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

[El Gordo]

If the O's get Cruz at the numbers you mention will you think that a good signing for the O's?

Depends on how much less than 4/60 M it is. I like the idea of 30 HR and 80+ RBI from LF where the D metrics show he is league average. Better OBP would be nice but you can't have everything. I like him batting behind Davis.

[Fan4Life]

Depends on how much less than 4/60 M it is. I like the idea of 30 HR and 80+ RBI from LF where the D metrics show he is league average. Better OBP would be nice but you can't have everything. I like him batting behind Davis.

So if we add Balfour and Cruz (at a reasonable amount) DD will have what grade to this point in the offseason in your veiw?

[Going Underground]

What is Balfour waiting for? If he just wanted a third year, why not just take the team that's offering 2 and a vesting option?

Perhaps it is just something his agent planted in the media to get more money or an extra year.

[atomic]

10 years from now some people will be saying Reimold can put up good numbers once he recovers from his artificial hip emplacement.

Yeah he is 30 now and people still expect that he will arrive. I never got the love of Reimold. For a DH his numbers are pretty mediocre at best and add to that being injured all the time... I don't know why we just didn't let him go. We could have saved one of our marbles.

[isestrex]

Depends on how much less than 4/60 M it is. I like the idea of 30 HR and 80+ RBI from LF where the D metrics show he is league average. Better OBP would be nice but you can't have everything. I like him batting behind Davis.

Then you should like a cheaper version already on roster:

[Aristotelian]

Here's the thing about the 3rd year. I don't think it's as risky as people think. Let's say he's healthy for a couple years, pitches well, SOMEone is going to take him in a trade before that 3rd year. Clearly teams are willing to sign Logan to 3 years and pay him a crapload of money, why not take on a year of Balfour when he's 39 for $7M or whatever it is? If he's pitching well and healthy, that's a guy you can trade and get off your books for a scrap heap player (a la Johnson). Colon is getting $10M at what, age 39? 40?

I disagree. O's are right not to budge on a third year. Balfour is past the point when pitchers start to decline. O's have to guard against the worst case scenario which is a career ending injury in which Balfour is owed $7 million a year for multiple years. Brian Roberts may have prevented us from winning a championship in 2012. We don't want to take on the risk of Balfour doing the same thing. I would rather do Crain on a 1-2 year contract.

[atomic]

I disagree. O's are right not to budge on a third year. Balfour is past the point when pitchers start to decline. O's have to guard against the worst case scenario which is a career ending injury in which Balfour is owed $7 million a year for multiple years. Brian Roberts may have prevented us from winning a championship in 2012. We don't want to take on the risk of Balfour doing the same thing. I would rather do Crain on a 1-2 year contract.

All baseball contracts are a risk. Unfortunately in baseball you can't just cut players. Signing Balfour to a 3 year contract at 7 million a season isn't as risky as signing a guy to what Garza and Choo will get. You have to take some chances. And expect some bad contracts. Every team ends up with them.

[atomic]

Then you should like a cheaper version already on roster:

Nolan is awful defensively. Well below average. More likely 5 hr and 30 rbis

[Aristotelian]

All baseball contracts are a risk. Unfortunately in baseball you can't just cut players. Signing Balfour to a 3 year contract at 7 million a season isn't as risky as signing a guy to what Garza and Choo will get. You have to take some chances. And expect some bad contracts. Every team ends up with them.

Boston was able to get Mujica for two years. We should be able to get somebody at that level for 2 years and cheaper than Balfour. I just wish we had gotten Mujica. If we go three years it should be for somebody younger. With Balfour you are just asking for it to be a bad contract.

[VeveJones007]

What is Balfour waiting for? If he just wanted a third year, why not just take the team that's offering 2 and a vesting option?

Dare I say he actually wants to play for Baltimore as opposed to the other teams who have offered him a deal, but he's trying to squeeze as much money out of the O's as he can?

[VeveJones007]

How does "nothing immediate" mean a deal will be done this evening?

Because at this stage of the negotiations all it takes is for one side to cave and then a deal is done in 5 minutes.

[El Gordo]

Boston was able to get Mujica for two years. We should be able to get somebody at that level for 2 years and cheaper than Balfour. I just wish we had gotten Mujica. If we go three years it should be for somebody younger. With Balfour you are just asking for it to be a bad contract.

If Balfour has an offer of 2 years and an option then he must really want to play for the O's, not to take that right away.

[VeveJones007]

.347 OBP vs. LHPs last year, .340 for his career. I could definitely live with that for a leadoff hitter.

I'm not paying $120+ million for a guy who has had an OPS of .605 and .612 against lefties the last two years, OBP be damned.

That money would be better spent on a considerably cheaper platoon.

[atomic]

If Balfour has an offer of 2 years and an option then he must really want to play for the O's, not to take that right away.

An option year is good for the team not the player.

[mdbdotcom]

An option year is good for the team not the player.

If it's an option year that vests based on number of games played in the last year of the contract, it's good for both.