Per the Sun: "Orioles most inactive team..."

[MDK02]

I feel like we are the laughing stock of baseball right now.. man, this is depressing.

[tntoriole]

Then go out and spend your own money on a team and see how quickly it runs out. PA bought the O's in bankruptcy. PA spent like a drunken sailor for many years. PA could bankrupt this team again.. do you want that?

Unlikely to happen given that Potter's initial investment has a guaranteed at least 300 percent return from his initial investment if he sells the team and then there is MASN. What we customers demand from this business,enhanced by public taxpayer funds, is a winner. Potter is the object of derision and scorn caused by his own business choices and dysfunctional management style and public opinion is unlikely to change in the minds of most Orioles fans. Potter's ownership tenure will come to an end eventually and the Orioles will hopefully be sold to a more enlightened and more entrepreneurial individual. But I said many years ago that we will never have a World Series champion under his leadership. I am lucky enough to have attended every Orioles World Series, but 1983 is 30 years ago and counting.

[hoosiers]

MASN's profits are dolled out as per the agreement. Nothing you can do about that. Nat's owners will get their money, and the O's owners will get theirs. What they do after that is up to them.. but whatever is dolled out is only brought back by half due to taxes.

They aren't netting $95M, this year or next year. That would require another $75m in revenue from the O's specifically. No way the O's bring in $300m plus in operating revenue. It's not possible, even if they sold out every game and had a 20% increase in food sales.

Now I don't know (and neither do you) what the Owners agreement for the O's is. They probably choose to pay out because the O's had 4 owners. Two of which was an Ex-Wife and Geppi. $95M after taxes is closer to $50M and since PA gets only 71% of that. It's more like $35.5M that can be used as he can't force other owners to not take the profits.

O's still have to go through Arbitration. We are looking at adding $$$$ in cost over last year in those cases. So the O's payroll for 2014 is already projected at $75m for 13 players. Still have to pay 27 other guys.

It's very simple - as you have posted - Forbes has Os EBITDA at $30M. If payroll stays the same and the Os have $27M in new incremental revenue from MLB, that EBITDA goes to $57M.

The Lerner's received $8M from MASN as their share of the profits based on their 17% ownership. Presumably, the Os-related owners of MASN at 83% received $39M. Further, it appears that MASN may be woefully under-priced - offering a good deal to DC/Balt area consumers, but costing the Os and Nats big, big $ - perhaps over $100M. This under-pricing hurts the both the O and the Nats from a competitiveness perspective.

$57M+$39M = $96M.

[hoosiers]

I think the Orioles ar close to being a competitive team. They have an outstanding core of Davis, Jones, Machado, and Hardy with solid role guys in Markakis and Wieters if they can rebound. In my opinion, if the Orioles can acquire an impact bat for left field, a closer and a solid #2 or #3 type starter, they would be contender. Obviously finding that kind of starter is either going cost money (Garza) or top prospects. I've fine with Flaherty/Weeks/De Jesus/Phelps holding down second base until Schoop is ready, but if they go into spring training with the mess they currently have in LF/DH (two spots that should be easy to find good offensive players) then that's on the budget or Duquette.

Which of the teams that finished ahead of or tied with the Orioles do you believe the Os are now better than? Do you think any of the teams that finished behind the Os are now better?

[MemorialStadKid]

Why do you defend PA so much? You must be his son or something.

We aren't buying it.

There's some weird kind of Stockholm Syndrome in regards to the lousy operating procedures of the Orioles FO and Angelos. A small - but extremely vociferous - cult of defenders who seem to find incredibly illogical ways to defend the Orioles' lack of improvement.

They were at full strength; arguing in unison during the dark times, constantly arguing against making any kind of FA investment because the time "wasn't right" but now that we have a competitive core, and some solid FA signings could put us over the top, these same defenders are making the same kind of arguments.

Their logic was always flimsy but now it is revealed as sycophantic at best and retroactive at worst.

It's pretty strange and incredibly disturbing.

MSK

[SteveO]

It's very simple - as you have posted - Forbes has Os EBITDA at $30M. If payroll stays the same and the Os have $27M in new incremental revenue from MLB, that EBITDA goes to $57M.

The Lerner's received $8M from MASN as their share of the profits based on their 17% ownership. Presumably, the Os-related owners of MASN at 83% received $39M. Further, it appears that MASN may be woefully under-priced - offering a good deal to DC/Balt area consumers, but costing the Os and Nats big, big $ - perhaps over $100M. This under-pricing hurts the both the O and the Nats from a competitiveness perspective.

$57M+$39M = $96M.

Again for all the babble you of course ignore the fact that the man stands to make 500+ million (which I am sure you will argue despite numerous valuations that state he will make more) when he sells the team. But yea your right he is barely scraping by....please.

Bottom line is that as owner Peter Angelos has failed miserably. Its as simple as going back and looking at the results under his leadership. But by all means try polishing that turd for us all

[clapdiddy]

I don't know if this was posted on this thread, but I thought it was interesting.

ESPN's Offseason Winners and Losers

• Baltimore Orioles -- They'd spent two years rebuilding an era of good vibes and repairing much of the damage of the lost decade that preceded it. But the vibes emanating from the Orioles' offseason so far have been anything but euphoric. The dumping of Johnson sent shock waves through their organization. Their free-agent targets have been mostly low-budget. And their biggest offseason acquisition so far has been a reliever (Ryan Webb) who got nontendered by the Marlins.

"They look like a team that's caught in between," said one exec. "They act like they don't have any money, although I'm not sure why. They're a little short on having enough talent to keep pace in the division. And they don't seem like they're going to do much to address it. They feel like they're a team with nowhere to go."

[SteveO]

Which of the teams that finished ahead of or tied with the Orioles do you believe the Os are now better than? Do you think any of the teams that finished behind the Os are now better?

Prob none since they have been busy addressing needs while we are sitting our hands crying poor mouth

[brianod]

I would like to see if Niekro has anything left, screw teaching, suit up!

Jim Traber, Chito Martinez and Tito Landrum are also intriguing buy low possibilities...

I played against Jim Traber in highschool:)

[Rene88]

I played against Jim Traber in highschool:)

Can you play LF? close games?

[hoosiers]

There's some weird kind of Stockholm Syndrome in regards to the lousy operating procedures of the Orioles FO and Angelos. A small - but extremely vociferous - cult of defenders who seem to find incredibly illogical ways to defend the Orioles' lack of improvement.

They were at full strength; arguing in unison during the dark times, constantly arguing against making any kind of FA investment because the time "wasn't right" but now that we have a competitive core, and some solid FA signings could put us over the top, these same defenders are making the same kind of arguments.

Their logic was always flimsy but now it is revealed as sycophantic at best and retroactive at worst.

It's pretty strange and incredibly disturbing.

MSK

Just to understand, what is this "lack of improvement" you refer to? Have you lived under a rock for the last two seasons?

What are the lousy operating procedures?

I can understand complaints about a low payroll, but it appears a great deal of the dysfunction that existed for a long time is now gone - whether it be well-below average international operations, incredibly well-below average spring training facilities, etc, etc.

You present such a lack of detail and strength of argument that it is not worth posting with you.

[SteveO]

What's Felix Pie doing these days lol

[Yardball85]

Then go out and spend your own money on a team and see how quickly it runs out. PA bought the O's in bankruptcy. PA spent like a drunken sailor for many years. PA could bankrupt this team again.. do you want that?

From a baseball standpoint, do you realize the Orioles have no left fielder, closer, or DH?

[SteveO]

From a baseball standpoint, do you realize the Orioles have no left fielder, closer, or DH?

Details lol

[Yardball85]

Details lol

As long as PA is owner, he's happy