FWIW: Teix

[Sports Guy]

Yes, MacPhail paid to keep Puckett in Dec of 1992 after a 90-72 second place finish. This was one year after winning the WS. So MacPhail will paid to keep the star player of a winning team. I doubt the O's will be a winning team when Tex becomes a free agent.

(Just a side note: If MacPhail had known what was coming he would have never signed him. The Twins were terrible for the next 8 years.)

The Orioles being a winning team or not is totally meaningless.

[Sports Guy]

New AM quote signing you spend FA dollars on hitters, not pitchers.

[geschinger]

Disappointed?

I hope he is willing to go to the table with 20 million a year for 6 years for Tex.

That is overpaying for a player his caliber but I would still do it. But I would not even consider going above that figure. If the Yankees get involved I could see it easily going more than 6 years or if not I could see the bidding going over $20m at which point the smart play would be to walk away. If there was a bidding war, at what point in years and dollars would you say singing Tex goes from being a good move to a bad move?

[Cire]

Tex sounds like a free agent. If Boras makes the decision of where he goes it will be a long, long off season negotiation. Oh, and did I mention expensive?

The more I think about it the more I think Tex's philosophy will lead him to be a Yankee. No one will out bid them if they decide they want him.

I won't hate him either way.

I just won't want him to win a ring as a Yankee.

[Sports Guy]

That is overpaying for a player his caliber but I would still do it. But I would not even consider going above that figure. If the Yankees get involved I could see it easily going more than 6 years or if not I could see the bidding going over $20m at which point the smart play would be to walk away. If there was a bidding war, at what point in years and dollars would you say singing Tex goes from being a good move to a bad move?

6/120 would probably be my limit but that could change next offseason.

I am much more concerned with the years than the money.

[Earl of Tomato]

Mark my word, after what NY did to his hero Mattingly....there is no way that Tex will sign with them.....he will be an Oriole in 2009

[wildcard]

The Orioles being a winning team or not is totally meaningless.

I doubt that is true. MacPhail spending on a big time FA probably has a lot to do with where the team is in their development.

[Dipper9]

I doubt that is true. MacPhail spending on a big time FA probably has a lot to do with where the team is in their development.

We have young positional prospects growing in the minors right now...everywhere BUT first base (and 2nd and ss, but thats another story for another day). Angelos has been waiting for Tex for years now. Our GMs have not found anyone to be a long term answer at first base in the past 5+ years. I cannot guarantee that Tex will sign here, but I can guaran-damn-tee that Angelos goes ALL-IN on Tex next off season. A core of Kakes, Jones, Wieters, and Teixiera will be a solid foundation for the Orioles to win in the 2010's.

[elrod7]

Another angle that hasn't been discussed, unless I missed it, is the relationship-or lack thereof-between Boras and the Steinbrenners. After the Arod negotiations broke down in ugly fashion, the Yanks only renewed them with the stipulation that Boras would be completely out of it. Reportedly, Arod hasn't even spoken to his agent since he signed the new contract. This could potentially make the Yanks hesitant to get involved in prolonged negotiations for Tex.

[Flosman]

Another angle that hasn't been discussed, unless I missed it, is the relationship-or lack thereof-between Boras and the Steinbrenners. After the Arod negotiations broke down in ugly fashion, the Yanks only renewed them with the stipulation that Boras would be completely out of it. Reportedly, Arod hasn't even spoken to his agent since he signed the new contract. This could potentially make the Yanks hesitant to get involved in prolonged negotiations for Tex.

Yea they are always shying away from tough negotiations. Lets face it the Yanks make it a certainty that whoever signs Tex will pay him a heck of alot of money.

[wildcard]

We have young positional prospects growing in the minors right now...everywhere BUT first base (and 2nd and ss, but thats another story for another day). Angelos has been waiting for Tex for years now. Our GMs have not found anyone to be a long term answer at first base in the past 5+ years. I cannot guarantee that Tex will sign here, but I can guaran-damn-tee that Angelos goes ALL-IN on Tex next off season. A core of Kakes, Jones, Wieters, and Teixiera will be a solid foundation for the Orioles to win in the 2010's.

I wish you were right. I hope you are right. But what I see makes me think you are not.

To spend a ton on money on Tex the way Boras and the Yankees will force any team to do is counter culture for MacPhail.

I do think he will find a young, cheap first baseman. One that will grow with the team. I just doubt he spends the money that will be required to sign Tex now that Boras is firmly in control as his agent.

[bird watcher]

I will say now that there is no way we have any hope of competing in 2009 if we don't sign Tex. Most of the players that are close to helping the O's aren't the type of impact bats that Tex is. Reimold, Weiters, Jones, Markakis, etc. None of those guys are clean up hitters. Don't get me wrong they are all good players (hopefully) but they aren't Tex. Rowell, in my opinion, is the only guy with the hitting potential that Tex has, but he is too far away to know for sure.

No one will win the AL east in the next 5 years without having 2 mashers in their lineup. Markakis could be one.

Tex in my opinion significantly reduces the rebuild time. A longer rebuild without him might work out but it will definitely be longer.

[Sports Guy]

I doubt that is true. MacPhail spending on a big time FA probably has a lot to do with where the team is in their development.

And their development is they are going to need a big bat long term...And let's not forget that tex is very good defensively, which AM also values.

You don't have to sign a FA just to put you over the top...When an elite guy is there, you want him and he wants to play for you, you go out and get him regardless of your record and since the Orioles figure to get a lot better over the next several years, getting something you don't have(a first baseman and a big bat) is very important.

[Sports Guy]

Only reasons we don't pursue Tex heavily:

1) His salary gets well above 20 million per year......Not likely to happen.

2) We draft Smoak in the first round, he tears it up this year and shows he is ready now.

3) Rowell basically does what I said about Smoak and needs to move to first base.

Those are the only scenarios that I see us not going hard after Tex and really, with scenario #2 and #3, i still think they would.

[RShack]

I will say now that there is no way we have any hope of competing in 2009 if we don't sign Tex.

AM said 2010 is the soonest to expect that. Why don't you believe him?

If the team is decent in 2009, it will be because a whole lot of things just happen to go right. (For a change.)

Some folks are talking like AM can rebuild a franchise in 1 measly year. Forget it. He can't. Nobody can.

It's a 5-year job. He's trying to speed it up to a couple or 3-years by using trades. It's risky but it might work.

Big-important-FA's are icing on the cake. They are not the cake. He's gotta make the cake first.

We might get Tex or we might not. Wouldn't surprise me either way.