Keith Law...

[utvolzac]

I believe that anybody who screams for a change for a decade, celebrates when the change happens, then moans two months in when that change is causing things to happen they don't agree with is a hypocritical moron.

So in that sense, yes I do.

Of course, I actually believe in giving people a chance, not judging the son by the sins of the father, and having more then two months' worth of patiance in somebody given the control of a Major League Baseball team, so i guess I'm just weird like that.

Not signing Wieters means we're not willing to deal with Boras. Which means going after inferior players. And not taking a risk on a young talent with huge upside. The tradeline came and went and we didn't dump any of the deadweight aging vets that have plagued our team for years.

WHEN WAS THEIR A CHANGE?

Was a sleeping? If MacPhail passing on Wieters because he's "smarter than the market", he might as well be interchangable with big Peter Angelos anyway. Wow, what a radical new direction we've been on since MacPhail came on board. Sorry for being hypocritical.

[DrungoHazewood]

But are you willing to give up on MacPhail just because he may actually have principles?

What are these principals you speak of? Morality? No? Honesty? Not really. These aren't principals in the normal sense - these are "principals" whose sole purpose is to give baseball owners better control of their own finances.

Don't try to frame this as some high moral position. This is willingness to game a system the owners set up, set no consequences for violating, that our direct competition is more than willing to game all the time.

This is standing on made-up principals in the name of helping very rich men control their impulses to spend their money, at the expense of wins for the Baltimore Orioles.

[Lucky Jim]

Not signing Wieters means we're not willing to deal with Boras. Which means going after inferior players. And not taking a risk on a young talent with huge upside. The tradeline came and went and we didn't dump any of the deadweight aging vets that have plagued our team for years.

WHEN WAS THEIR A CHANGE?

Was a sleeping? If MacPhail passing on Wieters because he's "smarter than the market", he might as well be interchangable with big Peter Angelos anyway. Wow, what a radical new direction we've been on since MacPhail came on board. Sorry for being hypocritical.

How are we defining the market? If we offer $7.5 million and Boras turns it down, how is this...

1. "Not dealing with Boras"?; or

2. Proof that MacPhail thinks he's smarter than the market? Boras is asking for over-market. An agent doesn't determine what market is.

[Greg Pappas]

What are these principals you speak of? Morality? No? Honesty? Not really. These aren't principals in the normal sense - these are "principals" whose sole purpose is to give baseball owners better control of their own finances.

Don't try to frame this as some high moral position. This is willingness to game a system the owners set up, set no consequences for violating, that our direct competition is more than willing to game all the time.

This is standing on made-up principals in the name of helping very rich men control their impulses to spend their money, at the expense of wins for the Baltimore Orioles.

Here, here... errr Hurumph, Hurumph and such Good post.

[rolliefingers]

How are we defining the market? If we offer $7.5 million and Boras turns it down, how is this...

1. "Not dealing with Boras"?; or

2. Proof that MacPhail thinks he's smarter than the market? Boras is asking for over-market. An agent doesn't determine what market is.

If and when they turn down $7.5M, I'll accuse Boras of overstepping his bounds.

Until then, if we haven't hit $7M, IMO, we haven't gone high enough.

[Lucky Jim]

If and when they turn down $7.5M, I'll accuse Boras of overstepping his bounds.

Until then, if we haven't hit $7M, IMO, we haven't gone high enough.

I agree, IS. I'm just saying that there's no sign that MacPhail thinks he's "smarter than the market." In fact, what we've offered is more in line with the market than Boras, so far.

[rolliefingers]

I agree, IS. I'm just saying that there's no sign that MacPhail thinks he's "smarter than the market." In fact, what we've offered is more in line with the market than Boras, so far.

Agreed. I'm not saying MacP is lowballing Wieters at 6.75. That's a "fair" offer. But I'm a bottom line kind of guy. Just sign him. That's it.

Fair doesn't count for crap when 1.) You're dealing with Boras and 2.) there's no orderly system in place to rein in bonuses.

"Fair", in this case, is going to battle with a musket when everyone else has machine guns.

Just get it done. The end.

[utvolzac]

How are we defining the market? If we offer $7.5 million and Boras turns it down, how is this...

1. "Not dealing with Boras"?; or

2. Proof that MacPhail thinks he's smarter than the market? Boras is asking for over-market. An agent doesn't determine what market is.

If the #1 pick got 8.5 mil, the #27 pick got 7 mil and our #5 pick is considered to be right with those guys as the top 3 players in the draft, we off 6.5. How is that adapting to the market.

I don't think Boras is setting the market price and neither are we. The market is set by what other teams and comparable talent are giving/getting. If MacPhail has his mind set that 6.5 is the max that the #5 pick is worth on the open market, even though the previous signings say otherwise. How is he not trying to be "smarter than the market".

[BaltimoreTerp]

I really couldn't care less who's in charge if they sign good players and win ballgames.

Like the last ten years?

[tywright]

Keith Law (8/16/2007 at 10:52 AM)

I've got a chat coming up at 1 pm EDT and I figure we'll do a lot of draft stuff.

I'm impressed/shocked that Baltimore moved that far off slot to get Wieters done. Arrieta was more or less a done deal on draft day, so that was more a question of honoring a commitment, but for the O's to move to about $3.75MM over slot is shocking. Great news for O's fans, though. They just landed the best prospect in this draft.

[DrungoHazewood]

Like the last ten years?

Are you suggesting that the Orioles of the past ten years have been signing the best ballplayers and winning a lot of games?