O's cut Guthrie's salary=Bush-league

[Mackus]

Everything with the team is always about "saving millions".

I thought that's why they started MASN a few years back?

Isn't that why I contribute $2.65 a month to my cable bill...so they can spend money on baseball players?

That's what they said in 2006 when MASN went on the air.

"We'll start a network, take the cable systems to court and mandate that they carry us, then we'll get money from the cable customers and make THEM contribute to our bottom line."

"Saving millions" in arbitration and all that gunk...how about TREATING THE GUY RIGHT now and not worrying about arbitration...hoping that perhaps if you do right by the guy, he'll actually appreciate you down the road?

"Saving millions"...

That's so funny.

In three years, we'll all be paying $3.50 a month for MASN anyway. They'll be getting $150 million from Comcast by then.

Your analysis here just makes no sense.

No matter what their revenue streams are gonna be, why would you ever advocate them spending recklessly? Giving Guthrie a bigger raise than they gave him would have been needless. Its vital to any organization to get value from pre-arb and arbitration guys, so that you don't have to go out and spend FA prices to fill every hold.

Doing something stupid is never smart. Giving Guthrie more money than needed would have been stupid, even if it would have been a nice gesture.

[The Rick]

Your analysis here just makes no sense.

No matter what their revenue streams are gonna be, why would you ever advocate them spending recklessly? Giving Guthrie a bigger raise than they gave him would have been needless. Its vital to any organization to get value from pre-arb and arbitration guys, so that you don't have to go out and spend FA prices to fill every hold.

Doing something stupid is never smart. Giving Guthrie more money than needed would have been stupid, even if it would have been a nice gesture.

It's amazing how something like this needs to be said here.

[df1570]

If Drew were running the O's, they'd be getting bailed out too.

No, if Drew were running the O's, he'd treat the players right...those that deserved it, especially. And I wouldn't be cutting my best pitcher's salary just 'cuz I can.

O's: Haven't had a winning season in 11 years.

O's: Attendance at an all-time OPACY low in 2009.

Sounds like they're in need of a bail-out, actually.

[Jimbo81]

Everything with the team is always about "saving millions".

I thought that's why they started MASN a few years back?

Isn't that why I contribute $2.65 a month to my cable bill...so they can spend money on baseball players?

That's what they said in 2006 when MASN went on the air.

"We'll start a network, take the cable systems to court and mandate that they carry us, then we'll get money from the cable customers and make THEM contribute to our bottom line."

"Saving millions" in arbitration and all that gunk...how about TREATING THE GUY RIGHT now and not worrying about arbitration...hoping that perhaps if you do right by the guy, he'll actually appreciate you down the road?

"Saving millions"...

That's so funny.

In three years, we'll all be paying $3.50 a month for MASN anyway. They'll be getting $150 million from Comcast by then.

The Multi-Billion dollar company I work for just cut 10% of its work force to save face and other people jobs. To say, hey lets pay someone more money just because we can is irresponsible.

[Mackus]

No, if Drew were running the O's, he'd treat the players right...those that deserved it, especially. And I wouldn't be cutting my best pitcher's salary just 'cuz I can.

They did not cut his salary, Guthrie is just now no longer getting any portion of the $4.5M contract he signed with Cleveland.

[Miller192]

Well, I'm sure Guthrie doesn't like it and probably doesn't care to understand it. I'm sure he'll be fine.

But I can't fault the Orioles, they are entitled to do it and they should do it.

[McNulty]

I'm blown away that someone doesn't see the merit in treating employees right.

Then again, that's not exactly been the O's best trait over the years.

However, I would expect people "in the real world" to get it -- cutting someone's salary who has done a good job for you "just because they can" is not a method towards improving working relationships with your employees.

And the defending of the team continues in...3...2...1

You simply do not understand the context here. I'll let the article from the Sun do my talking:

"He's so much higher-paid than the normal service time, and it's a function of his signing bonus," Orioles president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail said.

If it's any consolation, Guthrie is still going to be paid well above most other players with his service time. He'll make nearly $200,000 more than Nick Markakis earned in his final pre-arbitration season ($455,000), and Markakis drove in 112 runs the year before.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-guthrie0308,0,2188052.story

[MikeAD]

I think I might actually bang my head on a wall here.

You're so wrong here I have to keep checking to make sure it you posting and not me.

[scOtt]

Everything with the team is always about "saving millions".

I thought that's why they started MASN a few years back?

Isn't that why I contribute $2.65 a month to my cable bill...so they can spend money on baseball players?

That's what they said in 2006 when MASN went on the air.

"We'll start a network, take the cable systems to court and mandate that they carry us, then we'll get money from the cable customers and make THEM contribute to our bottom line."

"Saving millions" in arbitration and all that gunk...how about TREATING THE GUY RIGHT now and not worrying about arbitration...hoping that perhaps if you do right by the guy, he'll actually appreciate you down the road?

"Saving millions"...

That's so funny.

In three years, we'll all be paying $3.50 a month for MASN anyway. They'll be getting $150 million from Comcast by then.

[cue GEICO soap opera commercial] But I saved! I thought that meant something to you! [/cgsoc]

[df1570]

It's amazing how something like this needs to be said here.

You mean doing something stupid like...signing Omar Daal?

Or Sammy Sosa?

Or trading for Jaret Wright?

Or having Jay Payton go through the motions for two years while securing $5 million?

How is NOT cutting Jeremy Guthrie's salary stupid?

He made $770,000 last year.

Just keep him at $770k.

That's all.

[The Rick]

No, if Drew were running the O's, he'd treat the players right...those that deserved it, especially. And I wouldn't be cutting my best pitcher's salary just 'cuz I can.

O's: Haven't had a winning season in 11 years.

O's: Attendance at an all-time OPACY low in 2009.

Sounds like they're in need of a bail-out, actually.

Not as much as your lack of credibility needs a bail out. You are unreal. It's honestly hard to believe you've got a radio show.

And the funny thing is that i'm not an O's apologist. I call them out on stuff all of the time. I gladly eat crow when i'm wrong.

There's nothing wrong with having an open mind and willing to criticize the Orioles. There's something very wrong to be so close minded that the O's can't do anything right at all. You're a joke.

[df1570]

You simply do not understand the context here. I'll let the article from the Sun do my talking:

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-guthrie0308,0,2188052.story

I understand the context of it very well.

I saw the story from The O's staff...I mean, The Sun.

I get it.

The O's could have cut Guthrie's salary by 20%.

They also had the option of "doing the right thing" and not cutting it at all.

That WAS an option to them.

They cut it by 15%.

I understand it very well.

Scoundrels.

[Crazysilver03]

Sure, I understand it very well.

They could have cut his salary by 20%

Or 15%

Or 10%

Or 0%

Or any percent in between.

They cut it by 15%.

Could have cut it by 0%.

Cut it by 15%.

That makes them scoundrels in my book.

Cutting someone's salary "just because they can" doesn't make it the right thing to do.

That's also what I understand.

No one usually gets raises that are 0-3 players.

You still didn't answer why Roberts was given the shaft.

[butter08]

Another example of mistreating one of their prime guys

Any chance you would want to respond to the Casey Willet firing? Or the comments made by Aaron Wilson about 1570 on YBR? Didn't Aaron used to work there?

[mark_beckens]

There's no salary cap to contend with...

The guy is their #1 starter.

Why stick it up his rear end like that? Just keep him at $770,000 and move on.

There's no need to cut his salary...it's $120,000. For once, just do the right thing. Just leave the guy's deal at $770,000. He's done everything they've asked of him and he's the only half-real-thing they have at the major league level right now.

Another example of mistreating one of their prime guys, a la Brian Roberts for the last two years...until they finally stopped yo yo'ing him and signed him for four years.

I know, they could have cut it by 20% but instead they only cut it by 15%.

They're good guys after all.

So you wouldn't mind lowering your salary by a meager 120,000 then or donate it to Guthrie. Since you seem to think he needs the money.