Why isn't Matusz signed yet?

[clapdiddy]

OK...OK...I'm getting impatient. I thought we might have something in place that would have had this deal done during this just passed long homestand.

I realize that a lot of other 1st rounders have not signed, either, but this should have been done by now. It would have allowed Matusz to get some time in Aberdeen this season to get him going and add a much-needed jolt of excitement to this organization.

[DocJJ]

my guess is they don't plan to have him do any more pitching this year, so they don't care if they sign him before the 15th.

They're probably trying to avoid another Beau Hale...

[Mackus]

I don't really think not signing him has anything to do with shutting him down, although obviously the longer the layoff he's had, the less likely he is to pitch again. He threw about 105 innings in college this year, so they probably only would've let him go another 30-50 innings even if he had signed the day after the draft.

I'm not worried at all about him getting done. There were no indications of him being a tough sign.

[McLovin]

Because no one else around him has signed yet? *shrug*

None of these agents want to go first...

[Camden_yardbird]

Imagine how pissed people would be if he signed this week, or maybe even last. I can't count the number of threads that would be saying "This is great but shouldn't AM be working on trades." There is more than enough time after the nonwaiver deadline to sign him.

[jcumansky28]

It's all to Matusz's advantage to wait. Think of it: If he had signed when we thought he would, he wouldn't have been able to use the ragtag composition of the big team's starting rotation or Adam Loewen's "retirement" as points of argument to get the best possible deal. The kid and his agent are pretty smart, if you ask me. His value keeps rising--and all he has to do is just sit there.

[markpolis]

It's all to Matusz's advantage to wait. Think of it: If he had signed when we thought he would, he wouldn't have been able to use the ragtag composition of the big team's starting rotation or Adam Loewen's "retirement" as points of argument to get the best possible deal. The kid and his agent are pretty smart, if you ask me. His value keeps rising--and all he has to do is just sit there.

And if he decides not to sign??? How does that improve his bargaining position? You really think going back to University of San Diego for his Senior year is an option? The risk is much too great.

He'll sign... and no he hasn't improved his bargaining position by the recent failures of our starting pitcher or the injury to Loewen. If anything the Orioles can use the Loewen injury against him. They are very similar pitchers drafted in the same position in the draft.

If Matusz wants a major league guarantee the Orioles could use the Loewen injury as a reason not to "rush" a player to the majors based on his contract.

[Lefty0315]

He has not been signed because he will be getting a major league deal and MLB officals do not want teams anouncing those deals until right before the deadline. They don't have to wait, but most teams will.

[Lucky Jim]

And if he decides not to sign??? How does that improve his bargaining position? You really think going back to University of San Diego for his Senior year is an option? The risk is much too great.

He'll sign... and no he hasn't improved his bargaining position by the recent failures of our starting pitcher or the injury to Loewen. If anything the Orioles can use the Loewen injury against him. They are very similar pitchers drafted in the same position in the draft.

If Matusz wants a major league guarantee the Orioles could use the Loewen injury as a reason not to "rush" a player to the majors based on his contract.

Ah, common sense. So refreshing.

[Flosman]

He has not been signed because he will be getting a major league deal and MLB officals do not want teams anouncing those deals until right before the deadline. They don't have to wait, but most teams will.

I think there is almost no chance he gets a ML deal. If Wieters did not get one I doubt he does. IMO it makes more sense for a rebuilding team to save the roster spot this winter and just pay him a little more money.

[boog]

Kevin Goldstein at BP seems to think it has to do with Aaron Crow asking for well above slot money. If he gets it, that would give Matusz some extra leverage before signing:

While there is both little movement and little to report concerning the seven unsigned picks among the first nine selections, two players that might take the most time are the two top college arms in the draft—fourth overall pick Brian Matusz (Baltimore) and ninth overall selection Aaron Crow (Washington). Crow and the Nationals remain well apart in their exchanged figures, with Crow wanting an above-slot major league deal. As a domino effect, Matusz will simply wait to see what Crow settles for, and then insist on not a penny less.

[allstar1579]

It has to do solely with the other picks around him signing. I'm sure he looks at the gap between $6 and $2.3 mil and says he'd like to get closer to $6, which means he needs Crow to sign to set the price for SP, and he needs some draft picks around him to sign to set the slot value.

It's not that he's holding out because he is frustrated with the organization, or that we aren't negotiating, it's all about maximizing his value and getting the most he can out of being the 4th pick because he wants to sign and play. The O's already said they hoped to get him signed sooner so that they could get him some summer innings, if they can't, they can't. Fall ball it is, but we just need to wait for the deadline to be over so that teams can focus on signing these guys, and then Matusz will sign.

[Aloe]

my guess is they don't plan to have him do any more pitching this year, so they don't care if they sign him before the 15th.

They're probably trying to avoid another Beau Hale...

Then why was everyone in the organization talking about how quickly they thought this would get done?

[Aloe]

I think there is almost no chance he gets a ML deal. If Wieters did not get one I doubt he does. IMO it makes more sense for a rebuilding team to save the roster spot this winter and just pay him a little more money.

Your right. No way you give this kid a major league deal after what happened with Adam Loewen. I'm not even talking about his career ending injury(pitching career at least) I'm just talking about the fact that he was rushed to the majors.

[hoosiers]

If I were Matu, there is no way I would sign for less than Crow - that's understandable.

What I don't understand is the implication that Crow will receive something in the neighborhood of or above slot money for the fourth pick - such that there would be a shred of thought among Matu and his agent that it was worth waiting for Crow in the first place.

Matu is probably more interested in making sure he does not sign for less than the fifth or sixth pick receive. It will be interesting to see how much inflation there is in the signing of picks in this year's draft versus last years among the top 10.