal, however - and he may be of the opinion that it's less optimal while others may approve more. Not a big deal.

If we subscribe to your theory, we can't really praise, or even discuss, the signing. I mean, who knows, Gausman might have been asking for $3.2m but we insisted on $4.3m!

Since I wasn't in on the negotiations or have anyone tell me about them. My opinion would be I'm glad he's signed. I would have liked him to sign for less to be able to sign others but apparently for whatever reason, that didn't happen. Like I said below, I'd rather have Gausman then to not have him and have Poche and Velasquez. I just have no information at my disposal to form any opinion on whether the negotiations were mishandled or not and since I don't, I'm not going to form an opinion on them. IMO, that's a sensible theory to have on a subject you have no knowledge of.

[mark_beckens]

http://baltimore.orioles.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20120713&content_id=34877536&vkey=news_bal&c_id=bal

The agreement was reached with about 10 seconds to spare, and Gausman, who last pitched in the College World Series, was in Baltimore on Friday morning to take his physical in advance of the two sides reaching a deal.

Sounds like even if they had gotten him for under slot, they wouldn't have had time to sign anyone else. That also leads me to think that either he had been asking for this or more from the beginning and the O's were trying to get him for less.

[Va Beach O's fan]

Shouldn't we just have signed Appel if we were going to pay that much over slot?

Isn't that the whole reason he dropped in the draft in the first place and eventually chose to go back to school?

If we were going to overpay, we should have gone with him IMO instead of a guy who eats a whole sleeve of donuts before every game he pitches. Yeah, that really bothers me long term. I don't know why, it just does.

[Can_of_corn]

Thanks Lucky Jim, well done.

[weams]

Shouldn't we just have signed Appel if we were going to pay that much over slot?

Isn't that the whole reason he dropped in the draft in the first place and eventually chose to go back to school?

If we were going to overpay' date=' we should have gone with him IMO instead of a guy who eats a whole sleeve of donuts before every game he pitches. Yeah, that really bothers me long term. I don't know why, it just does.[/quote']We had Gausman rated higher than Appel. AS did some scouting services.