For those who thought Tex wanted to be a Yankee...

[Sunner]

Getting back to the lowball offer, if my hometown team offered me more money than they ever payed any one in their history I'm not sure how that is being lowballed. There is no way he could be insulted by 20 million a year. If you want to be somewhere you instruct your agent to call them and say here is what it will take either they meet or they do not. Otherwise you are just using that time to drive up the price.

[Dipper9]

Just let it go JTrea. Your optimism during this entire Tex fiasco has been astounding, but he chose the Yankees and probably never had any inclination of coming here unless we had paid WAY over value for him, and truth be told, as much as I wanted him, he just isn't worth it. Tex was a fun topic for the past couple years, but its over and done with, and time to move on.

The thing that really bothers me now though, is here we are, not even to New Years yet, and once again the Orioles fans have NOTHING to be optimistic about in 2009. It will be fun watching Wieters break into the majors, and it'll be fun watching Markakis continue to mature, but other than that, there is no hope to contend. There is really not even any hope to break the 11 year under .500 streak. While most teams set their teams for the 2009 season, we are constantly told "remember, this is a rebuilding process that will take time." Well, I am sick and tired of waiting. Rebuilding is one thing, but the pace at which MacPhail is doing it is killing me. If we are not even going to give contending a try, then there is no reason Roberts is still here. Same with Huff. Same with Luke. Same with Mora if he's willing to drop the trade clause. I just don't understand. If we are making no attempt to compete until 2010....2011....2012....then why are we keeping these guys? Because they're fan favorites? Please? Spare me. I love Roberts, I love Huff and Scott and Mora, but if we are not planning to compete, then trade them for guys that WILL be here when we are ready to compete. MacPhail needs to go all in at this point. If they are worried about a PR hit, then they need to open their eyes, and ears, and listen to the crickets chirping at OPACY! We want a winner. If they had went all in for Tex and planned to contend while building the minors, fantastic, but since we didn't do that, there is absolutely ZERO reason to keep the other guys. Hell, Millar is one of the biggest fan favorites around, but I bet he won't be back, and I doubt even one fan wil not buy a ticket because Millar isn't here. Fans will miss Roberts, but they will love the next guy to take his place. Just blow it up already. What are you waiting for?

PS: I just want to add, even through this post, I would rather sign Roberts to an extension than trade him, but that probably won't happen.

[El Gordo]

Just let it go JTrea. Your optimism during this entire Tex fiasco has been astounding, but he chose the Yankees and probably never had any inclination of coming here unless we had paid WAY over value for him, and truth be told, as much as I wanted him, he just isn't worth it. Tex was a fun topic for the past couple years, but its over and done with, and time to move on.

The thing that really bothers me now though, is here we are, not even to New Years yet, and once again the Orioles fans have NOTHING to be optimistic about in 2009. It will be fun watching Wieters break into the majors, and it'll be fun watching Markakis continue to mature, but other than that, there is no hope to contend. There is really not even any hope to break the 11 year under .500 streak. While most teams set their teams for the 2009 season, we are constantly told "remember, this is a rebuilding process that will take time." Well, I am sick and tired of waiting. Rebuilding is one thing, but the pace at which MacPhail is doing it is killing me. If we are not even going to give contending a try, then there is no reason Roberts is still here. Same with Huff. Same with Luke. Same with Mora if he's willing to drop the trade clause. I just don't understand. If we are making no attempt to compete until 2010....2011....2012....then why are we keeping these guys? Because they're fan favorites? Please? Spare me. I love Roberts, I love Huff and Scott and Mora, but if we are not planning to compete, then trade them for guys that WILL be here when we are ready to compete. MacPhail needs to go all in at this point. If they are worried about a PR hit, then they need to open their eyes, and ears, and listen to the crickets chirping at OPACY! We want a winner. If they had went all in for Tex and planned to contend while building the minors, fantastic, but since we didn't do that, there is absolutely ZERO reason to keep the other guys. Hell, Millar is one of the biggest fan favorites around, but I bet he won't be back, and I doubt even one fan wil not buy a ticket because Millar isn't here. Fans will miss Roberts, but they will love the next guy to take his place. Just blow it up already. What are you waiting for?

PS: I just want to add, even through this post, I would rather sign Roberts to an extension than trade him, but that probably won't happen.

I can't believe you expected the O's to make a serious attempt to contend in '09. To even try to do this would require spending $50 mm on AJ, Sheets, Lowe and Kawakami. Plus the back up C and UTIF we still need. No point in trading Huff and Roberts if you aren't getting much for them, you can't trade Mora, and Scott is under control for 3more years when we might really be competing.

[RShack]

I can't believe you expected the O's to make a serious attempt to contend in '09.

It's perfectly normal Wishful Thinking.

People are sick of losing, and want magic fixes.

So, people flip-flop:

• One minute, people think we should be patient so AM can fix the franchise properly.
• The next minute, they think the O's can/should fix everything by writing mega-huge checks.

The only things we know for sure are:

• There is no Quick Fix
• AM's assessment after he was here for a few months is that things are worse than he thought, and that we should expect the team to be competitive "no sooner than" 2010.

It's an emotional thing, and being patient and rational isn't easy.

Especially when we have some folks preaching Easy Fixes.

[Aloe]

You don't know this, you have no clue about the offer the O's made to Markakis.

Oh so now you assume that it's Markakis who's holding things up and not the O's. Considering their track record I don't trust them. But, hey you keep on believing.

[Dr. FLK]

I find it kind of silly that some people are blaming everything and everyone associated with the Orioles for Teixeira signing with the Yankees.

News Flash!!!!

"TEIXEIRA SIGNED WITH THE TEAM HE WANTED TO SIGN WITH FROM DAY 1"

Actually, Tex told us who he wanted to play with "from day 1" after he signed with them. Did he tell us from Day 1 he wanted to play for the Yanks? It's like going on a date with a girl and telling her she's always been the one for you. I mean...if the hotter chick down the street had given you what you wanted, she'd have been the one...but, she didn't. So, you went to the one you knew would give it up, and you told her she'd always been the one.

[Aloe]

The Orioles offered Vlad 5/65M They were the ONLY team with an offer on the table for weeks. Vlad's agent said it would take 5/105 for him to sign. When the Angels offered 5/70 he immediately signed with them. Don't let the lack of facts stop you from posting nonsense like we lowballed Vlad. I'm glad you are not the GM. You would have probably bid against yourself and given him the 5/105.

I don't post nonsense. I post opinion just like you do. You don't know what the O's offered Vlad. Who told you that, the offer fairy. Perhaps you read it in the Sun paper. Let's assume that offer was correct. That works out to 13 million a year. Just a bit over what Miguel Tejada was paid. Most people considered Vlad to be a better player that Miguel at that time. Why would you offer him the same amount of money you paid an inferior player? I thought that Vlad was worth blowing away with an offer. The Orioles offered Vlad less money that the WhiteSox paid Jim Thome and Vlad was certainly a better overall player than him.

You keep on being an Oriole apologist if you want. It's funny how no one in 10 years has ever wanted to take Oriole money even though we offer soooooo much compared with other teams. I think you really are the GM.

[Aloe]

Sorry to call you on this one, but do you have one shred of evidence to support your last claim? I'm not talking about the "oh the O's FO always botches things," theories, but the I know what MacP offered, it was low and Markakis refused it kind of evidence.

I understand the frustration of having rough years piled on top of rough years, but that doesn't mean things haven't changed. Anyone who neglects that things have been operating differently since Andy Mac arrived just aren't paying attention.

Maybe our FO didn't offer him a fair deal but maybe Markakis was unrealistic with his counter-offer. Just like with Tex - people want to blame the FO, despite more tangible evidence to suggest otherwise.

I just go by results. I'm not going to believe what the Orioles say until we get actual results. Players are motivated to sign with teams by how much money they are offered. If the Orioles had a good resent history I would be more inclined to believe them. They don't, so I don't.

[Dannyboy]

Oh so now you assume that it's Markakis who's holding things up and not the O's. Considering their track record I don't trust them. But, hey you keep on believing.

Please find me the remark I made that it was Markakis's fault. If I remember correctly, both sides agreed to wait until after the winter meetings to further discuss an extension.

[Dannyboy]

I don't post nonsense. I post opinion just like you do. You don't know what the O's offered Vlad. Who told you that, the offer fairy. Perhaps you read it in the Sun paper. Let's assume that offer was correct. That works out to 13 million a year. Just a bit over what Miguel Tejada was paid. Most people considered Vlad to be a better player that Miguel at that time. Why would you offer him the same amount of money you paid an inferior player? I thought that Vlad was worth blowing away with an offer. The Orioles offered Vlad less money that the WhiteSox paid Jim Thome and Vlad was certainly a better overall player than him.

You keep on being an Oriole apologist if you want. It's funny how no one in 10 years has ever wanted to take Oriole money even though we offer soooooo much compared with other teams. I think you really are the GM.

Lets see, Javy Lopez, Miguel Tejada, Ramon Hernandez, ...I guess thats no one eh Aloe? So, by you saying no one wanted to take Oriole money, guess you posted a litle nonsense there, eh buddy.

[Aloe]

Lets see, Javy Lopez, Miguel Tejada, Ramon Hernandez, ...I guess thats no one eh Aloe? So, by you saying no one wanted to take Oriole money, guess you posted a litle nonsense there, eh buddy.

Javy Lopez wasn't even the best catcher on the market that year but I did like the signing. Ramon was a pretty good player and a desent signing. Neither player got what you could call top tier money though.

I don't expect the Orioles to shell out a 20 million a year contract every season like the Yankees but one every 5 or 6 seasons is reasonable for this organization. They have the money to do it.

[Aloe]

Lets see, Javy Lopez, Miguel Tejada, Ramon Hernandez, ...I guess thats no one eh Aloe? So, by you saying no one wanted to take Oriole money, guess you posted a litle nonsense there, eh buddy.

I'm no the guy who said players won't take Oriole money. That's the exact opposite of my arguments here. You offer them what they want and they will take it.

[Big Keys Fan]

Aloe,

Offering the most money isnt always the way to do it either. Konerko ring a bell???? We need to change the new Oriole way back to the old Oriole way. AM is making more strides with this ENTIRE organization than anyone has in the time that I have been an O's fan (mid-80's). Remember our flash in the late 90's was due to BIG spending and a down division. All fans need to lay off the FO until this project is finished in 2010. That is when the O's will have a ton of money to spend on complimentary pieces that will cost 20/mil a year. Yes I understand as well as anyone that it has been tough during this so-called rebuilding period under different GM's but I truly believe that AM will make OPACY a wonderful and feared place to play as it once was. I mean it could be worse. Try being a fan of the Marlins or the Rockies. Nothing is worse than winning a championship one year and being one of the worst teams in baseball the following year. It will take another couple of years of drafting and scouting, especially that we have more international scouting and awesome facilities being built world wide. Oriole Majic will be back I promise.... Also, recent not resent!!!!

[Dannyboy]

I'm no the guy who said players won't take Oriole money. That's the exact opposite of my arguments here. You offer them what they want and they will take it.

Yes you did. and here's your quote from post #161 of this thread "It's funny how no one in 10 years has ever wanted to take Oriole money even though we offer soooooo much compared with other teams." More non sense from you I guess.

[Aloe]

Yes you did. and here's your quote from post #161 of this thread "It's funny how no one in 10 years has ever wanted to take Oriole money even though we offer soooooo much compared with other teams." More non sense from you I guess.

I was being sarcastic. You see where I wrote the word soooooo. Get it?

Don't be so thick.