Reality: Players need big years to get big contracts in free agency

[wildcard]

Forget all the rhetoric, bottom line is if a player wants to score a great contract in free agency he needs to have a great year. And the O's have eleven of them.

Davis, Wieters, Chen, Norris, de Aza, O'Day, Hunter, Pearce, Young, W. Wright and Webb need to have good years. That is good for the Orioles in 2015.

A poor year will get these guys a shorter contract at a lower price. A great year will get them a great contract.

There is plenty of motivation to have a great year. So, forget the rhetoric and enjoy the O's playoff run.

[Can_of_corn]

Sounds logical on the surface but I have never seen a study that shows that players perform better in walk years.

[weams]

Sounds logical on the surface but I have never seen a study that shows that players perform better in walk years.

I think I saw studies that indicated it did not matter.

[Frobby]

I think there have been studies showing that players don't do any better in their "walk years" than at any other time, once you factor in age. The Orioles players haven't suffered from lack of motivation the last several years, and I'm sure we'll get their best efforts this year, too.

[weams]

I think there have been studies showing that players don't do any better in their "walk years" than at any other time, once you factor in age. The Orioles players haven't suffered from lack of motivation the last several years, and I'm sure we'll get their best efforts this year, too.

Likewise. Whoever wears the jerseys.

[Can_of_corn]

The studies may not show any difference but human nature suggests that if any of them needed extra motivation to get ready for this season, they got it.

I don't think many MLB players need extra motivation.

[Frobby]

Here's a study finding negligible effect: http://www.philbirnbaum.com/walkyear.pdf

Here's one finding significant effect: http://www.beyondtheboxscore.com/2014/3/6/5473868/player-performance-in-their-free-agent-year-an-analysis

Believe what you want, I guess. My own view is, the Orioles' players have been giving excellent effort ever since Buck arrived. For the guys who were arbitration eligible, they already had plenty of incentive to do the very best they could. I don't think they really have another gear to shift into.

What's probably more true is that some players, once signing a long term deal, slack off a bit. But not Adam Jones, and I doubt that will be true of JJ Hardy.

[weams]

Maybe not many. Do you think the Panda got in better shape last year, knowing he was going into his FA year?

I wanted to talk about chemistry here. He hated his teammates, He thought his agent had been disrespected. He decided a year early to bail on the team. He still led the team to a World Series championship. I guess that our great clubhouse did not matter after all.

[wildcard]

I don't think we have to worry about what message not signing Markakis has sent to the players as it relates to 2015. The message is have a great year in 2015 and leave 2016 to take of its self after the season.

I think these 11 players focus has to be on having a great 2015 season.