Keith Law...

[rolliefingers]

I think he means the power that MacPhail has. Thrift did have a lot of power under Angelos, though I think MacPhail has even more. The key is Thrift wasn't exactly young and was somewhat senile so even though he was a great baseball mind, the game had passed him by. MacPhail is younger so hopefully he has a little bit more of that baseball mind than Thrift did...

Well if that's all he really means, then that's an irresponsible analogy. Thrift is widely seen as the worst GM we've ever had.

[Puma170]

I think we are finally finding out why Angelos was willing to sign over "baseball decisions" to McPhail. McPhail was apparently brought in to take the heat while making the same apparent decisions that Angelos would make...

When do we get to see the new and improved front office at work? The trade deadline came and went and nothing happened. That can be because nothing could be done but it goes directly against McPhail's proclamaions that this is the fans team. Trades excite the fan base and generate discussion. Not making moves when a team isn't going to win doesn't really generate any excitement. That is test #1 in how you make over a roster. Eventually you have to make deals or improve in the other two tests for a GM.

Test #2 is crafting a farm system and developing talent. McPhail is about to fail again by only signing one pick from rounds 1-5. All the talk about these players at the draft was that the money is there because there were so few picks. If Wieters and Arrieta aren't signed, then McPhail gets an F on Test #2.

Test #3 is the free agent/extension market and unfortunately for all of us as O's fans, there aren't many impact free agents that will really make a difference this offseason since every team not named the Orioles has taken to signing their best players to extensions. When we get through the offseason and the O's have added yet another round of past their prime acquisitions and not signed Bedard to an extension, I guess we can all assume that it is business as usual at the warehouse.

I hope that I am way off on this and tonight we are all having a good laugh at how upset we got over nothing. I just don't have that feeling anymore and I am at my wit's end.

PUMA

[JTrea81]

Well if that's all he really means, then that's an irresponsible analogy. Thrift is widely seen as the worst GM we've ever had.

Right and he alienated a lot of people. It was Thrift's way or the highway. My guess is MacPhail has the same iron fist...

[osfansince85]

So we have until midnight 11:59pm today August 15th, to sign Weiters?

[Hank Scorpio]

Well if that's all he really means, then that's an irresponsible analogy. Thrift is widely seen as the worst GM we've ever had.

Jim Beattie is outraged regarding this oversight!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[rolliefingers]

So we have until midnight 11:59pm today August 15th, to sign Weiters?

Not only sign him, but have all his paperwork and his physical completed.

[ijoshyounot]

Not only sign him, but have all his paperwork and his physical completed.

Oh wow.... that means IF we sign him it could end up happening without a physical for the sake of time or what?

[BMann]

This might be a good time for Angelos to pull a Bob Irsay and trade Wieters to the Rockies for a bag of peanuts and some Coors Light (without notifying McPhail, Duquette, Flanny, or anyone else, of course). Maybe Colorado will throw in Mark Herrmann...

[Sports Guy]

So,. Keith Law was wrong about Wieters being done and the price....He appears to be wrong about Arrieta.

Why are we listening to him at all again?

[SouthRider]

I don't think Keith Law was wrong at all. He was basing his info on pre-MacFail intelligence. As folks on this board like to say, "things change".

On a side note I am boiling mad over this. To hear an agreement with the fifth rounder was basically agreed upon only to have MacPhail undo everything. To quote the board again, "Wow, just wow". You have to think the parameters for Wieters were also laid out before drafting him. I am so done with this team for a very long time.

[geschinger]

I don't think Keith Law was wrong at all. He was basing his info on pre-MacFail intelligence. As folks on this board like to say, "things change".

He had the number at $4.5m. Supposedly from the Sun the O's have upped their offer to ~6m. If his report wasn't wrong it meant that whomever his source was had no idea at all what he was talking about. Unless of course one was to believe that Boras was willing to agree to $4.5m until MacPhail got involved at which point he decided to stick to a demand for $10.6m.

On a side note I am boiling mad over this. To hear an agreement with the fifth rounder was basically agreed upon only to have MacPhail undo everything. To quote the board again, "Wow, just wow". You have to think the parameters for Wieters were also laid out before drafting him. I am so done with this team for a very long time.

If his source was so dramatically wrong (again, w/the 4.5m pricetag for Wieters) why on earth would we give the rest of what he said any credence?

[TGO]

You guys are ignoring the real culprit in all of this...

Miguel Tejada.

It's no coincidence that the negotiations went sour after he returned from the DL. :002_smad:

[DrungoHazewood]

McPhail = Syd Thrift.

Wow. I can remember the days when you made dozens of posts a day about Syd Thrift being (and, yes, I'm paraphrashing) a much lazier, more senile version of Hitler.

[bgfield]

The Sun is saying the Arietta deal is almost done, and I'll believe them, first. Optimism is going to make me assume that the rest of Law's article is wrong, too.

[Fairfax Bird]

McPhail = Syd Thrift.

I'm guessing your source has lost a lot since he took over.