Wieters

[CEB]

If Wieters doesn't get signed, it will be because MacPhail didn't want him signed...I have no doubt about that.

I also have no doubt that he will be thinking about himself and not the good of the team as well.

There will be plenty of time to do the post-mortem after Wednesday midnight.

First, these are presumably standard contracts. In other words, Boras and MacPhail are unlikley to be negotiating over anything truly unique and time-consuming to draft. This is usually not the case in most corporate transactions and labor negotiations, where language is often contentious and critical. The issue here is money. That makes it hard to negotiate, but easy to document. So presumably the physical and contract provisions are not obstacles to reaching an agreement by midnight Wednesday.

Second, in the end, while MacPhail and Boras may be leading the talks, directly or indirectly, neither has the final authority to walk away from the table and reject the last offer. No way.

In every major set of negotiations of this nature, there will be a time when one or both parties approach the edge of their authority. This is as much a bargaining "tool" as it is a practical reality. As both approach the deadline, and before they reject the other party's last offer, Boras and/or MacPhail will approach their principles and inform them of the bid and ask. They may give their recommendation, ask them if they are comfortable with the approach outlined or they may ask the principle what they want to do now. But, Boras and MacPhail will most certainly not make those final calls on their own.

That is not to diminish the authority of either, it is simply an financial and organization reality. This is a huge personal decision for a college junior and his family and will effect Wieters for the rest of his life. And it is an equally critical decision for the franchise -- still smarting from the loss of a previous first round pick. This pushes both parties towards the middle.

Do not misunderstand, both likely have authority to say "yes" to an acceptable offer. No doubt. But when making the last call, both Boras and MacPhail will consult with their principles. An agent doesn't want to override the wishes of his client and a GM doesn't want to walk away from a deal unless the owner is on board.

If both have been doing their jobs and accurately communicating their parties' respective positions, there should be more than enough time and space to get get this done. Especially if a few more signings drop.

CEB

[zff4]

There will be plenty of time to do the post-mortem after Wednesday midnight.

CEB

Thanks for taking the time to make such a rational post, good work. Post more.

[Why Not?]

Take the pick next year.

I think this is what they are going to do.

This is going to come down to management that supports the slotting concept vs. that which does not. It is essentially Boras vs. MLB.

[connja]

http://www.baseballamerica.com/blog/draft/?p=200

• The situation with Wieters, a Georgia Tech catcher considered the top college position player available, has been affected by the upheaval in the Orioles’ front office. Two weeks after the draft, Baltimore hired Andy MacPhail as chief operating officer. Another strong Selig ally, MacPhail is less inclined to buck MLB’s slotting than the Orioles were before he came aboard.

Boras has drawn parallels between Wieters and another switch-hitting Yellow Jackets product: Mark Teixeira, a fellow Boras client. Teixeira signed a $9.5 million major league contract with the Rangers as the fifth overall pick in 2001. As with Moustakas, Boras almost certainly will use Porcello’s contract as a point of comparison with Wieters.

Though there have been reports that the Orioles won’t be able to sign Wieters, Baltimore scouting director Joe Jordan expressed optimism Monday that a deal could be reached. Jordan, who declined to discuss specifics, also has an unsigned Boras client in the fifth round: Texas Christian righthander Jake Arrieta.

[RShack]

I think I can speak for sane people everywhere when I summarize the Weiters situation as follows:

1. "We Just Don't Know Yet, Do We?"

2. "And We Probably Won't Know Until Wednesday."

We now return you to your regularly-scheduled pre-deadline heart attack marathon...

I can't wait to see how it turns out. Not just the Wieters thing, but *this* whole thing.

UPDATED LIST:<ul><li>SG has decided that losing Weiters makes signing Tex impossible too.

<li>Moose has asked people to *prove* that it *might* get done.

<li>Several people say that Jordan's gonna be so steamed that he'll quit.

<li>A handful of folks are threatening to stop being Oriole fans.

<li>JTrea says that Weiters hasn't signed yet because of MacPhail's conflict of interest, for which MacPhail should be immediately fired; several others pile on in rabid agreement.

<li>Various people cite the fact that Wieters hasn't signed yet as proof that Nestor is, and always has been, a reasonable person.

<li>Dipper says that, despite the fact that nothing has changed, suddenly there is now a very good chance that the worst will indeed happen.

<li>NMS says that it's clear that MacPhail will scuttle the Wieters signing because doing that will make him commissioner of baseball.

<li>Somewhere, somebody said that Wieters (who, to the best of our knowledge, has never even worn an O's cap) now represents the entire Baltimore franchise.

<li>As the panic spreads like a virus to many threads, Domen tries to clean things up and accidently deletes about a million posts. Was it "just a mistake"? Or did the pressure get to him?

</ul>Who will blow a gasket next? What will they say?

Stay tuned... it's like a really, really slow train wreck, right here on the OH... with nearly a day-and-a-half to go!

[RShack]

Oops. Didn't mean to be a thread killer. Sorry.

But fear not, it can't last. Folks are just getting their second wind. The action will return soon enough... maybe here, maybe in another thread...

[Sports Guy]

Oops. Didn't mean to be a thread killer. Sorry.

But fear not, it can't last. Folks are just getting their second wind. The action will return soon enough... maybe here, maybe in another thread...

I think people are just ignoring you.

[Fairfax Bird]

I think people are just ignoring you.

I'm not, in fact, I can't give him any more rep points cause I have to spread it around. But I refuse to spread it around to the fear mongerers and their dedicated followers.

[RShack]

I think people are just ignoring you.

Could be. This is especially apparent when I ask seemingly good questions ("seemingly good" to me anyway) which get few if any answers.

[Sports Guy]

Could be. This is especially apparent when I ask seemingly good questions ("seemingly good" to me anyway) which get few if any answers.

I must have missed them....However, all the stuff you put in that post is either common sense, has been given well thought out reasons or is based on inside info.

[Lucky Jim]

I must have missed them....However, all the stuff you put in that post is either common sense, has been given well thought out reasons or is based on inside info.

This makes it all seem much more solid than it's seemed in real-time (which I've been following...because I don't start work until Sept. 19 and I'm bored.)

[Rex Thunder]

YOu know what- if we don't sign him, so be it. Boras is a jerk, and he has run some past clients into the ground by not getting them signed. Of course, Wieters most likely wouldn't be in that class- but from what I can imagine- Wieters is a smart kid. He came out after his junior year. I'm sure somewhere in the back of his head- his thought process went something like this.

"College is a lot of fun, but let's go pro. If I get drafted by a team I don't want to play for. I'll let Boras demand the moon for my signing, he'll take all the heat- and I'll just go back and enjoy my senior season- and if they give in- great- I'll laugh my way to the bank. Either way I'm good!"

Yup- that's the feeling I have. Screw him- and let's get another first round pick next year. I'd love to draft him again next year- not sign him again- and see what he does then when he can't go back to college for a year!

[Dipper9]

I can't wait to see how it turns out. Not just the Wieters thing, but *this* whole thing.

UPDATED LIST:<ul><li>SG has decided that losing Weiters makes signing Tex impossible too.

<li>Moose has asked people to *prove* that it *might* get done.

<li>Several people say that Jordan's gonna be so steamed that he'll quit.

<li>A handful of folks are threatening to stop being Oriole fans.

<li>JTrea says that Weiter's hasn't signed yet because of MacPhails's conflict of interest, for which MacPhail should be immediately fired; several others pile on in rabid agreement.

<li>Various people cite the fact that Wieters hasn't signed yet as proof that Nestor is, and always has been, a reasonable person.

<li>Dipper says that, despite the fact that nothing has changed, suddenly there is now a very good chance that the worst will indeed happen.

<li>NMS says that it's clear that MacPhail will scuttle the Wieters signing because doing that will make him commissioner of baseball.

<li>Somewhere, somebody said that Wieters (who, to the best of our knowledge, has never even worn an O's cap) now represents the entire Baltimore franchise.

<li>As the panic spreads like a virus to many threads, Domen tries to clean things up and accidently deletes about a million posts. Was it "just a mistake"? Or did the pressure get to him?

</ul>Who will blow a gasket next? What will they say?

Stay tuned... it's like a really, really slow train wreck, right here on the OH... with nearly a day-and-a-half to go!

You have given out too much Reputation in the last 24 hours, try again later.

I owe you rep Shackles! That is truly classic and quite hilarious!

[JTrea81]

I can't wait to see how it turns out. Not just the Wieters thing, but *this* whole thing.

UPDATED LIST:<ul><li>SG has decided that losing Weiters makes signing Tex impossible too.

<li>Moose has asked people to *prove* that it *might* get done.

<li>Several people say that Jordan's gonna be so steamed that he'll quit.

<li>A handful of folks are threatening to stop being Oriole fans.

<li>JTrea says that Weiter's hasn't signed yet because of MacPhails's conflict of interest, for which MacPhail should be immediately fired; several others pile on in rabid agreement.

<li>Various people cite the fact that Wieters hasn't signed yet as proof that Nestor is, and always has been, a reasonable person.

<li>Dipper says that, despite the fact that nothing has changed, suddenly there is now a very good chance that the worst will indeed happen.

<li>NMS says that it's clear that MacPhail will scuttle the Wieters signing because doing that will make him commissioner of baseball.

<li>Somewhere, somebody said that Wieters (who, to the best of our knowledge, has never even worn an O's cap) now represents the entire Baltimore franchise.

<li>As the panic spreads like a virus to many threads, Domen tries to clean things up and accidently deletes about a million posts. Was it "just a mistake"? Or did the pressure get to him?

</ul>Who will blow a gasket next? What will they say?

Stay tuned... it's like a really, really slow train wreck, right here on the OH... with nearly a day-and-a-half to go!

Don't forget Sonny76's inside info that Wieters and Arrieta will be signed by the deadline...

And I never said that MacPhail isn't signing Wieters because of a conflict of interest, I said IF he doesn't sign him because he wants to be commissioner then it would be a conflict of interest and he should be fired IF that was the case...

[Lucky Jim]

YOu know what- if we don't sign him, so be it. Boras is a jerk, and he has run some past clients into the ground by not getting them signed. Of course, Wieters most likely wouldn't be in that class- but from what I can imagine- Wieters is a smart kid. He came out after his junior year. I'm sure somewhere in the back of his head- his thought process went something like this.

"College is a lot of fun, but let's go pro. If I get drafted by a team I don't want to play for. I'll let Boras demand the moon for my signing, he'll take all the heat- and I'll just go back and enjoy my senior season- and if they give in- great- I'll laugh my way to the bank. Either way I'm good!"

Yup- that's the feeling I have. Screw him- and let's get another first round pick next year. I'd love to draft him again next year- not sign him again- and see what he does then when he can't go back to college for a year!

Fortunately for the O's, Wieters appears to be more rational than your typical OHer.

And if things don't go as planned Thursday, there's always the slim chance he'll be playing college baseball again in 2008.

"There's always a chance I'll go back," Wieters said. "You never rule it out. But I'm ready to play pro ball."

From: http://sports.espn.go.com/mlb/draft2007/columns/story?columnist=schlabach_mark&id=2896420