O's Getting Serious About Sano?

[bigbird]

Fixed that for you, JT.

I posted in a draft thread that I heard we'll be players during the International signing period. Talk is cheap though... we need to get a kid like this signed.

[Hank Scorpio]

Signing this guy would be more than awesome and a true message to the fans.

Agreed, it would certainly be a ginormous step in the right direction.

[nevadaO]

Apparently a bone graft has determined he's between 16 and 17 years old.

I didn't even know that was possible.

Anyways, I wasn't saying that he was older then he's claiming to be, just that if he does turn out to be 18 or 19 I still think it would be a great signing.

[JTrea81]

Yeah, obviously. What we were willing to bid on Teixeira is wholly irrelevant.

No, it fits the pattern. If you want a good player that other clubs are pursuing, you go after them. The Orioles did not offer Teixeira anything close to the other clubs with their first offer. Even though he didn't want to play in Baltimore as his first choice, the Orioles weren't going to change his mind with the lowest offer of all clubs in years and dollars.

If they really wanted him, they could have gone 8/184 right off the bat and made him turn it down. Instead they offered 7/140.

If they want Sano, they are going to have to be aggressive.

[Lucky Jim]

I didn't even know that was possible.

Anyways, I wasn't saying that he was older then he's claiming to be, just that if he does turn out to be 18 or 19 I still think it would be a great signing.

I'm not sure how great the science is, but obviously w/ money like this, folks are trying to cover their bases.

It could be a good signing if he's 18. It really depends on just how much of his value is in projection.

Tim Beckham might have been worth a big bonus at 18 - it's true. But would he have been worth more at 16 w/ his skill set and even more projection?

[BaltimoreFan]

Honestly, wouldn't $5 million spent on a kid with a Hanley Ramirez upside be more valuable than the $6 million spent on Ty Wigginton this offseason? You have to think that we'll spent another 15-20 million on other fringey guys this year as well.

I realize that in principle you don't really want to shell out this much cash on a prospect unless you've been scouting him for years and/or are completely floored, but when put in context, the money is better spent on a possibly perennial all-star SS/3B than a 32 year old utility infielder.

[sector7g]

You gotta bet the Yankees will be all over him. By the time he'll be ML ready they'll need a replacement for Jeter.

I'd imagine, however, that it's hard to project a 16 year old as a ML shortstop. Has anyone heard anything about his defensive abilities/likelihood or not to stay at SS? Probably too early to tell either way I would imagine.

He's not expected to stick at SS. This is a quote from a BA article a week or so ago.

"Right now the number one guy for me is Sano," said an international scouting director. "The bat, the swing he's got—I've never seen in a young kid that kind of swing. And he repeats it all the time. The ball leaves the bat the same way all the time, in BP and in the games, too. It's a special bat and a special body."

Sano has a plus arm, though his release isn't very quick. With his size he projects to move to third base or right field, but for teams that believe in his ability to hit in games, that isn't an issue.

[Lucky Jim]

No, it fits the pattern. If you want a good player that other clubs are pursuing, you go after them. The Orioles did not offer Teixeira anything close to the other clubs with their first offer. Even though he didn't want to play in Baltimore as his first choice, the Orioles weren't going to change his mind with the lowest offer of all clubs in years and dollars.

If they really wanted him, they could have gone 8/184 right off the bat and made him turn it down. Instead they offered 7/140.

If they want Sano, they are going to have to be aggressive.

They're not related at all. The fact that you ignore CBA and cost parameters, and the risk inherent in going "all out" at $200m versus going "all out" at $4m is astonishing to me - you're an adult, right? And you live in a world of financial reality when you're not online?

[JTrea81]

He's not expected to stick at SS. This is a quote from a BA article a week or so ago.

You draft him for the talent in his bat and figure out where to play him later.

He doesn't have to stick at SS to be valuable.

[JTrea81]

They're not related at all. The fact that you ignore CBA and cost parameters, and the risk inherent in going "all out" at $200m versus going "all out" at $4m is astonishing to me - you're an adult, right? And you live in a world of financial reality when you're not online?

Show me one instance where MacPhail bid on and landed a premium FA.

Better yet, show me an instance of when he bid on a premium FA and had an offer even close to what they signed for.

[Lucky Jim]

Show me one instance where MacPhail bid on and landed a premium FA.

Better yet, show me an instance of when he bid on a premium FA and had an offer even close to what they signed for.

Show me how they're related.

I've never gone "all out" on a new house. I have, however, bought some really great suits and shirts.

A far more relevant consideration is whether or not he's ever given a big bonus to a HS draft pick.

[Arthur_Bryant]

I'm predicting a couple of signings in the $1-2MM range. Sano isn't the only avenue to becoming a player in the market.

[sector7g]

You draft him for the talent in his bat and figure out where to play him later.

He doesn't have to stick at SS to be valuable.

I was answering a question from Rick, not saying we shouldn't go after him. He sounds like an exceptional talent, and his bat sounds like it will play anywhere.

Also for what it's worth the Yankees are supposed to be in on Dominican catcher Gary Sanchez and he'll cost them $3m ish so there's a good chance they aren't going to pay $4m to Sano too.

[JTrea81]

Show me how they're related.

I've never gone "all out" on a new house. I have, however, bought some really great suits and shirts.

A far more relevant consideration is whether or not he's ever given a big bonus to a HS draft pick.

They are related because MacPhail isn't willing to spend beyond a certain point because he feels it will be too much of a risk to invest in that one player.

He'd rather spend money on multiple lesser players and play safety in numbers.

[BaltimoreFan]

Show me one instance where MacPhail bid on and landed a premium FA.

Better yet, show me an instance of when he bid on a premium FA and had an offer even close to what they signed for.

I don't think it's appropriate to look at his performance with the Cubs as we have, relatively speaking, virtually no insight into his operations during that time period.

During his stay in Baltimore, though, he hasn't been given the opportunity to spend on bats as the O's have never been close to contention. Tex would have been nice, but if we are going to start contending in 2011, then I'm not sure you want to spend nearly $200 million to get worthwhile production from a 31+ year old.

Do you think that MacPhail won't spend on bats when our pitching prospects are up and ready to contend? Common sense tells me that when we are in a position to challenge the Yanks/Sox/Rays/Jays, Andy will fill in the holes with good bats, as he has stated. It's in his best interests to win, too, and he isn't going to be bringing in a Cesar Izturis if our offense has major needs.