The Teixeira Watch: Part V - AM says the O's "have flexibility" on Tex

[jincargo]

Wonder how season ticket renewals are going to fare with this?

Just depressing.

[ChaosLex]

Wonder how season ticket renewals are going to fare with this?

Just depressing.

I honestly hope they plummet. I'm sorry, but it's time to send a message.

[crabman]

Honestly, the posts over the last 3-4 hours have been pretty ridiculous.

1. Tex isn't signed until he's signed. Do I think he'll end up with the Red Sox? Yes. But I see no reason to cry about it unless it's actually happened.

2. Some of the posters live in a fantasy world where there are no budget constraints on the Orioles and they are on equal financial footing with the Red Sox. That's simply not true. It has always been the case that whatever the Orioles could afford to bid, the Red Sox could afford to bid more. If we don't get Tex, Angelos should not be blamed. Reality is that at a certain price, getting Tex is contrary to the long-term interests of the Orioles.

3. If we don't sign Tex, it is not the end of the franchise. It was NEVER likely that we would get Tex. The vast majority of posters have understood this from day one. Our path to success will never be through huge free agent acquisitions. Our path to success is by building more or less the way Tampa did, perhaps with an extra strategic free agent acquisition here or there to complement our young core once they are ready. Markakis, Jones, Wieters, Matusz, Arrieta, Tillman and a raft of other young pitchers is a very good base from which to build. Tex would have accelerated the process, but at the end of the day, it's the quality of the home grown pitching that is going to decide whether we return to contention any time in the next decade. When the pitching becomes good, we will have a competitive team, and that's when free agents will see Baltimore as a desireable destination.

You must spread some rep around....

All very good points. Tex would speed things up, and at some point we will need to augment the homegrown talent we are developing. Tex is a perfect fit because the local ties gets us a seat at the table AND he fills a hole we don't really have in the system. I really hope we get him, it's possible we still will, and it will suck in the short term if we don't. All that said, there is more than 1 way to skin this cat.

[bej6789]

I honestly hope they plummet. I'm sorry, but it's time to send a message.

Exactly how much worse could they get?

[JTrea81]

I honestly hope they plummet. I'm sorry, but it's time to send a message.

I think we'll get one last chance. If not, it will be on Tex not the Orioles IMO.

If the Orioles get a chance and blow it, then I'm with you. TS quoted me already, but I'm not following the O's this season if they don't step up when they have the opportunity.

[The Rick]

With ALL due respect - You have no idea

LOL, how could you honestly say a Red Sox fan has no idea? Remember when just a few years ago they ended an 86 year drought without a WS title?

Sure, it's been 25 for us, and 11 straight losing seasons, but hopefully we never have to endure a streak like that... if we do I will have never seen an O's championship in my lifetime, especially given my obesity.

[Sports Guy]

What if he doesn't want to sign an extension?

He does................

[caljr]

If Angelos and Mcphail were flying to Texas to meet with Boras this wouldn't receive any attention. It's just Boston so it's 10x more important.

I agree 100%. If Boston had been in our shoes last weekend when Teixeira was in Baltimore and had reportedly been eating lunch with Angelos - it would have been breaking news on ESPN. I don't see this as a backbreaker for us. I have thought from the beginning that it would come down to us and Boston. Boras meeting with the Boston brass is not good news - but it doesn't mean this thing is over. I think we will have a chance to counter Boston's offer.

[alskor]

Whats curious to me is why AM expects Boras to bring him a final offer to beat??

I would think its best for the Orioles to be proactive & make their own best offer & their own case!

Right... that and the quote from McPhail over the last few days paint a picture of a team that made a competitive offer, has been happy to sit on that offer rather than being proactive... and consequently has been eliminated from the running.

You dont land Tex by making a big offer and then sitting around gladhanding yourselves over making such a big offer. You do what Boston is doing - actively pursue. There have been no ongoing negotiations with the O's. They made an offer and have been waiting for Boras to get back to them according to McPhail.

You really have to question how much they wanted him. In the end, it seems like its going to be very easy to paint a picture of a team that was in it only because he was a hometown guy... a team that seemed to almost want to have the second or third best offer... How could McPhail sit there and not call Boras after a few days of not talking to him? Werent they afraid they might lose him to one of the other teams that was actively pursuing him - and upping their offers according to press reports?

To not talk to the agent - to not be actively negotiating - and THEN to make a statement that your offer was flexible and that youve been waiting for the agent to get back to you... its less like theyve been trying to actually land Tex and more like theyve been plotting an exit strategy. Those are the things you say if youre looking to defray blame when the s*** hits the fan...

Im not saying they would do this for dishonest reasons, Im saying there is mounting evidence that the O's were never as deeply interested in Tex as has been made out... This isnt the only possible explanation for the course theyve taken, but its a plausible one that shouldnt be ignored - furthermore, this tact may have been the best baseball decision...

[bandy75]

Agree with you on this. If Boras/Tex really do come back to the O's and give them the final shot...and they say here's the offer...and AM says we'll match it. If Tex then turns down the offer then I wouldn't fault the O's. The "hometown discount" IMO is him playing for us for the same amount he'd play for the top bidding contender for.

Unfortunately, we will probably not find out what the final offers are. So we will only be able to speculate whether the O's are to blame or Tex. Although I'm still hopeful that he signs with us.

[Rex Thunder]

Would you take an 50k job if you should/could get paid 80k? How would you feel about that offer?

If you really thinks that's a fair comparison you need a reality check.

[crissfan172]

Just thinking about all those stupid Sox fans in their Tex jerseys infuriates me. He's not a hometown guy and hasn't done crap for them yet. Just because they signed another big name, the feel the need to wear his jersey. Ahhhhhhhh!!!!:cussing:

[MarylandTerp08]

I think we'll get one last chance. If not, it will be on Tex not the Orioles IMO.

If the Orioles get a chance and blow it, then I'm with you. TS quoted me already, but I'm not following the O's this season if they don't step up when they have the opportunity.

Even if we get one last chance, like Roch said, nothing indicates we are willing to match or beat that offer.

[Roll Tide]

So the O's need to outbid the Sox by $2mil a year for the kid from Severna Park to consider coming home? Doesn't seem likely given the past comments we have heard from Tex, regarding his fondness for the O's.

The Orioles are attractive as far as geography go. They dont as far on the lines of being competing. They need Tex in more ways than most here understand. I tell you the fans wont return in this season of the next 3-5 unless the team can be competative. I keep hearing about our great young pitching & all. The Orioles cant keep Roberts happy , or Markakis, & if we dont get Tex it doesnt bode well for Wieters. If the Orioles cant talk a local kid who followed the Orioles & I bet dreamed about playing for them as a youngster. Who can they get ... Izturis, Payton, Some .220 avg catcher, Jaun Castro?

[JTrea81]

Even if we get one last chance, like Roch said, nothing indicates we are willing to match or beat that offer.

If the Orioles do get that chance and don't step up, the fan backlash will be quite severe IMO.