It's July 2- Internationale!

[clapdiddy]

1 minute ago, Can_of_corn said:

Don't go giving the owner any ideas.

And, heck, haven't we done enough of this already?

[Fuzzball22]

So for about 1 million dollars we dont go after one of the top 30 international players? Thats unreal. 1 million should be nothing to a MLB team.

[spiritof66]

For a long time, I've wondered whether there's a connection between the Orioles' disinterest in scouting, signing and developing young international talent and a "Buy American" mindset on the part of the Orioles' owner, whose fortune grew out of his legal work for trade unions and their members. I wasn't sure what there really was a connection between the two, or it was just a coincidence.

More recently, it's occurred to me that not spending to identify and draft these young international players may reflect the owner's desire to devote resources to players who potentially will help in the next few years, with the organization's long-term health taking a back seat.

Maybe it's both -- or neither -- but this stuff helps remind me, at least, that no matter how much we care about the Orioles, the team belongs to Peter Angelos and not to us. There will come a time when he's not around and many of us are, and we'll be stuck with the residue of the selfish, pig-headed and just plain stupid decisions he's made. 

[Moose Milligan]

God, we are so dumb.  Love this team, but not so sure about the organization...if that makes any sense.  

[Luke-OH]

The Orioles are just not a big enough market team to be able to afford passing on potential sources of cost controlled talent.  There is not enough money in the budget to buy a winning team without cost controlled players taking center stage.

[Moose Milligan]

Just now, phillyOs119 said:

The Orioles are just not a big enough market team to be able to afford passing on potential sources of cost controlled talent.  There is not enough money in the budget to buy a winning team without cost controlled players taking center stage.

What?

[Luke-OH]

7 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

What?

The O's can't afford to field a good team filled with free agent signings. 

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, phillyOs119 said:

The O's can't afford to field a good team filled with free agent signings. 

Now that the steroid age is over I'm not sure you can even field a good team with free agent signings, not without the benefit of hindsight at any rate.

[Luke-OH]

2 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Now that the steroid age is over I'm not sure you can even field a good team with free agent signings, not without the benefit of hindsight at any rate.

Yeah, I agree, without going over the luxury tax line, it's tough to do, that's why the Dodgers, Red Sox, and the Yankees spend as much as reasonably possibly on amateur talent acquisition.  I'm just arguing that the O's need it more than those teams do.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, phillyOs119 said:

Yeah, I agree, without going of the luxury tax line, it's tough to do, that's why the Dodgers, Red Sox, and the Yankees spend as much as reasonably possibly on amateur talent acquisition.  I'm just arguing that the O's need it more than those teams do.

I wasn't even considering the luxury tax.  Just with players not aging as gracefully as they did with pharmaceutical help and with teams more apt to lock up young stars I'm not sure the talent is there to simply buy players every year and stay competitive.

[spiritof66]

45 minutes ago, phillyOs119 said:

Yeah, I agree, without going over the luxury tax line, it's tough to do, that's why the Dodgers, Red Sox, and the Yankees spend as much as reasonably possibly on amateur talent acquisition.  I'm just arguing that the O's need it more than those teams do.

The Orioles have maintained a high player payroll relative to the size of their market. Part of that high spending has been supported by artificially high proceeds from MASN. I believe a big chunk of it has been made possible by the Orioles' minimal spending on scouting, signing and developing Latin American players. 

[Can_of_corn]

 

[Camden_yardbird]

9 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

 

I would give lots of rep to a person who could aggregate the total statistical contribution of the players garnered through trading signing slots.

[Dr. Unk]

Guess we are buyers, but....

[Can_of_corn]

Guess that slot money was burning a hole in Dan's pocket.