Nationals taking advantage of their MASN money

[JLee2027]

MASN money or not, 14 million a year to a reliever is just plain stupid.

I'm glad the Orioles are smarter than that. If you're going to spend 14 million, you can get/develop/try out 20 guys for that kind of money, get lucky and far better production in the long run.

[Can_of_corn]

MASN money or not, 14 million a year to a reliever is just plain stupid.

I'm glad the Orioles are smarter than that. If you're going to spend 14 million, you can get/develop/try out 20 guys for that kind of money, get lucky and far better production in the long run.

It isn't 14 million a year, half of it is deferred.

[Stotle]

MASN money or not, 14 million a year to a reliever is just plain stupid.

I'm glad the Orioles are smarter than that. If you're going to spend 14 million, you can get/develop/try out 20 guys for that kind of money, get lucky and far better production in the long run.

$7MM a year, actually, over the next two years. With $14MM differed to 2018. And the bolded is not relevant in the calculus for hopeful playoff teams. I mean, they care about it but, usually, if you think you have a good opportunity to compete for a World Series that trumps your decision making.

[LA2]

Would the Nats of made the playoffs without Werth this year?

You mean last year, 2012, and Jayson Werth, the guy who played only half the season and had 5 homers and 31 RBI's (and one RBI in the playoffs)? Well, it all depends on who would have played instead of him, doesn't it? In any case, No thanks, I'd rather have had Nate McLouth, who one could justifiably argue played as well as Werth at a tiny fraction of the salary--and no commitment to 20 million dollars-plus per season for his age 35 through 38 years. DD in action!

[Brendan25]

Edwin Jackson was an eight figure signing, too. Jackson left and the Nats signed Haren for comparable money on a short team deal. They re-signed LaRoche. Is the Soriano deal ($7MM this year) that crazy? Probably an overpay, but one that playoffs teams routinely make because they understand the principles I mentioned re: cost/scarcity of tier 1 wins.

I guess I don't see your overall point regarding the O's. Are you simultaneously arguing 1) the Orioles core is good enough to get to the playoffs,and 2) the Orioles core is not good enough to supplement with significant free agent spending? That doesn't work for me.

I don't know how what I'm saying is so confusing. I'm saying that when this offseason started, that the Nats were more confident in their core of homegrown players then the Orioles were. So what they spend and what we spend is completely different and shouldn't be comparable. I like our core, but we don't have a Stephen Strasburg, yet.

[Stotle]

I don't know how what I'm saying is so confusing. I'm saying that when this offseason started, that the Nats were more confident in their core of homegrown players then the Orioles were. So what they spend and what we spend is completely different and shouldn't be comparable. I like our core, but we don't have a Stephen Strasburg, yet.

So you'd agree the O's are not a likely playoff team?

[JLee2027]

$7MM a year, actually, over the next two years. With $14MM differed to 2018. And the bolded is not relevant in the calculus for hopeful playoff teams. I mean, they care about it but, usually, if you think you have a good opportunity to compete for a World Series that trumps your decision making.

I've seen that report, but it makes no sense since he opted out of his 14 million Yankee contract. Why would anyone pass on 14 million now, accept 7 million and wait 5 years for the remainder until 2018? Bottom line,

I think the media report is incorrect. Or he and his agent are idiots.

Soriano would have been paid $14 million had he remained for the final season of the deal. Soriano can negotiate with all teams beginning Saturday.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/8577055/rafael-soriano-opts-contract-new-york-yankees-becomes-free-agent

[LA2]

$7MM a year, actually, over the next two years. With $14MM differed to 2018. And the bolded is not relevant in the calculus for hopeful playoff teams. I mean, they care about it but, usually, if you think you have a good opportunity to compete for a World Series that trumps your decision making.

I think the O's 'pen has done very well without resorting to such a panicky move, one that, to me, would reveal that they lacked confidence in their ability to pick and situate pitching talent properly (cf. their low-cost signings of O'Day and Ayala, inclusion of Lindstrom in the Guthrie trade, and deployment of Matusz, Hunter, Patton, and S. Johnson last season).

[Brendan25]

So you'd agree the O's are not a likely playoff team?

I think they are an 85 win team with + or - 5 either way so they are very close to a playoff team. I do agree that there are lots of question marks with lots of young players going into next year. There is the absolute possibility that Chen, Gonzalez, Tillman, Wieters, Davis and Machado all take a step back which would most likely mean a very bad season. If all those guys have good seasons I think we are a 90 win team. Again, we don't have a Strasburg. A sure ace. I like our depth though. Our rotation is going to be the reason we win or lose next year, regardless of what hitters we do or do not add this offseason.

[LA2]

So you'd agree the O's are not a likely playoff team?

Once the Orioles realized they had a shot at the playoffs last season, they continued to strengthen their bullpen (and starting rotation) without letting themselves getting suckered into short-sighted trades and FA signings. There are more ways to reach the postseason than throwing the future away (money and player-wise) for soon-to-be-useless-or-obscenely-overpaid players.

[Stotle]

I've seen that report, but it makes no sense since he opted out of his 14 million Yankee contract. Why would anyone pass on 14 million now, accept 7 million and wait 5 years for the remainder until 2018? Bottom line,

I think the media report is incorrect. Or he and his agent are idiots.

Soriano would have been paid $14 million had he remained for the final season of the deal. Soriano can negotiate with all teams beginning Saturday.

http://espn.go.com/new-york/mlb/story/_/id/8577055/rafael-soriano-opts-contract-new-york-yankees-becomes-free-agent

I don't think you've thought this through...

[Stotle]

Once the Orioles realized they had a shot at the playoffs last season, they continued to strengthen their bullpen (and starting rotation) without letting themselves getting suckered into short-sighted trades and FA signings. There are more ways to reach the postseason than throwing the future away (money and player-wise) for soon-to-be-useless-or-obscenely-overpaid players.

Strawman.

[atomic]

nationals tickets are quite a bit more expensive than orioles tickets. You can't even get a partial plan for the good seats. I am sure they will be going up even more with this soriano signing. So don't think the nationals owner is getting this from the masn money. he is getting it from higher priced tickets.

[Stotle]

I think they are an 85 win team with + or - 5 either way so they are very close to a playoff team. I do agree that there are lots of question marks with lots of young players going into next year. There is the absolute possibility that Chen, Gonzalez, Tillman, Wieters, Davis and Machado all take a step back which would most likely mean a very bad season. If all those guys have good seasons I think we are a 90 win team. Again, we don't have a Strasburg. A sure ace. I like our depth though. Our rotation is going to be the reason we win or lose next year, regardless of what hitters we do or do not add this offseason.

Makes perfect sense. If Baltimore is most likely not a playoff team, no sense in spending any significant money this year. Hope for continued growth and be ready to potentially spend next offseason.

[Stotle]

I think the O's 'pen has done very well without resorting to such a panicky move, one that, to me, would reveal that they lacked confidence in their ability to pick and situate pitching talent properly (cf. their low-cost signings of O'Day and Ayala, inclusion of Lindstrom in the Guthrie trade, and deployment of Matusz, Hunter, Patton, and S. Johnson last season).

I think you are projecting. More likely, Baltimore had the luxury of low expectations so they could take some risk and throw some stuff against the wall. The Nats don't have that luxury and decided $7MM this year (and increased good relations with Boras) was an okay cost for adding another tested arm to the pen -- particularly after seeing Storen miss a bunch of time last year.