Fielder?

[JTrea81]

Fielder is one large piece of the puzzle. Unfortunately, there are quite a few more that the O's still need. Signing Fielder, to me, is a bad idea - unless he was THE missing piece.

He's a big part of what is missing. You sign Fielder and add the other missing pieces, but he's the start.

You don't give out 100+ million dollar contracts to put you over the top. It's the guys you sign to the 1-2 year deals that do that.

[scOtt]

Fielder is one large piece of the puzzle. Unfortunately, there are quite a few more that the O's still need. Signing Fielder, to me, is a bad idea - unless he was THE missing piece.

Exactly. IF we were to sign Fielder, guarantee he'd be the only impact bat we sign.

[AZOriole]

Have you seen how poorly Pena is doing this season?

.198/.316/.414/.731

I have. But, prior to this year, he had a .382 OBP and .935 OPS his three years prior. Not to mention, he got off to an absolutely terrible start this year, but still has 16HR and 49RBI.

[JTrea81]

Cleanup cleanup. It's always cleanup with you. I'd rather have three .900 OPS guys (added), scattered in our lineup, than ONE 1.000.

And I said, I don't know the market that well. Fielder ain't it tho.

Where are you getting these three .900 OPS guys for the price of Fielder?

You will need 3 100+ million dollar contracts to get those three guys, especially to sign with the Orioles.

[AZOriole]

He's a big part of what is missing. You sign Fielder and add the other missing pieces, but he's the start.

You don't give out 100+ million dollar contracts to put you over the top. It's the guys you sign to the 1-2 year deals that do that.

I get where you're coming from. I guess we just look at it from opposite sides of the spectrum. I'd rather throw big money at "the missing piece", than throw it at him initially.

[JTrea81]

I have. But, prior to this year, he had a .382 OBP and .935 OPS his three years prior. Not to mention, he got off to an absolutely terrible start this year, but still has 16HR and 49RBI.

HR and RBI don't mean much. Look at his OBP and SLG - they are terrible.

And he's 32 so it's not like he's going to get better...

[scOtt]

Where are you getting these three .900 OPS guys for the price of Fielder?

You will need 3 100+ million dollar contracts to get those three guys, especially to sign with the Orioles.

Maybe .900 is over the top. I'm talking three 20-25 HR guys, rather than one 40+. And those we could get for less or similar than what Fielder will get.

[JTrea81]

Maybe .900 is over the top. I'm talking three 20-25 HR guys, rather than one 40+. And those we could get for less than what Fielder will get.

You might be able to get 1.5 players like that for the price of Fielder.

Matt Holliday cost $100+ million and he is more like Nick Markakis with more power.

Good players are expensive. Great players are more expensive, but good players are only slightly less.

Werth is going to get close to 100 million if not more, for example.

[AZOriole]

HR and RBI don't mean much. Look at his OBP and SLG - they are terrible.

And he's 32 so it's not like he's going to get better...

I agree, those numbers are terrible - for 3 months of this season. However, he has a .900 OPS in June, showing signs of turning it around. Pena is never going to be a .400 OBP guy like Fielder, but he isn't exactly terrible either.

[DrungoHazewood]

You might be able to get 1.5 players like that for the price of Fielder.

Matt Holliday cost $100+ million and he is more like Nick Markakis with more power.

Good players are expensive. Great players are more expensive, but good players are only slightly less.

Werth is going to get close to 100 million if not more for example.

Which is why you build with guys who are pre-free agency and often pre-arb so that they don't cost that much. And you push yourself into big revenues with one or two big contracts.

No matter how well or how poorly the O's do this, the only way to go from a bad small- or mid-market team to contention is by building internally.

[JTrea81]

I agree, those numbers are terrible - for 3 months of this season. However, he has a .900 OPS in June, showing signs of turning it around. Pena is never going to be a .400 OBP guy like Fielder, but he isn't exactly terrible either.

Pena's been on a downward trend since 2007 when he was worth 6.0 WAR. Last year he was only worth 2.7 WAR. This year he's on pace to be worth only 1.0 WAR.

[JTrea81]

Which is why you build with guys who are pre-free agency and often pre-arb so that they don't cost that much. And you push yourself into big revenues with one or two big contracts.

No matter how well or how poorly the O's do this, the only way to go from a bad small- or mid-market team to contention is by building internally.

We don't have the prospects in our system to do that now.

So are we just supposed to lose for the next 4 years while we wait for them to develop, if they develop?

We have developed some quality pieces, but they need other quality pieces to surround them, and our system just isn't ready to produce those pieces. Therefore we need to add externally.

[scOtt]

You might be able to get 1.5 players like that for the price of Fielder.

Matt Holliday cost $100+ million and he is more like Nick Markakis with more power.

Good players are expensive. Great players are more expensive, but good players are only slightly less.

Werth is going to get close to 100 million if not more, for example.

Nick signed for 66. This year aside, I think most agree he's a 20-25ish guy. Three of him would be 200. Fielder will get near that.

[scOtt]

We don't have the prospects in our system to do that now.

So are we just supposed to lose for the next 4 years while we wait for them to develop, if they develop?

I think we do. Adam and Matt are not what they have shown.

[JTrea81]

I think we do. Adam and Matt are not what they have shown.

We need difference making players in addition to Adam and Matt.

Our system doesn't have them.