Per Rosenthal: Balfour (FINALLY) to Orioles...

[Redskins Rick]

latest blog entry by Britt on the subject:

http://brittghiroli.mlblogs.com/2013/12/10/latest-on-balfour-and-the-os/

[weams]

compiling 38 saves

Isn't that healthier than what we have been doing? For the club? Spread it around a bit when necessary?

[Ommaculate]

Yeah, I agree he's better. But we have Tommy Hunter at what like 2.5 mil after arbitration? Why not use him and use the 5 million dollars we save from not signing Balfour on getting an impact starting pitcher or LF/DH? That extra money could land us a Choo or Garza, while the 5 million extra we're paying here likely won't even get us an extra win over the span of the year.

Tommy Homerun Hunter for permanent closer? That's a bad idea, there is a reason he got that nickname. We still need great guys in the 5th, 6th, 7nth and 8th. With our rotation they need all the bullpen help in the world. We might need guys in the 3rd and 4th inning too.

Might as well make the whole pitching staff the bullpen.

[Austin]

Shouldn't it be beneath Roch to even respond to this kid? He's a paid journalist and this kid is on a trip to disney with his parents. I guess the guy is really that threatened.

I don't think he's threatened, it's that Rickli referenced Roch in his tweet as if they are on equal ground. Roch is a legit reporter and Rickli is some wannabe with bad information.

[Redskins Rick]

Isn't that healthier than what we have been doing? For the club? Spread it around a bit when necessary?

Find some offensive weapons and a TOR, which might help for less save opportunities, and that would even be healthier.

[BillySmith]

It would be Johnson for Balfour, Weeks, PTBL, and Ryan Webb. For three years each. Not for one.

That's a haul. Would be great if the PTBNL was a reasonable upside starting pitcher. DD was taught to make sure a pitcher gets thrown in to every deal.

Plus it gives Buck several guys who can close.

[SilentJames]

Yeah, I agree he's better. But we have Tommy Hunter at what like 2.5 mil after arbitration? Why not use him and use the 5 million dollars we save from not signing Balfour on getting an impact starting pitcher or LF/DH? That extra money could land us a Choo or Garza, while the 5 million extra we're paying here likely won't even get us an extra win over the span of the year.

because an "impact" starting pitcher is almost always going to cost significantly more than that and the guys that are floating around out there right now probably aren't the type of guys you make that kind of commitment to.

The FO has basically stated that they believe in the young arms that are coming up. They believe in Tillman and Gonzo and Chen. They want to add a starter, but it is not going to be a massive commitment and it will be more a depth move (ie what 2012 was.)

Now we can disagree with this approach all we want, but that seems to be the approach that the FO wants to take.

What can be done to upgrade the team working within those parameters?

[atomic]

latest blog entry by Britt on the subject:

http://brittghiroli.mlblogs.com/2013/12/10/latest-on-balfour-and-the-os/

I wish all this conjecture stuff could go to another forum and unless club sources say they signed someone I don't have to read about it.

[terps19]

He also led the league in saves as well as appearances. If the Orioles' offense had done a slightly better job JJ might not have been as exposed as he was.

he had the highest blown save percentage. he blew 6 saves in the extra 12 save opportunities compared to balfour. And he also had 8 losses.

[Rene88]

I love how posters like to save money that isn't theirs:)

[waroriole]

He also led the league in saves as well as appearances. If the Orioles' offense had done a slightly better job JJ might not have been as exposed as he was.

Is this a joke? You're talking about the 3rd best offense in the AL right?

He was exposed because Buck is slavishly tied to the save rule. And because the SP couldn't pitch deep in games.

[BillySmith]

Yes. Johnson's $10M could be REALLOCATED into Webb, Balfour, PTBNL, Weeks. You can argue you'd rather spend that money elsewhere, but we were all prepared for Johnson to be tendered a contract anyway, soooo....

One season of Johnson for (potentially) 12 years of four different players, albeit Weeks and PTBNL aren't locks for ever seeing Camden Yards.

[sportsfan8703]

Find some offensive weapons and a TOR, which might help for less save opportunities, and that would even be healthier.

Colon would be TOR. He did finish 6th in the Cy Young voting. He's a pretty good 2. We wouldn't have an ace (but how many are there in MLB?)but we'd have two 2's (Tillman, Colon) and two 3's (Chen, Gonzo).

[Redskins Rick]

I wish all this conjecture stuff could go to another forum and unless club sources say they signed someone I don't have to read about it.

as Tony-OH would say, this is a discussion board. If we don't discuss things, pretty boring place it would be.

[Rene88]

he had the highest blown save percentage. he blew 6 saves in the extra 12 save opportunities compared to balfour. And he also had 8 losses.

I get the impression some posters don't watch most of the games. Not blaming them, just commenting. I love baseball on TV, but can understand how many don't.