Orioles offer BRob 3yr 30 million

[Orioles West]

Brian needs to be very careful. If the soft free agent continues he may wish he had taken the 3/30. Either way, the Orioles have made IMO a very fair offer. I disagree with the theory that he will tail off after 3 additional years but any more is pushing it. Considering a very similar player (Hudson) has not gotten an offer yet, Brian should have grabbed the pen.

That's probably true, the market is getting softer as we close in on spring ball, not stronger. Players waiting for owners to get desperate may have to wait until July, when contenders look for depth.

I know a certain Bosox team captain who didn't anticipate the market continuing to fall.

-Don

[Anonymous]

Peace and anonymous seem to be.

You're making some pretty big assumptions, SG. I feel way different than you about BRob's value to the team and with respect to the wisdom of trying to extend him. But that doesn't equate to offering him, nor anyone else, either a blank check or a make-up-for-past-injustice blind overpayment.

Having said that, I am already on record with the concept of offering him a contract that an objective observer would deem "reasonably generous" (not blank check) -- and then be willing to kick in as much as a $1 mil per year premium, in recognition of the special value that he brings to the team. Guys like Markakis, Guthrie, and Roberts, along with the young guys just starting to percolate through the system (starting with Adam Jones and Wieters), are the core around which this team should be built.

[Mark Carver]

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.

It's all about age, service time and the position they play.

Youklis, 1B (age 29) - 4.093 ML Service Time, 4 years @ $41.125m

Pedroia, 2B (age 24) - 2.014 ML Service Time, 6 years @ $40.5m

If Roberts signs an extension that begins in 2010, than -

Roberts, 2B (age 32 in 2010) - 7.131 ML Service Time, 3 years @ $30.0m

[Jagwar]

Brian needs to be very careful. If the soft free agent continues he may wish he had taken the 3/30. Either way, the Orioles have made IMO a very fair offer. I disagree with the theory that he will tail off after 3 additional years but any more is pushing it. Considering a very similar player (Hudson) has not gotten an offer yet, Brian should have grabbed the pen.

Isn't this a matter of Roberts not liking what he is seeing in FA salaries this season? Maybe he is willing to take a risk that he can more in the 2010 offseason.

[Sports Guy]

You're making some pretty big assumptions, SG. I feel way different than you about BRob's value to the team and with respect to the wisdom of trying to extend him. But that doesn't equate to offering him, nor anyone else, either a blank check or a make-up-for-past-injustice blind overpayment.

Having said that, I am already on record with the concept of offering him a contract that an objective observer would deem "reasonably generous" (not blank check) -- and then be willing to kick in as much as a $1 mil per year premium, in recognition of the special value that he brings to the team. Guys like Markakis, Guthrie, and Roberts, along with the young guys just starting to percolate through the system (starting with Adam Jones and Wieters), are the core around which this team should be built.

You seemed to agree with Peace and his 4/48-52 deal, right?

[fansince71]

Brian needs to be very careful. If the soft free agent continues he may wish he had taken the 3/30. Either way, the Orioles have made IMO a very fair offer. I disagree with the theory that he will tail off after 3 additional years but any more is pushing it. Considering a very similar player (Hudson) has not gotten an offer yet, Brian should have grabbed the pen.

If Brian is just sick of all the losing and wants out then maybe losing out on a couple million might not be that big of a deal to him. Not every ball player is full of greed like Tex and Arod. No offense Yankee fans.

[Anonymous]

You seemed to agree with Peace and his 4/48-52 deal, right?

Not necessarily. I agree with the CONCEPT of paying Roberts fair market value plus a premium (as I've suggested, a premium of $1 mil/yr above what an "objective observer" would consider "reasonably generous"). As to what precisely those numbers are and should be, I plead ignorance. I'm not smart enough to know the precise contours of the market.

[Sports Guy]

Not necessarily. I agree with the CONCEPT of paying Roberts fair market value plus a premium (as I've suggested, a premium of $1 mil/yr above what an "objective observer" would consider "reasonably generous"). As to what precisely those numbers are and should be, I plead ignorance. I'm not smart enough to know the precise contours of the market.

You have to have some idea of what you would give him? What is your threshold?

Would you go 4 years?

[Anonymous]

You have to have some idea of what you would give him? What is your threshold?

Would you go 4 years?

Absolutely.

[carolinaoriole]

Thanks Tony.

So, here are the questions I have:

1) Are we willing to move off of that offer?

2) In this market, why wouldn't BRob sign that deal?

3) Is BRob just waiting for Hudson to sign?

4) Did AM offer a contract that he would be fine with but knows BROb won't accept to save face with the fans?

I am not so sure that he would get that offer from another team.

If I were him I would give that offer serious consideration.

[Mike B]

If Brian is just sick of all the losing and wants out then maybe losing out on a couple million might not be that big of a deal to him. Not every ball player is full of greed like Tex and Arod. No offense Yankee fans.[/quote

That may well be the case and maybe next years market may be better or maybe Cano continues to fade and the brinks truck Yankees come calling. All things considered that is a lot of maybe's especially when the Orioles have seemingly stepped up.

[OregonBird]

This might have been covered somewhere else but maybe Roberts doesn't want 3/$30m because he simply doesn't want to be here. Sure he's saying all the right things in public, but would you really think he'd say otherwise?

The guy hasn't been on a winning team his entire MLB career. Not only that but he's experienced some truly dreadful team lowlights while he's been here. He's not only been on bad teams but been a part of a laughingstock org despite the fact its improved now.

If I put myself in his shoes I'm thinking here's my chance to walk unless they want to really overpay me. Sure there's some financial risk involved but maybe he's alright with it b/c the losing is grating on him so badly. He's getting toward the tail end of his career so maybe he wants to make those years count.

[carolinaoriole]

This isnt that hard O's! I have been saying this since day one. Pay the man, and pay him right. The only way I see him signing here is if AM offers 4/48-52. We need Roberts.

We would be overpaying if we offered 4/48.

Don't you think so?

In this market.

[Orioles West]

We would be overpaying if we offered 4/48.

Don't you think so?

In this market.

I want to keep him, but that is a lot.

If 3/30 wasn't good enough, maybe counter with 3/33 and something similar to the Markakis option year deal for year four (2 million buyout or B-Rob could go elsewhere after three years)?

-Don

[Sports Guy]

Absolutely.

Well then you are willing to overpay, which was my point about you and Peace to begin with(hence what I bolded in Soprano's post).