Thursday's Hot Stove Show

[weams]

https://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2019/11/leftovers-for-breakfast-95.html

[Going Underground]

7 hours ago, Frobby said:

Losing 1.1 mm fans in 5 years isn’t a great way to make money.    And, it would not surprise me if they were losing a bit of money in their top payroll years.     But, I do think they are probably profitable now.   Just a question of exactly how profitable.    
 

Forbes had them with a $6.5 mm operating loss in 2018, with “player expenses” of $161 mm, revenue of $251 mm, gate receipts $42 mm.   For this year, figure $35 mm in gate receipts (proportionate drop to attendance) and “player expenses” of $94 mm (proportionate to BB-ref payroll).   Assuming no other big changes, that gets to a profit of $53.5 mm.    I assume non-payroll expenses went up significantly with the O’s investing in infrastructure things, so the operating profit is probably well under $50 mm, but still in the tens of millions, I expect.    
 

All of this, of course, ignores MASN.

Yes and MASN is separate from the Oriole revenue somewhat.I understand why the Orioles don't want more broadcasting rights fees given to the Nationals. For every dollar they give to the Nationals, the Orioles have to match it.This money is subject to revenue sharing. That means less money going straight to the MASN bottom line.

[Frobby]

3 minutes ago, Going Underground said:

Yes and MASN is separate from the Oriole revenue somewhat.I understand why the Orioles don't want more broadcasting rights fees given to the Nationals. For every dollar they give to the Nationals, the Orioles have to match it.This money is subject to revenue sharing. That means less money going straight to the MASN bottom line.

Yes.   Until the litigation is resolved once and for all, we can’t say what the exact impact will be.    If the RSDC decision stands, rights fees paid to the O’s goes way up (equal to the Nats) and reported revenue and profits go up accordingly.    But profits from shareholding in MASN, which are not reported by Forbes, go down by more than rights fees go up.    

[weams]

 

[Frobby]

17 minutes ago, weams said:

 

“So Ryan, how does it feel to know you’ll be held back in the minors for at least a couple weeks next year so the Orioles can milk another year of service time out of you?”

[weams]

20 minutes ago, Frobby said:

“So Ryan, how does it feel to know you’ll be held back in the minors for at least a couple weeks next year so the Orioles can milk another year of service time out of you?”

"Jim, I'm just happy to help the club however I can. It's an honor to be on a major league roster. I can't wait to get my major league career started, whenever that might be."

[Darkhawk]

1 hour ago, weams said:

"Jim, I'm just happy to help the club however I can. It's an honor to be on a major league roster. I can't wait to get my major league career started, whenever that might be."

 

[atomic]

On 11/15/2019 at 8:24 AM, Frobby said:

Losing 1.1 mm fans in 5 years isn’t a great way to make money.    And, it would not surprise me if they were losing a bit of money in their top payroll years.     But, I do think they are probably profitable now.   Just a question of exactly how profitable.    
 

Forbes had them with a $6.5 mm operating loss in 2018, with “player expenses” of $161 mm, revenue of $251 mm, gate receipts $42 mm.   For this year, figure $35 mm in gate receipts (proportionate drop to attendance) and “player expenses” of $94 mm (proportionate to BB-ref payroll).   Assuming no other big changes, that gets to a profit of $53.5 mm.    I assume non-payroll expenses went up significantly with the O’s investing in infrastructure things, so the operating profit is probably well under $50 mm, but still in the tens of millions, I expect.    
 

All of this, of course, ignores MASN.

Buck was making something like 4 million a year.  Hyde probably makes several million less than that. Elias probably makes less than DD.  Brady’s salary is gone.  I am sure they are highly profitable. When the Astros were tanking they were most profitable team in MLB. 

[Frobby]

50 minutes ago, atomic said:

Buck was making something like 4 million a year.  Hyde probably makes several million less than that. Elias probably makes less than DD.  Brady’s salary is gone.  I am sure they are highly profitable. When the Astros were tanking they were most profitable team in MLB. 

They were able to get their payroll much lower than the O’s can.   They didn’t have the albatross contracts we do.   

[weams]

Quote

“In spring training I pitched well but I would throw in the outfield for 20 minutes at 50 to 70 feet, just trying to get my shoulder loose. Before surgery I could walk out of the clubhouse and throw three balls and be ready to pitch in the game. So there was a difference in what I had to do just to prepare for a game.

https://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2019/11/bleier-i-still-think-i-provide-value-to-the-team.html

[Frobby]

6 hours ago, weams said:

https://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2019/11/bleier-i-still-think-i-provide-value-to-the-team.html

I expect the O’s will keep Bleier.   He’s a good veteran presence and relatively cheap.    From my observation, he was absolutely horrible at the start of the year, but in the second half the movement on his pitches and their location got much better.    I think he’s worth the extra half-million or so  we’d need to pay him over and above somebody making the minimum.    And if they were going to non-tender him, I’d have expected them to do it before finalizing the 40-man roster for the Rule 5 draft.   

[Number5]

5 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I expect the O’s will keep Bleier.   He’s a good veteran presence and relatively cheap.    From my observation, he was absolutely horrible at the start of the year, but in the second half the movement on his pitches and their location got much better.    I think he’s worth the extra half-million or so  we’d need to pay him over and above somebody making the minimum.    And if they were going to non-tender him, I’d have expected them to do it before finalizing the 40-man roster for the Rule 5 draft.   

I thought the 11/20 deadline was for protecting minor leaguers from the Rule 5 draft.  There's nothing to prevent a team from non-tendering or releasing a player and creating an open spot for a potential Rule 5 selection, is there?

[weams]

2 minutes ago, Number5 said:

I thought the 11/20 deadline was for protecting minor leaguers from the Rule 5 draft.  There's nothing to prevent a team from non-tendering or releasing a player and creating an open spot for a potential Rule 5 selection, is there?

Correct. To draft, you must have an open 40 man slot at the time. 

[weams]

3 minutes ago, Number5 said:

I thought the 11/20 deadline was for protecting minor leaguers from the Rule 5 draft.  There's nothing to prevent a team from non-tendering or releasing a player and creating an open spot for a potential Rule 5 selection, is there?

Frobby was just indication that if we wanted to non-tender, we could have protected Sedlock.

[atomic]

17 hours ago, Frobby said:

They were able to get their payroll much lower than the O’s can.   They didn’t have the albatross contracts we do.   

I wouldn't consider those contracts albatross in nature.  If they didn't exist its not like we would spend that money on other players.  And what is it 17 million for Davis and 7 million for Cobb next season.  Combined they don't make what Manny  makes.