Some Free Agent Bats to Consider

[ReclaimTheCrown]

I don't necessarily think that there should be any compensation. Maybe something to incentivize players to stay with their long-term teams, but why are teams compensated for losing a guy who they had for six-plus years and then didn't resign? I think the QO process works quite well. Morales and his agent knew what they were doing when they declined the QO - they knew it made a middling free agent prohibitively expensive. They could just as easily have taken a 1/15 deal and not missed any time.

That's a fair counter - in a way, the onus is on these marginal QO guys to actually accept the QO, so teams will be deterred from just handing them out like candy. That said, in the players interest, it decreases their ability to get a longer term deal to secure their financial future (which, in talking about millionaires is I know a bit of a stretch, but that's still their right).

I take your point, I just still think the system could be optimized a bit more to more accurately reflect player values and the costs associated.

[mdbdotcom]

That's a fair counter - in a way, the onus is on these marginal QO guys to actually accept the QO, so teams will be deterred from just handing them out like candy. That said, in the players interest, it decreases their ability to get a longer term deal to secure their financial future (which, in talking about millionaires is I know a bit of a stretch, but that's still their right).

I take your point, I just still think the system could be optimized a bit more to more accurately reflect player values and the costs associated.

Wouldn't the change you advocate revert back to the system of having type A and type B free agents, with some worth a first round pick and others worth a second?

Personally, I'd like to see them get rid of free agent compensation altogether. When a player becomes a free agent, let him truly be a free agent.

[PeteU]

To me, the bird in the hand is so much better than any in the bushes, except maybe Hayward, and then probably not even.

Ask me again when we see Chris Davis donning pinstripes. (That's sarcasm for the time being.)

[isestrex]

Lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty lefty

Again, here are the hitters definitely returning to the lineup in 2016

All I know is that they better be lefties

1. Machado ®

2. LF

3. Jones ®

4. 1B

5. Schoop ®

6. DH

7. RF

8. Hardy ®

9. Joseph ®

All the guys actually committed next year bat right handed.

This doesn't even count guys like Pearce and Reimold who will likely be courted by the Orioles as well.

As appealing as J. Upton and Cespedes may be they aren't in the picture.

[sportsfan8703]

I'd rather have Davis. In a PED free game, power is at a premium. Every team in baseball could probably field a really good defensive team. But getting offense out of the team would be the problem. Davis is really underrated by defensive metrics. The guy is really athletic. The Ryan Howard comps just don't fit. Davis has shown the coordination and athleticism to play 3B the corner spots. The guy is every bit an athlete that Heyward is.

[jtschrei]

Zobrist+reimold in LF. Upton in Rf. davis at 1b. Give me that plus 2 starting pitchers plus ODay and we can compete with the BJs. Short of that aint gonna get it done.

[Ruzious]

Zobrist+reimold in LF. Upton in Rf. davis at 1b. Give me that plus 2 starting pitchers plus ODay and we can compete with the BJs. Short of that aint gonna get it done.

I don't want Melvin Upton in RF. Maybe Justin.

And Zobrist is going to get paid - not platoon player dollars. I'd rather have Fowler AND Span.

[El Gordo]

Zobrist+reimold in LF. Upton in Rf. davis at 1b. Give me that plus 2 starting pitchers plus ODay and we can compete with the BJs. Short of that aint gonna get it done.

You realize that you've added about 90 M to the budget.

[ReclaimTheCrown]

Wouldn't the change you advocate revert back to the system of having type A and type B free agents, with some worth a first round pick and others worth a second?

Personally, I'd like to see them get rid of free agent compensation altogether. When a player becomes a free agent, let him truly be a free agent.

That's right, it would be something like that. I like the compensation in that, at least in theory, it helps a smaller to mid market team like us. Short of instituting a hard salary cap (which almost certainly won't happen anytime soon), I'm all for measures that level the playing field.

[weams]

Personally, I'd like to see them get rid of free agent compensation altogether. When a player becomes a free agent, let him truly be a free agent.

The union is pretty adamant on that. I think that they may give up another year of team control, essentially super two for all, to get it.

[MrOrange82]

I wouldn't want him anyway, but didn't Aramis already announce that he's retiring?

[Il BuonO]

I'd rather have Davis. In a PED free game, power is at a premium. Every team in baseball could probably field a really good defensive team. But getting offense out of the team would be the problem. Davis is really underrated by defensive metrics. The guy is really athletic. The Ryan Howard comps just don't fit. Davis has shown the coordination and athleticism to play 3B the corner spots. The guy is every bit an athlete that Heyward is.

Davis is nowhere near as athletic as Heyward. He's rated exactly as he should be by the metrics. There's a reason he didn't play 3rd base this year and his OF play leaves a lot to be desired. Best laugh I've had in a while though.

[El Gordo]

Davis is nowhere near as athletic as Heyward. He's rated exactly as he should be by the metrics. There's a reason he didn't play 3rd base this year and his OF play leaves a lot to be desired. Best laugh I've had in a while though.

Davis is a pretty good RF for a 1B, Heyward is the best RF in the game.

[ReclaimTheCrown]

Pretty silly comments from Roch, in my opinion, regarding Rasmus today in his blog:

Rasmus came very close to signing with the Orioles, who thought they had an agreement on a one-year deal that guaranteed around $7 million. Then, agent Casey Close decided to keep looking and landed a deal with the Astros for $8 million.

Close threw a better curve than anyone on the Orioles' staff.

Manager Buck Showalter visited with Rasmas in early January at the outfielder's home and was comfortable with a one-year deal. He had to be sold on Rasmus, who carried a reputation in dire need of repairing. Also, Rasmus mostly has played center field - up to 774 games now, compared to 81 in left and 49 in right - and the Orioles were searching for a corner outfielder.

Rasmus hit a career-high 25 home runs in 137 regular season games, though his .238/.314/.475 slash line left a lot to be desired. He played 72 games in left field and 43 each in center and right.

The Orioles didn't have anyone start more than 37 games in left field (Travis Snider) and 38 in right (Gerardo Parra). Delmon Young started 37 in right before being released on July 9.

Rasmus is a pending free agent and I wouldn't expect the Orioles to travel down that road again, but I've been wrong in the past. I just try to pretend that it never happened.

We couldn't have used Rasmus' 25 homers, .789 OPS, and the 2.6 wins he provided out of a COF slot this year for a cool 8 mil? Please. Instead, we gave up two promising lefty prospects (who are an increasingly rare breed in our farm system) and got ~4 very forgettable months from Travis Snider. That trade, and the preceding turn of events with the near miss with Rasmus, could look even worse if Brault (9-3 with a 2.00 ERA and a 1.01 WHIP in AA after going 4-1 with a 3.02 ERA and 1.26 WHIP in high A) or Tarpley (11-4 with 2.48 ERA and 1.15 WHIP in Low A) end up panning out for Pittsburgh.

Yuck.

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/10/jj-hardy-on-his-shoulder-injury.html

[Ripken]

I want those 7 picks in the first two rounds - it could completely rebuild our farm system in one shot - so I'd start by considering the guys that won't have picks attached.