If the payroll is $100M max, the Orioles are a small-market team.

[atomic]

Baseball is broken. There is inherent unfairness built in to the system. I don't care how they try to balance it. A $200M differential between the top and bottom spender ? Lol. Ok. What planet does that make sense on?

Well both team are making money so why is it broken?

[Guest]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Mike Pelfrey agrees to 2-year deal, $11M, $3.5M performance bonuses. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23twins&src=hash">#twins</a></p>— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) <a href="

">December 15, 2013</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

How are the small market Twins and Royals out spending us? O i know.

[Number5]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Mike Pelfrey agrees to 2-year deal, $11M, $3.5M performance bonuses. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23twins&src=hash">#twins</a></p>— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) <a href="

">December 15, 2013</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

How are the small market Twins and Royals out spending us? O i know.

You wanted the Orioles to top that offer on Pelfrey? Seriously?

[Guest]

You wanted the Orioles to top that offer on Pelfrey? Seriously?

Nothing to do with Pelfrey. Everyone is spending but us.

[Number5]

Nothing to do with Pelfrey. Everyone is spending but us.

Ummm... In this case it has everything to do with Pelfrey. If you would not pay that kind of money for Pelfrey, your complaint has no merit. If other teams are spending foolishly, that is not a problem for the Orioles.

[Guest]

Ummm... In this case it has everything to do with Pelfrey. If you would not pay that kind of money for Pelfrey, your complaint has no merit. If other teams are spending foolishly, that is not a problem for the Orioles.

How is it foolishly? Those teams are filling holes and we sit here with 4 huge holes.

[Number5]

How is it foolishly? Those teams are filling holes and we sit here with 4 huge holes.

Since you feel Pelfrey at $11M plus incentives for 2 years is a good sign, we have zero common ground on which to have a discussion.

Happy Holidays.

[SteveO]

Since you feel Pelfrey at $11M plus incentives for 2 years is a good sign, we have zero common ground on which to have a discussion.

Happy Holidays.

That is a horrible deal

Still does not change the fact that their have been guys signed to deals that were reasonable and could have been solid additions to this team. There is still time though but it would be nice to see some action soon.

[Guest]

Since you feel Pelfrey at $11M plus incentives for 2 years is a good sign, we have zero common ground on which to have a discussion.

Happy Holidays.

Happy Holidays too.

[srock]

I've been railing about this supposed $100 million budget cap the Orioles have as well. I hope it does not exist and I believe it does not, Duquette just like to keep everyone's expectations low in case he isn't able to do anything useful.

I think projecting an average of $100 million budget over 5 years or so is probably quite smart. In a rebuilding year the Orioles should be in the bottom 3rd of payroll, only teams like the MFY's and Dodgers can afford to carry high payrolls while rebuilding.

However, 2014 is NOT a rebuilding year. This is the team we have been longing to see since Mussina left. This is the time to take a chance and push the payroll up to $125 or even $150 million because now the window to be a playoff team and a WS contender!

They key is to push payroll for the next year or two without putting the team in a position where payroll obligations are over $100 3 or 4 years from now. This to me is the balance to be found.

[theocean]

I've been railing about this supposed $100 million budget cap the Orioles have as well. I hope it does not exist and I believe it does not, Duquette just like to keep everyone's expectations low in case he isn't able to do anything useful.

I think projecting an average of $100 million budget over 5 years or so is probably quite smart. In a rebuilding year the Orioles should be in the bottom 3rd of payroll, only teams like the MFY's and Dodgers can afford to carry high payrolls while rebuilding.

However, 2014 is NOT a rebuilding year. This is the team we have been longing to see since Mussina left. This is the time to take a chance and push the payroll up to $125 or even $150 million because now the window to be a playoff team and a WS contender!

They key is to push payroll for the next year or two without putting the team in a position where payroll obligations are over $100 3 or 4 years from now. This to me is the balance to be found.

I think the whole idea is not to give out foolish contracts for three-four years that could stop the O's from extending their key guys - Davis, Wieters, Hardy, and ultimately Machado. The one Angelos quote that sticks out to me is along the lines of him saying he'd like the O's to compete every year - sort of the philosophy the Ravens have. So, that means putting money into the draft, getting bargains on the market, and trading your players that get too expensive. The O's just don't have the market to be able to push money into one championship-run and then have enough money to field a decent team down the road. I think they want to avoid the boom-and-bust, contend/rebuild cycle.

Also, everyone vilifies Angelos here - but throughout his career he always stuck up for the little guy and unions. A big thing with him is keeping the cost of tickets down so that it's affordable for an average person to go. The price of a ticket at Camden Yards is really great compared to other stadiums. I applaud him for that.

If the O's are gonna win - they're gonna win on the backs of Jones, Davis, Machado, Hardy, Wieters, and Tillman. They're going to need everyone else to have good years and contribute too. They lost a ton of really close games last year, there's no way they're that unlucky again. This is a talented team. They can win. I'm excited for next year.

[srock]

I think the whole idea is not to give out foolish contracts for three-four years that could stop the O's from extending their key guys - Davis, Wieters, Hardy, and ultimately Machado. The one Angelos quote that sticks out to me is along the lines of him saying he'd like the O's to compete every year - sort of the philosophy the Ravens have. So, that means putting money into the draft, getting bargains on the market, and trading your players that get too expensive. The O's just don't have the market to be able to push money into one championship-run and then have enough money to field a decent team down the road. I think they want to avoid the boom-and-bust, contend/rebuild cycle.

Also, everyone vilifies Angelos here - but throughout his career he always stuck up for the little guy and unions. A big thing with him is keeping the cost of tickets down so that it's affordable for an average person to go. The price of a ticket at Camden Yards is really great compared to other stadiums. I applaud him for that.

If the O's are gonna win - they're gonna win on the backs of Jones, Davis, Machado, Hardy, Wieters, and Tillman. They're going to need everyone else to have good years and contribute too. They lost a ton of really close games last year, there's no way they're that unlucky again. This is a talented team. They can win. I'm excited for next year.

They be winning on the back of these guys. But there is only 1 pitcher in that group. When the minor league system fails to produce adequate supply you have to make up for that somehow and its gonna cost some cash.

Its nonsense the Orioles don't have the cash and they want to make such a claim they can back it up with a publicly disclosed accounting audit. Of course they shouldn't do either.

Furthermore, when they do the necessary thing regarding player development, let me know. Because they system is far from good enough to support such a plan.

They can win. But they aren't likely to be more then a few games over .500 which isn't good enough. Not now when they window to be really good is open. If this bubble of players comes and goes with only a few seasons putting up around 85 wins, that will be almost as sad as 15 years under .500.

[BradyBunch]

Chen proceeded the new CBA international pool language. I think he is the same as Harper. I am really pretty sure.

Chen hits Arb in 2015, FA in 2018.

[weams]

Chen hits Arb in 2015, FA in 2018.

Others say different. I have to get that clarified.

[Frobby]

This is an update of where team payrolls stand today vs. 2013. By my calculation, total MLB payroll is up approximately $161 mm, or about $5.4 mm per team. Eight teams have a lower payroll than last year right now, including the Orioles.

	Team		OD 20131	Yankees 	$ 228,835,490 	$196 mm2	Dodgers 	$ 216,597,577   $218 mm3	Phillies 	$ 165,385,714 	$160 mm4	Red Sox 	$ 150,655,500 	$166 mm5	Tigers 		$ 148,414,500 	$161 mm6	Giants 		$ 140,264,334 	$154 mm7	Angels 		$ 127,896,250 	$149 mm8	White Sox 	$ 119,073,277 	$87 mm9	Blue Jays 	$ 117,527,800 	$135 mm10	Nationals 	$ 116,056,769 	$131 mm11	Cardinals 	$ 115,222,086 	$109 mm12	Rangers 	$ 114,090,100 	$130 mm13	Reds 		$ 107,491,305 	$106 mm14	Cubs 		$ 104,304,676 	$79 mm[b]15	Orioles 	$ 90,993,333 	$83 mm[/b]16	Braves 		$ 89,778,192    $92 mm	17	Diamondbacks    $ 89,100,500    $100 mm18	Brewers 	$ 82,976,944 	$98 mm19	Royals 		$ 81,491,725 	$90 mm20	Pirates 	$ 79,555,000    $70 mm21	Indians 	$ 77,772,800 	$83 mm22	Twins 		$ 75,802,500 	$83 mm23	Mets 		$ 73,396,649 	$85 mm24	Mariners 	$ 72,031,143 	$82 mm25	Rockies 	$ 71,924,071    $91 mm26	Padres 		$ 67,143,600 	$85 mm27	Athletics 	$ 60,664,500 	$78 mm28	Rays 		$ 57,895,272 	$72 mm29	Marlins 	$ 36,341,900 	$41 mm30	Astros 		$ 22,062,600    $48 mm 

It's pretty clear than most teams did not put all of the reported $25-27 mm in new national TV money into team payroll, though most teams did have an increase.