Orioles agree to terms with Cuban outfielder Reinier Romero

[MurphDogg]

Jomar. All kidding aside, you have to buy one of those 18 year old steroid abusers with 16 year old paperwork to spend the big money.

Amateur free agency isn't the panacea that some believe it to be. Schoop alone has given the Orioles more value than all of the other teams in the division besides the Red Sox.

Here is the full list of production from amateur free agents amongst the Orioles AL East rivals:

Yankees - 20 innings pitched and 103 PA's of sub-50 OPS+ performance

Blue Jays - 12 and a third innings from Miguel Castro, (Osuna was not an amateur free agent, he signed from a professional Mexican League team)

Rays - 0.1 rWAR over 98 innings between Enny Romero and Alex Colome.

Red Sox - 93 OPS+ and 0.4 rWAR over 143 PA for high price Cuban Rusney Castillo, 2.9 rWAR over 467 PA for $510K bonus guy Xander Bogaerts, and 6 and a third innings between Dalier Hinojosa and Jonathan Aro.

Not exactly taking the world by storm, at least in the AL East.

[weams]

I want to state right now, I know nothing at all about this fellow. Nothing. Maybe we just wanted to get a headline. OR Dan Suddenly had an extra million in bonus, salary and scouting expense that he needed to blow before he left to join his dream team.

[sportsfan8703]

With all the money we've spent on these low/mid range Cubans, we could have gotten a top flight talent Cuban!

The good news is that we are spending in the international market. Urrutia is our LF right now. He and Alvarez will be in the mix for LF/RF/DH next year. Miranda is going to be in the mix with Wilson to take Chen's spot. That's pretty good return value on relatively small investments. The best thing to come out of this would be to have success in the international market and get Angelos to open up the wallet on some other Caribbean talent.

[mcgraw238]

The good news is that we are spending in the international market. Urrutia is our LF right now. He and Alvarez will be in the mix for LF/RF/DH next year. Miranda is going to be in the mix with Wilson to take Chen's spot. That's pretty good return value on relatively small investments. The best thing to come out of this would be to have success in the international market and get Angelos to open up the wallet on some other Caribbean talent.

That is good news. The bad news is you just described a 4th place team.

[MurphDogg]

That is good news. The bad news is you just described a 4th place team.

As I posted above, the Orioles have gotten the second most value out if International amateur free agents of AL East teams this season, and the player keeping them from first (Xander Bogaerts) had a signing bonus in the range that the Orioles have paid in the past. The Orioles aren't falling behind in the AL East due to lack of International amateur free agents.

[mcgraw238]

As I posted above, the Orioles have gotten the second most value out if International amateur free agents of AL East teams this season, and the player keeping them from first (Xander Bogaerts) had a signing bonus in the range that the Orioles have paid in the past. The Orioles aren't falling behind in the AL East due to lack of International amateur free agents.

You made some valid points. I was just having a little fun.

[MurphDogg]

I understand the frustration of seeing other teams pouring more money into the international market, and I do want the Orioles to spend more internationally. I hope they take advantage of the CBA the way that other teams have in recent years and blow through their international signing pool budget by several hundred percent and then take the next two years off from signing high priced international free agents. I am just not sure that is realistic with the Orioles apparent aversion to the Dominican system.

My only point is that similar complaints existed 5-10 years ago and yet here we sit with the higher spending teams in the division having little to show for their increased expenditure.

[LookitsPuck]

Cespedes, Puig, Chapman, Tomas, Castillo and soon to be Moncada? O's need to take chances on some of these kinds of guys.

It's looking like they whiffed on Urrutia. Alvarez remains to be seen, but he's put up a 733 OPS in AAA this year...and he doesn't walk. I'm hoping he can turn it around. And for this Romero guy, I'm legitimately curious due to the age and the $800k.

[Going Underground]

For the people saying he is too small:

When he was 21, Baseball-Reference.com listed him at 5-foot-8 and 168 pounds, but Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette called him “strong and powerful” Tuesday.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-orioles-agree-to-terms-with-cuban-outfielder-reinier-romero-20150818-story.html

[Redskins Rick]

Cespedes, Puig, Chapman, Tomas, Castillo and soon to be Moncada? O's need to take chances on some of these kinds of guys.

It's looking like they whiffed on Urrutia. Alvarez remains to be seen, but he's put up a 733 OPS in AAA this year...and he doesn't walk. I'm hoping he can turn it around. And for this Romero guy, I'm legitimately curious due to the age and the $800k.

Puig is a talented and trouble lad, and platoon player right now, so jury is still out, if the Orioles missed their chances on him.

[EagleOriole]

So what is there to complain about? The cost is minimal.

[Stotle]

I understand the frustration of seeing other teams pouring more money into the international market, and I do want the Orioles to spend more internationally. I hope they take advantage of the CBA the way that other teams have in recent years and blow through their international signing pool budget by several hundred percent and then take the next two years off from signing high priced international free agents. I am just not sure that is realistic with the Orioles apparent aversion to the Dominican system.

My only point is that similar complaints existed 5-10 years ago and yet here we sit with the higher spending teams in the division having little to show for their increased expenditure.

I think this is a rather simplistic evaluation that ignores comparative system depth, international talent that has been traded for quality pieces, and future outlook. But it does paint Baltimore in a good light, so it's cool to see. I doubt a similar examination will be as kind over the next 1-3 years, but I'm wrong plenty.

[Redskins Rick]

I understand the frustration of seeing other teams pouring more money into the international market, and I do want the Orioles to spend more internationally. I hope they take advantage of the CBA the way that other teams have in recent years and blow through their international signing pool budget by several hundred percent and then take the next two years off from signing high priced international free agents. I am just not sure that is realistic with the Orioles apparent aversion to the Dominican system.

My only point is that similar complaints existed 5-10 years ago and yet here we sit with the higher spending teams in the division having little to show for their increased expenditure.

10 years ago, this team sucked, and we just came off a 3 year period with they had the best record in baseball, and 2 post season trips, and 3 years above .500

So I believe the org must be moving in the right direction.

[Stotle]

10 years ago, this team sucked, and we just came off a 3 year period with they had the best record in baseball, and 2 post season trips, and 3 years above .500

So I believe the org must be moving in the right direction.

The nice thing is you will almost assuredly feel good about the direction of the org if your measuring stick is 2003-2007.

[weams]

The nice thing is you will almost assuredly feel good about the direction of the org if your measuring stick is 2003-2007.

I was looking for you to ask your opinion of the Dombroski/Wren hires for Boston? Maybe respond in the appropriate thread. I'm interested in hearing.