Poll: If Darvish is posted...

[ChaosLex]

... how much would you like to see the O's bid for his services?

[DrungoHazewood]

He's very high risk/high reward. He's arguably better than Matsuzaka, much younger. Very high workload on a very young arm. Could be the best pitcher in baseball for a decade, could be Steve Avery circa 1993-94. Extremely popular, could be a marketing phenomenon.

I'd be temped to go all in for him, but my guess is that MacPhail doesn't bid one red cent.

[hatepaste]

He's very high risk/high reward. He's arguably better than Matsuzaka, much younger. Very high workload on a very young arm. Could be the best pitcher in baseball for a decade, could be Steve Avery circa 1993-94. Extremely popular, could be a marketing phenomenon.

I'd be temped to go all in for him, but my guess is that MacPhail doesn't bid one red cent.

Just throwing a youtube video out there. Seen him hit 90 mph a couple times on the fastball, but usually around 88. Does that scare anyone?

I know Maddux wasn't a flamethrower, but he could consistently hit 91-92.

[DrungoHazewood]

Just throwing a youtube video out there. Seen him hit 90 mph a couple times on the fastball, but usually around 88. Does that scare anyone?

I know Maddux wasn't a flamethrower, but he could consistently hit 91-92.

Year 	Team.............. 	W 	L 	GS 	CG 	SHO 	IP 	H 	R 	ER 	HR 	BB 	K 	ERA2005 	Nippon Ham Fighters 	5 	5 	14 	2 	1 	94.1 	97 	37 	37 	7 	48 	52 	3.532006 	Nippon Ham Fighters 	12 	5 	24 	3 	2 	149.2 	128 	55 	48 	12 	64 	115 	2.892007 	Nippon Ham Fighters 	15 	5 	26 	12 	3 	207.2 	123 	48 	42 	9 	49 	210 	1.822008 	Nippon Ham Fighters 	11 	3 	18 	8 	2 	148.2 	104 	33 	31 	9 	31 	142 	1.88TOTALS 	........................43 	18 	82 	25 	8 	600.1 	452 	173 	158 	37 	192 	519 	2.37

No, not really.

[Ruzious]

He's very high risk/high reward. He's arguably better than Matsuzaka, much younger. Very high workload on a very young arm. Could be the best pitcher in baseball for a decade, could be Steve Avery circa 1993-94. Extremely popular, could be a marketing phenomenon.

I'd be temped to go all in for him, but my guess is that MacPhail doesn't bid one red cent.

Is 600 innings (+ the rest of this season) over 4 years really such an extreme workload?

[ChaosLex]

I'd be temped to go all in for him, but my guess is that MacPhail doesn't bid one red cent.

I agree, but man, what a coup it'd be.

While MacPhail's certainly done a lot of nice things in his brief time with the O's, I'm still highly skeptical of where we stand on international scouting. Suffice to say, a move like this would put my mind at ease.

[DrungoHazewood]

Is 600 innings (+ the rest of this season) over 4 years really such an extreme workload?

Born August 16, 1986. So, yea, it is. Or, it would be for an American-based pitcher.

[Stotle]

I would rather give out $3-4mio to 6 or 7 "signability picks" in the draft than post $25-30mio for Darvish. He's solid -- I watched him in the Olympics and was impressed -- but he isn't really worth $25mio + salary based on stuff, is he? I liked his secondary stuff and his command -- very advanced -- But I wasn't blown away. Seems like a lot to spend.

As an aside, bidding on Darvish doesn't really show much as far as our international souting is concerned. Doesn't the whole baseball world already know about him?

[Ruzious]

Born August 16, 1986. So, yea, it is. Or, it would be for an American-based pitcher.

Chris Tillman was born on tax day, 1988. He's not far from the same average pace - going 135 innings last year and over 130 right now this year.

[ChaosLex]

As an aside, bidding on Darvish doesn't really show much as far as our international souting is concerned. Doesn't the whole baseball world already know about him?

That's a fair point. I guess I should've said it'd be nice if we finally made a far East acquisition. Happy?

[hatepaste]

Year 	Team.............. 	W 	L 	GS 	CG 	SHO 	IP 	H 	R 	ER 	HR 	BB 	K 	ERA2005 	Nippon Ham Fighters 	5 	5 	14 	2 	1 	94.1 	97 	37 	37 	7 	48 	52 	3.532006 	Nippon Ham Fighters 	12 	5 	24 	3 	2 	149.2 	128 	55 	48 	12 	64 	115 	2.892007 	Nippon Ham Fighters 	15 	5 	26 	12 	3 	207.2 	123 	48 	42 	9 	49 	210 	1.822008 	Nippon Ham Fighters 	11 	3 	18 	8 	2 	148.2 	104 	33 	31 	9 	31 	142 	1.88TOTALS 	........................43 	18 	82 	25 	8 	600.1 	452 	173 	158 	37 	192 	519 	2.37

No, not really.

123 hits in 207 innings is insane.

As an aside...Has there really been a dominant pitcher, which he would be touted as being, that only threw 88?

[Stotle]

That's a fair point. I guess I should've said it'd be nice if we finally made a far East acquisition. Happy?

Yeah, that's better!

I'm not thinking or typing straight -- I need to get to bed at some point.

[Enjoy Terror]

I didn't see the option on the poll "$0. He'll be a fantastic player in the MLB but the asking price is way to high, and the Orioles could find better value cheaper."

[DrungoHazewood]

123 hits in 207 innings is insane.

As an aside...Has there really been a dominant pitcher, which he would be touted as being, that only threw 88?

50 or 75 years ago very few pitchers threw 90. And even those that did saved it for a few key moments of every game.

I remember in my youth, in the late 70s and early 80s, when it was regularly stated that a MLB average fastball was 88.

[byrdz]

I chose based on what it's going to take and where the Red Sox set the bar with Matsuzaka, it also happens to be what I would post, over 75m.