Josh Hamilton market update - 3 years $60-75 million

[lovetoaster]

Anyone have the b@#$ to step up with a little board wager??

This team wins 90 games in 2013, I NEVER post again.

This team wins less than 90 games YOU never post again.

Step on up.

Unfortunately that means we have to listen to you say the same thing over and over again until the end of next year.

[Enjoy Terror]

I was happy with the Orioles last year.

Last year is over and I am apprehensive about their future prospects.

That's fair. I appreciate your apprehension; I've endured the losing seasons too. It gets to the point where a fan will react like a beaten pet to anything slightly amiss. The Orioles won 93 games when people were concerned about them not being able to win 65.

I personally feel comfortable going into 2013 with the team as is. I would be happy if we signed someone with a little more of a track record at first base, but I not be upset if Chris Davis was there all year.

Overall, I felt that we showed a lot of growth as an organization, and that is what concerned me more than the W/L record. For me, it's about "Can we draft?" "Can we condition our players?" "Can we develop talent?" "Can we scout internationally?" "Are we making good baseball decisions?" "Are we holding people in the org. accountable?". I think a lot of those questions were answered last year and that alone will give the on-field product a better shot out of the gate.

[lovetoaster]

How about we have some faith in our GM's plan and stop acting like a bunch of pissed off teenagers?

What a novel idea. Trusting a plan that got us to the playoffs in the first year. Some people just complain just to complain. We could have won the World Series last year and some people would still be spewing the same thing they are now. Some people get enjoyment out of baiting other people into arguments. I think there is a name for that.

[Brendan25]

Anyone have the b@#$ to step up with a little board wager??

This team wins 90 games in 2013, I NEVER post again.

This team wins less than 90 games YOU never post again.

Step on up.

I wonder how many Red Sox fans would have jumped on that last year for their team.

[DrinkinWithFermi]

Anyone have the b@#$ to step up with a little board wager??

This team wins 90 games in 2013, I NEVER post again.

This team wins less than 90 games YOU never post again.

Step on up.

U mad bro?

This might be the greatest post in OH history because he's really that angry that we didn't beat the Angels' ridiculous, bad idea offer.

I'll pass on the wager though. I think we're around 85-88 wins right now. Sign Saunders or Jackson to round out the rotation, and I think 90 is pretty attainable.

[canonfaz]

How about we have some faith in our GM's plan and stop acting like a bunch of pissed off teenagers?

Agreed. I just can't figure out who is Team Edgar and who is Team Jacob.

[MurphDogg]

I didnt vote in the poll. For the Christmas post I said I would love to wake up to 6/125. In the $8m to spend thread I said 8/20. I would have been happy to sign him for 5/125 up to 6/150. We didnt sign him though, so I am moving on. Let's go out and sign Fielder. He fits the 1B MOO guy we need on this team....missed that boat, never mind. I would just like this team to fill a hole with someone that is a difference maker. We dont need 4 high dollar guys, just 1 or 2 would be great. And dont give me small market junk. If this team would have mattered they would have had all of there own fans and all of the Nationals fans for all of those years. Southern PA, MD, some of DC, Virginia, that is a good size market. Just win consistantly and you will have a market.

I get the frustration, I understand the sentiments of some posters that say it isn't our money. The truth is, we aren't small market and we don't carry a small market payroll. We are right in the middle. I just don't share the belief that Hamilton is worth nearly as much as he got, I also feel that Fielder was overpaid. I honestly believe that if a 29-year-old Mark Teixeira was a free agent this off-season, coming off the season the Orioles had last year, that the Orioles would have done what it took to sign him. Unfortunately, that kind of perfect storm doesn't happen often. The nice thing about the end of the steroid era is that free agents are no longer expected to be in their prime throughout the entirety of their contract. Free agents are always overpaid now. Scouting and drafting are much more important. I have no idea whether he will be as good in the future, but Miguel Gonzalez was signed out of the Mexican League and was worth almost as much as Hamilton last season. The Orioles have to keep doing what they are doing, pay to keep their players, and continue developing their prospects and they can contend.

[Can_of_corn]

I get the frustration, I understand the sentiments of some posters that say it isn't our money. The truth is, we aren't small market and we don't carry a small market payroll. We are right in the middle. I just don't share the belief that Hamilton is worth nearly as much as he got, I also feel that Fielder was overpaid. I honestly believe that if a 29-year-old Mark Teixeira was a free agent this off-season, coming off the season the Orioles had last year, that the Orioles would have done what it took to sign him. Unfortunately, that kind of perfect storm doesn't happen often. The nice thing about the end of the steroid era is that free agents are no longer expected to be in their prime throughout the entirety of their contract. Free agents are always overpaid now. Scouting and drafting are much more important. I have no idea whether he will be as good in the future, but Miguel Gonzalez was signed out of the Mexican League and was worth almost as much as Hamilton last season. The Orioles have to keep doing what they are doing, pay to keep their players, and continue developing their prospects and they can contend.

If you consider 19 out of 30 to be in the middle (2012).

[Dark Helmet]

Agreed. I just can't figure out who is Team Edgar and who is Team Jacob.

Edgar? I take you don't have teenage daughters, or your wife didn't drag you to the theatre to watch that thing

[Tony-OH]

I get the frustration, I understand the sentiments of some posters that say it isn't our money. The truth is, we aren't small market and we don't carry a small market payroll. We are right in the middle. I just don't share the belief that Hamilton is worth nearly as much as he got, I also feel that Fielder was overpaid. I honestly believe that if a 29-year-old Mark Teixeira was a free agent this off-season, coming off the season the Orioles had last year, that the Orioles would have done what it took to sign him. Unfortunately, that kind of perfect storm doesn't happen often. The nice thing about the end of the steroid era is that free agents are no longer expected to be in their prime throughout the entirety of their contract. Free agents are always overpaid now. Scouting and drafting are much more important. I have no idea whether he will be as good in the future, but Miguel Gonzalez was signed out of the Mexican League and was worth almost as much as Hamilton last season. The Orioles have to keep doing what they are doing, pay to keep their players, and continue developing their prospects and they can contend.

Actions speak louder than words! The Orioles have no intention of ever having a guy make $20 million plus a year. They have not been serious bidders in a premium free agent since Tejada. Angelos saw Duquette do it on the cheap last year, and he expects him to it on the cheap every year. I think another poster has it right, we are the Oakland A's East. Duquette has to find his Gonzales, McLouth and Chen every year because we will not be bidders in premium free agents. We are who we are. I've accepted that's who my home town team is going to be. Anyone hoping for more is just setting themselves up for disappointment.

[Dark Helmet]

If you consider 19 out of 30 to be in the middle (2012).

Too bad this team has the recources to be in the top 10, but chooses to hover in the"middle".

[waroriole]

If you consider 19 out of 30 to be in the middle (2012).

Since there can't be an exact middle of 30, 19 seems close enough.

[Can_of_corn]

Since there can't be an exact middle of 30, 19 seems close enough.

Honestly? To me 19 out of 30 has the sound of clearly being in the lower half. 14-17 I could see counting as "right in the middle", 13-18 I would agree with "around the middle". 19th and less then 100K away from the Nats in 20th is lower half in my book.

[MurphDogg]

Too bad this team has the recources to be in the top 10, but chooses to hover in the"middle".

Do you mind posting the Orioles financial books along with those of the rest of the teams in the league? I would love to look through them. Every team could pay more for payroll. There is not a team in the league that is spending the milk money on their 25th player. That said, with their market size, somewhere between 12 and 20 feels about right for the Orioles payroll.

[Dark Helmet]

Since there can't be an exact middle of 30, 19 seems close enough.

Wouldn't that be like 15. But I was never real good at math.