Saunders to the Mariners

[weams]

I don't believe this for a second. DD is very capable of closing several deals at once if he wants to. DD either didn't want Saunders or didn't have the budget to sign him.

Guy from the Seattle times says that they paid Joe over 8.5 million. That would be an answer.

[wildcard]

Guy from the Seattle times says that they paid Joe over 8.5 million. That would be an answer.

Sounds like he is guessing:

We don’t have a money figure yet, but Saunders apparently turned down a two-year, $15-million deal already so you have to think he’ll be inking with Seattle for at least the $8.5 million Vargas just got in arbitration from the Angels. Maybe more.

http://blogs.seattletimes.com/mariners/2013/02/07/mariners-reportedly-agree-to-one-year-deal-with-pitcher-joe-saunders/

[brooksfrankjim]

I'm not upset we didn't re-sign Saunders. We have the following starters - Hammel, Chen, Gonzo, Tillman, Matusz, Arrieta, Britton, Bundy, Gausman, like Jair, Johnson.

Saunders would have been an expensive bridge to Bundy and Gausman.

[jtschrei]

Long term, this is the right move. We need that fifth spot in order to see who stays and who goes as Bundy and Gausman progress.

Short term, if we get hit with the injury bug early, DD may have to do some scrambling.

This. I think Britton wins 10 games. Now or never for him

[Tx Oriole]

He is very average. Average you can count on, for 180+ innings. Something you can't say about any one of the Cavalry or Wada or Steve Johnson or Hunter or anyone else.

I'm kinda bummed.

Scott why be bummed out about this? I guess Saunders back with O's would have been nice but I just don't see this as a big loss

for the O's. IMO

[stomperspc]

I'm past the point of caring. I could make an argument for getting a reliable vet like Saunders, and I could make an argument for letting the Cavalry plus Jurjjens, Wada etc. fight for the spot. I've been ambivalent all along, and by now, I just want to play ball.

Cue up the Kyle Lhose threads!

This is how I feel. I think there was a definite argument for signing Saunders because he is a relatively known quantity that would have provided a reliable 4th/5th starter option and created more pitching depth. At the same time, it is reasonable to believe that Britton, Arrieta, and Jurrjens could outperform Saunders as the 5th starter right out of the gates and that the Orioles already have a fair amount of starting pitching depth with the those three plus Wada, Steve Johnson, McFarland, Matusz, Hunter, and Bundy. It isn't a make or break deal by any stretch of the matter. I am also ready to get the games started and see what is really going to happen rather than dealing purely in hypotheticals.

[Tx Oriole]

What are the chances Bundy is made that 5th starter out of ST? Would people be happy with that?

I would be very happy with that. I don't know what the chances are but I would be very cool with it. Wouldn't you be

happy?

[Tx Oriole]

Not that I think DD is an inherently dishonest man but I do not accept as gospel truth anything a GM says in his official capacity.

Well of course not. A smart man wouldn't. I believe it is the nature of the business. You dont let others know what your plans are or

things change. IMO

[Richmond Bird 9]

The 8.5 mil could be 7 mil with a 1.5 buyout for the 2nd year.

[TonySoprano]

I wonder who offered him the 2 year 15 million dollar deal that he turned down? Must have been a team that had a losing record.

Could be Minnesota.

ETA: All things being equal, I think he would have taken our offer over Seattle, having grown up an Orioles fan in NoVA, and after the playoff run last year. That makes me skeptical about Roch's sources and a one-year offer on the table.

[VeveJones007]

I'm not upset we didn't re-sign Saunders. We have the following starters - Hammel, Chen, Gonzo, Tillman, Matusz, Arrieta, Britton, Bundy, Gausman, like Jair, Johnson.

Saunders would have been an expensive bridge to Bundy and Gausman.

Completely agree. The O's are going to have to give some starts to the young guys to see if they can turn a corner before Bundy and Gausman are ready.

[harp6]

This is how I feel. I think there was a definite argument for signing Saunders because he is a relatively known quantity that would have provided a reliable 4th/5th starter option and created more pitching depth. At the same time, it is reasonable to believe that Britton, Arrieta, and Jurrjens could outperform Saunders as the 5th starter right out of the gates and that the Orioles already have a fair amount of starting pitching depth with the those three plus Wada, Steve Johnson, McFarland, Matusz, Hunter, and Bundy. It isn't a make or break deal by any stretch of the matter. I am also ready to get the games started and see what is really going to happen rather than dealing purely in hypotheticals.

I very much agree. It is interesting how many people in other threads were discussing how much depth the O's had at starting pitching and what are they going to do with all that depth. Then many people on here are complaining that we did not add another average pitcher (Saunders) to the depth. Yes, Saunders is a known quantity, but if we learned anything from DD last year, it is that out of the depth of the current candidates, he will use one that rises to the top for that fifth spot. It could be Britton, Arrieta, Jurrgen, Johnson, McFarland or it could be Bundy or Gausman after the AS break. Out of all those pitchers, someone will put up numbers as good as Saunders. Saunders was not going to be the future of this team. Many of the pitchers listed above could be and come a lot cheaper than Saunders. Some of these candidates have the potential to be much better than Saunders. I would rather the O's take the risk with the depth we have. Bundy and Gausman are just around the corner and could be great.

[waroriole]

Saunders was a fine fall back starter, but with Arietta, Britton and Matusz, not to mention Bundy, Jurrgens..theres plenty of options.I dont think

Joe Saunders scares anybody, though I AM a little surprised we didnt get him for a single year.

Yeah, I agree with all of this. No big deal, but I am surprised we didn't get him since it's only 1 year.

[ricowiz]

I very much agree. It is interesting how many people in other threads were discussing how much depth the O's had at starting pitching and what are they going to do with all that depth. Then many people on here are complaining that we did not add another average pitcher (Saunders) to the depth. Yes, Saunders is a known quantity, but if we learned anything from DD last year, it is that out of the depth of the current candidates, he will use one that rises to the top for that fifth spot. It could be Britton, Arrieta, Jurrgen, Johnson, McFarland or it could be Bundy or Gausman after the AS break. Out of all those pitchers, someone will put up numbers as good as Saunders. Saunders was not going to be the future of this team. Many of the pitchers listed above could be and come a lot cheaper than Saunders. Some of these candidates have the potential to be much better than Saunders. I would rather the O's take the risk with the depth we have. Bundy and Gausman are just around the corner and could be great.

But you are assuming that Chen/ Hammel/ Gonzalez/ Tillman are all sure things....which they are not. Saunders at least provided some kind of stability. If this was a rebuilding year, or a "purgatory" type year I would have completely agreed with you. But we are now a playoff team, to have a rotation full of question marks is just crazy to me.

[waroriole]

I'm wondering about DD's statements about Reynolds and Saunders. He seemed to talk them up and say they want to bring them back, but judging by their comments and their contracts, DD clearly wasn't interested. Maybe he was just trying to prevent a mutiny from the fans, who grew very attached to the miracle team, by saying he wanted them back. Most of those fans won't bother to do any digging to see whether those statements match up. The fans that can read between the lines probably aren't that disappointed in losing either guy.