Connolly: source says Arroyo scared off by Balfour situation (Schmuck Update)

[Dipper9]

Neither is our front office.

MSK

"But Duke is working really hard Grandma."

"So do washing machines!"

[Ommaculate]

Neither is our front office.

MSK

SO let's go to fantasyland for a minute. The O's Signed Balfour and Arroyo. Does that prove next season will go well? No it doesn't, they are both old and could fail. I am not worried about it.

[Number5]

None of the above.

I think what most people think (that aren't the usual "stop complaining because it pains me so crowd"):

I think the Orioles medical staff is probably directed to find things to help with the negotiating process.

Let's be real here-a physical is a big "grey" area. Someone can find something, someone can't particularly with a major league pitcher that will have some normal wear and tear from throwing a baseball so hard for so long. I am no doctor, but I feel that is pretty accurate.

I think that is the problem here.

Wow.

I hope that isn't true.

If the only doctors that the Orioles will hire are unethical ones that can be manipulated into falsifying a physical report, it is scary to think that the players' lives and heath are in the hands of these men. How do we go about finding these unethical doctors? What interview questions would indicate that this applicant is sufficiently unethical? If you deem an applicant to be only mildly unethical, do you hire him, or put him on a waiting list? Do the Orioles pay more for a bogus physical report or do they pay less? Many questions.

Seriously, it certainly appears that the Orioles most probably do have stricter standards when assessing the health risk of a free agent than other teams. There are, quite likely, cases that the Orioles would turn down a physical that another team might approve, just as different insurance companies may have differing underwriting standards. The Orioles may, say, have a threshold of turning down a player's physical if there is a 20% chance of him developing a serious injury in the next 2 years, while another team might require a 33% chance before they fail him on the physical. These numbers are totally made up for illustration purposes, but my point is that the Orioles probably have stricter standards.

It really is over the top, however, to suggest that the doctors the Orioles hire are instructed to "find something" and, in turn, obey those instructions. I'm not sure that you realize that you making a serious accusation there. It is highly doubtful to me that the Orioles' doctors are unscrupulous.

[Guest]

SO let's go to fantasyland for a minute. The O's Signed Balfour and Arroyo. Does that prove next season will go well? No it doesn't, they are both old and could fail. I am not worried about it.

What a homer take. Both make this team ten times better.

[Dipper9]

SO let's go to fantasyland for a minute. The O's Signed Balfour and Arroyo. Does that prove next season will go well? No it doesn't, they are both old and could fail. I am not worried about it.

I've said it numerous times....while I am frustrated by our lack of moves, there was not a single player available in free agency this winter that I deemed as a must get.

[Ommaculate]

I've said it numerous times....while I am frustrated by our lack of moves, there was not a single player available in free agency this winter that I deemed as a must get.

Exactly. And who cares what the writers are saying? It's their job to fan the fires. They get paid for it. I ignore them as much as possible.

[Guest]

Some of you guys are funny. Orioles missed the playoffs by 6 games last year. Before Feldman we had like 8 games pitch in the number 5 spot for 24 games. Just imagine if they signed a good pitcher last year maybe we make the playoffs. Some fans see 2014 as a repeat of 2013. Sorry Britton as a number 5 starter is a joke.

[Can_of_corn]

I've said it numerous times....while I am frustrated by our lack of moves, there was not a single player available in free agency this winter that I deemed as a must get.

Burnett is a very good fit.

[Guest]

Some of you guys are funny. Orioles missed the playoffs by 6 games last year. Before Feldman we had like 8 guys pitch in the number 5 spot for 24 games. Just imagine if they signed a good pitcher last year maybe we make the playoffs. Some fans see 2014 as a repeat of 2013. Sorry Britton as a number 5 starter is a joke.

Fixed.

[El Gordo]

I've said it numerous times....while I am frustrated by our lack of moves, there was not a single player available in free agency this winter that I deemed as a must get.

Maybe not, but we really needed to upgrade our SP and bullpen. We haven't yet, and any number of players would have done that.

[Number5]

If I'm Arroyo, I also notice that Balfour ended up signing for 20% less after his go-around with Mr. Angelos.

I believe that was Balfour's choice, though, as I remember reading somewhere that the Mets offered more than the Rays. I'm not 100% sure on that, but I think that is true.

[Redskins Rick]

?You can't always control circumstances. However, you can always control your attitude, approach, and response. Your options are to complain or to look ahead and figure out how to make the situation better.?

― Tony Dungy, Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices & Priorities of a Winning Life

[Ohfan67]

I bet this is Duquette's last year. I don't believe he wanted to be this inactive. I believe he thought he had money to spend. I believe the Angelos' are pullng their usual stunts. I bet DD leaves after this season.

[Rene88]

Some of you guys are funny. Orioles missed the playoffs by 6 games last year. Before Feldman we had like 8 games pitch in the number 5 spot for 24 games. Just imagine if they signed a good pitcher last year maybe we make the playoffs. Some fans see 2014 as a repeat of 2013. Sorry Britton as a number 5 starter is a joke.

Birland-I respect you trying to do this on your own, but why bother?

There is no convincing these people. They don't even know why they are defending the Orioles anymore.

They just want to attack you for the sake of attacking you.

If you didn't post, I probably wouldn't even bother logging on but I think it is time to hang up the cleats. You are only one man.

[Ommaculate]

Some of you guys are funny. Orioles missed the playoffs by 6 games last year. Before Feldman we had like 8 games pitch in the number 5 spot for 24 games. Just imagine if they signed a good pitcher last year maybe we make the playoffs. Some fans see 2014 as a repeat of 2013. Sorry Britton as a number 5 starter is a joke.

Jim Johnson blew those games. The playoffs too. He is gone.