Blue Jays end negotiations for Dan Duquette (Beeston re-signs for 2015 season)

[scOtt]

I would hardly call my position the devil's advocate position. What do you call it when someone says something stupid and you call them on it?

You've consistently taken the anti-PA, anti-DD, anti-Baltimore line on this. Through every single tweet and article. Siding against our team and all of it's members, top to bottom, at every turn. If not Devil's advocate then what are you?

[ArtVanDelay]

Seriously. Everyone knows that the only fanbase whose fans are 100% douchebags is that of Red Sox Nation.

The Blue Jays are pretty close. Red Sox fans are definitely worse though.

[scOtt]

Objective. Maybe you missed most of my posts. You call me anti-PA and anti-Duquette and yet I've said the following all along.

Peter Angelos has a right to keep Duquette or ask for whatever price he wants to let him out of his contract. I understand Dan Duquettes interest in the job and don't blame him for wanting it. I've been a supporter of Duquette as GM and defended him plenty of times when others are getting on his case. If you can show how that is in conflict with anything else I"ve posted, have at it. Siding against "my" team and all it's members? What does that even mean? You're starting to sound like Senator Joe McCarthy.

That's a cheap shot, but not completely undeserved. Touche'.

Yet you still assume DD is worthless if forced to stay. I'm not going to search out posts but you and others have said over and over you don't trust Dan anymore. He'll throw his efforts for the team.

[ArtVanDelay]

I want Toronto to be, like, embarrassingly bad this year. Like, 1962 Mets or 2003 Tigers bad. I want them to be the laughingstock of baseball.

I want them to set a lowest attendance ever record, I want them to be so far in the red that they have to fold up shop and move somewhere else. I want to see the Rogers center just sit there and rot. I want their douchebag fans never to have a major league baseball team in that city ever again.

All of this would be great.

[scOtt]

Sir, you have me totally confused with someone else. I have stated just the opposite. I will search the posts.

Fair enough and don't waste time searching. I'll take your word.

Sorry.

[El Gordo]

Objective. Maybe you missed most of my posts. You call me anti-PA and anti-Duquette and yet I've said the following all along.

Peter Angelos has a right to keep Duquette or ask for whatever price he wants to let him out of his contract. I understand Dan Duquettes interest in the job and don't blame him for wanting it. I've been a supporter of Duquette as GM and defended him plenty of times when others are getting on his case. If you can show how that is in conflict with anything else I"ve posted, have at it. Siding against "my" team and all it's members? What does that even mean? You're starting to sound like Senator Joe McCarthy.

If this is your position then I am in total agreement. That might not be so good for you.

[Machado13]

That's cool. You might find it childish and over the top and I'm fine with that. But tell me if the Jays ceased to exist, you'd feel bad for more than 5 minutes.

I'm with you moose; preach on brother

[Bradysburns]

Demand was Hoffman, Pentecost and Mitch Nay.

Pentacost was my boy! Damn. That's a great ask by the Orioles.

[Bradysburns]

To me, it sounds like the Orioles handled this perfectly. They knew DD's value. They asked for what they thought was fair in return. Toronto balked. And frankly, I don't even know if Hoffman will turn out to be all that great. Nobody does.

I would let things cool down and then sit down with DD. Make him an offer to take on the same position here with the Orioles. If he wants to hire a new GM, great. Let him do that. Let him run down the halls of the warehouse with no pants on. Who cares? Let him flick all the lights on and off in Peter Angelos' office - with no consequences. Let him muss Jim Palmer's hair and slap Jim Hunter on the back of the head EVERY time he walks past (please).

This could end very well for the Orioles, weirdly enough. It may force them to install a great baseball man at the top of the decision-making food chain for the long haul.

[BohKnowsBmore]

I want Toronto to be, like, embarrassingly bad this year. Like, 1962 Mets or 2003 Tigers bad. I want them to be the laughingstock of baseball.

I want them to set a lowest attendance ever record, I want them to be so far in the red that they have to fold up shop and move somewhere else. I want to see the Rogers center just sit there and rot. I want their douchebag fans never to have a major league baseball team in that city ever again.

Would be even better if MLB leverages tampering charges and strips their first round pick, so they can be epic levels of bad and receive none of the benefits.

[BohKnowsBmore]

No one outside of the highest-ups in Baltimore and Toronto really know what is going on. We may never know. I never thought DD was leaving, I don't buy that there's some real (unworkable) split or problem in the FO, and I hope this is finally over though I doubt it. I'm happy to have Dan the next four years. We would all consider a promotion and Dan likely did the right thing by staying silent.

The three real points to me are: 1) If there was a negotiation we were right to ask for the moon with Toronto being a division rival and DD having four years remaining on his contract. 2) Dan has done absolutely nothing to improve the team this off season; whether this was a distraction or not he needs to do his job. 3) Regardless of #1, Toronto's timing/handling of this is reprehensible and they deserve punishment for tampering. I don't like PA but I greatly respect his law firm. Though I'll admit with the MASN mess still floating around I really don't like the thought of more drawn out, unresolved league issues.

Oh, and Ken Rosenthal sucks.

I found it interesting that some in the media, Baltimore media included, discussed how crazy it was for Baltimore to ask for multiple top prospects for a front-office member. So what? Toronto wanted our guy. If they think the price is too high, that's their problem.

[OFFNY]

Demand was Hoffman, Pentecost and Mitch Nay.

Looking at Nay's statistics, I see that he played for my once-beloved Bluefield team in 2013.

I used to see them play a lot when they were on the road in North Carolina and southern Virginia.

The Orioles' 53-season affiliation with Bluefield (1958-2010) was the longest ever for a major league team with a minor league team.

It's not enough that we gave them our Rookie-League team. They wanted out G.M, as well.

Greedy bastards.

[Machado13]

Blue jays are just a bunch of incompetent fools that want to desperately be relevant but can't get out their own way.

I enjoy seeing them fail

[WEAVERMAN]

The Orioles did the right thing here. TOR tried to steal our GM so they have to pay a high price for it. We would have ended up winners regardless of the outcome.

[Barnfather]

We are not looking to 'sell'

The Blue Jays are looking to 'buy'

If the Jays can't afford our asking price then thats not really our fault.

There has been a lot of talk about precedents recently, and how previous GMs have gone for relative peanuts. Were those deals :

- For a GM who took on a team on a 14yr losing streak, and helped turn their fortunes around?

- For a GM who has signed a long-term contract

- Conducted mid-way through the off-season causing maximum (perceived at least) disruption?

- Involving divisional rivals

As for DD and how he feels about it all. Well, he would be expected to carry out his job with 100% focus. If that is not the case, then suspend him until it is and put Buck in charge of player acquisitions.

He may *just* be a front office manager, but in baseball it seems this role can be equally as important as the manager, or even a star pitcher, in obtaining success. I don't see why it should be seen as a purely administrative move with minimal compensation.

Hopefully DD will come out and formally state his commitment in the next few days anyway and we can put all this behind us