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

[Tx Oriole]

This seems to me a real DD/PA staredown moment. If DD has to regulate his budget THREE YEARS in advance, In giving Balfour a chance at a third year... if PA is micromanaging THAT much.......

we're screwed.

When Andy M. made the Bedard trade was it before or after the winter meetings?

Maybe I am a fool but I am hoping DD can still help the team this offseason.

[weams]

When Andy M. made the Bedard trade was it before or after the winter meetings?

Maybe I am a fool but I am hoping DD can still help the team this offseason.

updated: February 9, 2008, 7:55 AM ET

Associated Press

SEATTLE -- After weeks of delays, denials, flights and physicals, the Seattle Mariners have their ace.

[isestrex]

updated: February 9, 2008, 7:55 AM ET

Associated Press

SEATTLE -- After weeks of delays, denials, flights and physicals, the Seattle Mariners have their ace.

Ironically they had their ace in Felix all along.

[MrOrange82]

440 posts discussing the possibility of the Orioles talking about signing Grant Balfour.

Sigh...

902.

MrOrange82 cannot come to the phone right now. He is attempting to lobotomize himself with an icicle.

[El Gordo]

Neither one is on the free agent market: Janssen -2015, Mujica - 2016. Then there's $5.5/yr for Boone Logan and Hawkins is their closer.

They were and we could have signed them and save 5 M.

[theobird]

902.

MrOrange82 cannot come to the phone right now. He is attempting to lobotomize himself with an icicle.

Thanks for that one, it made me laugh. It is a very frustrating hobby, this being an Oriole fan.

[TonySoprano]

They were and we could have signed them and save 5 M.

Toronto exercised Janssen's option and Mujica won't close games.

[El Gordo]

Toronto exercised Janssen's option and Mujica won't close games.

So it's your opinion that there are no more CL out there to be had for much less than 10M? Think DD misjudged the market should have held on to JJ?

[weams]

So it's your opinion that there are no more CL out there to be had for much less than 10M? Think DD misjudged the market should have held on to JJ?

I believe we will sign Balfour for 7 or 8 for multiple years.

If not, I believe that the Orioles closer will make less than five million.

[TonySoprano]

So it's your opinion that there are no more CL out there to be had for much less than 10M? Think DD misjudged the market should have held on to JJ?

At the time he made his decision on Johnson, only Papelbon made more than $10M (after Rivera) retired. The market has since changed with all the TV money out there. Add to the list now Wilson in L.A. and Joe Nathan in Detroit.

Tell me who is out there that you would like as our closer and if he'll be significantly be below $10M. Do you want to bring back Kevin "Goggles" Gregg? Think Rodney will be significantly under $10M? Hanrahan and Perez made $7M in 2013, will they get a big pay cut? Is Valverde your man, then? Would you prefer any or all of them to Johnson?

All this talk about 100 marbles and giving your closer 10 of them. If you're stuck with 100 marbles, then I don't disagree with the Johnson decision. However, if you had 120 marbles then 10 doesn't look quite as bad does it? Now, as I've said before, we're a bit backed into a corner trying to save those marbles, and the way the market is developing, Balfour takes too many of them away. I think when all is said and done, we may go with what he have.

[Can_of_corn]

At the time he made his decision on Johnson, only Papelbon made more than $10M (after Rivera) retired. The market has since changed with all the TV money out there. Add to the list now Wilson in L.A. and Joe Nathan in Detroit.

Tell me who is out there that you would like as our closer and if he'll be significantly be below $10M. Do you want to bring back Kevin "Goggles" Gregg? Think Rodney will be significantly under $10M? Hanrahan and Perez made $7M in 2013, will they get a big pay cut? Is Valverde your man, then? Would you prefer any or all of them to Johnson?

All this talk about 100 marbles and giving your closer 10 of them. If you're stuck with 100 marbles, then I don't disagree with the Johnson decision. However, if you had 120 marbles then 10 doesn't look quite as bad does it? Now, as I've said before, we're a bit backed into a corner trying to save those marbles, and the way the market is developing, Balfour takes too many of them away. I think when all is said and done, we may go with what he have.

500K is significantly lower then 10 million.

I see no reason to add a "proven closer". Teams do it every year and likely as not it blows up in their faces.

(Phillies are trying to trade Paps for instance)

[TonySoprano]

500K is significantly lower then 10 million.

I see no reason to add a "proven closer". Teams do it every year and likely as not it blows up in their faces.

(Phillies are trying to trade Paps for instance)

$500K is significant when we're justifying the Johnson trade in terms of "resource allocation" and "marbles?"

[MrOrange82]

500K is significantly lower then 10 million.

I see no reason to add a "proven closer". Teams do it every year and likely as not it blows up in their faces.

(Phillies are trying to trade Paps for instance)

"Proven closer" = high potential for wasted money.

I also take issue with the implicit notion that DD couldn't/shouldn't have seen the closer market developing in the way that is has. Seems pretty inexcusable for him to not anticipate price tags going up. Hence, my general annoyance with the amount of time that seems to have been wasted on negotiations with Balfour and others in his category.

[Can_of_corn]

$500K is significant when we're justifying the Johnson trade in terms of "resource allocation" and "marbles?"

Well you save 9.5 if the idea is Johnson gets 10 million. That's a lot of marbles.

[TonySoprano]

Well you save 9.5 if the idea is Johnson gets 10 million. That's a lot of marbles.

Maybe I misunderstood your previous point. Who is your $500k closer?