Poll: Are you disappointed with the lack of international signings?

[hoosiers]

As far as I am concerned, I am extremely disappointed.

I believe one can look back at quotes from MacPhail over the past year and conclude we've been led to believe we would be a more involved organization in signing these international amateur talents. I do not believe we are at the point in acquiring this talent than we were told we would be as of now.

We may be signing up lots of ultra-cheap talent, but that's not been passed along and that's not what I expect. We should be signing several kids with signing bonuses over $250k annually.

If we get to that point next year, I can be patient about it, but I thought AM asked for a year to understand the international market (which was up a year ago) and build a scouting organization to acquire talent. I do not see the results.

[Dr. FLK]

Well it seems that international talent means different things to different people here. To me, it means anyone who isn't a US born citizen. To others it means teenage talent from the Dominican.

I think it includes both groups to a lot of people. I don't think anyone is saying that we haven't signed any international talent. But why shouldn't we be maximizing the talent that we get from all avenues? We have not been good at getting talent from the South America, and there is a ton down there to get. The players we've signed internationally are a fine start, but they certainly don't signify a truly diversified talent-base. Improvement have been made in scouting, but further improvement is certainly desirable.

[Moose Milligan]

I think it includes both groups to a lot of people. I don't think anyone is saying that we haven't signed any international talent. But why shouldn't we be maximizing the talent that we get from all avenues? We have not been good at getting talent from the South America, and there is a ton down there to get. The players we've signed internationally are a fine start, but they certainly don't signify a truly diversified talent-base. Improvement have been made in scouting, but further improvement is certainly desirable.

I agree, but you saw what happened when I brought up Koji and Tanaka. SG essentially said they don't count, or something.

[Sports Guy]

Show me a system that has always been top 10 after graduating the amount of players we're about to graduate, including the Big 3, Wieters, Reimold and Bergesen.

Any system that graduates 6 of their best prospects and has them making significant contributions at the ML level will take a hit for awhile.

I agree you can never have enough talent but it's not like we're hurting right now. Crying because we haven't signed any Dominican talent right now when we're in year one of what probably is a long term plan isn't making me too terribly upset already.

Stop saying this...it is a pointless comment...That is you saying, its ok that we haven't brought in more talent because we already have existing talent...That is an awful way of looking at things especially when you are chasing teams that have more talent than you anyway and they are still always adding to it.

[JTrea81]

I just think it's unrealistic for MacPhail to say on Day 1 that we're starting an international scouting/signing campaign in South America and on Day 2 for the OH horde to wake up and go "well, where's the progress? where are our signings?"

Crying because we haven't signed any Dominican talent right now when we're in year one of what probably is a long term plan isn't making me too terribly upset already.

MacPhail was hired on June 20, 2007.

It is now July 15, 2009.

2 years isn't enough to make any progress? Oakland had never given as much as a six figure bonus to Latin talent before 2007. They signed Ynoa, and now they are players down there in one year. We are still waiting to sign our first Latin player for six figures, let alone seven and it's two years and counting.

When are you going to stop making excuses for MacPhail and realize he is not being as aggressive as he should be given the resources he has?

[Sports Guy]

Money > relationships/presence

Offer the money and the players will come.

[ChaosLex]

Show me a system that has always been top 10 after graduating the amount of players we're about to graduate, including the Big 3, Wieters, Reimold and Bergesen.

Any system that graduates 6 of their best prospects and has them making significant contributions at the ML level will take a hit for awhile.

I agree you can never have enough talent but it's not like we're hurting right now. Crying because we haven't signed any Dominican talent right now when we're in year one of what probably is a long term plan isn't making me too terribly upset already.

I hear ya, but it's disappointing to me that our farm system is pretty barren when it comes to IF prospects. We could be fixing that problem right now and we're not, IMO.

[DrungoHazewood]

I think everyone wants the Orioles to be big players in every talent market. So until they start signing young impact players from international markets it's going to be disappointing. We'll just have to wait and see what develops. There are a lot of places to get talent, a lot of ways to acquire it.

MacPhail doesn't appear to be emphasizing everything I would, but then again, no one does.

[Moose Milligan]

Stop saying this...it is a pointless comment...That is you saying, its ok that we haven't brought in more talent because we already have existing talent...That is an awful way of looking at things especially when you are chasing teams that have more talent than you anyway and they are still always adding to it.

Fine, SG, you win.

MacPhail was hired on June 20, 2007.

It is now July 15, 2009.

2 years isn't enough to make any progress? Oakland had never given as much as a six figure bonus to Latin talent before 2008. They signed Ynoa, and now they are players down there in one year. We are still waiting to sign our first Latin player for six figures, let alone seven and it's two years and counting.

When are you going to stop making excuses for MacPhail and realize he is not being as aggressive as he should be given the resources he has?

I'm routinely amazed when posters on here want things done yesterday when taking into consideration that MacPhail is our GM.

When has anything he has done been at a moments notice? When has he done anything fast and quick aside from signing Hobgood which was his intention all along? When has anything been as fast as the peanut gallery on OH wanted it to be?

It's not excuse making, Trea. It's simply taking a look around, realizing that our GM is slow and methodical and adjusting expectations to learn that not everything is going to be done whenever YOU want it to be done.

It's gonna happen again on August 1st. MacPhail isn't going to trade anyone of significance and this board is going to go insane. I can already tell that you're sharpening your ax with the "He just doesn't want to tank in the 2nd half" war cry. People are gonna be pissed.

And yet, he hasn't made significant deadline deals on July 31st. He hasn't made significant deals at the winter meetings.

He takes his time. I don't doubt that MacPhail has some long term plan for South American/Domincan scouting and signing. We're just going to have to wait. Sorry to break it to you.

So when are you going to learn? When are you going to stop bashing your head against a wall and stop demanding things to be done RIGHT NOW...?

It's not that I'm some MacPhail apologist and think that everything he does is great...I don't. But I do recognize that we are better off than we have been anywhere in the past 10 years after what he's done. I've also learned that patience is required for anything he's looking at. I'm sorry you haven't learned that as well.

[Sports Guy]

The Orioles should also be setting up an academy in China.

[JTrea81]

I think everyone wants the Orioles to be big players in every talent market. So until they start signing young impact players from international markets it's going to be disappointing. .

Exactly, If we are going to follow the Tampa Bay model, we need to spend big in the draft and international signings.

But we don't seem to be doing that and you can say that that's because we have resources to go after premium FA talent instead, but then we don't do that either, partially because those players don't want to come to Baltimore.

So if we aren't going to acquire premium talent via FA, the draft or through international signings, how the heck is this supposed "plan" we are on going to get us to competing for the AL East crown?

A bunch of good players won't win the AL East. You have to have the best players in baseball on your team to win in this division.

[JTrea81]

Fine, SG, you win.

I'm routinely amazed when posters on here want things done yesterday when taking into consideration that MacPhail is our GM.

When has anything he has done been at a moments notice? When has he done anything fast and quick aside from signing Hobgood which was his intention all along? When has anything been as fast as the peanut gallery on OH wanted it to be?

It's not excuse making, Trea. It's simply taking a look around, realizing that our GM is slow and methodical and adjusting expectations to learn that not everything is going to be done whenever YOU want it to be done.

It's gonna happen again on August 1st. MacPhail isn't going to trade anyone of significance and this board is going to go insane. I can already tell that you're sharpening your ax with the "He just doesn't want to tank in the 2nd half" war cry. People are gonna be pissed.

And yet, he hasn't made significant deadline deals on July 31st. He hasn't made significant deals at the winter meetings.

He takes his time. I don't doubt that MacPhail has some long term plan for South American/Domincan scouting and signing. We're just going to have to wait. Sorry to break it to you.

So when are you going to learn? When are you going to stop bashing your head against a wall and stop demanding things to be done RIGHT NOW...?

It's not that I'm some MacPhail apologist and think that everything he does is great...I don't. But I do recognize that we are better off than we have been anywhere in the past 10 years after what he's done. I've also learned that patience is required for anything he's looking at. I'm sorry you haven't learned that as well.

It's hard to be patient after following 11 going on 12 straight years of losing baseball. MacPhail has to take that into account at some point. You can ask fans to be patient, but given the fact that we have all these resources from MASN and revenue sharing etc, it's pretty hard to be patient for long when you don't see your club using those resources to get better.

[TGO]

The Orioles should also be setting up an academy in China.

Maybe, maybe not. You can only imagine how much political and legal wrangling this would require. The organization's time and money are finite resources.

I'm not saying they shouldn't do it, just that it isn't that simple to just say "let's go into China."

[Moose Milligan]

It's hard to be patient after following 11 going on 12 straight years of losing baseball. MacPhail has to take that into account at some point. You can ask fans to be patient, but given the fact that we have all these resources from MASN and revenue sharing etc, it's pretty hard to be patient for long when you don't see your club using those resources to get better.

After 12 years, whats another couple? You're not going anywhere.

There's a plan in place and we're better off now than we have been at any point in the past 12 years that you speak of.

Regardless, I'm glad you've admitted that your chomping at the bit is nothing more than being impatient.

[Moose Milligan]

I'm not saying they shouldn't do it, just that it isn't that simple to just say "let's go into China."

Well sure it is! We're guys on a message board! Just do it!