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

[Redskins Rick]

Only in Birdland would a couple pitchers in the 3/40 range be considered "mortgaging the future". Trying to project 3 years down the road. And using that as a reason to be careful when signing one of these low cost, little risk, not even close to "mortgaging the future" type guys who could help us win....now.

Only in Birdland!!

What a nightmare.

Depends on what you have to give up, besides money, like picks and prospects.

[Hank Scorpio]

MLB's offseason is an absolute disaster.

[El Gordo]

Only in Birdland would a couple pitchers in the 3/40 range be considered "mortgaging the future". Trying to project 3 years down the road. And using that as a reason to be careful when signing one of these low cost, little risk, not even close to "mortgaging the future" type guys who could help us win....now.

Only in Birdland!!

What a nightmare.

Not mortgaging the future but a total waste of money. I'd give them both 2/23and an option and that's it. They're meh SP.

[ricowiz]

Not mortgaging the future but a total waste of money. I'd give them both 2/23and an option and that's it. They're meh SP.

If they are meh SP, then what is everyone in our rotation except for Tillman?

[El Gordo]

Santana situation is interesting right now.

Rosenthal says the O's and Blue Jays are finalists for ES, and at least one of them is making progress toward a deal. Meanwhile, Mike Wilner said it isn't the Jays, leaving, apparently, the O's.

Darren Wolfson claims recent interest includes O's, Indians, Mariners, and Yanks, and doesn't mention the Jays at all.

Olney tweets that the Jays are in a good position to get Santana or Jimenez.

Jim Bowden suggests the Orioles aren't close at all.

All within 12 hours. Either this situation is rapidly evolving or everyone is just throwing darts in the dark. I suppose that's to be expected.

(All sources Twitter and MLBTR).

Santana is working out in ARI. He goes to SEA.

[Redskins Rick]

MLB's offseason is an absolute disaster.

I disagree.

Disaster would have been:

trading Wieters for AA prospect and not having anybody for starting catching

Tilly needing TJ surgery

Resigning Roberts as starting 2nd.

Manny having setback with his recovery.

[Hank Scorpio]

It really does seem to get more and more mind-numbing with each passing year.

Yep. I really do my best not to pay attention anymore but January and February are just absolutely brutal months, especially this year.

[El Gordo]

If they are meh SP, then what is everyone in our rotation except for Tillman?

Much better IMO, especially at the price. Chen, Tillman and Gonzalez are solid SP who cam compete in the AL East. If we had two more just like them we'd be fine. In a year or two we very likely will.

[Hank Scorpio]

I disagree.

Disaster would have been:

trading Wieters for AA prospect and not having anybody for starting catching

Tilly needing TJ surgery

Resigning Roberts as starting 2nd.

Manny having setback with his recovery.

Yeah, no I don't mean for the O's. I just mean with the invent of Twitter. So much misinformation, etc... there's really no point in paying attention to anything until someone is claiming something is a done deal. When someone says, "SO AND SO has agreed with Chicago", that's when I pay attention.

That aside, Heyman, Rosenthal, Bowden, Passan, Dierkes, Crasnick, Rickli, etc... blah, blah, blah. I don't care who's "IN" on somebody, I don't care who's "close" or "all in." It's all bull hockey. Tell me when it's over.

[ricowiz]

Much better IMO, especially at the price. Chen, Tillman and Gonzalez are solid SP who cam compete in the AL East. If we had two more just like them we'd be fine. In a year or two we very likely will.

None of our pitchers have put up consistent numbers like Santana, only one of his last six seasons have been bad:

2013 - 211 IP, 1.14 WHIP

2012 - 178 IP, 1.27 WHIP

2011 - 228 IP, 1.22 WHIP

2010 - 222 IP, 1.32 WHIP

2009 - 139 IP, 1.47 WHIP

2008 - 219 IP, 1.11 WHIP

I mean seriously, isnt this what we want out of our young guys? Santana already is this guy.

[Redskins Rick]

Much better IMO, especially at the price. Chen, Tillman and Gonzalez are solid SP who cam compete in the AL East. If we had two more just like them we'd be fine. In a year or two we very likely will.

Spot on, solid 3 SP, not flashy, not dependable and will give QS%.

I think Norris will do better this year, than most people think.

If somebody like Aceves, Gausman or Johnson steps up, then this SP will be just fine, and if they sign a veteran arm, then even better!

[Il BuonO]

He seemed to do fine increasing his percentage of two seam FB last year and thereby increasing his GB percentage. I don't know that tweeting about a new pitch sells teams that they should jump on signing him.

"There’s appeal in mystery, and Santana wouldn’t be the first pitcher to take a step forward after modifying his toolkit. Of course, it could go nowhere. Of course, Santana could make himself worse by tweaking when he shouldn’t be tweaking."

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/ervin-santana-and-some-new-kind-of-weapon/

[Redskins Rick]

Yeah, no I don't mean for the O's. I just mean with the invent of Twitter. So much misinformation, etc... there's really no point in paying attention to anything until someone is claiming something is a done deal. When someone says, "SO AND SO has agreed with Chicago", that's when I pay attention.

That aside, Heyman, Rosenthal, Bowden, Passan, Dierkes, Crasnick, Rickli, etc... blah, blah, blah. I don't care who's "IN" on somebody, I don't care who's "close" or "all in." It's all bull hockey. Tell me when it's over.

Sorry, I got you now.

I agree with you, in fact, I was so tired of reading the BS, I dumped my own twitter account, just wasn't worth it.

[VeveJones007]

Santana situation is interesting right now.

Rosenthal says the O's and Blue Jays are finalists for ES, and at least one of them is making progress toward a deal. Meanwhile, Mike Wilner said it isn't the Jays, leaving, apparently, the O's.

Darren Wolfson claims recent interest includes O's, Indians, Mariners, and Yanks, and doesn't mention the Jays at all.

Olney tweets that the Jays are in a good position to get Santana or Jimenez.

Jim Bowden suggests the Orioles aren't close at all.

All within 12 hours. Either this situation is rapidly evolving or everyone is just throwing darts in the dark. I suppose that's to be expected.

(All sources Twitter and MLBTR).

If the O's sign one Jimenez or Santana, I wouldn't expect it to hit the fan until AFTER they have been given the ok by the O's doctors. Neither the O's nor the agents for those guys would want another Balfour situation to get out.

[El Gordo]

Price, for sure. But Santana's numbers last year blew away everyone in our rotation by a long shot. And you can call out his inconsistency year-to-year, but everyone in our rotation is lacking inconsistency because they haven't been starting major league games for very long, with exception of Norris.

Who the hell knows if Tillman, Chen, and Gonzo will put up a 3.50 ERA or a 5.50 ERA? They could easily do either, same as Santana.

Last year. Blah blah. Look at his career. He is up and down again, and always an extreme FB pitcher with a high HR rate and questionable command.. meh. Give me Chen and Gonzalez any time.