Mora has minor shoulder surgery; Roberts & Markakis talks slow

[geschinger]

Well, there are 2 ways of looking at this.

One way says Tex wants this done ASAP and that either is too quick of a timetable for AM or it makes him move quickly.

The other way is Boras wants to drag this out as long as possible and AM is the perfect guy to wait him out.

Split the difference... I see Teix as being someone who has turned the reigns over to Scott who is going to go for maximizing Teix's contract. If the interest is strong which I believe it will be, I think he gets signed to a gasp! inducing contract at the Winter Meetings. A lot of times teams don't want to come home empty handed and it's much more likely a team might give out a stupid contract that they might not otherwise do later into the offseason.

[clapdiddy]

It just shows someone how bad you want them. If you're taking too long on your negotiations while someone else is hammering away and really showing interest, it says a lot.

Right...which is why I'm sure he knows now whether or not we're serious bidders.

[Moose Milligan]

Well, there are 2 ways of looking at this.

One way says Tex wants this done ASAP and that either is too quick of a timetable for AM or it makes him move quickly.

The other way is Boras wants to drag this out as long as possible and AM is the perfect guy to wait him out.

Tex wants a good deal and I doubt he's really concerned about how quickly he wants to get it done. He knows there's gonna be bidders. Boras will do a good job of advising him on when to take a good deal, as a good agent should.

However, Boras will also wait until all offers have been collected, allowing him to play one off another as best as he possibly can.

That said, I can see Tex making up his mind or beginning serious negotiations with another team if a straggler hasn't put an offer on the table.

Then the question doesn't become if we're interested in Tex, we obviously are. The question in that scenario is, is Tex interested in us?

I know you think so, but I see those quotes as him just being diplomatic.

[Sports Guy]

Tex wants a good deal and I doubt he's really concerned about how quickly he wants to get it done. He knows there's gonna be bidders. Boras will do a good job of advising him on when to take a good deal, as a good agent should.

However, Boras will also wait until all offers have been collected, allowing him to play one off another as best as he possibly can.

That said, I can see Tex making up his mind or beginning serious negotiations with another team if a straggler hasn't put an offer on the table.

Then the question doesn't become if we're interested in Tex, we obviously are. The question in that scenario is, is Tex interested in us?

I know you think so, but I see those quotes as him just being diplomatic.

No more diplomatic than the old song and game of, I want to go where I am happy, I want to win, etc....

Its the same thing every FA says.

Do you think anyone is going to come out and say, i am going to sign for the biggest f'ing pile of cash I can!!!

Its just not going to happen.

I think his desire to play here is genuine, just as i think it is genuine that he wants to win...That is why, when it comes down to it, the most money gets him.

Either way, he is getting something he wants...so, just pay him.

[El Gordo]

The best contract in Nick's interest is for 3 years around $25-30 mm. The best contrct from the O's interest is around 6/$70 mm. So a considerable difference to make up.

[NCRaven]

Not to derail this thread, but it's stuff like this that makes me think we have a very small shot at signing Tex.

If we're this slow at dealing with our own guys, what's it gonna be like for a FA? If this is the pace that MacPhail goes with when making offers, we're really asking for someone like the Sox or Yanks to swoop in and take Tex.

We've got enough working against us as it is. No one likes dealing with a slow negotiator.

Scott Boras is the slowest agent in baseball. It doesn't matter who signs Teixeira, it won't be before Christmas and until the last dollar is on the table.

[JTrea81]

Scott Boras is the slowest agent in baseball. It doesn't matter who signs Teixeira, it won't be before Christmas and until the last dollar is on the table.

MacPhail and Boras have played the chess match before with Wieters and Arrieta. That was the trial run.

Now they get to do it for the big prize...

MacPhail is the Boras of GMs. Both set extremely high prices for what they have, but both always seem to get pretty close to what they are looking for. And both are methodical enough to wait for what they want. It's going to be a fascinating matchup...

[section18]

I think we should sign Nick before Tex and Burnette. I like AM and wonder how he goes about buying a home. I am in real estate management and most on here who have bought homes before know it can take a few days to a week sometimes to complete negotiations. Contracts that were at one time 2 pages are now 35-45 pages in length. As others on here have already stated ...."what is so complicated about completing an agreement?"

We all know lawyers do move at a slow pace sometimes. I have also seen them move quickly to reach an agreement. There has got to be a reason for the team delaying on these two signings. Does a Markakis contract influence the terms of a Roberts contract? Does a Roberts contract inluence the terms of a Markakis contract. Which one signs first? If Roberts is signed and doesn't have a no trade or limited no trade clause he will be easier to trade. I would prefer to keep Roberts but I will listen to any offer if I am AM.

What are we waiting for?

[SceffBmo]

Not to derail this thread, but it's stuff like this that makes me think we have a very small shot at signing Tex.

If we're this slow at dealing with our own guys, what's it gonna be like for a FA? If this is the pace that MacPhail goes with when making offers, we're really asking for someone like the Sox or Yanks to swoop in and take Tex.

We've got enough working against us as it is. No one likes dealing with a slow negotiator.

IMO, when dealing with extensions you can take it a little slower because you're the only team doing the bidding. Whereas, with FA you might have to be a bit quicker on the draw because there are mulitiple teams chasing that player.

[Moose Milligan]

IMO, when dealing with extensions you can take it a little slower because you're the only team doing the bidding. Whereas, with FA you might have to be a bit quicker on the draw because there are mulitiple teams chasing that player.

Excellent call.

[glenn__davis]

I don't really believe Andy MacPhail for a minute here. I'm sure they've talked some numbers -- what else would there be to talk about?

It's like last year when he said he'd had talks with the Cubs about Roberts but hadn't talked about any names yet.

Just MacPhail-speak, IMO.

[Tx Oriole]

Why the big rush? Some are so quick to get all over Andy M. over the Markakis talks. I belive it will get done. Markakis will be an Oriole. He will get the extension. It takes time i wuld guess. Sorry but I just don't get the impatience with Andy M. when it is just the second week of November.

[Dipper9]

I could care less about the pace of negotiations as long as it gets done.

I do not believe the duration of the contract is a five minute conversation, but it might not take too long if both sides have done their homework. It's really about what Markakis wants - does he want to buy-out one year of free agency or more - perhaps significantly more? Will he give a team option?

These are not terribly difficult questions, but they do require some reflection by the player and the team.

Last year, the deliberate, almost snail like pace of MacPhail in negotiating the Tejada and Bedard trades was forgiven due to the HUGE return we got. However, we questioned the length of those negotiations and what impact it had on us aquiring other parts, like say, a Major League caliber shortstop.

Now, we are already seeing the pace once again rear its ugly head. If he is still in the "early stages" with our OWN players, how in the blue hell do we expect MacPhail to sign Burnett and/or Tex? How long will it take to get a shortstop in here?

This article is very depressing. I like the two trades MacPhail did, but otherwise, I am not impressed. If in my job I do two of my job goals well, but ignored the other 8 things on my list, I'd be looking for a new job. I'm not saying AM has failed (yet) but he has got to move much faster or we will still have the same questions heading into Spring Training as we do now!

[Frobby]

It is not as if there have been a ton of long-term extensions inked so far this offseason. I guess I agree with Nick here - it doesn't matter if it's done fast or slow, it matters whether it's done right. Still, as a fan I'd love to see this task completed so I'd have one less thing to worry about.

[TGO]

You guys (SG, mainly) are ridiculous. It is blatantly obvious that Nick wants fewer years than MacPhail wants to give him. Do you really want MacPhail to entertain the notion of, say, a 4 year deal (hypothetical)? The reward on that deal isn't worth the risk.