Matt Holliday not happy

[RZNJ]

One interesting question.  If Elias never intended on having Holliday start in the majors this year why promote him so aggressively last year?   Also, why the comments about Holliday having a “strong possibility” of making the team.  They could have easily slow played him last year.  No one would have questioned if they kept him at Delmarva until June 1, and in Aberdeen through July 31 or something like that.   If he had spent only a month at Bowie the Orioles could easily use the excuse of him needing more time.

Secondly, one can argue GM speak and Elias being disingenuous about the “strong possibility” comment.   Why put himself in the spot he is now by using those words?    He also got caught up when many took his “ready for liftoff” comment in a certain way.

Here’s one possibility.  For an Ivy League educated man who’s been around the block a few times, Mike Elias is not as slick and savvy as one would expect.  Someone slick wouldn’t let themselves get stuck in these situations.  I think Mike Elias generally means what he says but maybe he should reflect on how the fans will interpret his words and choose them a little more carefully.   

[Sports Guy]

6 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Yea, I don't think a player with Boras as his agent is going to get more in an Arb 2 hearing over any other competent agent.  Makes me question why any player would bother with Boras (I'm assuming he costs more) before they are looking at a long term deal or Free agency.  Most guys probably don't even need an agent for the first three seasons, just pay a good lawyer an hourly fee to do the paperwork.

Yep. And the reality is, even for an extension, do you really need an agent? 
 

It’s not very hard to come up with a deal that makes sense, especially if you are a player whose dad lived through it already.

You are starting to see more and more NFL players who want to represent themselves, especially out of the draft.  I suspect that will become a trend more and more.

[Frobby]

30 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Everyone brings up the Boras stuff with Holliday but didn’t he sign as the #1 pick for less than what Druw Jones signed for?

No, he got $600 more than Druw Jones.

[sportsfan8703]

1 hour ago, RZNJ said:

One interesting question.  If Elias never intended on having Holliday start in the majors this year why promote him so aggressively last year?   Also, why the comments about Holliday having a “strong possibility” of making the team.  They could have easily slow played him last year.  No one would have questioned if they kept him at Delmarva until June 1, and in Aberdeen through July 31 or something like that.   If he had spent only a month at Bowie the Orioles could easily use the excuse of him needing more time.

Secondly, one can argue GM speak and Elias being disingenuous about the “strong possibility” comment.   Why put himself in the spot he is now by using those words?    He also got caught up when many took his “ready for liftoff” comment in a certain way.

Here’s one possibility.  For an Ivy League educated man who’s been around the block a few times, Mike Elias is not as slick and savvy as one would expect.  Someone slick wouldn’t let themselves get stuck in these situations.  I think Mike Elias generally means what he says but maybe he should reflect on how the fans will interpret his words and choose them a little more carefully.   

Holliday only had a chance to make it if Gunnar was hurt. He probably had a chance if one of Gunnar, Westburg, or Urias, got hurt. 

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Holliday only had a chance to make it if Gunnar was hurt. He probably had a chance if one of Gunnar, Westburg, or Urias, got hurt. 

I think them adding Kemp disproves that position.

[Explosivo]

Pure service time manipulation. We will see him up this year. Fear not, this O’s team will win with and without him on the team so it’s all about extending the championship window.

[spleen1015]

There's no question Holliday is talented and he's been improving at an advanced rate for someone so young. They could have thought he would advance just the same when it came to big league LHP. When he didn't they decided to send him down. There's merit to sending him down if he's not going to play against LHP for a stretch, playing part time.

Elias can say want he said, believing he's likely going to make it, then Holliday doesn't perform against LHP and changes his mind.

[waroriole]

5 hours ago, RZNJ said:

One interesting question.  If Elias never intended on having Holliday start in the majors this year why promote him so aggressively last year?   Also, why the comments about Holliday having a “strong possibility” of making the team.  They could have easily slow played him last year.  No one would have questioned if they kept him at Delmarva until June 1, and in Aberdeen through July 31 or something like that.   If he had spent only a month at Bowie the Orioles could easily use the excuse of him needing more time.

Secondly, one can argue GM speak and Elias being disingenuous about the “strong possibility” comment.   Why put himself in the spot he is now by using those words?    He also got caught up when many took his “ready for liftoff” comment in a certain way.

Here’s one possibility.  For an Ivy League educated man who’s been around the block a few times, Mike Elias is not as slick and savvy as one would expect.  Someone slick wouldn’t let themselves get stuck in these situations.  I think Mike Elias generally means what he says but maybe he should reflect on how the fans will interpret his words and choose them a little more carefully.   

in here whining about an Elias roster decision. Move on!!

[RZNJ]

1 hour ago, waroriole said:

in here whining about an Elias roster decision. Move on!!

Your first problem is that you have no concept of what whining is.

Your second problem is that clearly you are the one who hasn’t moved on.

I’m sure you have more problems but let’s just start with those two.  I don’t want to overwhelm you.

[Grady]

He didn’t hit LH pitching well in spring training, the team will face a lot of LH pitching early, I looks like they will. Maybe the rather he plays regularly at Norfolk till they get thru the LH stretch. He will be up very soon, don’t believe they are worried about service time

[waroriole]

24 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Your first problem is that you have no concept of what whining is.

Your second problem is that clearly you are the one who hasn’t moved on.

I’m sure you have more problems but let’s just start with those two.  I don’t want to overwhelm you.

Whiners gonna whine

[RZNJ]

2 minutes ago, waroriole said:

Whiners gonna whine

We can agree on that.

[foxfield]

This entire thread is an exercise in fatally looking for stuff to complain. 
 

About the O’s, about Matt Holliday and even Boras. 
 

The article in the OP took a perfectly reasonable statement and bastardized it into being unhappy when no such sentiment was expressed. And the Op leveraged that to make a bs argument about Matt Holliday. 
 

At least that’s my opinion. 

[orioles119]

I have this reaction...

[ThisIsBirdland]

It’s a good article. It fully explains the nuances of the decision and covers the entirety of Matt Holliday’s position, wherein he questions whether service time considerations were part of the decision. At no point does it ever editorialize Holliday’s position or suggest he’s unhappy. That was entirely the OP.

To everyone crusading against the article as some sort of media hit job, please read it before engaging in an uninformed pile on. If you’ve read it and think I’ve mischaracterized it please let me know. 

Edited March 28 by ThisIsBirdland