Orioles to be more active in International Free Agent Market

[Chromehill]

38 minutes ago, Frobby said:

My issue would be that the O’s should have been able to get the intel on the Mesas’ preferences much earlier, and either made a different trade for Gausman without international slots as part of the deal, or trading slots elsewhere.    Heck, even if they got the intel on the Mesas last month, then why weren’t we the team trading away slots for Kyle Baraclouth?    

What are you talking about, we got Zoellner! 

Now we are left with millions of dollars to spend at a flea market since all the top prospects are gone. 

Agree with everyone, if the O's missed out on the Mesa's and Gaston for whatever reason, they needed to have it leak out at the very minimum that they had the highest offer on the table.  To trade away Gausman for over $2 million in slot money and then not use it, or least make the highest offer is insanity. 

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, Chromehill said:

What are you talking about, we got Zoellner! 

Now we are left with millions of dollars to spend at a flea market since all the top prospects are gone. 

Agree with everyone, if the O's missed out on the Mesa's and Gaston for whatever reason, they needed to have it leak out at the very minimum that they had the highest offer on the table.  To trade away Gausman for over $2 million in slot money and then not use it, or least make the highest offer is insanity. 

And yet Roch, who works for the team, is the one that said they didn't have the highest offer on the table.

[Moose Milligan]

2 hours ago, eddie83 said:

Signed some players.... 

 

 

Good.  Hope this provides fruitful.

[weams]

https://www.mlb.com/news/orioles-sign-four-international-prospects/c-299675794

[wildbillhiccup]

1 hour ago, Tony-OH said:

I don't see how this is on Duquette at all since he was already fired before any of them signed. This is completely on ownership for not having their future baseball operations people in place already.

I agree, but I wouldn't be surprised if they try to passively aggressively throw Duquette under the bus in regards to the international snafu. It would be so refreshing if for one someone just stepped up to the podium and said" my bad" or "that's on me". Then again no one's really stepping up to the podium at all these days. Until they hire someone the Angelos brother need to realize that for better or worse they are the face(s) of the franchise. And they need to do a better of communicating their plan and engaging the fans. There is nothing to be gained by keeping a largely frustrated and disheartened fan base in the dark. I guess they're just hoping that we're distracted by the Ravens. 

[MurphDogg]

LaRoche was already announced in August. Nice job Orioles, got him twice!

[weams]

1 hour ago, Tony-OH said:

I don't see how this is on Duquette at all since he was already fired before any of them signed. This is completely on ownership for not having their future baseball operations people in place already.

Agreed.

[weams]

4 minutes ago, wildbillhiccup said:

I agree, but I wouldn't be surprised if they try to passively aggressively throw Duquette under the bus in regards to the international snafu. It would be so refreshing if for one someone just stepped up to the podium and said" my bad" or "that's on me". Then again no one's really stepping up to the podium at all these days. Until they hire someone the Angelos brother need to realize that for better or worse they are the face(s) of the franchise. And they need to do a better of communicating their plan and engaging the fans. There is nothing to be gained by keeping a largely frustrated and disheartened fan base in the dark. I guess they're just hoping that we're distracted by the Ravens. 

Why are Ravens an issue here?

[wildbillhiccup]

10 minutes ago, weams said:

Why are Ravens an issue here?

I just meant distracted by the Ravens and football season in general...so we don't notice what's happening / not happening with the team during the off season. 

[Roll Tide]

4 hours ago, wildbillhiccup said:

Everything you stated is pretty obvious (and makes sense to me). So why did the Orioles go all in on push to sign these players? Unless you think Duquette went rogue then ownership must have signed off on this international push. So you can either put the blame on them for not actually signing these players or for not doing their homework on the front end and realizing they wouldn't be able to sign them. Either way it's one ownership. 

If the Mesa's agent did his job he wasn't telling teams of their preference to sign in Miami. Maybe he told Duquette that they had a shot .....We were very well used to force the Marlins to go get more money. And they did! Gaston is another issue ...I love that he throws 97 MPH and would have taken as chance on him. But I can also understand the concern with the PED stuff and I dont think you have to have Gaston since you did not get the Mesas. I thin the two moves are unrelated.

[Can_of_corn]

2 hours ago, MurphDogg said:

LaRoche was already announced in August. Nice job Orioles, got him twice!

A whole new level of bidding against yourself.

[Can_of_corn]

2 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

Good.  Hope this provides fruitful.

I wonder how many 19 year olds out of the DR amount to anything?

[Ruzious]

3 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

Their reluctance to spend in this area is frustrating to me.  Just give the folks you put in charge a budget and let them decide how to divide it up.  Don't mandate money be spent on the ML payroll at the expense of other areas.

And signing high quality international prospects is a way to SAVE money.  Atlanta starts 3 young international prospects - none of whom originally signed for more than $100,000.  This is a way to COMPETE with bigger market teams.  The Intentional failure to do so made absolutely no sense.  The Nats starting LFer (who set records as a rookie this season), starting 2nd baseman, and top prospect were all international prospects.  

[Roll Tide]

15 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I wonder how many 19 year olds out of the DR amount to anything?

I don’t think there is much difference between 17 and 19... you won’t know what you have for several years as they guys have to mature physically. How many high school players get to the majors in their early 20s? All of these guys are nothing more than lottery tickets.

[NCRaven]

9 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I wonder how many 19 year olds out of the DR amount to anything?

Probably not many, but two were 17 and the Cuban OF’er is 18, so younger that Álvarez or Urrutia.