MacPhail's frugality is hurting this team

[JTrea81]

Ever since Andy MacPhail took over, the Orioles have regressed back to the days pre-Duquette in terms of spending on the club in all aspects.

Yet the Orioles revenue has kept increasing as far as MASN profits and revenue sharing, even as the attendance has been decreasing. However articles have shown despite the decrease in attendance, the Orioles remain one of the leagues most profitable teams before revenue sharing and MASN profits are even taken into account.

Since MacPhail took over the payroll has dropped overall and while our scouting and development have increased as far as outreach and effort, the budget seems to be about the same, or even less in terms of the amateur draft than when Duquette and Flanagan were in charge.

This year the Orioles will spend the least amount on the draft since Joe Jordan's first in 2005 as it appears now. Last year the Orioles spent $7.3 million. This year, it is going to be $5 million or less IMO.

The Orioles have also avoided all Boras clients in these two drafts under MacPhail unlike the draft held in 2007, when Boras clients were specifically targeted.

I find it interesting MacPhail said the Orioles are willing to sign premium draft talent with large bonuses, yet Jordan doesn't take anybody that would sign for much above slot with his picks. It's kind of easy to say that when you don't have to do it. And don't tell me Jordan only liked cheap players. I find that really hard to believe.

In the international scouting arena, while the Orioles are kicking the tires on Sano, they aren't expected to be serious players for him or any other top Latin talent. MacPhail has said he'd rather see Stockstill search for needles in a haystack than to go out and buy a package of needles when it comes to scouting top Latin talent.

The question is if we aren't willing to spend on top FA talent, top draft talent, or top international amateur talent, what are we spending this money on? Where is the money going that MacPhail is saving and why is he saving it?

Orioles fans deserve the right to know!

[waroriole]

I have a conclusion that I want to force down everyone's throats. I look for any fact I can find to support said conclusion. I write one-sided, biased posts in the hopes that everyone else will look at the issue in the same closed minded way. Also, I overreact and come off as reactionary. Who am I?

[Moose Milligan]

What do you call dishing out the deals for Markakis and Roberts this past offseason?

Perhaps they're looking to save to sign Jones, Wieters, and The Cavalry to keep em all here through their primes?

[JTrea81]

What do you call dishing out the deals for Markakis and Roberts this past offseason?

Perhaps they're looking to save to sign Jones, Wieters, and The Cavalry to keep em all here through their primes?

The Orioles should have plenty of money to do that and still beef up the money budgeted to the draft and international signings. Even with the extension of Markakis and Roberts, the Orioles payroll will drop by another 30+ million this offseason.

We have MASN revenue and revenue sharing. There is no excuse to be this frugal with the resources available.

Oakland is spending more money on this draft than we are and we've got a higher slot in each round!

[DrungoHazewood]

Ever since Andy MacPhail took over, the Orioles have regressed back to the days pre-Duquette in terms of spending on the club in all aspects.

To me it looks like they've just cut out the annual check to Jay Payton.

Yet the Orioles revenue has kept increasing as far as MASN profits and revenue sharing, even as the attendance has been decreasing. However articles have shown despite the decrease in attendance, the Orioles remain one of the leagues most profitable teams before revenue sharing and MASN profits are even taken into account.

Wasn't it Paul Beeston who said any accountant worth his salt could turn an organization's $10M profit into a $10M loss with standard, legal practices? MLB's reported profit/loss figures are close to meaningless.

Since MacPhail took over the payroll has dropped overall and while our scouting and development have increased as far as outreach and effort, the budget seems to be about the same, or even less in terms of the amateur draft than when Duquette and Flanagan were in charge.

Seems being the operative word.

This year the Orioles will spend the least amount on the draft since Joe Jordan's first in 2005 as it appears now. Last year the Orioles spent $7.3 million. This year, it is going to be $5 million or less IMO.

Really? The draft isn't even over, and you've nailed down the budget? And do you really think the budget should be the same (or increase) every year, regardless of the level of talent in that year's draft?

The Orioles have also avoided all Boras clients in these two drafts under MacPhail unlike the draft held in 2007, when Boras clients were specifically targeted.

I find it interesting MacPhail said the Orioles are willing to sign premium draft talent with large bonuses, yet Jordan doesn't take anybody that would sign for much above slot with his picks. It's kind of easy to say that when you don't have to do it. And don't tell me Jordan only liked cheap players. I find that really hard to believe.

Who's the premium talent they passed on? You mean the pretty good high school pitchers who were demanding record breaking deals?

In the international scouting arena, while the Orioles are kicking the tires on Sano, they aren't expected to be serious players for him or any other top Latin talent. MacPhail has said he'd rather see Stockstill search for needles in a haystack than to go out and buy a package of needles when it comes to scouting top Latin talent.

The question is if we aren't willing to spend on top FA talent, top draft talent, or top international amateur talent, what are we spending this money on? Where is the money going that MacPhail is saving and why is he saving it?

Again, you're parsing sentences and quotes from press releases and bits from interviews and filling in the other 95% of the plan and damning them for your interpretation.

Orioles fans deserve the right to know!

That's right! We don't care about actually knowing, we just want the right to know!

[Moose Milligan]

The Orioles should have plenty of money to do that and still beef up the money budgeted to the draft and international signings.

We have MASN revenue and revenue sharing. There is no excuse to be this frugal.

Spend, spend, spend. We're not the Yanks or the Sox. You constantly call, no, demand, this team to spend like the US government.

You'll also note on the front page that there's another thread which includes that attendance is down 19% in its title.

I'm no finance major, but perhaps that has something to do with it as well.

[waroriole]

The Orioles should have plenty of money to do that and still beef up the money budgeted to the draft and international signings.

We have MASN revenue and revenue sharing. There is no excuse to be this frugal.

When you saw the Orioles financial books, did you not just find out where this money was going. Why should they have plenty of money to do these things? The attendance is awful, the market to draw from attendance is dwindling with another team in the area. Where is all this money that you say is there? Where does it come from?

[Mark Carver]

The Orioles should have plenty of money to do that and still beef up the money budgeted to the draft and international signings. Even with the extension of Markakis and Roberts, the Orioles payroll will drop by another 30+ million this offseason.

We have MASN revenue and revenue sharing. There is no excuse to be this frugal.

Yeah those Nationals TV revenues just keep a coming in. They have to pay the Nationals, but get noting in return. The Nationals is drain on MASN.

[murrayfan420]

Being frugal and smartly using limited resources are two different things. The Pirates are frugal. They only sign cheap players, don’t extend their own good players, don’t sign free agents, and trade their expensive players.

We have shown that we’ll re-sign our young veterans, pay for premium young talent (Wieters, Arrieta, Bundy etc.) and are getting into the international market.

All of this while opening an academy in the DR, and increasing scouting in Asia. I’m not really sure what your beef is.

Save money while you can, and spend it wisely. I’d like to see an example of the organization being frugal other than the Hobgood pick, which is debatably about the money issue.

[JTrea81]

Spend, spend, spend. We're not the Yanks or the Sox. You constantly call, no, demand, this team to spend like the US government.

You'll also note on the front page that there's another thread which includes that attendance is down 19% in its title.

I'm no finance major, but perhaps that has something to do with it as well.

You've got to spend money to make money. The Orioles problem used to be they didn't spend money wisely.

Now it seems they just won't spend.

What are they saving the money for exactly?

[backwardsk]

What do you call dishing out the deals for Markakis and Roberts this past offseason?

Perhaps they're looking to save to sign Jones, Wieters, and The Cavalry to keep em all here through their primes?

Bingo. Or we could spend millions of dollars for Ben Sheets or Pedro Martinez. Maybe they can use this money to get the next David Segui, Marty Cordova, or Jay Payton. That will probably be better than having the resources to extend Reimold, Jones, Wieters, Tillman, Arrieta, Matusz, and Erbe.

[Shopay]

Ever since Andy MacPhail took over, the Orioles have regressed back to the days pre-Duquette in terms of spending on the club in all aspects.

Yet the Orioles revenue has kept increasing as far as MASN profits and revenue sharing, even as the attendance has been decreasing. However articles have shown despite the decrease in attendance, the Orioles remain one of the leagues most profitable teams before revenue sharing and MASN profits are even taken into account.

Since MacPhail took over the payroll has dropped overall and while our scouting and development have increased as far as outreach and effort, the budget seems to be about the same, or even less in terms of the amateur draft than when Duquette and Flanagan were in charge.

This year the Orioles will spend the least amount on the draft since Joe Jordan's first in 2005 as it appears now. Last year the Orioles spent $7.3 million. This year, it is going to be $5 million or less IMO.

The Orioles have also avoided all Boras clients in these two drafts under MacPhail unlike the draft held in 2007, when Boras clients were specifically targeted.

I find it interesting MacPhail said the Orioles are willing to sign premium draft talent with large bonuses, yet Jordan doesn't take anybody that would sign for much above slot with his picks. It's kind of easy to say that when you don't have to do it. And don't tell me Jordan only liked cheap players. I find that really hard to believe.

In the international scouting arena, while the Orioles are kicking the tires on Sano, they aren't expected to be serious players for him or any other top Latin talent. MacPhail has said he'd rather see Stockstill search for needles in a haystack than to go out and buy a package of needles when it comes to scouting top Latin talent.

The question is if we aren't willing to spend on top FA talent, top draft talent, or top international amateur talent, what are we spending this money on? Where is the money going that MacPhail is saving and why is he saving it?

Orioles fans deserve the right to know!

Based on what the O's told Hobgood, they would have selected Dustin Ackley if he had been available at the 5th selection. Ackley will probably sign the biggest contract of any of Boras' draftees not named Strasburg.

[DrungoHazewood]

The Orioles should have plenty of money to do that and still beef up the money budgeted to the draft and international signings. Even with the extension of Markakis and Roberts, the Orioles payroll will drop by another 30+ million this offseason.

We have MASN revenue and revenue sharing. There is no excuse to be this frugal with the resources available.

Oakland is spending more money on this draft than we are and we've got a higher slot in each round!

I'll repeat this from one of your many other frugality rants:

You keep repeating over and over that the O's should spend like a large market team, but they're 23rd in the league in attendance, and reside in the 26th-largest media market in the country (behind Sacramento, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Portland, and Pittsburgh).

[JTrea81]

Being frugal and smartly using limited resources are two different things. The Pirates, are frugal. They only sign cheap players, don’t extend their own good players, don’t sign free agents, and trade their expensive players.

We have shown that we’ll re-sign our young veterans, pay for premium young talent (Wieters, Arrieta, Bundy etc.) and are getting into the international market.

All of this while opening an academy in the DR, and increasing scouting in Asia. I’m not really sure what your beef is.

Save money while you can, and spend it wisely. I’d like to see an example of the organization being frugal other than the Hobgood pick, which is debatably about the money issue.

Not going much over slot for the later round picks in this draft, the ST situation, not willing to spend on premium Latin talent...

Do you need more?

[JTrea81]

I'll repeat this from one of your many other frugality rants:

Yet they are one of the most profitable teams in baseball.