Orioles offer BRob 3yr 30 million

[G.O.A.T.]

Maybe this is just the fan in me talking and wanting to sign B-Rob, but I don't understand why a 3 year deal is good, but a 4 year deal is out of the question. If he wants an extra year on there, do it. 4/40 to 4/44?

I just don't believe that from year 3 of the contract to year 4, that his skills would drop so much that we would regret his contract. Roberts has been here his whole career, I want him to be here for win the Orioles are finally winning in 2010.

[zff4]

It would be nice if we got a rep around the league for taking care of our players.

If the league recognized we are serious about contending, AND are a place to play for the human reasons, we'll will have built something.

Build it and they will come.

[Fan4Life]

It would be nice if we got a rep around the league for taking care of our players.

If the league recognized we are serious about contending, AND are a place to play for the human reasons, we'll will have built something.

Build it and they will come.

I hear ya and agree. Unfortunately the human element has been lost in sports, it's all about numbers now. I would do a 3/$36 with a 4th year at $12mm that automatically kicks in based on performance numbers over the previous 2 years of the contract. With this supplanting the current deal.

[Sports Guy]

Don't you get it yet, Peace? If you're on the correct side of 30 and went to high school nearby, then a fifth of a billion is a modest price to pay. We should be "all in" -- as some would say. But if commit the dastardly sin of breaching that "no 30s allowed" dictum, you better watch your back, because half the crowd will want you shipped out today, while the more generous half will flat-out refuse to consider paying you more than 15% of what they wanted to throw Tex's way.

I'm with you on this one. Pay the man, and pay him right.

Anyone else having Melvin Mora flashbacks?

[Sports Guy]

I cant wait for everyone on here to bash the front office next offseason when Roberts has an All-star like season this year and that we didnt sign him this offseason. BTW I dont see any good 2nd basemen in the pipeline.

What BRob does in 2009 is meaningless in terms of whether the Orioles should give him an extension or not right now.

[LAOSfan]

What is wrong with this picture? We are paying Markakis $11Million per year and offering B-Rob $10 Million per year yet the Red Sox just extended Youk and Pedroia for about $6 Million per year each.

[RVAbird]

Maybe this is just the fan in me talking and wanting to sign B-Rob, but I don't understand why a 3 year deal is good, but a 4 year deal is out of the question. If he wants an extra year on there, do it. 4/40 to 4/44?

I just don't believe that from year 3 of the contract to year 4, that his skills would drop so much that we would regret his contract. Roberts has been here his whole career, I want him to be here for win the Orioles are finally winning in 2010.

It's not that people (or at least I) believe that BRob will be productive for 3 years on top of 2009 and then fall off a cliff. You can't know for sure what production he will provide but the most likely scenario, considering his age and skills, in my opinion, is this:

He will be worth a good deal more than 9-11 million in 2009 (age 31), a year for which he is already under contract.

He will be worth more than 9-11 million in 2010 (age 32), year 1 of his extension.

He will be worth about 9-11 million in 2011 (age 33), year 2 of his extension.

He will be worth a bit less than 9-11 million in 2012 (age 34), year 3 of his extension.

He will be worth several million less than 9-11 million in 2013 (age 35), year 4 of your proposed extension.

And I think I'm being pretty liberal here.

There is the chance he will continue to be a good deal through age 35, but just as good a chance, IMO, that he will decline significantly before then. I can deal with a slightly overvalued year on the back end of the deal, but I would not add an additional age 35 season in which he's likely to not be worth his contract. It's just not a good investment.

Anyone else having Melvin Mora flashbacks?

Absolutely.

[Orioles West]

Anyone else having Melvin Mora flashbacks?

No. I think Roberts is a far more complete player, now and three years from now.

Of course, I was never one for signing Mora, at any point in his career.

-Don

[bigbird]

I was told we may add an option year but won't go much over 3/32 million. That being said there is zippy interest in Roberts right now. Hudson has yet to sign and the Fish will make Uggla available soon.

[TonySoprano]

Anyone else having Melvin Mora flashbacks?

I didn't realize we were talking about signing Roberts until he was 37, as Mora will be this season.

[JTrea81]

Anyone else having Melvin Mora flashbacks?

Mora was 34 when the Orioles extended him, and he did put up a .800+ OPS season last year, granted he looked done a year before.

Roberts is only 31.

[RVAbird]

I was told we may add an option year but won't go much over 3/32 million. That being said there is zippy interest in Roberts right now. Hudson has yet to sign and the Fish will make Uggla available soon.

That's a shame. It's a hard bullet to bite but the reality may be that it is better for the team to take the draft picks than to commit to a 4 year (not including 2009) extension for 10-13 million per.

There's always the chance that someone might give up value at the deadline as well. It sucks to think about the opportunity we may have had in the past to get real value from Roberts but at this point I would rather take the draft picks than go higher than 3/33 or so.

[Orioles West]

It's not that people (or at least I) believe that BRob will be productive for 3 years on top of 2009 and then fall off a cliff. You can't know for sure what production he will provide but the most likely scenario, considering his age and skills, in my opinion, is this:

He will be worth a good deal more than 9-11 million in 2009 (age 31), a year for which he is already under contract.

He will be worth more than 9-11 million in 2010 (age 32), year 1 of his extension.

He will be worth about 9-11 million in 2011 (age 33), year 2 of his extension.

He will be worth a bit less than 9-11 million in 2012 (age 34), year 3 of his extension.

He will be worth several million less than 9-11 million in 2013 (age 35), year 4 of your proposed extension.

And I think I'm being pretty liberal here.

There is the chance he will continue to be a good deal through age 35, but just as good a chance, IMO, that he will decline significantly before then. I can deal with a slightly overvalued year on the back end of the deal, but I would not add an additional age 35 season in which he's likely to not be worth his contract. It's just not a good investment.

I understand the modern game is about trying to maximize value, but there are times and players that provide more than certain stats for certain dollars. A classy player, who adds to a team, a community and can play the game of baseball at a high level is a rare combination.

I don't see anyone near his quality or on field potential coming up in the system.

Overpaying or overreaching for a fourth year may be not be cost efficient, unless he helps to turn a young team into a winning team before the end of his contract.

Winning > Cost Certainty.

There are no guarantees in life, but I think he helps the team get better, faster.

-Don

[JTrea81]

I only want to extend Roberts if we are going to compete from 2010-2012.

Otherwise there is no point. If they do extend Roberts, that is one less IFer they have to worry about and they can wait for Hoes/Miclat to develop. If the Orioles draft Ackley to play 1B for 2010+ then SS and 3B are the only LT positions they have to worry about...

[RVAbird]

I didn't realize we were talking about signing Roberts until he was 37, as Mora will be this season.

Well, there is talk of extending him until he is 35. Of course they are not the same player and not the same age, but there are still some ready to hand Roberts a blank check now just as there were some willing to do the same for Mora back then.