Markakis extension on hold

[Sports Guy]

Haven't we read / been told that they've are both fine with six years?

I'd actually rather us do 7 years.

The only thing we have seen, to my knowledge, is that we offered him 6 years last week.

No idea what Nick wants...Maybe he wants 5 years...maybe he wants 7 years...Who knows?

Judging by him wanting to wait and things like that, i think 6-7 years is likely though.

[Sports Guy]

Well, I'm sick as a dog right now so maybe I've just imagined that both sides have indicated that a six year framework is agreeable. Carry on

Its called old age...stop blaming sickness.

[Frobby]

If you include the signing bonus and buyout, Rios is making 57 million for the first 6 years of the deal...We have to beat that.

One thing to point out is that Rios was in a slightly different situation, because he previously had been a super-two and was going into his second year of arbitration eligibility when he signed his deal. For that reason, it's probable that he would have made more money in his three remaining arbitration-eligible years than Nick would have made, due to seniority, even though Nick may be the better player. You also have to factor in that the two extra years on his deal are relatively cheap.

With all that said, if I have to give Nick slightly more than Rios got in order to close the deal, then that's what I'd do.

What I don't understand is why you are blaming the Orioles for the impasse, when all we know right now is that the O's have made a reasonable offer (not necessarily enough to conclude the deal, but at least in the general vicinity) and we have no idea what Nick has demanded. If the O's are at 6/$60 mm and Nick is at 6/$80 mm, that's one thing; if the O's are at 6/$50 mm and Nick is at 6/$65 mm that's something else entirely. Unless you know the specifics, I don't know how you can say the O's are at fault for not closing a deal.

[Frobby]

Haven't we read / been told that they've are both fine with six years?

I'd actually rather us do 7 years.

Me too. Nick will be quite young when he reaches free agency. In that 7th year he'll be 31 years old. What I'd REALLY like is a couple of option years, even if they are at a pretty high price.

[Sports Guy]

One thing to point out is that Rios was in a slightly different situation, because he previously had been a super-two and was going into his second year of arbitration eligibility when he signed his deal. For that reason, it's probable that he would have made more money in his three remaining arbitration-eligible years than Nick would have made, due to seniority, even though Nick may be the better player. You also have to factor in that the two extra years on his deal are relatively cheap.

With all that said, if I have to give Nick slightly more than Rios got in order to close the deal, then that's what I'd do.

What I don't understand is why you are blaming the Orioles for the impasse, when all we know right now is that the O's have made a reasonable offer (not necessarily enough to conclude the deal, but at least in the general vicinity) and we have no idea what Nick has demanded. If the O's are at 6/$60 mm and Nick is at 6/$80 mm, that's one thing; if the O's are at 6/$50 mm and Nick is at 6/$65 mm that's something else entirely. Unless you know the specifics, I don't know how you can say the O's are at fault for not closing a deal.

I fault them for the BS offer in July and I fault them for not putting enough money on the table right now.

[TonySoprano]

I fault them for the BS offer in July and I fault them for not putting enough money on the table right now.

Which, BTW, was

That is in contrast to the July offer, which, according to sources, was worth $5million to $6million annually

[Frobby]

I fault them for the BS offer in July and I fault them for not putting enough money on the table right now.

I agree about the BS offer in July. We don't have enough solid information to judge the offer out there right now. "Believed to be between $50 and $60 mm" is not very specific.

Put it this way - if July had never happened, an opening offer of 6 years, $50 mm would not have embarassed me. I wouldn't expect that to close the deal, but it's a definite starting point for a negotiation.

[Sports Guy]

Which, BTW, was

Even offering that contract is a fireable offense.

What the hell was AM thinking?

He seems to have this attitude that Baltimore is some elite place to play and players should bow down and kiss his feet and except way less money to be here.

[Sports Guy]

I agree about the BS offer in July. We don't have enough solid information to judge the offer out there right now. "Believed to be between $50 and $60 mm" is not very specific.

Put it this way - if July had never happened, an opening offer of 6 years, $50 mm would not have embarassed me. I wouldn't expect that to close the deal, but it's a definite starting point for a negotiation.

The deal is believed to be between 50-60 million....I would be surprised if that means more than 55 million.

That is probably 7-10 million away from being a realisitic offer...and when I say realistic i mean realistic in terms of him accepting it.

[Frobby]

The deal is believed to be between 50-60 million....I would be surprised if that means more than 55 million.

That is probably 7-10 million away from being a realisitic offer...and when I say realistic i mean realistic in terms of him accepting it.

Well, I don't think an offer that is within 13-18% of where you hope to end up is a bad place to be before you've heard the other side's position.

I'm curious - you are a diamond seller. When I bought my wife's engagement ring, I can tell you that the initial price the seller offered me was far more than 18% higher than the price I eventually agreed to pay.

Now I realize baseball players and diamonds are two different markets, and not all markets follow the same negotiation pattern. But I don't think you start negotiations by using the most lucrative deal any comparable player has ever signed and beating it by several million dollars. Maybe you finish there, but you don't start there.

[Sports Guy]

Well, I don't think an offer that is within 13-18% of where you hope to end up is a bad place to be before you've heard the other side's position.

I'm curious - you are a diamond seller. When I bought my wife's engagement ring, I can tell you that the initial price the seller offered me was far more than 18% higher than the price I eventually agreed to pay.

Now I realize baseball players and diamonds are two different markets, and not all markets follow the same negotiation pattern. But I don't think you start negotiations by using the most lucrative deal any comparable player has ever signed and beating it by several million dollars. Maybe you finish there, but you don't start there.

I usually give the person one price...the one they pay.

I can do that because I am far cheaper than everyone else and our reputation for being the cheapest(most of our customers are from referrals) is always there...people don't really question us.

Sometimes I have to work with them because of budget and things like that but for the most part, all I have to say is go shop elsewhere(I always encourage that) and then if/when they do, they always come back.

[Sports Guy]

If MacPhail really offered him a deal like this, I'm going to be irate. There is no plausible defense for why someone with any sense would do something this stupid. I truly hope this information is wrong.

Yea...Pretty bad isn't it?

We heard it was a low ball offer, so I would guess that is accurate.

[Frobby]

I usually give the person one price...the one they pay.

I can do that because I am far cheaper than everyone else and our reputation for being the cheapest

Well, then you and the Orioles have something in common -- you're both the cheapest!

Yea...Pretty bad isn't it?

We heard it was a low ball offer, so I would guess that is accurate.

I really think that sounds too low to be believed. Maybe if that offer (1) included re-doing his 2008 contract, and (2) only covered 1 year of free agency, those numbers could come close to making sense. Otherwise, impossible.

[Sports Guy]

Well, then you and the Orioles have something in common -- you're both the cheapest!

I really think that sounds too low to be believed. Maybe if that offer (1) included re-doing his 2008 contract, and (2) only covered 1 year of free agency, those numbers could come close to making sense. Otherwise, impossible.

Let's say the offer was 5/36..

1st year: 3 million

2nd year: 5 million

3rd year: 8 million

4th year: 10 million

5th year: 10 million

That is something AM may have felt he "should" sign.

I think it could be realistic that he offered it...Again, we heard that the offer was a low ball offer...To say it is a low ball offer, it would have to be something like that.

[ChaosLex]

If MacPhail really offered him a deal like this, I'm going to be irate. There is no plausible defense for why someone with any sense would do something this stupid. I truly hope this information is wrong.

Man, if that's true, we're in for another long decade, my friends.