Will the Orioles be dealing with "Confederate money" this off-season?

[weams]

Heck, Even Audrey Huff was too much man for our town.

But then, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Kansas City were not to his taste either.

[Roll Tide]

After the O's went to the playoffs in 2012, folks got all jiggy over players being interested in playing for them again. Now that 2015 has turned into a stinker of a season and with Chris Davis and Wei-Yin Chen (the only two we are likely to miss) likely heading to greener pastures, will players the O's pursue in free agency (no, not the real big money guys) be less likely to sign with them? Will Baltimore become a destination of last resort again?

No their money is real...it just won't be enough. They will always be a few million short or a year short on their offer. They will say all the right things. In the end the effort will be half hearted to validate they tried. They will replace our good players with AAAA players whom they hope will find it. They will get it right 1 out of 100 tries. And then use that as an excuse to do it 99 more times.

Gms come and go ...ownership remains the same. We blamed Andy McPhail for the dumpster diving ...but it happened last offseason and it's going to happen again.

[MemorialStadKid]

No their money is real...it just won't be enough. They will always be a few million short or a year short on their offer. They will say all the right things. In the end the effort will be half hearted to validate they tried. They will replace our good players with AAAA players whom they hope will find it. They will get it right 1 out of 100 tries. And then use that as an excuse to do it 99 more times.

Gms come and go ...ownership remains the same. We blamed Andy McPhail for the dumpster diving ...but it happened last offseason and it's going to happen again.

Tough to argue against this point.

This is going to be the most volatile offseason in the history of the OH.

MSK

[Three Run Homer]

No their money is real...it just won't be enough. They will always be a few million short or a year short on their offer. They will say all the right things. In the end the effort will be half hearted to validate they tried. They will replace our good players with AAAA players whom they hope will find it. They will get it right 1 out of 100 tries. And then use that as an excuse to do it 99 more times.

Gms come and go ...ownership remains the same. We blamed Andy McPhail for the dumpster diving ...but it happened last offseason and it's going to happen again.

You may get a lot of grief for this post, but I think you've outlined the most realistic scenario for this offseason. We'll sign some cheap bounceback candidates like Mike Napoli, but none of the impact players will come here. This team hasn't signed an upper tier free agent from outside the organization since the Miguel Tejada offseason.

[25 Nuggets]

Heck, Even Audrey Huff was too much man for our town.

But then, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Kansas City were not to his taste either.

haha

Believe it or not, Aubrey Huff circa 2008 would be a welcome addition to this lineup!

[25 Nuggets]

To be clear, I am not saying these cities are intrinsically better. I am just of the belief that the young superstar knows more about, and is perhaps more inclined to give deference to, some of these larger markets, even if only for prestige/$.

It really depends on the player. Different sport... but while some players (Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony) wanted to play in big markets, LaMarcus Aldridge did not care and so went from Portland to San Antonio to win a championship or two.

[Mayor McCheese]

Cause he's the scummy agent from hell that we see in bad movies.

I thought Jerry Maguire was a good/decent movie... It wasn't that bad

[weams]

Washington may have that funny money too.

[Herman]

Remember when several members of the Orioles team showed up at the Nelson Cruz press conference with a somewhat stunned look on their faces?

Yes, it's important to show players on the team a commitment. The Davis signing is becoming a huge key to this off season. If not him, it's gotta be a Cespedes or somebody; a trade, something. Could be a stud pitcher. Whatever it is, can be used as a springboard to fill in the rest of the holes on the team.

What has this front office done in recent memory that suggests that they are willing to spend money to fill holes on the team? More than likely Davis and Chen will walk and the Orioles won't use the money that they save to spend it on anyone meaningful. They will use Machado's pending free agency in 3 years as an excuse when everyone knows that he won't be resigning here and that the Orioles don't have the "budget" to resign him. They can't develop pitchers and they don't have any positional players in the farm system that are difference makers. The year to win was this year and they blew it and it's painful for all the reasons I just mentioned. They are a cheap organization and they did it to themselves. It is what it is and sometimes the truth hurts.

I hope I'm wrong but I will be stunned if they spend money

[Can_of_corn]

What has this front office done in recent memory that suggests that they are willing to spend money to fill holes on the team? More than likely Davis and Chen will walk and the Orioles won't use the money that they save to spend it on anyone meaningful. They will use Machado's pending free agency in 3 years as an excuse when everyone knows that he won't be resigning here and that the Orioles don't have the "budget" to resign him. They can't develop pitchers and they don't have any positional players in the farm system that are difference makers. The year to win was this year and they blew it and it's painful for all the reasons I just mentioned. They are a cheap organization and they did it to themselves. It is what it is and sometimes the truth hurts.

I hope I'm wrong but I will be stunned if they spend money

They signed Ubaldo and Cruz.

Or is that too far back for you?

[weams]

They signed Ubaldo and Cruz.

Or is that too far back for you?

And gave up two high draft picks, scuttling our entire draft.

[Can_of_corn]

And gave up two high draft picks, scuttling our entire draft.

The draft wasn't completely scuttled until the NBA got involved.

[Beef Supreme]

How many folks outside of Maryland even remember the riots?

I think you are overestimating the general population.

It was weird to me that Crasnick wrote, "The signature game of the Baltimore Orioles' season took place in late April. With the city's streets awash in strife..." Some people will push to keep the riots front and center. But most folks have forgotten.

Also, Crasnick was so effing far off-base by claiming that was the "signature game." It was more like the opposite. The team piled on Samardzija that day and won fairly easily. Crasnick could have picked dozens of games that would have better represented the Orioles' season than that one.

[Can_of_corn]

It was weird to me that Crasnick wrote, "The signature game of the Baltimore Orioles' season took place in late April. With the city's streets awash in strife..." Some people will push to keep the riots front and center. But most folks have forgotten.

Also, Crasnick was so effing far off-base by claiming that was the "signature game." It was more like the opposite. The team piled on Samardzija that day and won fairly easily. Crasnick could have picked dozens of games that would have better represented the Orioles' season than that one.

I didn't like the Crasnick piece on many levels.

Not sure how a team with a run differential of more then +20 is "imploding".

The starting pitching has been bad.

[Beef Supreme]

Heck, Even Audrey Huff was too much man for our town.

But then, Milwaukee, St. Louis, and Kansas City were not to his taste either.

Because, you know, Tampa is a really hip, cosmopolitan town.