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

[mdbdotcom]

Something doesn't add up here.

Duquette knows the value of FA relievers. He knows that Balfour isn't worth 7M/yr. So by offering it, he's conceding that sometimes you have to pay more than you should for FAs. But if he's willing to make that concession for Grant Balfour, why wasn't he willing to make it for McLouth, David Murphy, or any of the starting pitchers?

Is giving Balfour more than he's worth a concession that he's misjudged the FA market? Or is it a small part of some bigger plan he has in place to get the bat and SP that the team needs within our budget? Could he be trying to appease Buck?

On the surface, trading Jim Johnson for Ryan Webb, Grant Balfour, Jemile Weeks, that MiL catcher and a couple million left over is a good deal. I'm having trouble following Dan's overall thought process though.

I think he's a good GM. And good GMs don't overpay for relief pitching on teams that aren't serious contenders. A team with Reimold and Urrutia in the starting lineup isn't a serious contender. Hopefully I'm just not seeing the big picture here.

Maybe it will make sense after the deal is actually done.

[weams]

Something doesn't add up here.

Duquette knows the value of FA relievers. He knows that Balfour isn't worth 7M/yr. So by offering it, he's conceding that sometimes you have to pay more than you should for FAs. But if he's willing to make that concession for Grant Balfour, why wasn't he willing to make it for McLouth, David Murphy, or any of the starting pitchers?

Is giving Balfour more than he's worth a concession that he's misjudged the FA market? Or is it a small part of some bigger plan he has in place to get the bat and SP that the team needs within our budget? Could he be trying to appease Buck?

On the surface, trading Jim Johnson for Ryan Webb, Grant Balfour, Jemile Weeks, that MiL catcher and a couple million left over is a good deal. I'm having trouble following Dan's overall thought process though.

I think he's a good GM. And good GMs don't overpay for relief pitching on teams that aren't serious contenders. A team with Reimold and Urrutia in the starting lineup isn't a serious contender. Hopefully I'm just not seeing the big picture here.

The difference between McClouth and Pequero is less than the difference between Johnson and Balfour. And every metric that you could use shows Balfour to be superior. I assume that if Jim Johnson wanted to sign a 3 year 21 million dollar contract, he would have been an Oriole long term. Instead he wanted 4/50. So I think that two extra years of Balfour for 5 per year are a better value than paying Jim 11 million for this year.

[weams]

Just sign Fernando Rodney to a 1/4m deal and move on. Its obvious the O's can't do anything else until the Closer is adressed. Though I'm not sure why this team is so worried about improving the closer, when they've showed no desire to improve the rest of the team. At this point, I don't see the offense or starting rotation being good enough for the closer to have much impact one way or the other.

Rodney wants 10 million a year.

[Il BuonO]

Rodney wants 10 million a year.

I'll take Mike Wright for the minimum, thank you very much.

[TonySoprano]

Remind me why we're listening to rumors from Jen Royle

[Dark Helmet]

The difference between McClouth and Pequero is less than the difference between Johnson and Balfour. And every metric that you could use shows Balfour to be superior. I assume that if Jim Johnson wanted to sign a 3 year 21 million dollar contract, he would have been an Oriole long term. Instead he wanted 4/50. So I think that two extra years of Balfour for 5 per year are a better value than paying Jim 11 million for this year.

Fangraphs has JJ and Balfour roughly the same in WAR. Though it seems they don't think Balfour will be closing next year. Predicts him only to have six saves.

[luismatos4prez]

The difference between McClouth and Pequero is less than the difference between Johnson and Balfour. And every metric that you could use shows Balfour to be superior. I assume that if Jim Johnson wanted to sign a 3 year 21 million dollar contract, he would have been an Oriole long term. Instead he wanted 4/50. So I think that two extra years of Balfour for 5 per year are a better value than paying Jim 11 million for this year.

I disagree about McLouth and Peguero. I think Peguero is a poor man's Chris Dickerson and McLouth is a capable starting LF.

I also don't think Balfour is an upgrade over Johnson. I think they're more or less equal when you adjust for the fact that Balfour was pitching in Oakland and JJ in Baltimore.

I agree that Balfour definitely presents the better value and I never would have signed JJ to 4/50. But the bullpen never concerned me all that much in the first place, and Dan is running out of ways to make the team better.

[Can_of_corn]

Remind me why we're listening to rumors from Jen Royle

Chris Cotillo retweeted her. I don't follow Jen.

[weams]

I disagree about McLouth and Peguero. I think Peguero is a poor man's Chris Dickerson and McLouth is a capable starting LF.

I also don't think Balfour is an upgrade over Johnson. I think they're more or less equal when you adjust for the fact that Balfour was pitching in Oakland and JJ in Baltimore.

I agree that Balfour definitely presents the better value and I never would have signed JJ to 4/50. But patience is a virtue that I lack, and Dan is running out of ways to make the team better.

I'm not a big McClouth fan. After May, he was over exposed as more than a platoon player. I can understand someone disagreeing with me though.

[sportsfan8703]

Chris Cotillo ‏@ChrisCotillo 1h

Source: #Orioles seemed to be making progress on deal w/ FA starter, then backed off a bit to wait on AJ Burnett. AJ looks like main target.

How nice would it be to add Balfour and Burnett?

Burnett

Tillman

Gonzo

Chen

Norris

Balfour

Hunter

O'day

Webb

Stinson

Matusz

Patton

[weams]

Chris Cotillo ‏@ChrisCotillo 1h

Source: #Orioles seemed to be making progress on deal w/ FA starter, then backed off a bit to wait on AJ Burnett. AJ looks like main target.

How nice would it be to add Balfour and Burnett?

Burnett

Tillman

Gonzo

Chen

Norris

Balfour

Hunter

O'day

Webb

Stinson

Matusz

Patton

I'd like it.

[xian4]

Who did the Orioles back off - FA SP ?

[weams]

Who did the Orioles back off - FA SP ?

Probably Garza

Seriously, if I were guessing, Saunders or Williams.

[xian4]

More likely Hammel or Joe Saunders ...

[Can_of_corn]

More likely Hammel or Joe Saunders ...

Hammel thinks he is going to get paid.

I don't expect reality to set in for him until a couple weeks before spring training.