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Markakis add 15-20 LBs of muscle


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I gotta say, you know, I'm glad Nick did this, but... I'm a little annoyed this is coinciding with his walk year. If we get the best Nick Markakis we've seen in awhile this year, that's great, but it's going to make me think we could have had him a few years ago.

Then they pick up the option.

If he turns back into a 3-4 win player...

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I gotta say, you know, I'm glad Nick did this, but... I'm a little annoyed this is coinciding with his walk year. If we get the best Nick Markakis we've seen in awhile this year, that's great, but it's going to make me think we could have had him a few years ago.

Well, Brady's really only been inside the organization pushing his program since the 2011-12 offseason. That was the offseason that Nick had abdominal surgery and couldn't work out all, much less do Brady's program. And yet, following that winter, he had a pretty good year (.834 OPS), when he wasn't breaking bones. I guess it took that really awful 2013 to get Nick to see that whatever he was doing with his previous trainer wasn't allowing him to be at his best.

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Or they agree to a reworked contract. Nick could put up an MVP season and they still wouldn't pick up that option, IMO.

Well, Nick prefers an extension, so if one could be worked out, great. But if it couldn't, and Nick did have an MVP-type season, of course they would pick up the option.

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Well, Brady's really only been inside the organization pushing his program since the 2011-12 offseason. That was the offseason that Nick had abdominal surgery and couldn't work out all, much less do Brady's program. And yet, following that winter, he had a pretty good year (.834 OPS), when he wasn't breaking bones. I guess it took that really awful 2013 to get Nick to see that whatever he was doing with his previous trainer wasn't allowing him to be at his best.

Good post and thoughts.

I agree, not sure why so much hate for Nick from some in this forum.

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Yeah, I mean I get that he was dealing with injuries, etc. But we've seen his power declining prior to the injuries. It's just going to be bittersweet if we have to watch one of Nick's best years as an Oriole only to see him leave next season, you know? He's not a lock to leave, but judging what we know about Duquette, the probability of that happening is pretty high.

Duke has made it clear for awhile, his first priority is keeping "their" guys when they can be fair to the team and to the player.

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I will give you that, but what do you call it, with some of the stuff they come up with?

I'm not one of "they"?

From my personal prospective I try and be objective when looking at players and I often get accused of hating.

Just because I am willing to point out the flaws in Hardy's game and don't want to extend him does not mean I hate him.

Now for those posters that say truly outlandish things, I have no idea.

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I dunno man. Have the O's ever payed a guy $17.5 in one year? When they are also hoping to get Chris Davis locked up, etc?

I look at it this way: it's really only $15.5 mm, because they have to pay the $2 mm buyout either way. And I just don't think it affects Davis or Wieters much. They will get nice raises next year whether they extend or not, but their bigger salaries are coming in 2016 and beyond.

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Maybe, but I just wouldn't agree with that. Keeping an aging outfielder with declining speed and defense, and trading a young power hitter with plus defense at 1B?

Look, I hope Nick plays well enough to warrant some kind of reworked 3-year deal that pays him basically less than Adam Jones' AAV. I want him to stay an Oriole if he gets back to the Nick we know and love. But Nick Markakis would have to have the best year of his entire career for that option to be picked up, and even then, it's highly unlikely that he'd still be worth that money.

Two things have to happen:

1. He has to put up a career year.

2. He has to rework an extension that pays him less than Jones' AAV.

Only then would Duquette really consider an extension.

I tell you one thing, Nick would be a hell of a fine DH option whenever he stops playing the field.

Career year would be over 7.5 WAR, I don't think the bar is that high.

It is also possible for the new workout to have restored some of his speed and range. Jeter for instance had a couple year stretch relatively late in his career where his defense was less bad, and it was a direct result of changes in his training during the off season.

I don't think they do an extension but picking up the option isn't much different then having him accept a QO and if he puts up a 4+ win season do you think they wouldn't make the QO?

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It is very stupid and just down right pathetic to accuse a player of using PED's

when you have to proof. And you sir have no damn proof.

Your reaction is the same reaction many people had when rumors about Jose Canseco first bloomed almost 20 years ago. I hate to break it to you, but many, many baseball players use steroids. EVEN players on our favorite team.

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Maybe, but I just wouldn't agree with that. Keeping an aging outfielder with declining speed and defense, and trading a young power hitter with plus defense at 1B?

Look, I hope Nick plays well enough to warrant some kind of reworked 3-year deal that pays him basically less than Adam Jones' AAV. I want him to stay an Oriole if he gets back to the Nick we know and love. But Nick Markakis would have to have the best year of his entire career for that option to be picked up, and even then, it's highly unlikely that he'd still be worth that money.

Two things have to happen:

1. He has to put up a career year.

2. He has to rework an extension that pays him less than Jones' AAV.

Only then would Duquette really consider an extension.

I tell you one thing, Nick would be a hell of a fine DH option whenever he stops playing the field.

You do realize that Nick's 2008 season he had the highest rWAR (7.5) of any player in baseball? Even at 2008 prices, fangraphs valued that season at $27.5 mm.

Jones' AAV is $14.25 mm. Of course Nick's extension would be for less than that. Is anyone suggesting otherwise?

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I'm as cynical as anyone and even I don't think there's a "decent" chance. I think it's highly unlikely. As others have said, it's doubtful he put on 15-20 pounds of muscle. It's not that doubtful that he put on 15-20 pounds and a good portion of it is muscle.

There is a DECENT chance that any athlete has used steroids during any offseason. It's not really about Markakis. His new muscle is probably exaggerated a bit and it's certainly possible that it's 100% natural.

But we all have to digest the fact that a lot of guys are getting help from PEDs. When a guy bulks up somewhat suddenly, it's crazy not to consider that he's using.

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Career year would be over 7.5 WAR, I don't think the bar is that high.

It is also possible for the new workout to have restored some of his speed and range. Jeter for instance had a couple year stretch relatively late in his career where his defense was less bad, and it was a direct result of changes in his training during the off season.

I don't think they do an extension but picking up the option isn't much different then having him accept a QO and if he puts up a 4+ win season do you think they wouldn't make the QO?

I think the bolded point is very important. If you compare Nick's 2012 season to his 2007 season, they are very similar offensively (if you project out what Nick would have done in 2012 if he hadn't missed 58 games with broken bones), in fact his 2012 season was a little better if you adjust for the overall decline of offense in MLB in that five-year period. But Nick's defense was much better in 2007 and so he was significantly more valuable then. Nick is still a good technician in the OF (runs good routes, catches whatever he can reach, picks the ball up cleanly, throws accurately with a quick release and always to the right place, plays the wall perfectly), but some extra speed and especially a quicker first step woud really help his defense.

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