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The Time to Make a Decision on Chris Davis is Now

brianod

By brianod
in Orioles Talk

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El Gordo Hangout Grand Counsel

El Gordo

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To repeat my main point: the question still remains: was not resigning Cruz a budget issue set by PA or was it a baseball issue decided upon by DD? My understanding, from what I've read from what DD has said that this was a baseball issue decided upon by DD rather than a budget issue.

It's both. Baseball issue because Cruz probably wouldn't be worth his contract after two years and a budget issue because a midmarket team can't afford the risk of a 15 M sunk cost for two years.

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mdbdotcom Hangout Grand Counsel

mdbdotcom

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To repeat my main point: the question still remains: was not resigning Cruz a budget issue set by PA or was it a baseball issue decided upon by DD? My understanding, from what I've read from what DD has said that this was a baseball issue decided upon by DD rather than a budget issue.

It was an age issue. They wanted to re-sign Cruz. A few weeks before he signed with the Mariners, Buck said he'd heard that the prospects of signing Cruz were better than expected. The monkey wrench in the whole deal was the fourth year added by the Mariners. The only people who thought that extra year made sense were the GM in Seattle (currently between jobs) and posters on OH. Most baseball experts said it was a dumb deal. Cruz will be 37 in his final year. Will he prove the experts wrong? Maybe. But, whether he does or not, the O's were totally in on him for three years. Even when you want a player, you have to have limits.

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spiritof66 Hangout Grand Counsel

spiritof66

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To repeat my main point: the question still remains: was not resigning Cruz a budget issue set by PA or was it a baseball issue decided upon by DD? My understanding, from what I've read from what DD has said that this was a baseball issue decided upon by DD rather than a budget issue.

Like some others, I don't see the distinction. It might be interesting to know whether not offering a fourth year was a decision dictated by ownership over Duquette's contrary view. We'll probably never know. Unless Duquette has a professional death wish, I wouldn't expect him to say, even if it's true, "Look at what what Nelson Cruz has been doing for Seattle. He'd be doing that in an Oriole uniform if I had my way." Maybe if you got him really drunk :scratchchinhmm:, but even then I doubt he'd say anything . . .

The Orioles decided a fourth year was too much. Can we move on, and reevaluate that decision in a few years? (Of course I know that the answer is "no.")

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weams Hangout Grand Counsel

weams

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To repeat my main point: the question still remains: was not resigning Cruz a budget issue set by PA or was it a baseball issue decided upon by DD? My understanding, from what I've read from what DD has said that this was a baseball issue decided upon by DD rather than a budget issue.

He could have signed Cruz if he jettisoned Davis. Yes. That was the baseball decision.

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weams Hangout Grand Counsel

weams

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Can we move on, and reevaluate that decision in a few years? (Of course I know that the answer is "no.")

Some folks want to paint Dan as the meany that would not give us what we wanted. I personally would have made the mistake of signing Cruz were I in Dan's shoes and I would probably have been fired by now for letting Davis go for prospects to make up for the lost draft choice.

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Nevermore All-Star

Nevermore

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It's both. Baseball issue because Cruz probably wouldn't be worth his contract after two years and a budget issue because a midmarket team can't afford the risk of a 15 M sunk cost for two years.
Question: are the Mariners a mid-market team or a big-market team? If they are a mid-market team, why are they able to afford this risk and the O's cannot?

There can be a case made that Cruz would have been worth the 4 years, if he helped bring at least 1 WS to the O's during the time of his contract.

And a case can be made that the Mariners were not smart in signing Cruz to that contract. As it turned out (hindsight) signing Cruz didn't help their chances at a post season spot. Perhaps they should have done more. I'm sure that the issue of Cruz is being hotly discussed on at least one Mariner's fan forum or page.

What's done is done. Unless the O's do a trade (which I highly doubt), Cruz is no longer a factor in stocking the O's team for the future. But the issue of hard budget/baseball decisions is one that we will continually discuss. So far, I see no hard evidence of Angelos setting a hard and firm budget for DD to follow. What I suspect is that the amount of money available is something that DD and Angelos and other FO members discuss together in making player decisions.

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El Gordo Hangout Grand Counsel

El Gordo

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Question: are the Mariners a mid-market team or a big-market team? If they are a mid-market team, why are they able to afford this risk and the O's cannot?

There can be a case made that Cruz would have been worth the 4 years, if he helped bring at least 1 WS to the O's during the time of his contract.

And a case can be made that the Mariners were not smart in signing Cruz to that contract. As it turned out (hindsight) signing Cruz didn't help their chances at a post season spot. Perhaps they should have done more. I'm sure that the issue of Cruz is being hotly discussed on at least one Mariner's fan forum or page.

What's done is done. Unless the O's do a trade (which I highly doubt), Cruz is no longer a factor in stocking the O's team for the future. But the issue of hard budget/baseball decisions is one that we will continually discuss. So far, I see no hard evidence of Angelos setting a hard and firm budget for DD to follow. What I suspect is that the amount of money available is something that DD and Angelos and other FO members discuss together in making player decisions.

I doubt there is a hard budget, but I am sure there are clear parameters that DD has to work within. In his opinion risking the 4th year didn't fit within those parameters.
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weams Hangout Grand Counsel

weams

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Question: are the Mariners a mid-market team or a big-market team? If they are a mid-market team, why are they able to afford this risk and the O's cannot?

With no pending litigation threatening their existence.

They couldn't and their guy got fired.

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weams Hangout Grand Counsel

weams

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What I suspect is that the amount of money available is something that DD and Angelos and other FO members discuss together in making player decisions.

If I were king of the forest, I would have signed Nelson Cruz and my logic would have been faulty.

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weams Hangout Grand Counsel

weams

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Nah. We wouldn't have needed DeAza. We could've non tendered Matusz and traded Hunter. That covers the salary.

Maybe. Maybe. He thought he had Matusz traded. Still had to replace Nick. It's not like Cruz was going to play any outfield (in Baltimore) after signing a four year deal.

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