Would you have signed Nick Markakis for 4/$44M?

[MdSooner]

Simple question, do you think the Orioles should have signed Nick for 4 years, $44 million?

I love Cakes. But not no but hell NO! I love that he was a wonderful Oriole. But lets be real here.

[Can_of_corn]

Interested in your feelings about Nick reportedly turning down 4/40 with the O's to take 4/44 with the Braves. He was over paid in his last deal, and if it turns out he did indeed leave the O's for 4M dollars, my view of Nick will change drastically.

If true I think that will be a game changer for a lot of fans.

[Nevermore]

I don't understand why some who wanted Nick back are blaming the Orioles alone for the situation. After reading Roch's story about Hardy's conversation with Nick this afternoon, it's pretty clear that the O's wanted him and offered originally offered him a 4-year deal pending his physical. After the physical, they reduced the length of the contract to three years and wouldn't go further.

Well, it's a two-way street. If being an Oriole was that important to Nick he could have taken the three year deal. Apparently, the extra guaranteed year was more important to Nick. I'm fine with that, and that's his decision, but to blame the whole situation on the Orioles seems shortsighted.

I didn't see anything about the contract's length depending on a physical. All I saw (in the Sun and in othet sites) was that Os management decided to rescind the 4th year of the contract. This seemed like a clear sign that management was deciding to show Nick the door. What part of the physical did Nick supposedly flunk to cause management to lessen their offer?

[Malike]

If true I think that will be a game changer for a lot of fans.

It would really bother me if this turns out to be the case. He was my favorite Oriole for years. It's not like he's going to a contender, either, ATL will likely suck during his contract.

[Can_of_corn]

It would really bother me if this turns out to be the case. He was my favorite Oriole for years. It's not like he's going to a contender, either, ATL will likely suck during his contract.

It won't bother me but I can certainly see where it would bother others. I also think Nick will regret it since I have a suspicion he will wrongly end up with a share of the blame down there.

[Frobby]

Interested in your feelings about Nick reportedly turning down 4/40 with the O's to take 4/44 with the Braves. He was over paid in his last deal, and if it turns out he did indeed leave the O's for 4M dollars, my view of Nick will change drastically.

I'm not going to blame the Orioles for drawing a line and I'm not going to blame Nick. There seems to be a lot that went on here and it may not have been just about the $4 mm, but how things were handled. We will never know all the nuances so I'm not making any judgments about whether anyone is at "fault" here.

[Nevermore]

If true I think that will be a game changer for a lot of fans.

Nick took a 4 year deal with the Braves instead of a 3 year deal with the Orioles. Os management lessened the terms of the deal they were offering. They decided not to offer the 4th year. That was the game changer.

[mdbdotcom]

I didn't see anything about the contract's length depending on a physical. All I saw (in the Sun and in othet sites) was that Os management decided to rescind the 4th year of the contract. This seemed like a clear sign that management was deciding to show Nick the door. What part of the physical did Nick supposedly flunk to cause management to lessen their offer?

From Roch's blog:

Markakis, who couldn't be reached for comment, wanted to stay with the Orioles and is upset that it didn't happen. They negotiated down to a three-year deal while seeking assurances that his health would be fine.

Markakis underwent a couple of examinations and waited for the Orioles to increase their offer. A guaranteed fourth year apparently came off the table.

[ShaneDawg85]

If true I think that will be a game changer for a lot of fans.

Why should it? Once he hit the free agent market, he has every right to do whatever he wants, sign for whatever he wants, whether it's the highest offer or not. I don't know how people couldn't understand that. When you've played for the same team for 9 seasons and your family is rooted in the area, and you've said many times you want to stay, the fact that it got to this point I would imagine wouldn't have sat well with someone in the same position. End of the day Markakis is gone, if people are looking for a scape goat then really they need to find better things to do with their lives.

[Can_of_corn]

Nick took a 4 year deal with the Braves instead of a 3 year deal with the Orioles. Os management lessened the terms of the deal they were offering. They decided not to offer the 4th year. That was the game changer.

If you had read what was posted you would know he were discussing a report that the final offer was 4\40.

Now unless you have concrete evidence that states otherwise it is a valid topic for conversation. Just because you choose to believe a story that fits your internal narrative does not mean the rest of us must follow suit.

[Nevermore]

Interested in your feelings about Nick reportedly turning down 4/40 with the O's to take 4/44 with the Braves. He was over paid in his last deal, and if it turns out he did indeed leave the O's for 4M dollars, my view of Nick will change drastically.

Nick took the Braves' 4 year contract rather than the 3 years that Os management was offering. Os management originally offered 4 years. But they rescinded that offer, and ended up offering only 3 years, according to the Sun.

[Can_of_corn]

Why should it? Once he hit the free agent market, he has every right to do whatever he wants, sign for whatever he wants, whether it's the highest offer or not. I don't know how people couldn't understand that. When you've played for the same team for 9 seasons and your family is rooted in the area, and you've said many times you want to stay, the fact that it got to this point I would imagine wouldn't have sat well with someone in the same position. End of the day Markakis is gone, if people are looking for a scape goat then really they need to find better things to do with their lives.

I did state it would not for me. You saw that right?

Some fans are assuredly going to think that if someone who has been so richly rewarded for his efforts really wanted to stay then four million would not be a significant obstacle.

[Malike]

Why should it? Once he hit the free agent market, he has every right to do whatever he wants, sign for whatever he wants, whether it's the highest offer or not. I don't know how people couldn't understand that. When you've played for the same team for 9 seasons and your family is rooted in the area, and you've said many times you want to stay, the fact that it got to this point I would imagine wouldn't have sat well with someone in the same position. End of the day Markakis is gone, if people are looking for a scape goat then really they need to find better things to do with their lives.

Lol. Of course he can do whatever he wants, but he turned down a reported 4/40 before the O's possibly took the 4th year off the table and settled on a deal worth 4M more. He then complains how much he really wanted to remain an Oriole after being way overpaid in his last contract. Loyalty works both ways, and negotiations on the scale of tens of millions of dollars I suspect are rarely without some tension. Nobody is looking for a scapegoat, and if you want to be a real life coach, stop telling people to find better things to do with their lives while you sit on the same message board posting all night along with them.

[bagman]

Sure it does, and a four year contract at age 31 is not super long. I can't understand why people are acting like a contract that ends at age 34 is like it ends at age 40. If you want to argue that Markakis doesn't warrant four years, fine, but there are plenty of 30-31 year old players I'd gladly sign for that long.

I actually voted yes to 4yrs. I don't care if he is not worth the last two years in baseball production. He is worth more to me as a fan. My point is, very few if any players that sign after 30 live up to those contracts and it doesn't matter to me depending on the player, and Nick was one of those players for me.

I will feel the same way about Jones when that day comes.

[Nevermore]

If you had read what was posted you would know he were discussing a report that the final offer was 4\40.

Now unless you have concrete evidence that states otherwise it is a valid topic for conversation. Just because you choose to believe a story that fits your internal narrative does not mean the rest of us must follow suit.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-nick-markakis-gone-longesttenured-oriole-agrees-to-fouryear-deal-with-braves-20141203-story.html#page=2

Even though the Orioles appeared close to a four-year agreement with Markakis in October, which a source said was for less than what the Braves offered, the club became increasingly uncomfortable about offering Markakis a fourth year, according to sources.

The Orioles’ hesitation was rooted in concern about Markakis’ long-term health, specifically his neck, according to an industry source.

In March 2013, Markakis was diagnosed with a herniated disk in his neck, sidelining him through part of spring training, but he still made the Opening Day starting lineup. He played in 160 games that season and 155 this past year, but a bulging disk from the initial injury remained.

That fact concerned the Orioles, but according to a major league source, the Braves were also aware of the disk and weren’t concerned. The Braves reviewed a third-party examination of Markakis’ neck and felt comfortable offering a four-year deal.

According to this report that I read, Os management had backed off from offering the 4th year, supposedly because of 2013 diagnosis of a herniated disk in his neck. By rescinding their 4 year offer, lessening it to a 3 year offer, Os management was basically telling Nick to hit the road. I stand by my statement: This is a game changer.