Hot Coffey in The House

[markpolis]

$990,000 is just crazy money. And Givens was only offered $750,000? Something doesn't add up here. I wonder how much our 7th round pick Devin Harris was offered? After Coffey's bonus, I seriously doubt we sign Ohlman or Bush. I believe both players were asking for close to 1st round money.

[Gurgi]

I think the Orioles are charting a new course. They are obviously willing to go overslot and in a big way. This route is perhaps the only way we will ever compete with the Yankees and RedSox.

The Givens thing does concern me. I really wonder how much the kid is asking for.

[alexei606]

Good article on the signing:

Quotes from Orioles' area scout:

"We are extremely excited to get this young man, " said Rich Morales, Baltimore's area scout for South Texas. "We saw him good one time during the high school baseball tournament at Minute Maid Park.

"It was one of the things I would tell my boss, Joe Jordan (Baltimore's Director of Scouting). "I would say remember Cameron Coffey. I told him I think we should stay on top of him and Joe was in agreement.

"He said let's lie in the weeds and see who else is on him. We liked Cameron because there are not a whole lot of 6'5 lefties who can throw 95 (mph)."

[markpolis]

Good article on the signing:

Quotes from Orioles' area scout:

That is a very good article and makes me feel a bit better about the signing. The troubling part of the article was Orioles scout Rich Morales saying ""We saw him good one time during the high school baseball tournament at Minute Maid Park." He saw him good one time? Wow? That's putting tremendous faith in that one time.

[Hank Scorpio]

$990,000 is just crazy money. And Givens was only offered $750,000? Something doesn't add up here. I wonder how much our 7th round pick Devin Harris was offered? After Coffey's bonus, I seriously doubt we sign Ohlman or Bush. I believe both players were asking for close to 1st round money.

That is ludicrous money for a 22nd round draft pick?!?!?!

Is that figure correct, or...

[allstar1579]

That is ludicrous money for a 22nd round draft pick?!?!?!

Is that figure correct, or...

Nah it's about right, a lot of those guys from 20-30 are guys considered long shot signs, where they aren't going to come down from their price, but say if you ended up with some extra money for some reason, you could throw it at them. In comparison in 2005 had we not signed one or two of the upper guys, you probably would have seen us sign Tanner Scheppers.

Teams take guys they don't expect to sign every year, but if something crazy happens and they have extra money laying around...

[Hank Scorpio]

Nah it's about right, a lot of those guys from 20-30 are guys considered long shot signs, where they aren't going to come down from their price, but say if you ended up with some extra money for some reason, you could throw it at them. In comparison in 2005 had we not signed one or two of the upper guys, you probably would have seen us sign Tanner Scheppers.

Teams take guys they don't expect to sign every year, but if something crazy happens and they have extra money laying around...

So, Coffey's not necessarily first round talent, but it took first round money to sign him.

I assume the same could be said for Bush & Ohlman? So, for the low, low price of say, $2MM, we could sign those other two.

In your estimation, are Bush or Ohlman first or second round talent?

[JTrea81]

Glad to see the Orioles finally investing in the draft. It won't make Selig happy, but the Red Sox and Yankees do this kind of thing all the time.

Would love to see the catcher Ohlman signed as well.

And this just proves you can find potential TOR type talent at any round of the draft.

[allstar1579]

So, Coffey's not necessarily first round talent, but it took first round money to sign him.

I assume the same could be said for Bush & Ohlman? So, for the low, low price of say, $2MM, we could sign those other two.

In your estimation, are Bush or Ohlman first or second round talent?

I'd give them both 2nd-3rd round grades but that's without looking into them too much, when I saw they were going to drop I kinda brushed by them. I think Coffey was close to late first round, probably supplemental-early 2nd, but if you let him heal up and come back time around, no way you get him after the 3rd let alone where he went. You gotta entice them not to just go get better and come back as a first round guy for another team, so it takes that much a lot of times. Pittsburgh just signed 2 later guys to about $1m deals too, so it's not just us doing it. Now it makes sense why they went signability with that first pick.

[Hank Scorpio]

I'd give them both 2nd-3rd round grades but that's without looking into them too much, when I saw they were going to drop I kinda brushed by them. I think Coffey was close to late first round, probably supplemental-early 2nd, but if you let him heal up and come back time around, no way you get him after the 3rd let alone where he went. You gotta entice them not to just go get better and come back as a first round guy for another team, so it takes that much a lot of times. Pittsburgh just signed 2 later guys to about $1m deals too, so it's not just us doing it. Now it makes sense why they went signability with that first pick.

Indeed.

It'd be nice to see one of the other two in as well, either Ohlman or Bush.

[allstar1579]

Indeed.

It'd be nice to see one of the other two in as well, either Ohlman or Bush.

I agree, they should still have some money to spend since they didn't go real over slot in the first. The money they spent on Coffee balances out the 2nd rounder, but they always have extra money built into the budget so there could be enough to sign one more, I doubt both of them, but you never know.

[tywright]

So, Coffey's not necessarily first round talent, but it took first round money to sign him.

I assume the same could be said for Bush & Ohlman? So, for the low, low price of say, $2MM, we could sign those other two.

In your estimation, are Bush or Ohlman first or second round talent?

Coffey is a 1st round talent. The kid is a 6'5" lefty that throws 95 and has a good change.

http://sports.espn.go.com/videohub/video/video?id=3964581

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[tywright]

http://masnsports.com/2009/08/joe-jordan-comments-on-the-sig.html

Jordan would not confirm the amount of the signing bonus but it is reportedly one of the largest bonuses ever given a player taken outside the first ten rounds of the draft.

Coffey had Tommy John surgery on his left elbow in March. Dr. James Andrews of Alabama performed the procedure.

Jordan signed Coffey despite the surgery.

"I had the full support of Andy MacPhail and Mr. Angelos on this signing. I saw him a week before his injury and really liked what I saw. We had him rated among the top two rounds in terms of his talent.

"He and his dad came to Baltimore a few weeks ago and we talked a lot. He was someone we were targeting all along, really independent of other things. We are comfortable with his surgery and familiar with Dr. Andrews."

Lots of good info. He will report to Sarasota next week and they hope he will be able to pitch next season.

"We have some more money to spend," he said.

Sign Ohlman!

[Gurgi]

Coffey is a 1st round talent. The kid is a 6'5" lefty that throws 95 and has a good change.

He has a kinda stutter step before some of his pitches. He is a big legged dude. Has the body of a Clemens or Hobgood. Love to see how this horse does.

[allstar1579]

Coffey is a 1st round talent. The kid is a 6'5" lefty that throws 95 and has a good change.

http://sports.espn.go.com/videohub/video/video?id=3964581

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The 95 is debatable. I think it's just scout-whispers. I've seen multiple reports and footage of him in the low 90's range, and I've read once about 95, but I tend to go with the masses in these cases. Not saying he's not a first round talent, but he's one of those guys that I think the hype gets a little out of control.

Have you seen him Craw? Or at least much on him?