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

[MrOrange82]

And I'll keep saying, they upgraded the position and added an additional 3 players (Weeks, Webb, PTBNL guy). And they still have a lot of money to work with if they can actually get any deals done, which is clearly proving difficult. And they did so without having to guarantee a third year. It's a pretty clear win for the Orioles.

Define: a lot of money. Weeks hasn't been a capable, everyday MLer since his rookie season. PTBNL? Who cares? You're applauding the acquisition of more organizational filler? Webb is a perfectly OK get.

The O's continue to have huge question marks at LF, DH, 2B, and in the starting rotation. They've already spent more than JJ was due to make without addressing any of those holes, most of which show up in the box score every single day. A "proven closer," if available/financially feasible, should have been the very last thing on their rather long list of needs.

[OFFNY]

.

Welcome to the Orioles,

GRANT BALFOUR

Page edited: O http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grant_Balfour

[joedogg9999]

I like balfour more than JJ but if they are giving him 7.5mil then I sure hope PA has ok'd DD to spend more than 100mil because if there is to a remain a huge hole in LF and at DH then this move kind of annoys me.

[UpstateNYfan]

Isn't it nice to have someone hang in and prefer the O's? Of course, with the fans graciousness to some of the more recent closers, good luck Grant. He just may boo right back at the fans.

[Palmoripken]

Awesome. Welcome aboard Grant.

[isestrex]

And I'll keep saying, they upgraded the position and added an additional 3 players (Weeks, Webb, PTBNL guy). And they still have a lot of money to work (still nowhere near $100M) with if they can actually get any deals done, which is clearly proving difficult. And they did so without having to guarantee a third year. It's a pretty clear win for the Orioles.

<a href="http://photobucket.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://i1106.photobucket.com/albums/h367/isestrex/Gifs/flamingos.gif" border="0" alt=" photo flamingos.gif"/></a>

[Going Underground]

Almost a trade JJ to A's for Balfour,Weeks and Freitas and cash considerations.

[Ripken]

Well, the pen looks good.

Anybody want to play left field or be a starting pitcher?

[MrOrange82]

Remember when he led the league in BS % last year?

Oh...so he wasn't a proven closer in hindsight? Just a pretender who happened to be thrown out there in the ninth every night? What about 2012?

Grant Balfour's been in the majors for 10 years, and he's only been a full time "closer" for two. Is he not proven? What is he, then?

The point that you're avoiding is that apart from a select group of people, such as the Riveras and Hoffmans of the world, "proven closer" is practically a non sequitur. And the idea that someone should just "be that guy," come hell or high water, is an embarrassingly dated concept that the Orioles, for whatever reason, want to cling to.

And if you're harboring some doubts about the above, why don't you take a look at the ML saves leaders from last year. Tell me how many of those people have been career closers. How many are "proven," in your estimation, and why is it the O's couldn't find a Sergio Romo, Jason Grilli, Greg Holland, or some other random person to close games, as opposed to someone with the kind of ill-defined "pedigree" that seems to make Balfour so valuable?

[birdcrazy]

The angry bird has a new friend!

[Bazooka Jones]

Almost a trade JJ to A's for Balfour,Weeks and Freitas and cash considerations.

This...

[UMDTerrapins]

Almost a trade JJ to A's for Balfour,Weeks and Freitas and cash considerations.

Nice way to look at it. Plus we control Balfour for an extra year.

[mdbdotcom]

Nice way to look at it. Plus we control Balfour for an extra year.

And since a half million is deferred each year, it's only a $6.5 million hit to this year's budget.

[sportsfan8703]

It's about damn time. I wonder how many beers were consumed over the course of this thread? Now get Burnett and a bat.

[waroriole]

Oh...so he wasn't a proven closer in hindsight? Just a pretender who happened to be thrown out there in the ninth every night? What about 2012?

Grant Balfour's been in the majors for 10 years, and he's only been a full time "closer" for two. Is he not proven? What is he, then?

The point that you're avoiding is that apart from a select group of people, such as the Riveras and Hoffmans of the world, "proven closer" is practically a non sequitur. And the idea that someone should just "be that guy," come hell or high water, is an embarrassingly dated concept that the Orioles, for whatever reason, want to cling to.

And if you're harboring some doubts about the above, why don't you take a look at the ML saves leaders from last year. Tell me how many of those people have been career closers. How many are "proven," in your estimation, and why is it the O's couldn't find a Sergio Romo, Jason Grilli, Greg Holland, or some other random person to close games, as opposed to someone with the kind of ill-defined "pedigree" that seems to make Balfour so valuable?

:clap3::agree::thumbsup1: