Roch Article-Wieters

[Lucky Jim]

I think Boras will be frustrated with us but he will still listen to us obviously.

But i think it signals that we won't be in the running in all likelihood either.

SG, I don't disagree. I think it'll hurt us on the Tex front, if only because it'll make us appear way to (no pun intended) thrifty and cautious.

But I take issue with the idea (JTrea's) that it'll "take us out of the running" with "any Boras client." That's absurd. It goes against basic economic common sense, especially when all but one of Boras's first-round clients remain unsigned.

[Sports Guy]

SG, I don't disagree. I think it'll hurt us on the Tex front, if only because it'll make us appear way to (no pun intended) thrifty and cautious.

But I take issue with the idea (JTrea's) that it'll "take us out of the running" with "any Boras client." That's absurd. It goes against basic economic common sense, especially when all but one of Boras's first-round clients remain unsigned.

Well, we have basically always been out of the running with Boras clients though.

So, that really isn't a stretch.

[Lucky Jim]

Well, we have basically always been out of the running with Boras clients though.

So, that really isn't a stretch.

It is a stretch if you're acting as if there's a cause-effect relationship between the two.

[Sports Guy]

It is a stretch if you're acting as if there's a cause-effect relationship between the two.

Ok..i can agree with that.

[geschinger]

The best result (of course) is if we get Boras to compromise and sign him to a fair deal.

Fail to sign him and I wouldn't expect any more Boras clients being drafted by the Orioles over the next few years.

Get taken to the cleaners by Boras in negotiations would also likely preclude the drafting of other Boras clients over the next few years.

[Sports Guy]

Let's not forget Arrieta in all of this too...His signing is also important IMO.

[BaltBird 24]

Let's not forget Arrieta in all of this too...His signing is also important IMO.

Yep, with us losing out on our 2nd and 3rd round picks, it's crucial for us to lock up the top talent that slipped to us.

[Belkast]

And this is true...If nothing else, the saved money here should be added to the Wieters and Arrieta negotiations.

Arrieta needs to get signed too...That is a problem as well.

Yeah Arrieta doesn't look good at all. I'm still optimistic about Wieters.

[square634]

Yeah Arrieta doesn't look good at all. I'm still optimistic about Wieters.

It's weird because when we drafted him, I had thought there were signs (including his own statements) that he was going to sign imminently.

[Why Not?]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/14/sports/baseball/14chass.html?ref=sports

Nothing new about the Orioles and Wieters, but this article provides some good insight into the situation. Teams are being strongly discouraged from going outside of "slot" money, which puts teams that drafted Boras guys at a big disadvantage.

A similar conflict exists in Baltimore, where the Orioles want to sign Wieters, from Georgia Tech, but the club’s new president of baseball operations, Andy MacPhail, was instrumental in designing the new draft rules when he was working with the commissioner’s office.

It shapes up as a battle between those loyal to Selig and the slotting system vs. those who are not.

[OriolesandTerps]

“The slotting system itself is arbitrary and subjective,” he added. “For it to be a true system, you have to be assured the best talents are being chosen first. The clubs base their selections on signability, not on talent. Where clubs use economic criteria for selection, the system becomes an arbitrary and capricious practice.”

I find this a little telling. Baseball management causes these problems because they can't for whatever reason, legislate. Therefore they are left with the art of suggestion. That is great if all follow the suggestion. Teams like Boston and New York do not. If it is true, that MacPhail help craft this arbitrary system, then you can bet he is going to enforce it. Sort of looks like a hypocrite of he doesn't. Why doesn't baseball pass a rule that says every rookie signing is capped, or team must have salary caps if that is what they want? I am somewhat ignorant as to the workings of MLB. Can anyone tell me why MLB can not do the very thing that other professional sports do?

[clapdiddy]

I truly hope we get both Wieters and Arietta signed. Those would be two nice feathers in the cap of Mr. MacPhail, and would give die-hards like us something to chew on.

If he blows the Wieters thing, I'm going to be thinking even more poorly about the way this team is run.

[RShack]

“The slotting system itself is arbitrary and subjective,” he added. “For it to be a true system, you have to be assured the best talents are being chosen first. The clubs base their selections on signability, not on talent. Where clubs use economic criteria for selection, the system becomes an arbitrary and capricious practice.”

I find this a little telling. Baseball management causes these problems because they can't for whatever reason, legislate. Therefore they are left with the art of suggestion. That is great if all follow the suggestion. Teams like Boston and New York do not. If it is true, that MacPhail help craft this arbitrary system, then you can bet he is going to enforce it. Sort of looks like a hypocrite of he doesn't. Why doesn't baseball pass a rule that says every rookie signing is capped, or team must have salary caps if that is what they want? I am somewhat ignorant as to the workings of MLB. Can anyone tell me why MLB can not do the very thing that other professional sports do?

The other major sports are each basically one business. The NFL is one business with 32 indepenently-owned branch offices. MLB is not "a business", it's just a logo for a cartel of 30 businesses who stupidly act as if they are mostly independent of each other.

This manifests itself in various ways. The most important are the two key issues that are tightly-coupled: revenue-sharing and TV. As a cartel of 30 businesses who are independent only in their shared delusional mind, but who insist on acting as if they are independent, they behave exactly like a semi-functional cartel. They cope with the fact that they cannot make sensible arrangements among themselves by insisting that it's all the players' fault, and they try to get players to make concessions to protect the owners from the fact that they can't agree among themselves. Meanwhile, the players union recognizes all of this, and quite reasonably responds to the owners by saying, "You're kidding, right?"

[SteveA]

Yeah if they don't sign him I'll place all the blame on MacPhail. Short of winning the World Series in 2008, there isn't anything MacPhail will ever be able to do to make up for not signing Weiters if that is what happens.

Huh? McPhail was not with the team when we drafted him. Angelos obviously approved the pick. I assume McPhail will spend as much as Angelos will allow to sign this guy. Are you telling me that Angelos has said he can go higher, and McPhail is refusing to do so?

I don't see how it can be McPhail's fault, at least until we find out what went on during the negotiations that caused them to break down.

[rolliefingers]

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/08/14/sports/baseball/14chass.html?ref=sports

Nothing new about the Orioles and Wieters, but this article provides some good insight into the situation. Teams are being strongly discouraged from going outside of "slot" money, which puts teams that drafted Boras guys at a big disadvantage.

It shapes up as a battle between those loyal to Selig and the slotting system vs. those who are not.

Yup, that about sums it up. I hadn't realized that MacPhail had worked directly on the slotting system; that really makes me worried that we're not going to get this done. Boras probably sees MacPhail as ridiculous for his work in that regard, and I wouldn't be surprised if there's some extra professional animosity there.