Why isn't Matusz signed yet?

[Crazysilver03]

I guess you really didn't read my response...I mentioned and accounted for all of that. It's not an issue of where to store him if he is injured, its the fact that he misses an entire year of development. Those options for his first 3 professional seasons (3 because he wont play this year but has to use one anyway) are gone whether he plays or not. So if he misses say, 2010 because of elbow surgery or something, then comes back 2 months into 2011, he has no options left when he hits the majors for the FIRST time.

Even if you don't take injuries into account, 3 years is not a whole lot of time even for someone who is supposed to be as advanced as he is. Look at Guthrie, really highly touted out of HS and then out of Stanford. He has an off year, has to readjust and then gets to the majors out of spring training more because he can't be optioned than because he earned the team spot. Then he gets roughed up, exposed to waivers and we steal him. Look at him now. Do you want to see that repeated because you wanted to give a guy a ML contract as opposed to keeping his options in tact JUST IN CASE?

Arietta came out of college, has dominated so far, and he if he had signed a ML deal, he would have no options left after next year. Would you want to risk that as dominant as a guy is in the minors, he can play in the majors without risk of needing to go back down for a bit? As good as Olson's numbers were in the minors, would you wish that on him?

That is incorrect. You keep assuming that these players have three options when they have FOUR because they have less then five years of service time by the time the fourth option would run its course.

If we had signed Arrieta to a major league deal last season his first option would have been 2007, his 2nd this season (2008), his 3rd in 2009, and his 4th in 2010. So he would have to be ready to sink or swim by 2011.

[Aloe]

I don't care how advanced he's supposed to be. It's not worth the risk. Adam Loewen was supposed to be the second coming and look what happened. I'm even talking about the injury. He just wasn't as good as advertised. His fastball was supposed to top out at 95-96 I read. It never came close to that.

[Lucky Jim]

I don't care how advanced he's supposed to be. It's not worth the risk. Adam Loewen was supposed to be the second coming and look what happened. I'm even talking about the injury. He just wasn't as good as advertised. His fastball was supposed to top out at 95-96 I read. It never came close to that.

This makes no sense. If you're talking about bad drafting and inferior talent, that's certainly not an ML-deal.

The ML-deal had nothing to do with that. By your account, another year in the minors wouldn't have mattered much.

[zff4]

Better a Boras that has a gut instinct about market worth than an inexperienced agent that doesn't and is willing to go toe-to-toe to prove it.

I hope we aren't experiencing the latter as it could go bad for both the O's and Brian.

[Aloe]

This makes no sense. If you're talking about bad drafting and inferior talent, that's certainly not an ML-deal.

The ML-deal had nothing to do with that. By your account, another year in the minors wouldn't have mattered much.

What I'm talking about is that maybe this kid isn't all that the scouts think he is. Maybe extra time in the minors could help him become a better pitcher. When I speak of Adam Loewen I'm not talking about his injury's I'm talking about the fact that he didn't have command of his pitches. He didn't throw strikes consistently and his velocity wasn't as advertised. You don't think that extra time in the minors could have helped with those things? I've heard of pitchers gaining a mile or two on their fastballs just by changing there mechanics.

[allstar1579]

That is incorrect. You keep assuming that these players have three options when they have FOUR because they have less then five years of service time by the time the fourth option would run its course.

If we had signed Arrieta to a major league deal last season his first option would have been 2007, his 2nd this season (2008), his 3rd in 2009, and his 4th in 2010. So he would have to be ready to sink or swim by 2011.

Ok, I'll take that I missed with Jake, I was thinking we drafted him in 2006, I forgot he was a 07 pick. But still, I was not assuming these players have three options, I was saying they have 4, as in BM would be 2008 (option 1) 2009 (2), 2010 (3) and 2011 (4). When do you think these players are going to be ready for the majors. The average for a college pitcher is somewhere between 2 and 3 years I'm sure, if he isn't playing significantly until the 2nd option year, that means somewhere between 2010 and 2011 he should be up, that is not a lot of wiggle room for developmental flaws, injuries, or just having to work on his fastball against advanced hitters.

The entire point of the discussion though, is having a sink or swim date EVER a good idea? Sure he could advance quickly, need no time to adjust, in a perfect world everything clicks and it's a moot point. But as a team that has had such a void of drafting ability for the better part of a decade are you willing to risk that everything will be peachy keen with a top 5 pick?

[Old Beta]

I was saying they have 4, as in BM would be 2008 (option 1) 2009 (2), 2010 (3) and 2011 (4).

Doesn't that assume that Matusz has to/will be optioned this year? The minor league seasons are over in two weeks. He doesn't necessarily have to be sent anywhere until either the Arizona fall league or Hawaii, if then, I think.

[PapaRick]

Jim Callas of Baseball America is predicting that both Matusz and Crow will get major league deals at around $5 million.

Source: http://www.baseballamerica.com/today/prospects/ask-ba/2008/266659.html

[allstar1579]

Doesn't that assume that Matusz has to/will be optioned this year? The minor league seasons are over in two weeks. He doesn't necessarily have to be sent anywhere until either the Arizona fall league or Hawaii, if then, I think.

He does have to be optioned this year, that is how major league contracts work. It doesn't matter when the minor league seasons are over because part of the deal with the ML contract is that one option has to be used immediately, and it would go by major league season ending not minor league anyway.

[Crazysilver03]

Doesn't that assume that Matusz has to/will be optioned this year? The minor league seasons are over in two weeks. He doesn't necessarily have to be sent anywhere until either the Arizona fall league or Hawaii, if then, I think.

If Matusz signs a major league deal tomorrow, he would need to be optioned immediately because he would be on the active roster.

[allstar1579]

If Matusz signs a major league deal tomorrow, he would need to be optioned immediately because he would be on the active roster.

Hey look we agreed on something!! Go us!!

[NCRaven]

If Matusz signs a major league deal tomorrow, he would need to be optioned immediately because he would be on the active roster.

Well, technically, they could keep him on the 25 man major league roster for the rest of the season. We'll just option one of the shortstops (they both suck so flip a coin), go with a 9 man bullpen, and a bench of Quiroz and Montanez, after all, he used to be a shortstop and can backup at every position other than catcher. Then use his first option next season.

[Aloe]

According to the Sun it looks like the Orioles are about to give Matusz a major league deal. I think they are making a mistake. I'd rather give him more money in a signing bonus than give him a major league deal. That's my opinion anyway.

[waroriole]

I don't like the ML Contract idea, but if it saves us money I think it might be OK. If he gets a ML deal then he has to be here for good by 2012. Everything we've heard about Matusz is that he could be ready by 2010. That still leaves us with two more years past his current projection to be on a ML roster.

Also, I don't think keeping him up for the rest of the year is such a bad thing. It will only be 15 days on the ML roster that he is taking up a spot. I would send Cintron down or DFA him and just ride it out with Castro as the everyday SS for 2 weeks. Of course, I would like it even better if he were not given a ML deal.

Why do some draftees insist on a ML contract? Don't they realize that they could just be stunting their own development? Or is it just that the agents see the increase in $ and don't take into account what is best for the player's development.

[orioole28]

They are very disappointed and have felt misled by Matusz' "adviser" Marc Agarr.

As much as the Orioles want Matusz into the organization, we are starting to hear things from Andy MacPhail that suggest the Orioles are willing to just take their 5th overall pick next year if Matusz's agent doesn't come down from his demands.

It really is sad state where agents like this say once thing before the draft and then turn into something else once the player is selected. I know Joe Jordan was just out in California meeting with Agarr but the Orioles are getting the point that it's Matusz is going to have to decide to take a fair offer and come play pro ball or go back to college and watch his leverage disappear as a 22-year old next year where he'll most likely not command the bonus he's being offered now.

If the Orioles don't sign Matusz they should take the money and sign Brady, Landers, Martin and Charles.[/QUOTE]

We don't usually agree on most things. . ., but this one I do!! I rather have 4 players with a lot of potential in the system, then just one!!