Orioles offical denies report

[clapdiddy]

I would think that a team with 10 consecutive years of losing would have bigger concerns than worrying about leaks.

[Dipper9]

I only have one question. Why do I keep seeing these "Is your love cheating on you?" web ads?

They annoy me.

Also, I think this deal is done as well. Like Tony said there is just too much smoke. We shall see what happens but I sincerely hope this deal gets done.

The funniest thing is looking at the comments on Roch's blog and their view of the trade. They consider it to be completely awful.

Sun readers are casual fans, for the most part.

Casual fans love their BRob, as he is not only a good player, but cute (so they say) and good for the community.

Therefore, its no surprise that people on the Sun page are bashing this trade.

[markpolis]

Perhaps one of the players involved in the Cubs deal will be moved to the Mariners in the Bedard deal and that deal is not yet finalized. Maybe AM and Bavasi are still working out which additional player (Marshall, Gallagher, Albers, Olson) the Orioles will send to the Mariners so we can get Morrow included in the deal.

There are just so many variables involved that most of us are completely clueless about. I'm sure it's just a matter of fine-tuning one of the deals before it's "officially" announced.

IMO, all the AM "conspiracy" theories are laughable.

[TonySoprano]

Perhaps one of the players involved in the Cubs deal will be moved to the Mariners in the Bedard deal and that deal is not yet finalized. Maybe AM and Bavasi are still working out which additional player (Marshall, Gallagher, Albers, Olson) the Orioles will send to the Mariners so we can get Morrow included in the deal.

There are just so many variables involved that most of us are completely clueless about. I'm sure it's just a matter of fine-tuning one of the deals before it's "officially" announced.

IMO, all the AM "conspiracy" theories are laughable.

Unless some of the M's players were headed to Chicago, that's still a separate deal, and shouldn't preclude any announcement on this rumored deal.

[JTrea81]

Casual fans love their BRob, as he is not only a good player, but cute (so they say) and good for the community.

Yeah Nick Markakis is about to get a lot more fan mail, particularly of the female variety...

[JTrea81]

Unless some of the M's players were headed to Chicago, that's still a separate deal, and shouldn't preclude any announcement on this rumored deal.

The Gossage explanation makes sense. MLB is probably just sitting on the paperwork for now. It could also be MacPhail wanted to announce the Roberts and Bedard deals together as well. But if the papers are at the MLB offices, Roberts will be a Cub, that we do know...

[BaltimoreTerp]

Unless some of the M's players were headed to Chicago, that's still a separate deal, and shouldn't preclude any announcement on this rumored deal.

Unless it depends on who we end up getting from the Cubs.

[TonySoprano]

I'm not buying the Gossage excuse. Ninety percent of the baseball news on YESPN was Roger Clemens on 60 Minutes. Gossage was a footnote story by comparison. It took him nine tries and a year where there weren't solid first-time candidates to earn his induction.

[Stotle]

Unless some of the M's players were headed to Chicago, that's still a separate deal, and shouldn't preclude any announcement on this rumored deal.

I disagree with this. The most important negotiating tool is leverage. Announcing Roberts has been traded prematurely indicates to every team that we now need a 2b, which drives up the value of 2b we may be trading for.

Similarly, LAD, after sigining Kuroda, was able to back off their offer based on the fact that their need was no longer as great.

So, hypothetically, if AM was negotiating a deal with SEA wherein BAL was receiving Jones/Clement/Chen/Tillman (or Butler) his position is worsened if Roberts is no longer in BAL. SEA could afford to drive up the price on Chen, noting the Orioles need for a 2b.

The same could be said for CHN if they are working out a trade for Blanton at the same time.

If the deal was agreed to in principal, paperwork was submitted, but the deal was not announced, it could very well because BAL or CHN or both wanted it that way because of other ongoing negotiations.

Just my thoughts on dynamics of negotiations.

[blueberryale77]

Sun readers are casual fans, for the most part.

Casual fans love their BRob, as he is not only a good player, but cute (so they say) and good for the community.

Therefore, its no surprise that people on the Sun page are bashing this trade.

Why is everyone who disagrees with the popular view on the OH a "casual fan"? Die hard, obsessed, stat memorizing, every single game-watching fans can disagree. People can read different scouting reports on the players coming back or interpret them differently, or people can have different assessments of their team's needs, or how quickly a player is going to decline. One can also be a serious fan and hold the opinion that there is something to be gained by having certain franchise players who stay with their team and become an integral part of the community over the years. I honestly think there are a lot of people on this board who agree with the currently alleged trade largely because of groupthink. There is some powerful persuasion that goes on around here, part of which is pressure for people to prove they are "serious fans" by agreeing with the OH elite.

[Baltimoron]

I disagree with this. The most important negotiating tool is leverage. Announcing Roberts has been traded prematurely indicates to every team that we now need a 2b, which drives up the value of 2b we may be trading for.

Similarly, LAD, after sigining Kuroda, was able to back off their offer based on the fact that their need was no longer as great.

So, hypothetically, if AM was negotiating a deal with SEA wherein BAL was receiving Jones/Clement/Chen/Tillman (or Butler) his position is worsened if Roberts is no longer in BAL. SEA could afford to drive up the price on Chen, noting the Orioles need for a 2b.

The same could be said for CHN if they are working out a trade for Blanton at the same time.

If the deal was agreed to in principal, paperwork was submitted, but the deal was not announced, it could very well because BAL or CHN or both wanted it that way because of other ongoing negotiations.

Just my thoughts on dynamics of negotiations.

Its possible, but it presupposes Seattle (or whomever the Bedard negotiations are with) wasn't previously aware off this development/potential development.

Its obvious the Os are shopping BR and EB and if the Os were already seeking a 2B for Bedard, its further confirmed to the other team in the Bedard negations that BR was all but gone anyway, so a confirmation of an expected result doesn't really change that.

[TonySoprano]

I disagree with this. The most important negotiating tool is leverage. Announcing Roberts has been traded prematurely indicates to every team that we now need a 2b, which drives up the value of 2b we may be trading for.

We need a shortstop now that Tejada was traded, unless some expect us to believe the Hernandez is the solution in MacPhail's plan. Most teams aren't stupid; they know the Roberts rumors. A team negotiating with us over a second baseman (an add-on to the package) isn't going to hold him hostage if it means losing out on a guy such as Bedard.

[Baltimoron]

Why is everyone who disagrees with the popular view on the OH a "casual fan"? Die hard, obsessed, stat memorizing, every single game-watching fans can disagree. People can read different scouting reports on the players coming back or interpret them differently, or people can have different assessments of their team's needs, or how quickly a player is going to decline. One can also be a serious fan and hold the opinion that there is something to be gained by having certain franchise players who stay with their team and become an integral part of the community over the years. I honestly think there are a lot of people on this board who agree with the currently alleged trade largely because of groupthink. There is some powerful persuasion that goes on around here, part of which is pressure for people to prove they are "serious fans" by agreeing with the OH elite.

I love the Internets!!!! Too man funnies.

[droper]

Chicago Update:

Bruce Levine is reporting on ESPN 1000 nothing is done yet and that AM is trying to get more, that the players on "this Orioles fan website" may not meet McPhail's expectations and that other teams are trying for Roberts as well.

Of course he also said Bedard was only a year from free agency (missed one)and that including Rich Hill in a deal for Bedard would put the Cubs back where they started because Hill is such a good pitcher (because he was 4th in the NL in strikeouts).

Also guessing the Angels could be looking at Roberts as well to make Figgins available in a trade for a big bat (possibly Konerko).

[Frobby]

I would think that a team with 10 consecutive years of losing would have bigger concerns than worrying about leaks.

I'm sure it does. But if the team wants to turn itself into a winner, it also needs to have the maximum leverage possible when it is negotiating trades or free agent deals. To the extent that leaks provide the other teams or parties with whom they are negotiating with insight about what the Orioles are really thinking, or what alternatives (or lack of alternatives) they have, that undercuts their leverage. So if they are taking steps to eliminate leaks, or control them so that they are used to their advantage, more power to them.