Duquette on XM radio

[Frobby]

Nope. He's not well liked anywhere but Baltimore, and probably won't be until he can show the ability to discern a ball from a strike or miraculously moves to another defensive position and excels at it.

Walker is not a real prospect, and Sisco has shown he can hit but I seriously doubt he stays behind that plate and he doesn't hit for enough power to stick at first. I don't love any of them, obviously.

I think you've overstated the case on Mancini. There are some scouts who really like him, though there's by no means a consensus on that. I am hopeful he's for real, but we'll know more this year.

[Babypowder]

I think you've overstated the case on Mancini. There are some scouts who really like him, though there's by no means a consensus on that. I am hopeful he's for real, but we'll know more this year.

He's clearly not nearly as well regarded nationally as he is by the Orioles. I personally don't have high hopes for a guy who scouts say his defense is merely passable and possesses a walk rate under 5 percent for his minor league career. His path to being a productive major league first baseman would be very very unique.

[VeveJones007]

Can the O's still trade their competitive balance lottery pick? Maybe they can work out a sign and trade with the Tigers for Gallardo since Detroit would only give up its 3rd rounder

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[weams]

Can the O's still trade their competitive balance lottery pick? Maybe they can work out a sign and trade with the Tigers for Gallardo since Detroit would only give up its 3rd rounder

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

The commissioner's office has already said no to that strategy.

[OFFNY]

Jeff Robinson for Mickey Tettleton

Baylor, Torrez, Mitchell for Reggie and Ken Holtzmann

BJ Surhoff for Luis Rivera, Trinidad Hubbard and Fernando Lunar

John Maine and Jorge Julio for Kris Benson

#1 prospect Denny Bautista for 36-year-old middle reliever Jason "yea I'll rat out whomever you want" Grimsley

Doug DeCinces for Disco Dan Ford and my childhood innocence

Was it a foregone conclusion pre-season 1976 that Reggie would definitely leave post-season under the newfangled free agency?

Technically, re-signing Reggie Jackson was an option, but in reality, it wasn't. I'll explain why.

As the 1976 season was winding down in August and September, there was some talk about the possibility of Reggie staying with the Orioles if Hank Peters had been willing to ante up $1 Million for 4 years, but I believe that that was just lip service from Jackson and the Orioles' front office. I remember when it was all happening, and I remember that while I was appreciating Jackson's solid season that he was having for the Orioles, I also knew in my 10 year-old heart that he was as good as gone, and that my Reggie/Orioles bragging rights historically would only last for that one season.

In fact, even if Hank Peters had matched George Steinbrenner's offer to Reggie of 5 years for $2.96 Million, I suspect that Jackson would not have stayed with the Orioles. After the 1974 season, Catfish Hunter was declared a free agent due to a violation in his contract by Athletics owner Charlie O. Finley. The following off-season ('75-'76) Andy Messersmith and Dave McNally were both declared free agents by judge Peter Seitz when they had played out their option (did not sign a new contract, but rather had their contracts renewed by the reserve clause) in the 1975 season. In the ensuing off-season ('76-'77), the floodgates of free agency (as well as numerous owners that were willing to dish out all sorts of cash that had been previously unheard of) burst wide open, with Reggie Jackson leading the way ........ I don't think that the flamboyant Jackson was willing to give up any of the spotlight that was shining on down upon him, even if it was only giving up a little bit of said spotlight by NOT jumping from one team to another as a free agent had Hank Peters been willing and able to match George Steinbrenner's offer.

P.S. Ironically, the Orioles improved drastically in 1977 in spite of losing BOTH Reggie Jackson AND Bobby Grich to free agency, and took the Yankees down to the final weekend of the season before being eliminated. Trading Ken Holtzman and company for Rudy May, Scott McGregor, Tippy Martinez, and Rick Dempsey wound up getting us more than we lost in the other part of the Baylor-for-Jackson trade (which was essentially Holtzman for Mike Torrez.)

So in In the end, the Baylor-for-Jackson trade wound up being a zero-sum game ...... we essentially replaced Don Baylor with Reggie Jackson for that one season. Baylor, like Jackson, had eyes on getting much more money than either Hank Peters or Charlie O. Finley would have been willing to dish out for 1977, so ultimately, Baylor for Jackson was essentially an even swap for players that had similar years in 1976.

[El Gordo]

I was in kindergarten. You'll have to ask Frobby or El Gordo.

Yes it was a forgone conclusion.

[tntoriole]

Am I missing something? Is he a consensus top 100 prospect now?

Terry Crowley speaks of Mancini in glowing terms, calling him "about as blue chip as you get for as much as he's played."

Mancini, an eighth-round pick in 2013 out of Notre Dame, batted .314/.341/.527 with 14 doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 32 RBIs in 52 games at Frederick and .359/.395/.586 with 29 doubles, three triples, 13 home runs and 57 RBIs in 84 games at Bowie.

"He's a tremendous fastball hitter," Crowley said during a recent interview. "This kid doesn't have to cheat and get it started to hit a fastball. He'll be standing at the plate and if you throw him 96 (mph), he'll turn it around, and if that same pitch is a curveball in the dirt, he won't move a muscle. That's the difference between him and some others. This is a good-looking hitter and I don't say that very often. I've learned to take a wait-and-see attitude because hitting is so tough."

From Roch Kubatko column, 10/25/2015

I agree with the Crow. In spades. I saw Mancini several times this last year. His bat speed is amazing. He is going to be a beast.

[JLee2027]

Was it a foregone conclusion pre-season 1976 that Reggie would definitely leave post-season under the newfangled free agency?

No. Reggie wanted 225K for a 3 year contract. The Orioles wouldn't budge and eventually they agreed to a one year compromise.

[Frobby]

He's clearly not nearly as well regarded nationally as he is by the Orioles. I personally don't have high hopes for a guy who scouts say his defense is merely passable and possesses a walk rate under 5 percent for his minor league career. His path to being a productive major league first baseman would be very very unique.

How do you know how highly regarded he is by the Orioles? Other than the glowing comments from Terry Crowley, who certainly does not speak for the entire organization, what has been said that makes you think the Orioles view him as a stud? I'd submit that if they truly thought that, they wouldn't have signed Chris Davis for 7 years.

[JLee2027]

Terry Crowley speaks of Mancini in glowing terms, calling him "about as blue chip as you get for as much as he's played."

Mancini, an eighth-round pick in 2013 out of Notre Dame, batted .314/.341/.527 with 14 doubles, three triples, eight home runs and 32 RBIs in 52 games at Frederick and .359/.395/.586 with 29 doubles, three triples, 13 home runs and 57 RBIs in 84 games at Bowie.

"He's a tremendous fastball hitter," Crowley said during a recent interview. "This kid doesn't have to cheat and get it started to hit a fastball. He'll be standing at the plate and if you throw him 96 (mph), he'll turn it around, and if that same pitch is a curveball in the dirt, he won't move a muscle. That's the difference between him and some others. This is a good-looking hitter and I don't say that very often. I've learned to take a wait-and-see attitude because hitting is so tough."

From Roch Kubatko column, 10/25/2015

I agree with the Crow. In spades. I saw Mancini several times this last year. His bat speed is amazing. He is going to be a beast.

Can he play right field?

[weams]

Can he play right field?

Delmon played right field.

[weams]

How do you know how highly regarded he is by the Orioles? Other than the glowing comments from Terry Crowley, who certainly does not speak for the entire organization, what has been said that makes you think the Orioles view him as a stud? I'd submit that if they truly thought that, they wouldn't have signed Chris Davis for 7 years.

He is living with Brady these days...

[DrungoHazewood]

I'll repeat: while Camden is not a pitcher's park by any means (ok it suppresses triples a lot), it is also not one of the worst parks in baseball to pitch in. More home runs, that's about it.

It would help if they'd blow up the ugly hotel. It looks like that changed the wind around the park such that a neutral-trending-pitcher's park turned into an actual hitter's park about the time the hotel was built. For most of it's first ~15-20 years OPACY was both a slight pitcher's park and a good HR park.

[weams]

I'd submit that if Peter Angelos truly thought that, Peter Angelos wouldn't have signed Chris Davis for 7 years.

I never thought this would happen again. And then Dan messed it all up by asking to eat Poutine.

[weams]

For most of it's first ~15-20 years OPACY was both a slight pitcher's park and a good HR park.

Mike Mussina. Erik Bedard.