Orioles add Independent League Pitchers L Mahon & C Johnson.

[ChaosLex]

Johnny, did you ever find anyone other than Ortiz that has a front-loaded contract?

[scOtt]

Sure ..We caught lightning in a bottle. Toronto was decimated with injuries. Boston collapsed and entered rebuilding. We broke a 100 year old record in the process. As I said lightning in a bottle. I'm not foolish enough to expect a repeat.

You're intimating we snuck into the playoffs last year. Weakness in our division allowed us in.

We won 93 games last year! TWO teams had a better record than us. I'm not saying we didn't overachieve... but we have a SOLID core. You act like we're going to collapse if we don't spend a ton. We're. Not.

[Redskins Rick]

The bigger point here is, even "IF" Angelos was willing to open his wallet and spend some $$$$$, what free agent worth talking to, would even consider coming here, and that's after playing well enough last year to get into the playoffs?????

Angelos has always been for the money first and foremost. DD got lucky that Buck was able to right the ship, with the dumster diving that DD did to fill in the gaps.

Angelos has no passion for this team or it's traditions, if he did, then his owner's box for home games wouldn't be empty 75% of the time.

What did he do with all that $$$, he got from MLB and the TV rights to 51% of the National's TV revenue??????

[scOtt]

The bigger point here is, even "IF" Angelos was willing to open his wallet and spend some $$$$$, what free agent worth talking to, would even consider coming here, and that's after playing well enough last year to get into the playoffs?????

Angelos has always been for the money first and foremost. DD got lucky that Buck was able to right the ship, with the dumster diving that DD did to fill in the gaps.

Angelos has no passion for this team or it's traditions, if he did, then his owner's box for home games wouldn't be empty 75% of the time.

What did he do with all that $$$, he got from MLB and the TV rights to 51% of the National's TV revenue??????

False statement.

[luismatos4prez]

The bigger point here is, even "IF" Angelos was willing to open his wallet and spend some $$$$$, what free agent worth talking to, would even consider coming here, and that's after playing well enough last year to get into the playoffs?????

Give me one good reason why a FA wouldn't want to come here.

Is it the passionate fans, outstanding stadium, or the young, exciting and talented team?

[scOtt]

Give me one good reason why a FA wouldn't want to come here.

Is it the passionate fans, outstanding stadium, or the young, exciting and talented team?

Or Josh Hamilton hitting 4 HRs, and getting an ovation from the OPPOSING fans. And he OPS'es like 2.895 here... Just one example.

[Mr Snuffleupagus]

The bigger point here is, even "IF" Angelos was willing to open his wallet and spend some $$$$$, what free agent worth talking to, would even consider coming here, and that's after playing well enough last year to get into the playoffs?????

Angelos has always been for the money first and foremost. DD got lucky that Buck was able to right the ship, with the dumster diving that DD did to fill in the gaps.

Angelos has no passion for this team or it's traditions, if he did, then his owner's box for home games wouldn't be empty 75% of the time.

What did he do with all that $$$, he got from MLB and the TV rights to 51% of the National's TV revenue??????

I do think we are more attractive than Miami fwiw.

Also, I think Buck as manager offsets a lot of the negative PA may bring on as an owner. At least if I were a FA that's probably how I'd look at it.

I don't think we're on too many FA's do not sign list. We're viewed as contenders with one of the best players managers in baseball. As long as the checks clear, I don't see why a FA would be deterred from coming here.

[SrMeowMeow]

Sure ..We caught lightning in a bottle. Toronto was decimated with injuries. Boston collapsed and entered rebuilding. We broke a 100 year old record in the process. As I said lightning in a bottle. I'm not foolish enough to expect a repeat.

I'm sure you really don't need to be beaten over the head with the list of teams who've made the playoffs in the last ten years without a marquee free agent, right? And who've gotten major contributions from unheralded sources? Because nobody wants to have to post such a list for the fifteen billionth time.

[Mr Snuffleupagus]

I'm sure you really don't need to be beaten over the head with the list of teams who've made the playoffs in the last ten years without a marquee free agent, right? And who've gotten major contributions from unheralded sources? Because nobody wants to have to post such a list for the fifteen billionth time.

Hey, hey, hey... Need I remind you, the Giants had Barry Zito.

[MatthewW]

I understand what starting to happen. You pulling up a two year contract that a 35 year old veteran signed is not going to prove to me that top free agents are "starting to" sign front loaded contracts for 5 years. Because NONE have.

It's for longer than 5 years, but A-Rod's newest contract is front loaded...

(He did make $27M his first year, then...)

09:$32M, 10:$32M, 11:$31M, 12:$29M, 13:$28M, 14:$25M, 15:$21M, 16:$20M, 17:$20M

[DrungoHazewood]

Give me one good reason why a FA wouldn't want to come here.

Is it the passionate fans, outstanding stadium, or the young, exciting and talented team?

I think the O's are a reasonable destination for a player, but let's not pretend that one year ago today they weren't among the least desirable teams to play for. 14 years of losing, a penny-pinching often nonsensical owner who hires questionable front office types, lack of direction, lack of a productive, stable organization, huge divisional competition, and the chaos that surrounded the GM hiring process.

Not only was Baltimore a place no one wanted to play, it was an organization Pete couldn't get any top candidate to come and run. Things have improved in 12 months, but it would be hard to truthfully say the team is now on par with the better (and better funded) organizations in MLB.

[waroriole]

A five page thread about this and their names are mentioned twice.

[scOtt]

It's for longer than 5 years, but A-Rod's newest contract is front loaded...

(He did make $27M his first year, then...)

09:$32M, 10:$32M, 11:$31M, 12:$29M, 13:$28M, 14:$25M, 15:$21M, 16:$20M, 17:$20M

No offense, but not the best example. Many overlaying lawyerly issues, intervened on by the commissioner's office.

[scOtt]

A five page thread about this and their names are mentioned twice.

We did 50-ish pages on Teagarden and Eveland last winter. "It's what we do."

[Redskins Rick]

Remember, we also need to thank the Baseball God's that Bobby Valentine turned the job down, and they ended up going with Buck.