MacPhail: O's willing to take "big-time" player in a salary dump

[El Gordo]

Vernon Wells, Carlos Lee, Jason Bay?

No to Wells, maybe to Lee and Bay, but the O's don't need Lee and Bay, they need a 1B, 3B, or a DH for power. They need a SS, but there are no SS who would be salary dumps at the waiver deadline.

[quidam]

If we do acquire a player in this way, it will be one with the following three qualities: declining, old, and overpaid. Vernon Wells, Barry Zito, maybe Soriano or Zambrano. Not Derrek Lee, Lance Berkman, etc.

Absolute best case: we get a Wells or Soriano, they have one career year for us over the rest of their contract, and we break almost even in terms of production and dollars spent.

I'm not interested. If we have money to burn, spend it in free agency. At least then you're not guaranteed to be getting a terrible deal.

What free agents would you want to not only overspend on, but also give them 4-5 years?

For a team that struggles getting players interested in coming here via free agency this is really one of the few routes to go if we want an established hitter. Guys like Rios and Nick Swisher are great examples of guys the past couple of years that were obtained for virtually nothing.

[NattieO'sHon]

No to Wells, maybe to Lee and Bay, but the O's don't need Lee and Bay, they need a 1B, 3B, or a DH for power. They need a SS, but there are no SS who would be salary dumps at the waiver deadline.

Agreed. We need a 1B which will not happen to the offseason. I think we are good with 3B with Bell coming up next year. I think he could be solid player for us. I think we bring back Luke Scott at DH.

[nate22]

I imagine that some of these big time players might have no-trade clauses that protect them from ending up on a team like the O's. I think that narrows the field even more.

[scOtt]

Agreed. We need a 1B which will not happen to the offseason. I think we are good with 3B with Bell coming up next year. I think he could be solid player for us. I think we bring back Luke Scott at DH.

It's possible Reimold could be our 1Bman. I'd rather see Dunn at DH.

[BrunoCherrytown]

''

It's not just what they want, it's what they can get vs. accepting 2 draft picks. How much do you think they will get for a 1-year rental of Fielder? He's probably not going to sign an extension (Boras). And he's going to cost $25 million per for 7-8 years when he does sign.

.

Cliff Lee for a few months netted quite a nice package. What you proposed for a year of Fielder doesn't even match that. Tex got traded twice. Your proposal doesn't match either of those transactions either.

If the Sox don't trade for AGon this offseason, you'll see them go all in for Fielder and I can assure you that every piece in that trade will be of higher value than what you proposed.

Guthrie himself will net us very little. Patton -the same, because he's been injured and inconsistent. Pie I'm biased towards because he's my favorite O. But he's not valuable at all until he can walk to the water cooler without pulling a hamstring.

You can't just pile your expendables together, put a bow on them and voila...a team ships you a superstar in return.

I wish it were that way, but it's not.

[geschinger]

He wouldn't have to empty the farm and it doesn't have to be a 1 year rental.

Prince Fielder is a Boras client. It would be a one year rental and the only way to purchase his services after the rental expires would be to hand over a contract that has almost no chance of working out in favor of the Baltimore Orioles franchise.

[Avsfan]

Most of the people mentioned in this thread as targets are on teams, who have legitimate post-season aspirations.

Sorry, but the Rockies aren't giving up Todd Helton, when they are in a playoff hunt and probably will make noticeable noise in the postseason.

[hatepaste]

Oh man so much to answer.

Manny Ramirez and Alex Rios are the only big name players I can think of that were put through waivers. I'm sure a lot more pass through waivers in August, that maybe we don't know about. But that's usually revokable, so the teams can pull them back. Plus, I don't know if I've ever seen a good player actually get claimed and let go at this point. Usuually its bad contracts for bad players.

Also, Prince fielder is not re-upping with ANY team (Orioles, Brewers, MFY, Red Sox or anyone) before free agency. He is NOT. It is NOT happening. Boras clients never do this. Tex didn't. And I'm sure there are tons of examples of other players that didn't either. The idea of trading for Fielder as a year rental is ridiculous. It is not a sane viewpoint.

Further...Jeremy Guthrie and/or Felix Pie does not get you a big name player. If you trade Guthrie, you can some prospects back. Not some complicated scenario where Guthrie nets you Pujols and the ability to rename his kids Brooks and Cal. It just doesn't happen.

[JTrea81]

Also, Prince fielder is not re-upping with ANY team (Orioles, Brewers, MFY, Red Sox or anyone) before free agency. He is NOT. It is NOT happening. Boras clients never do this. Tex didn't. And I'm sure there are tons of examples of other players that didn't either. The idea of trading for Fielder as a year rental is ridiculous. It is not a sane viewpoint.

Carlos Pena says hello.

The problem with this statement is that teams do not offer a market value contract to keep a Boras player, hence why said player doesn't stay.

If the Brewers were to come to Fielder with a 6/150 or 7/175 deal, you can bet he'll want to stay in Milwaukee. The 5/100 offer they made him isn't going to do it and they should have known that.

[hatepaste]

Carlos Pena says hello.

The problem with this statement is that teams do not offer a market value contract to keep a Boras player, hence why said player doesn't stay.

If the Brewers were to come to Fielder with a 6/150 or 7/175 deal, you can bet he'll want to stay in Milwaukee. The 5/100 offer they made him isn't going to do it and they should have known that.

You are wrong. Carlos Pena signed a minor league deal for the Rays in 07. He had that one good year. He then signed a 3 year deal in January of 08. He was a free agent, he just resigned with his current team. Just because a player becomes a free agent doesn't mean he changes teams.

Boras players become free agents.

[JTrea81]

You are wrong. Carlos Pena signed a minor league deal for the Rays in 07. He had that one good year. He then signed a 3 year deal in January of 08. He was a free agent, he just resigned with his current team. Just because a player becomes a free agent doesn't mean he changes teams.

Boras players become free agents.

Pena was still under team control when he signed his 3 year deal.

He was a FA because he was released but he still had arbitration years left. Much like Jake Fox will not be a FA next year because the team will still have control over him.

The 3 year deal bought out 1 year of FA.

The deal puts Pena under contract with the Rays through 2010, avoiding arbitration this season and next and buying out his first year of free agency

http://blogs.tampabay.com/rays/2008/01/pena-gets-3-yea.html

[hatepaste]

Pena was still under team control when he signed his 3 year deal.

He was a FA because he was released but he still had arbitration years left. Much like Jake Fox will not be a FA next year because the team will still have control over him.

The 3 year deal bought out 1 year of FA.

http://blogs.tampabay.com/rays/2008/01/pena-gets-3-yea.html

ok, I figured no arbitration because of all that major league experience.

So anyways. He re-signed for 1 year basically.

Which basically was probably best for Pena, considering how up and down he has been for his career.

[centralpaosfan]

I remember McPhail stating over and over again that loading up our system with quality young arms will put us in a good position to trade a few in the future. As I see it we have the following quality arms in our system currently:

Matusz

Tillman

Arrieta

Hernandez

Berken

Britton

I'm sure I left a few names out that people can add. Why not trade some of our young arms and go get the #4 hitter? Wasn't this the plan all along? Granted, I know you can't have enough arms in a system, but you can't win without a big bat in your lineup either.

[BrunoCherrytown]

Maybe instead of taking some other team's overpriced castoffs on the waiver wire, he could just dogear that money for more scouts, more top international prospects, and better draft picks.

If he's saying we have that kind of money just laying around for 7-figure scrubs, where was the money for Sano last year or for more scouts, etc., etc.

Why aren't we top 3 every year in draft budget?

Honestly this smells of desperation if he tries to grab a castoff from the waiver wire. One of those 'sees the writing on the wall' kind of scenarios.