Calling it now Orioles will go into Panic mode

[LayzieDES]

The last 2 years of contract are irrelevant! Your paying for the first two and what he meant for b-more this year.

He wanted 4 years and he got them. Clearly that was the most important to him or he would have stayed.

[Loophole]

Damn I thought he was 33. Who knew!

We're not winning the east without Cruz.

He'll be 35 next year. The contract takes him through 39. We can do just as well without an aging injury risk who just finished his 2nd full season ever.

[backwardsk]

The last 2 years of contract are irrelevant! Your paying for the first two and what he meant for b-more this year.

Why are the last two years irrelevant? Did MLB contracts stop being guaranteed?

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[waroriole]

The last 2 years of contract are irrelevant! Your paying for the first two and what he meant for b-more this year.

Why would we pay him for what he meant this year? Didn't we already do that?

Also, of course the last two years are relevant. We still have to pay them.

[Frobby]

He's 34 now and will turn 35 next season. End of the contract he'll be 39.

He'll be 35 next year. The contract takes him through 39. We can do just as well without an aging injury risk who just finished his 2nd full season ever.

His contract does not run through age 39 by any definition. He will be 34 on Opening Day of 2015, 37 on Opening Day of the final year of his contract, and 38 by the time that season ends. He'll still be 38 on Opening Day the year after his contract expires, and his "baseball age" that year (i.e., age as of June 30) will be 38.

[Number5]

The last 2 years of contract are irrelevant! Your paying for the first two and what he meant for b-more this year.

This type of thinking has worked out real well for LAD in their outfield, hasn't it?

[LayzieDES]

His contract does not run through age 39 by any definition. He will be 34 on Opening Day of 2015, 37 on Opening Day of the final year of his contract, and 38 by the time that season ends. He'll still be 38 on Opening Day the year after his contract expires, and his "baseball age" that year (i.e., age as of June 30) will be 38.

Nice catch as usual.

[Three Run Homer]

If the FO re-signs Markakis for something in the neighborhood of 4/$57, that would represent very poor decision-making.

[Birdfan21]

Not sure why anyone doubts this front office/Buck. Have you been watching the last three seasons? This team will be built to compete for the playoffs and World Series in 2015.

[Frobby]

If the FO re-signs Markakis for something in the neighborhood of 4/$57, that would represent very poor decision-making.

There is zero chance of that happening. For the record, however, I would not be shocked if Nick at ages 31-34 turns out to be more valuable than Nelson at ages 34-37.

[sportsfan8703]

How much did the Ubaldo contract factor into this? DD knew he couldn't afford to take a risk and have it backfire again. We basically wouldn't give Cruz the same deal we gave Ubaldo.

Panic around Baltimore will set in when we don't re sign Markakis. If we didn't think cruz was worth 4/57, I don't see how we can give Markakis 4/48. It's looking like the trade route to fill our needs, or a 1 year deal for someone like K.Morales.

[ShaneDawg85]

How much did the Ubaldo contract factor into this? DD knew he couldn't afford to take a risk and have it backfire again. We basically wouldn't give Cruz the same deal we gave Ubaldo.

Panic around Baltimore will set in when we don't re sign Markakis. If we didn't think cruz was worth 4/57, I don't see how we can give Markakis 4/48. It's looking like the trade route to fill our needs, or a 1 year deal for someone like K.Morales.

I don't see how the two were related. The circumstances when signing Ubaldo are not the same circumstances that went into resigning Cruz. Ubaldo wasn't one of our own, and like Cruz he was sitting there looking for a team and happened to fill a need at the time.

[DrungoHazewood]

The last 2 years of contract are irrelevant! Your paying for the first two and what he meant for b-more this year.

If you're paying players to make up for the fact you got a great deal last year, you might as well just set the money on fire. If you go buy a used car today and find it $2k under Blue Book, do you go back to the dealer next time and pay them two grand extra?

[NCRaven]

Duquette rightfully suspects that he will not get last year's Nelson Cruz over the next four seasons. First, it was a career year for Cruz and not likely to be repeated. Second, Cruz is reaching the age were decline is more likely than maintaining the status quo or improving.

So, Dan isn't looking to sign the last Nelson Cruz, he's looking to sign the next Nelson Cruz. Personnally, I'd rather sign Torrie Hunter to a one-year deal in the $8-10 mil range than sign Cruz to a four-year deal at $14.25 per year.

And, just because Jiminez didn't do well doesn't mean it was a panic move at the time. It may have been a poor decision or evaluation, but it was based on a recognized need that the team was thin in starting pitching. Luckily, Tillman, Norris, Chen and Gonzalez outperformed pre-season expectations, Gausman was ready when called upon, and the pen was amongst the best in the league. But, it was still reasonable to sign another starting pitcher going into spring training. It was a reaction to a known need, not a panic move based on someone else's action, IMO.

[DrungoHazewood]

If the FO re-signs Markakis for something in the neighborhood of 4/$57, that would represent very poor decision-making.

In a similar vein, if they offer Flaherty a 5/80 contract I'd consider that poor, too. Is there any rumor from any unsubstantiated twitter wacko indicating that the O's are willing to give Markakis about twice what he's logically worth?