Per Gammons: "Orioles culture... back to reality."

[LayzieDES]

Too late for this?

[video=youtube;CGkZXYrAAys]

[DrinkinWithFermi]

Garza and Jimenez aren't worth a draft pick. But to get this straight.. you have nobody the O's could have signed and still fill the 3 to 4 spots needed.. okay

There were a number of mid-tier FAs that could've made the team better.

Justin Morneau, Garrett Jones, Ricky Nolasco, Corey Hart, Nate McLouth, Scott Feldman. Hell, even Mike Morse.

[BradyBunch]

And what makes you think they couldn't? Are you taking their "word" for it? Because that would be a mistake

$125m is O's top end.. at $125m the O's operating profit would be 0. This includes the "extra" $25m tv money.

So we are sitting at $80 something right now after Johnson trade. That's $40m to work with (more likes $35m). Cano, Choo, and Ellsbury were $20m plus on stupid long ass deals (7 years or longer). So that's about $15 to $20m available. If we signed one of them

We have arb still. Davis is gonna get about $10m ($7m more then last year). So that leaves $8 to $13m to spend, we offered Balfour $7.5m a year. That leaves another $.5m to $6.5m to fill holes at DH, SP, LF and 2nd.

See how that works.. money is finite. So signing players to fill spots are more important then signing a big name player. FA is a long way from over. Still guys on the board, not big name players.. but players who will give us depth and not kill us financially in the future.. if we are looking to sign Davis or Wieters to long term deals.

[Frobby]

In 2014 the focus should be on extending a few players like Hardy and Davis to provide a core of players past the "two year window".... if they fail to address anything then we can continue to question the decision making.... but for now lets just all relax.....

I think a bit part of the discomfort around here stems from the suspicion that we won't do what it takes to lock up Davis long term. If he were signed, I think a lot of people would back off their criticism.

[Mayor McCheese]

There were a number of mid-tier FAs that could've made the team better.

Justin Morneau, Garrett Jones, Ricky Nolasco, Corey Hart, Nate McLouth, Scott Feldman. Hell, even Mike Morse.

I think Lough is a better replacement for anyone of those players except Corey Hart.

[Mayor McCheese]

I think a bit part of the discomfort around here stems from the suspicion that we won't do what it takes to lock up Davis long term. If he were signed, I think a lot of people would back off their criticism.

I am pretty sure I have already read a quote from DD that they will address Davis' extension in February. Right now they are focusing on building the team.

so people need to just calm down and enjoy their Festivus.

[Dark Helmet]

$125m is O's top end.. at $125m the O's operating profit would be 0. This includes the "extra" $25m tv money.

So we are sitting at $80 something right now after Johnson trade. That's $40m to work with (more likes $35m). Cano, Choo, and Ellsbury were $20m plus on stupid long ass deals (7 years or longer). So that's about $15 to $20m available. If we signed one of them

We have arb still. Davis is gonna get about $10m ($7m more then last year). So that leaves $8 to $13m to spend, we offered Balfour $7.5m a year. That leaves another $.5m to $6.5m to fill holes at DH, SP, LF and 2nd.

See how that works.. money is finite. So signing players to fill spots are more important then signing a big name player. FA is a long way from over. Still guys on the board, not big name players.. but players who will give us depth and not kill us financially in the future.. if we are looking to sign Davis or Wieters to long term deals.

Don't worry, the Orioles won't come close to a 125M payroll. And there is no way Davis or Wieters will be extended. Unless PA kicks the bucket and his sons sell the team before they hit free agency.

[BradyBunch]

There were a number of mid-tier FAs that could've made the team better.

Justin Morneau, Garrett Jones, Ricky Nolasco, Corey Hart, Nate McLouth, Scott Feldman. Hell, even Mike Morse.

Nate needed to go. So did Feldman. Mike Morse are you serious? Did he go 0 for 10,000 for t

he O's?

Corey Hart coming of injury. Justin Morneau? Seriously? A guy who has barely a total of 2.1 WAR over the last 4 years combined?

[paulcoates]

$125m is O's top end.. at $125m the O's operating profit would be 0. This includes the "extra" $25m tv money.

So we are sitting at $80 something right now after Johnson trade. That's $40m to work with (more likes $35m). Cano, Choo, and Ellsbury were $20m plus on stupid long ass deals (7 years or longer). So that's about $15 to $20m available. If we signed one of them

We have arb still. Davis is gonna get about $10m ($7m more then last year). So that leaves $8 to $13m to spend, we offered Balfour $7.5m a year. That leaves another $.5m to $6.5m to fill holes at DH, SP, LF and 2nd.

See how that works.. money is finite. So signing players to fill spots are more important then signing a big name player. FA is a long way from over. Still guys on the board, not big name players.. but players who will give us depth and not kill us financially in the future.. if we are looking to sign Davis or Wieters to long term deals.

What are you, the clubs CPA? How do you know what their top end budget is? How do you know that they haven't made $150mm personally over the past 10 years? Do they have no liability to actually dig into their diamond lined pockets and spend?

[Dark Helmet]

I am pretty sure I have already read a quote from DD that they will address Davis' extension in February. Right now they are focusing on building the team.

so people need to just calm down and enjoy their Festivus.

Im sure they are focusing on building a team. Just not a very good one.

[DrinkinWithFermi]

I think Lough is a better replacement for anyone of those players except Corey Hart.

I'm not sold on Lough as an everyday Major Leaguer. Not by a longshot. He doesn't walk, and his OBP is entirely AVG-driven; his AVG is mostly BABIP-driven. And his OPS dropped off by 70+ points in the second half last year(.757 vs. .685).

Besides, most of those guys would've been used in the DH role so Lough has very little to do with the matter.

[BradyBunch]

What are you, the clubs CPA? How do you know what their top end budget is? How do you know that they haven't made $150mm personally over the past 10 years? Do they have no liability to actually dig into their diamond lined pockets and spend?

O's are small market team. Pocketing $15m a year for 10 years isn't a lot. That doesn't even sign one premium player this year, or last year or the last 10 years. Look at all the premium players contracts over the last 10 years.

[BradyBunch]

I'm not sold on Lough as an everyday Major Leaguer. Not by a longshot. He doesn't walk, and his OBP is entirely AVG-driven; his AVG is mostly BABIP-driven. And his OPS dropped off by 70+ points in the second half last year(.757 vs. .685).

Besides, most of those guys would've been used in the DH role so Lough has very little to do with the matter.

Sounds like Chris Davis a few years ago.. Sounds like Adam Jones now.

[Frobby]

I'm not sold on Lough as an everyday Major Leaguer. Not by a longshot. He doesn't walk, and his OBP is entirely AVG-driven; his AVG is mostly BABIP-driven. And his OPS dropped off by 70+ points in the second half last year(.757 vs. .685).

Besides, most of those guys would've been used in the DH role so Lough has very little to do with the matter.

You've been pretty adamant on this subject ever since the trade was announced. I don't really disagree with you, but I think his defense will make him a valuable player for us even if his hitting falls off a bit. I see him as a guy who will start maybe half the games, and get in as a defensive replacement in another 30-40.

[Dark Helmet]

You've been pretty adamant on this subject ever since the trade was announced. I don't really disagree with you, but I think his defense will make him a valuable player for us even if his hitting falls off a bit. I see him as a guy who will start maybe half the games, and get in as a defensive replacement in another 30-40.

I have no problem with Lough in LF. It's DH that concerns me. The Orioles can afford a light hitting LFer and maybe an inconsistent bat like Flaherty or Weeks at 2b. But they can't afford a gparing hole at DH, to go along with those other two factors.