Balfour speaks...

[MemorialStadKid]

From Roch this morning: "....I'll trust Buck Showalter to mix and match with his in-house candidates in the ninth inning."

http://m.masn.mobi/school_of_roch/2013/12/monday-morning-musings-1.html

This is an unmitigated disaster of an offseason.

I've said this before, and it bears repeating, I've never seen anything like this before. When we cut through the smog of double-talk and defense of the FO's motives, we're left with a terrible owner and an impotent administrative team. Buck will go along with what he needs to say as well DD. There won't be a Billy Martin/George Steinbrenner thing going on here. Sadly, we really need someone to get through to Angelos that his style is detrimental to the team.

Didn't Markakis have a closed-door meeting with Angelos a couple of years ago? IIRC? There have been reports of Orioles players being unhappy with the offseason thus far, I'm wondering if they should have a meeting of some kind and approach Angelos about the state of the team? Something has got to give.

The bullpen situation will remain unchanged unless we can find a solid corps of starting pitchers. Otherwise, we will have our starters get knocked out by the 6th inning and burn through the bullpen arms by mid-June. Buck will go with the same guy under the same situation repeatedly. If that is the case, we need someone with proven ability to get guys out in clutch situations. Right now, we really don't have that for a closer.

2014 is looking more and more like a mess.

MSK

[Il BuonO]

I think he will find one in-house candidate to close. And he won't deviate from that player unless he fails miserably. There will be no "mixing and matching in the 9th inning". Not unless the save has already been blown.

I don't think he will get the rope JJ had last season but otherwise I agree.

There is no way anyone gets the rope JJ did. He had built up a tremendous amount of good will, but I've already said Buck will only deviate from set roles until he finds the guy. It may not even happen if Tommy comes out of the gate with some success, but I'd say it isn't likely.

[Going Underground]

Are the Orioles still looking for a hitter and a starting pitcher? I thought they were. Balfour saga getting old.Can the Orioles do anything else or are we stuck until they get a closer.

[Il BuonO]

No, he won't have a big rope. But preference #1 for Buck will be to Have A Closer. If that bombs, preference #2 will be Dan Go Get Me A Closer And In The Meantime I'll Try To Match Up But I Won't Like It.

Lol, yeah, agreed.

[Elbren]

He mentions Hernandez, Burnitz, and Jurrgens as being part of this "pattern", yet in all 3 cases, the Orioles doctors were shown to be correct.

I keep seeing Burnitz' name thrown around in reference to the O's winning record on physicals and this makes no sense to me. Burnitz didn't fail in Pittsburgh because of any injury; he failed because he was in his late-30's, near the end of his career and, oh yeah, he was Jeremy Burnitz. A one-trick pony that was never the same once he left the Brewers. The only good season he had in the 6 years after he left Milwaukee was when he played in Colorado (big shock).

[Going Underground]

I keep seeing Burnitz' name thrown around in reference to the O's winning record on physicals and this makes no sense to me. Burnitz didn't fail in Pittsburgh because of any injury; he failed because he was in his late-30's, near the end of his career and, oh yeah, he was Jeremy Burnitz. A one-trick pony that was never the same once he left the Brewers. The only good season he had in the 6 years after he left Milwaukee was when he played in Colorado (big shock).

I think the Orioles had a different orthopedic surgeon back then. Charles Silberstein. So I don't know about winning or losing because I think they have some different doctors from Sele and Burnitz.

[Number5]

I keep seeing Burnitz' name thrown around in reference to the O's winning record on physicals and this makes no sense to me. Burnitz didn't fail in Pittsburgh because of any injury; he failed because he was in his late-30's, near the end of his career and, oh yeah, he was Jeremy Burnitz. A one-trick pony that was never the same once he left the Brewers. The only good season he had in the 6 years after he left Milwaukee was when he played in Colorado (big shock).

This article answers you far better than I could:

http://camdendepot.blogspot.com/2013/12/failed-physicals-and-testing-orioles.html

"Jeromy Burnitz

Burnitz agreed in principal to a 2 year, 12 MM deal with the Orioles in 2006. The 37 year old still showed some power, but was a mess in the field and had seen a difficult 2005 with the Chicago Cubs. The Orioles presented him the terms for the agreement to pass and Burnitz' agent was concerned about the Orioles' terms related to the physical.. He wound up evacuating the deal and securing a 1 year, 6.7MM deal with a mutual option. Burnitz proved to be horrific for the Pirates, suffering from leg problems all season long. After his miserable season in Pittsburgh, the team declined his option. Shortly after that decision, he retired."

[scOtt]

He just tweeted about the piece ago so I replied again.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/Ken_Rosenthal">@Ken_Rosenthal</a> So are the O's medical staff, IYO incompetent or corrupt? If they are not either then he failed a valid physical.</p>? (@ved45) <a href="

">December 23, 2013</a></blockquote>

<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

Wonder if he will block me?

Nah, you're a good egg.

[Can_of_corn]

Nah, you're a good egg.

He just chose to ignore me instead.

Does Twitter send you notification if you get blocked?

[25 Nuggets]

Man, the agents are firing a lot of shots at the S.S. Oriole. Media heads are jumping all over this physical thing, obviously being fed by the player reps.

This is why the situation stinks! Not because we lose out on a potentially injured closer but because of the massive PR hit. Why can't Angelos see this? It's riskier to nix the deal in such a manner than eat a bad contract!

[Can_of_corn]

Man, the agents are firing a lot of shots at the S.S. Oriole. Media heads are jumping all over this physical thing, obviously being fed by the player reps.

This is why the situation stinks! Not because we lose out on a potentially injured closer but because of the massive PR hit. Why can't Angelos see this? It's riskier to nix the deal in such a manner than eat a bad contract!

I hate to use this one but in this case I have to.

It isn't your 15 million.

It would be a very tough pill to swallow to sign a guy for 15 million that your medical team says is a bad risk because you don't want bad press.

[25 Nuggets]

I hate to use this one but in this case I have to.

It isn't your 15 million.

It would be a very tough pill to swallow to sign a guy for 15 million that your medical team says is a bad risk because you don't want bad press.

If I were PA I wouldn't want to sign damaged goods for 15 mil either. It's about how the situation was handled. Former GM David Hart summed it up well when he said "nobody wins in this situation".

Other teams have nixed deals because of a failed physical. It happens. Here's the real smoke: some people don't have confidence that the Orioles are telling the complete truth regarding the Balfour negotiations. And Balfour/his agent are happy to fan the flames.

[El Gordo]

I hate to use this one but in this case I have to.

It isn't your 15 million.

It would be a very tough pill to swallow to sign a guy for 15 million that your medical team says is a bad risk because you don't want bad press.

We don't know what the O's doctors said. For all we know they could have said pretty much what other doctors have said. All we know is that the O's have said they saw something they didn't like.

[Russsnyder]

Respected baseball writers are piling on. I wonder how long it will take an O's apologists to blast the writer instead of taking a look at the owner.

http://msn.foxsports.com/mlb/story/baltimore-orioles-grant-balfour-fiasco-free-agency-agent-scott-boras-matt-weiters-chris-davis-122213

[MemorialStadKid]

3... 2... 1...

Just wait... it never takes long.

MSK