Matusz Article

[Satyr3206]

Just read the article in the Sun. Apparently Matusz wants around 5 million to sign. While I never fault anyone for making as much as they can, this seems high to me. The 4th pick last year got around 2.75 million. The record is 6.1 million and Matusz wants double what last years pick signed for? Now the e mail to the media outlets is making sense. A preemptive strike to get more pressure on the FO maybe? Any opinions?

[Sports Guy]

Pretty amusing that he is saying he wants what is fair and asks for almost what Wieters got last year.

[itsernst]

Just read the article in the Sun. Apparently Matusz wants around 5 million to sign. While I never fault anyone for making as much as they can, this seems high to me. The 4th pick last year got around 2.75 million. The record is 6.1 million and Matusz wants double what last years pick signed for? Now the e mail to the media outlets is making sense. A preemptive strike to get more pressure on the FO maybe? Any opinions?

Well...we gave Wieters 6Million last year, and he was worth every penny it seems...it they feel he is worth it, pull the trigger.

[Mackus]

From the minors board:

We'll see. I've laid out parameters in other posts and find the $4M number very difficult to understand as pitchers have been drafted fourth overall the past two drafts and neither received over $2.8M. Last year's third overall pick received $3.2M. Perhaps Matusz is rated a good bit higher than all three of the above players, but Reynolds and Vitters were drafted on merit.

IMO, anything north of $3.25M to $3.5M is overpaying relative to what Vitters, Reynolds and Moskos received. I would like to meet the prospect that turns down $3.25M and heads back to school.

$5M is too much, if thats what it takes, I don't really have a problem with them letting him go back and taking our chances with a pick next year.

I feel we'll probably sign him for somewhere in that $3.5M range.

[Pruke]

wow - i would call the bluff and take the extra pick next year. use that money to wrap up any remaining players we have not yet signed.

5MM is stiff money - i don't see us going there, but who knows....

[bird watcher]

I hope they call his bluff. He won't go back to school. He isn't going to pass on 3 million dollars.

If he does pass then start scouting for next years pick. If the guy was worth all that he wouldn't have lasted until the fourth pick. He wasn't considered a signability risk at the draft.

[Satyr3206]

Well...we gave Wieters 6Million last year, and he was worth every penny it seems...it they feel he is worth it, pull the trigger.

I look at Wieters different than Matusz. He's an everyday player at a very important position. He's also a switch hitter with power.

Matusz may end up being great but pitchers are at more risk for injuries. Look no further than Loewen.

I think 5 mil is too much. Don't think MacPhail should do it and I don't think he will. Keep the money and get another pick next year.

[TonySoprano]

Who leaked the numbers to the media? MacPhail doesn't negotiate through the media.

Pretty amusing that he is saying he wants what is fair and asks for almost what Wieters got last year.

He was picked one slot above Wieters.

[itsernst]

I look at Wieters different than Matusz. He's an everyday player at a very important position. He's also a switch hitter with power.

Matusz may end up being great but pitchers are at more risk for injuries. Look no further than Loewen.

I think 5 mil is too much. Don't think MacPhail should do it and I don't think he will. Keep the money and get another pick next year.

I agree...I said if they feel he's worth it; I have no problem if they feel he isn't worth it in letting him walk.

[Satyr3206]

Who leaked the numbers to the media? MacPhail doesn't negotiate through the media.

He was picked one slot above Wieters.

Since MacPhail didn't leak it and Jordan had a no comment it most likely came from the Matusz camp. Probably his agent if I were a betting man.

[nadecir]

If the Orioles can't reach an agreement with Matusz this year, they run the risk of losing the first round pick entirely if they can't sign the player they draft in the compensation position next year. Compensation picks last only one time. If you don't sign someone you draft with a compensation pick for not signing someone the previous year, you lose it if you can't sign the player two years in a row.

A player would gets drafted with a compensation pick has all the leverage in the world. He knows that a team doesn't want to lose the pick entirely, so he can play real hard ball with the team drafting him.

I am sure the Orioles would rather not be in that position next year.

[hoosiers]

If the Orioles can't reach an agreement with Matusz this year, they run the risk of losing the first round pick entirely if they can't sign the player they draft in the compensation position next year.

I am sure the Orioles would rather not be in that position next year.

This is an entirely overrated scenario. Worse comes to worse we work out a pre-draft deal with a slightly lesser talent.

[JTrea81]

As long as he's willing to take the 5 million without a ML deal, I give it to him. It's not like we don't have the money. He's a top college pitcher which means like Price he could be ready to help as soon as late 2009. And if he's as good as we think he'll be a #2 or #3 starter under control quite cheaply for quite some time.

[Moose Milligan]

I hope it works out.

Like Tony said, he feels that Matusz will realize near the end that he won't be worth this much next year and won't want to go back to school.

Are you reading, Brian?

[Pruke]

If the Orioles can't reach an agreement with Matusz this year, they run the risk of losing the first round pick entirely if they can't sign the player they draft in the compensation position next year. Compensation picks last only one time. If you don't sign someone you draft with a compensation pick for not signing someone the previous year, you lose it if you can't sign the player two years in a row.

A player would gets drafted with a compensation pick has all the leverage in the world. He knows that a team doesn't want to lose the pick entirely, so he can play real hard ball with the team drafting him.

I am sure the Orioles would rather not be in that position next year.

I'm sure they wouldn't, but there has to be some sense of sanity to this. If we were beating up the front door for David Price, I might (MIGHT!) be more inclined to extend, but as much as I like Matusz, there really was not a super stud pitching prospect in this draft (with all due respect to all the pitchers) - this was a positional player draft and teams loved every last ounce of it.

Pass....