O's Fans Held Hostage - Day 18

[Crazysilver03]

Let's try and use our heads for just this one moment...If AM had gotten a lot more done the past 11 months, do you think BB would be bringing this up?

Yes. Because as it has been show, BB is one of the most critical posters of MacPhail.

[JTrea81]

Lowballing Nick? What the hell are you talking about?

That isn't a lowball offer...It is only about 2-6 million off of where it needs to end up.

A lowball offer would be 6/40.

6/70 is a fair offer, it's actually pretty generous on Nicks part. 6/60 is a lowball offer. Just give him the extra 10 million and get it done. It's not like we are going to be spending it on Tex any more...

[JTrea81]

We didn't sign Tex because he said he wanted to be a Yankee.

Find the quote where Tex told the Orioles he wanted to be a Yankee all along.

And let's not open this can of worms again...

[Crazysilver03]

How about this little nugget from Schmuck's blog that slipped by:

So it seems MacPhail traded a solid reliever for nothing when that reliever could have provided a draft pick.

Sure gives you confidence in his abilities...

I love how you conveniently avoid the second half of that sentence in drawing your conclusion.

At the time, and still now, one of the biggest points was to clear room on the roster for another pitcher. As Andy stated, no one stepped up in 2008. But it doesn't mean someone wont step up in that spot for 2009.

Besides, Bradford might have been draft pick worthy but as this offseason has shown, teams are staying away from relievers that will cost draft picks.

[Sports Guy]

What is a lot? If you were in charge I would think a trade every 5 days would be in order.

Seriously, what moves should he have made in the last 11 months that he did not. Tex should not be involved in this discussion, I don't think he ever wanted to play for Baltimore or Washington.

I am not going over all of this crap again.

Players have been dealt and signed that we could have and should have been in on and actually completed the deal.

More could have and should have been done.

That is BBs point here...Here we are, in a very crucial offseason and all we have done is dump Ramon and sign a mediocre SS...We have acquired zero long term pieces and are reportedly discussing a bunch of short term, stop gap options that do nothing for the team.

Now, as I said, there is plenty of time this offseason for AM to get things done but still, he still has to actually do it.

The same thing was said last year at this point...Plenty of time to get things done. AM did a great job of getting Bedard deal but in a huge offseason, we needed more than 2 big trades and that's all that happened.

[Lucky Jim]

6/70 is a fair offer, it's actually pretty generous on Nicks part. 6/60 is a lowball offer. Just give him the extra 10 million and get it done. It's not like we are going to be spending it on Tex any more...

6/60 is not a lowball offer, JT. It's not. You need to drop this.

[Fairfax Bird]

6/70 is a fair offer, it's actually pretty generous on Nicks part. 6/60 is a lowball offer. Just give him the extra 10 million and get it done. It's not like we are going to be spending it on Tex any more...

Does anyone have any knowledge of the offers given to Markakis? If not I feel obliged to say that the jury should strike on account of conjecture.

[wildcard]

Obviously, the real point has gone over your head.

Bigbird has been very consistent about his issue with AM...He hasn't done enough since the Bedard trade...He hasn't improved our depth and talent in almost 11 months.

That is a problem.

People just want to overlook it and give AM every excuse in the book but the reality is we are looking at a minimum of 3 years(barring a miracle) before we can even remotely have a chance at contention...I don't know about you guys but I would like to watch some meaningful baseball in September.

Wow this is a good one. I have been saying it would be no playoffs until 2012 since they trade Bedard and you have been telling me I was wrong. Does this mean you changed your mind?

[PaulBako]

But we didn't sign Tex because we apparently couldn't afford him. So what was the Bradford money saved for exactly?

Maybe it was for a draft pick?

[Sports Guy]

Yes. Because as it has been show, BB is one of the most critical posters of MacPhail.

Wow...See, this is the type of thing when I say people are missing the point and letting it go over their heads.

If you truly believe this, you are not understanding what BB has had to say for the last year or so.

[Fairfax Bird]

I am not going over all of this crap again.

Players have been dealt and signed that we could have and should have been in on and actually completed the deal.

More could have and should have been done.

That is BBs point here...Here we are, in a very crucial offseason and all we have done is dump Ramon and sign a mediocre SS...We have acquired zero long term pieces and are reportedly discussing a bunch of short term, stop gap options that do nothing for the team.

Now, as I said, there is plenty of time this offseason for AM to get things done but still, he still has to actually do it.

The same thing was said last year at this point...Plenty of time to get things done. AM did a great job of getting Bedard deal but in a huge offseason, we needed more than 2 big trades and that's all that happened.

I am pissed we haven't acquired a long-term SS option and a long-term 1B option. I would have dealt Sherrill if given the chance. The short term FAs don't make me upset because of Bergeson, Arrietta, Matusz, and Tillman.

You said dump Hernandez. You think that was a bad deal?

[Sports Guy]

6/70 is a fair offer, it's actually pretty generous on Nicks part. 6/60 is a lowball offer. Just give him the extra 10 million and get it done. It's not like we are going to be spending it on Tex any more...

You are completely wrong about this.

As of right now, if Schmuck is right, we are offering him 2.5 million, over 6 years, more than what Rios got and we are still likely to go higher.

[Crazysilver03]

We should be trying to add 7th, 8th, and 9th years (and maybe even 10 years) to the extension we are offering...

He should be, but we should be happy if we can buy out 3 years of his FA.

[Fairfax Bird]

Wow...See, this is the type of thing when I say people are missing the point and letting it go over their heads.

If you truly believe this, you are not understanding what BB has had to say for the last year or so.

You know what is funny, when Duquette was GM and you hammered him, you and BB had some of the greatest arguments you could have. Now you are defending him cause he is hammering the current GM and the rest of us can't understand it cause it is over our heads.

[Palmer Esque]

I am not going over all of this crap again.

Players have been dealt and signed that we could have and should have been in on and actually completed the deal.

More could have and should have been done.

That is BBs point here...Here we are, in a very crucial offseason and all we have done is dump Ramon and sign a mediocre SS...We have acquired zero long term pieces and are reportedly discussing a bunch of short term, stop gap options that do nothing for the team.

Now, as I said, there is plenty of time this offseason for AM to get things done but still, he still has to actually do it.

The same thing was said last year at this point...Plenty of time to get things done. AM did a great job of getting Bedard deal but in a huge offseason, we needed more than 2 big trades and that's all that happened.

AM seems to be putting all his eggs in one basket with regards to the young pitching. This is high risk/high reward philosophy and hopefully it pans out.

If it does not, yahtzee.

But this offseason will not determine the fate of the Orioles going forwards.

That distinction lies with our young pitchers.