Cruz- would you try and extend him?

[BradyBunch]

Who said I was upset. I'm just laughing at comparing greenies to steroids. I don't know who used and who didn't in the 70's and 80's. I'm pretty sure Bonds, Sosa, and McGwire used and they all did things that had never been done before. You equate steroids to greenies but you have no idea how much greenies helped players. Again, Bonds is a pretty good case study for someone who used steroids. Show me the case study on a player who used greenies and how much it increased his performance. Just because Rose and Aaron used greenies means nothing to me. If Aaron was a .250 hitter with 15 homerun power before greenies and a .300 hitter with 30 homer power after using greenies that would be interesting.

And Aaron wouldn't have hit 755 HRs or 3000 plus hits without greenies. As you get older your energy level gets sapped more quickly. In baseball it starts around 32-33 years old when the game starts passing you by. Barry Bonds was slowing down in 1999 and in 2000 he was playing like he was 28 again. So question is did Aaron start taking steroids or was it greenies he admitting taking?

[BradyBunch]

You don't know anything about Aaron. Total guesswork. We have pretty good knowledge about Bonds.

LOL, whatever you say.

Did Cal Ripken use greenies? No way you can play everyday for 15 years in a row without them, right? Energy level and such.

More then likely, yes. I know others won't like that.. but he more then likely did. Steroids weren't banned nor were Greenies until the last few years.

[Scrat1]

If he has a good year, you give him a qualifying offer. If he accepts, you've got another DH. If he doesn't, you have a pick. I like Cruz just fine but he's not a guy we should be worrying about extending.

[Sanfran327]

Production aside, one thing I love about Cruz so far is the fact that he always seems to be at the top of the steps to be the first guy to greet a teammate on his way back to the dugout after scoring or hitting a HR. I'm not sure I'd necessarily take that as an indication that he likes it and wants to stay here, but it can't hurt if he gets in deep with the rest of the clubhouse.

He looks like he loves to play, and I love that about pro ball players.

[theobird]

As one of the only posters who wanted to sign Cruz this past offseason, I will say now what I said then. Nelson Cruz is a great teammate and a tireless worker. He is also a RH power bat that fits our ballpark to a "T". Yes, I would be all in on a 3 year deal for Nelson Cruz. I would not go longer than 3 years with him, but if he could be signed to a 3 year deal I would be in support of that.

[weams]

If you are DD, and knowing that Crush and Wieters might not sign with the orioles, would you be making strides to come up with a number for Cruz?

Provided he stays healthy, he could be the all time DH for the next 3-4 years in Baltimore. I have a feeling he is going to MASH the rest of the season especially when it gets warmer...

How many years and how much money would you think it would take to get him signed?

I would give him a qualifying offer.

[mdbdotcom]

I would extend Pearce... just a couple of inches, mind you, but I think it would help.

[Art Wing]

It depends on the specifics. What contending team needs a bat and can afford to give up something we need, like a young catching prospect e.g.?

We have Ohlman. That guy is going to be a force!

[crawjo]

He's going to be 34 in July. I'd offer him 2/30 or so, something like that. I doubt he would take it. I've always liked him as a player and like having him in the lineup. I don't care about the steroids stuff. I consider the confirmed cheaters to just be the ones unlucky enough to get caught.

[Dr. Unk]

Yes!!! Not sure what the market will be though.

[sportsfan8703]

4/50-55 and let him strictly DH.

[sportsfan8703]

Actually if he's strictly a DH we have a good chance of bringing him back. Btw he is strictly a DH.

[Moose Milligan]

2/30 would be my offer. He'll get more from somewhere else though.

Man, he's having a hell of a year though.

[Tycho Brahe]

Yes!!! Not sure what the market will be though.

Boy, lots to talk about in this thread. As for Cruz, he's the keystone of the offense right now--who wouldn't want to look into signing a guy like him, who's leading the league in HR and RBI's, for a few more years? As for his fielding, it's not great but he's also not killing us out there, either. How many errors does he have so far?

As for Hardy, he's not hitting homers but he's hitting well, almost .300, and fielding well. He will decline, but worthe keeping if possible.

Markakis is basically a solid singles hitter with limited speed, he never bunts, and he can't steal bases on a regular basis. To me, he's the most expendable one--certainly I'd choose Cruz over Nick.

As for amphetamines, they don't change your physique or give you a long-term performance advantage the way steroids and HGH do. I think players in the old days used 'greenies' partly because the travel was so rough--lots of double-headers, train rides, and late-night stuff like that--and to stay alert. I don't view them as all that much different than alcohol, caffeine, and legal substances like that, in their physical effects. An excess of any of those can have magnified desirable or undesirable consequences.

Regardless, anyone who thinks Bonds and McGwire et co. were clean is dreaming. The whole era is tainted. I'm not happy about Cruz's situation, but he came clean--literally and figuratively--and I'm willing to give him a second chance. Re-sign him if you can, is what I figure.

[DrungoHazewood]

4/50-55 and let him strictly DH.

Four years?

Worst possible extension: signing a DH in his mid-30s to a multi-year contract based on a good two months. Cruz seems like a good guy, if he keeps hitting I'd strongly consider a QO.