For those who want Carlos Lee....

[Pedro Cerrano]

I would give Carlos Lee 4/52. As of now, there is really no hope on the horizon. This team is LIGHT YEARS behind the likes of the Yankees and Red Sox. Toronto went out this past offseason, opened the pocketbook and suddenly are right there in the standings.

Granted, it is still early but all indications are that this year is another "growth" year and based on the last few offseasons the key players we need to get (like Carlos Lee, let's be honest our OF is a complete joke, see Frobby's signature) won't come here. BTW, it may even cost MORE than 4/52 to get him here given the recent shunnings of Konerko and Guerrero. I know a lot of you guys are opposed to big spending but to compete in this league, that is what you have to do.

[utvolzac]

I would give Carlos Lee 4/52. As of now, there is really no hope on the horizon. This team is LIGHT YEARS behind the likes of the Yankees and Red Sox. Toronto went out this past offseason, opened the pocketbook and suddenly are right there in the standings.

Granted, it is still early but all indications are that this year is another "growth" year and based on the last few offseasons the key players we need to get (like Carlos Lee, let's be honest our OF is a complete joke, see Frobby's signature) won't come here. BTW, it may even cost MORE than 4/52 to get him here given the recent shunnings of Konerko and Guerrero. I know a lot of you guys are opposed to big spending but to compete in this league, that is what you have to do.

I agree. It's nice to have a healthy farm system. I just don't see how you can compete in the AL East only relying on the farm system. Other divisions you can probably get away with it. The A's are probably the best at developing their own talent, and I have no doubt that they would not beat or compete with Boston & New York on a consistant basis if they were in our division.

There has to be a balance between developing prospects and bringing in established "top level" talent. For a team like the O's, we do have to offer more than everyone else, at least until we bring some credibility back to the organization. I think we also have to start to utilize prospects in trade. I'm not saying trade away the entire farm system, but use some prospects to acquire proven talent. Thinking that every prospect will turn into a major leaguer is madness. For every prospect that reaches their potential, i'd bet that there are at least 2-3 that are busts.

[Pedro Cerrano]

All I want is a consistent power-hitting outfielder. Carlos Lee fits that bill perfectly. I want it NOW. I'm sick of waiting for talent to develop -- I've waited almost a decade! Go out there and sign that big bat to go with Tejada. Let's strike some fear in the hearts of our opponents.

[davearm]

In today's free agent marketplace, and with the numbers he's put up the last few years, somebody's gonna give Carlos Lee 12 or 13 mil a year.

Say what you will about OPS numbers that are only in the 800s, but -- rightly or wrongly -- three straight years of 30/100 production will get people's attention. Lots of teams out there could use that sort of bat in the middle of their lineup, and this offseason the alternatives are few.

I'd be surprised if the Cubs don't have their hat in the ring on this guy.

[bronzechamp]

Kill me for saying this but after 10 years of lasting support for these Orioles...I think I'm falling in love with the Phillies. Ryan Howard is just plain good...yeah, good.

[markpolis]

Kill me for saying this but after 10 years of lasting support for these Orioles...I think I'm falling in love with the Phillies. Ryan Howard is just plain good...yeah, good.

See ya... Good luck with those Phillies.

Just remember, we'll always have '83.

[camdenyardblues]

The Brewers would love to sign outfielder Carlos Lee to a multiyear contract. But Lee is said to be seeking something at least as big as the four-year, $52 million contracts the Yankees gave Johnny Damon and Hideki Matsui last winter, possibly for more years. Lee also is intrigued by the idea of hitting the free-agent market, so he may not want to do a deal in-season.

http://www.nj.com/columns/ledger/graziano/index.ssf?/base/columns-0/114758601088260.xml&coll=1&thispage=3#continue

Lee's numbers are comparable to Matsui. Their not quite as good but close enough. I still think 4x52 is a bit rich for Lee. He's clearly a step above Gibbons but it isn't like there's a humongous gap between Lee and Gibbons that warrents Lee being paid more than twice as much as Gibbons (Gibby makes around 4 to 5 million per year, Lee would make 13 million per year). But given that Drew and Matsui have set the market, it sounds fair. If the O's could sign him to that contract, I'll be happy.

[Mackus]

I like Carlos Lee but not at 4/$52M.

However, if thats the deal he's seeking, then he might end up signing for less, which I'd be very interested in.

[More-on]

We could have had Maglio Ordonez, Derek Lee and Carlos Delgado on this team had we just spent some bucks. I don't see Angelos paying top dollar for any free agent... heck, if Mora gets signed I'll be surprised and he's already an O.

[Pedro Cerrano]

I'd much rather let Mora walk and use that money to sign Carlos Lee.

[mikezpen]

The Orioles will never sign this guy or anyone like him in free agency. They'll give a low ball offer, wait till somebody blows it out of the water, and then come in at the last minute with a much-improved offer but one not quite good enough. Then they'll tell their long-suffering fans how "we just missed" and announce the re-signing of Kevin Millar.

[NewMarketSean]

I don't understand the point of this thread. Why would we NOT want Carlos Lee? Who cares what the price is. The O's have stood pat for years, allowing the best OF/1B players go to other teams only to sign retreads instead. There have been rumors that $30 million will become available next season. If we don't end up with Lee it's another debacle.

[mikezpen]

Theoretically, it could be almost $50 million with the termination of the Ponson and Javy Lopez contracts. Can you imagine Angelos spending that money on the team?Right.

[Mackus]

I don't understand the point of this thread. Why would we NOT want Carlos Lee? Who cares what the price is. The O's have stood pat for years, allowing the best OF/1B players go to other teams only to sign retreads instead. There have been rumors that $30 million will become available next season. If we don't end up with Lee it's another debacle.

There certainly could be some debate as to whether Lee is worth $13M of not. I don't think he is, but he is a good player. I'd rather spend that $13M on Lee than nobody, but there certainly could be other players available (perhaps through trade) that I'd rather spend $13M on.

[section34]

All I want is a consistent power-hitting outfielder. Carlos Lee fits that bill perfectly. I want it NOW. I'm sick of waiting for talent to develop -- I've waited almost a decade! Go out there and sign that big bat to go with Tejada. Let's strike some fear in the hearts of our opponents.

This is a great point. We have one of the best hitters in baseball for the next 3 years so go get another stud to go with him. Imagine:

Brob

Mora

Miggy

Lee

Gibbons

Ramon

Javy

Patterson

Kakes