Price tag for Santana & Jimenez has come down to 14.1 -14.6 $mill per season for 3/4 year deals

[clapdiddy]

Jimenez GB rate-

2011: 47.2%

2012: 38.4%

2013: 43.9%

Santana GB rate-

2011: 43.5%

2012: 43.2%

2013: 46.2%

Wow...I guess I was just basing that off of last season. Thanks for the numbers!

[crowmst3k!]

Santana is who I want the most. I really hope he signs here.

[Number5]

If we do sign one of Santana or Jimenez, I would want us to go for it and sign one of Morales or Cruz, as well. It appears that the price has come down on all of them. I'd rather give up our first and second round picks for two solid pieces that could help us really contend for the next year or three than give up the first rounder alone for only one piece. Either signing zero of the free agents that cost a pick or signing two of them are better ways to go than signing one of them, IMO.

[fearthenoodle]

Wow...I guess I was just basing that off of last season. Thanks for the numbers!

Career, Jimenez has the better rate, but Santana has increasingly relied on his sinker in recent years, which has helped him keep his HR rate in check. If he continues to do that, he could be effective here.

[Hank Scorpio]

Santana would be my choice.

But I doubt you'll see him. Too expensive.

[Aglets]

Does anyone here actually expect us to sign any of these players?

I don't really consider myself the wet blanket type........but I can't help but notice a pattern emerging with this team that has been true year after year.

Santana, Jimenez, Cruz, Morales. Does anyone here actually think we will sign one of them? It's not that I don't want us to get one (i would rank them: santana, morales, jimenez, cruz) it's just that I would bet money that Duquette (Angelos) is not going to pay market value for them.

[Br10n]

If we do sign one of Santana or Jimenez, I would want us to go for it and sign one of Morales or Cruz, as well. It appears that the price has come down on all of them. I'd rather give up our first and second round picks for two solid pieces that could help us really contend for the next year or three than give up the first rounder alone for only one piece. Either signing zero of the free agents that cost a pick or signing two of them are better ways to go than signing one of them, IMO.

I agree 100%!

[clapdiddy]

Does anyone here actually expect us to sign any of these players?

I don't really consider myself the wet blanket type........but I can't help but notice a pattern emerging with this team that has been true year after year.

Santana, Jimenez, Cruz, Morales. Does anyone here actually think we will sign one of them? It's not that I don't want us to get one (i would rank them: santana, morales, jimenez, cruz) it's just that I would bet money that Duquette (Angelos) is not going to pay market value for them.

I think he would. I just think he doesn't want to give up the draft choice.

[crowmst3k!]

Santana would be my choice. He'd also probably give up close to 40 bombs in OPACY over 200 innings. (If his elbow held out that long.)

Yeah. That's my big worry with Santana. Guthrie did fine in Baltimore with a similar HR/9, but really skyrocketed after being traded to the Coors launching pad. Santana's best year has been in the pitcher-friendly Kaufman.

I'm having unpleasant thoughts about Santana putting up a HR/9 close to 2 in Camden Yards.

[xian4]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Orioles are not close to a deal with Santana according to source</p>— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) <a href="

">February 10, 2014</a></blockquote>

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

[24fps]

Not really. Every time I listen to 105.7 both the announcers and the callers are bashing the O's for being cheap. Every time I look at the Sun paper the Orioles are being bashed for being cheap. Balfour bashed us for backing out of deal. National media is bashing us. I don't hear anyone coming to the O's defense except maybe Roch but he works for the club.

I think it's always wise to take the vocal minority with a grain of salt especially when the argument is being framed by those who are in the attention business and understand that turning the off season into a quasi competition game show serves their interests.

Count me among those who are very disappointed at the way the off season has unfolded so far, but business will get done and it will get done in a dynamic environment that I believe has little to do with public confidence.

[SoBo]

I find it hard to believe that if there is a hint of an issue with Santana's elbow that the Orioles will go near him for a 1st round pick and a three year deal.

[Hank Scorpio]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Orioles are not close to a deal with Santana according to source</p>— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) <a href="

">February 10, 2014</a></blockquote>

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

Course not...

[TradeAngelos]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Orioles are not close to a deal with Santana according to source</p>— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) <a href="

">February 10, 2014</a></blockquote>

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

Stop it Jim!! You are destroying the "we made a competitive offer but he turned us down" narrative that the warehouse leaks out after every free agent signs somewhere else.

[El Gordo]

What Bowden doesn't say is neither is any other team. No one wants him or Jimenez for 3 years. Two years is what it would take unless they want to sit out until June.