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

[bobmc]

I understand the Braves probably overpaid. Isn't that what you usually do in free agency though? If there not a premium for loyalty and his local preference? More importantly, why wasn't DD hesitant on a 4th year for Ubaldo? We are stuck with that guy for 4 freaking years....guess I just don't see the damage on overpaying for Kakes. You will be missed Mr. Nick.

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Rosenthal's tweet ICYMI - apologies if posted elsewhere...no comment yet from DD, as appropriate. The PC commentary on Nick will follow, I am sure.

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Here again is last night’s story on why <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Orioles?src=hash">#Orioles</a> cooled on Markakis. <a href="http://t.co/5NjrjqFxih">http://t.co/5NjrjqFxih</a> Time will tell if team made the right call.</p>— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) <a href="

">December 4, 2014</a></blockquote> <script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

[weams]

Those batted ball distances on the Fangraphs site are a real eye opener, how many homers will Nick hit in Atlanta !!

http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/what-are-we-missing-about-nick-markakis/

Markakis' power has all but disappeared over the years, potentially affected by 2012 surgeries on his right wrist and left thumb as well as to fix a hernia. His batted ball distances have been nothing short of terrifying, really:

Avg. Feet MLB rank

2009 297.91 71

2010 291.23 124

2011 279.86 145

2012 284.07 124

2013 271.22 223

2014 267.92 228

There's also this: Camden Yards is generally a pretty good place for a lefty hitter to find the stands. Here's every single Markakis homer over the last three seasons, 37 of them, 23 of which came at home:

I did not realize it was that bad.

[Can_of_corn]

Even if the report is right, why are the Orioles in the wrong? Nick chose to take the extra year rather than stick with the Orioles and accept their solid three year offer. Not blaming Nick at all for taking the bigger contract, but if he truly wanted to stay in Baltimore so bad he could have just taken Baltimore's offer.

I don't think they are.

[mdbdotcom]

Best I can tell, Camden Yards is 318 down the RF line and 373 to RCF. Turner field is 330 down the line and 390 to RCF.

How about SunTrust Field, Atlanta's new park opening in 2017? I bet the Braves laid it on real thick for Nick. Probably had a Photoshopped image of him in the new park in a Braves uni making a great catch.

[ShaneDawg85]

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.

The last contract is irrelevant. The players involved in that deal outside of the player and the owner are gone, so that means nothing. The fact that he was overpaid isn't Nick's fault, it's not like he went out and dogged it for the length of the contract and didn't try to live up to it. Based on some of the responses already, people are in fact looking for scape goats, whether it be Markakis or the Orioles. And I'll continue to live my life however the hell I please, and tell it exactly how I see it.

[DrungoHazewood]

Best I can tell, Camden Yards is 318 down the RF line and 373 to RCF. Turner field is 330 down the line and 390 to RCF.

Atlanta is about 1000 feet in altitude, while Camden Yards is a few feet above sea level. The ball should carry much better there.

[xian4]

How about SunTrust Field, Atlanta's new park opening in 2017? I bet the Braves laid it on real thick for Nick. Probably had a Photoshopped image of him in the new park in a Braves uni making a great catch.

May have to be 280 yards down the RF line at SunTrust Field for Nick to hit a tater ...

[Can_of_corn]

May have to be 280 yards down the RF line at SunTrust Field for Nick to hit a tater ...

That would also help him get to fly balls in four years.

[weams]

How about SunTrust Field, Atlanta's new park opening in 2017? I bet the Braves laid it on real thick for Nick. Probably had a Photoshopped image of him in the new park in a Braves uni making a great catch.

You sure they will not have moved him by then? Or released him? This seems so very transitional to me about their motives.

[weams]

That would also help him get to fly balls in four years.

That’s long been an issue for Markakis, and the seeming rebound in 2014 is what looks like the outlier more than anything. We can’t know for sure what caused that, because it’s not like he’s had any lower body injuries to recover from, and though he’s aged and slowed somewhat, he’s not David Ortiz out there either. Part of me wonders if the Orioles’ increasing (and increasingly effective) usage of shifts have helped Markakis end up in more favorable spots to field the ball in 2014, but that’s just speculation on my part.

That article compares him defensively to Jeter several times.

[DrungoHazewood]

May have to be 280 yards down the RF line at SunTrust Field for Nick to hit a tater ...

280 yards? I can't even hit a driver that far, downhill.

[Dipper9]

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 agree 100%. If Nick really wanted to stay an Oriole, he'd be an Oriole.

There is always a prettier girl at the dance than the one you're with, but if you're committed to her and comfortable with her and she is your gal, then you don't go out dancing with the prettier girl.

The Orioles offer seemed to be decent money for 3 years. If Nick performed like HE thinks he can, he'd still only be 34/35 and able to sign another deal. I think Nick going for the 4th year to leave HIS team shows that Nick might not be as confident in himself as he seems.

[Dipper9]

How about SunTrust Field, Atlanta's new park opening in 2017? I bet the Braves laid it on real thick for Nick. Probably had a Photoshopped image of him in the new park in a Braves uni making a great catch.

I hate to say it, but I was all for signing Nick until that play in the ALCS where a bloop hit down the right field line became a 3 run double and Nick was no where to be found. That one play showed how slow he has become. I love the guy, really do, but again, I think whoever we put out there will match or exceed his production.

[Bradysburns]

I view Nick as a special player - and a great Oriole. He was always such a fixture and trusted figure in the clubhouse. I doubt we'll see an arm better in right field anytime soon... He never seemed to turn into that 25-30 HR guy we hoped he would. But he's been productive and consistent. To me, he was probably worth more to us than another team.

That said, I would have given him the money. But I'm glad I'm not the GM! That's why we pay Dan the big bucks. To be able to make hard baseball decisions.

[Bradysburns]

I agree 100%. If Nick really wanted to stay an Oriole, he'd be an Oriole.

There is always a prettier girl at the dance than the one you're with, but if you're committed to her and comfortable with her and she is your gal, then you don't go out dancing with the prettier girl.

The Orioles offer seemed to be decent money for 3 years. If Nick performed like HE thinks he can, he'd still only be 34/35 and able to sign another deal. I think Nick going for the 4th year to leave HIS team shows that Nick might not be as confident in himself as he seems.

I don't understand this line of thinking. If the Orioles weren't willing to even match the market for him... why on earth would he stay? "Hey, we want to pay you millions less and guarantee your contract for a year less. But we really like ya! What do you think, buddy?"

This could be Nick's final contract. He's been injured. He understands how short-lived a pro sports career can be. Like all players, he's one serious injury away from retirement.

I don't "blame" either side. It might be one of those win-win deals for both the Orioles and Nick.