Zrebiec: MacPhail won't ask for extension

[DuffMan]

Well at least I don't have to worry about things not being entertaining while OldFan is on vacation...

[Stotle]

Roberts, Markakis, Jones, Wieters, Matusz, and likely Zach Britton.

MacPhail made the decision to extend Roberts, rather than trade him or let him walk.

MacPhail made the decision to extend Markakis, rather than to trade him. He would still be here either way, so if you don't want to acknowledge that I have no issue.

Of your list, MacPhail is primarily responsible for Roberts and Jones and partially responsible for Markakis, Wieters, Matusz and Britton (by not trading any of them thus far, though there would certainly be interest in all three).

GMs don't get credit for players being drafted or signed out of the draft...sorry. That's the job of the SD. He needs to determine talent and signability.

[Crazysilver03]

My only vendetta is wanting the Orioles to win, and as long as MacPhail remains GM, he'll be a roadblock to that process.

One of the best things MacPhail has done is prevented roadblocks, such as acquiring veterans on horrible contracts that will rue the payroll.

We had a payroll close to $74M this season, but shed $9M in Millwood, $5M in Uehara, $3.5M in Wigginton, $2.6M in Izturis, $1.4M in Hendrickson, $4.5M in Atkins, and league minimum in Patterson and Lugo.

There is no increase in Roberts' contract, a $3.5M increase for Markakis, as well as arbitration increases for Jones, Scott, and Guthrie.

The payroll is open to be added to, so when the right piece does come along, we can go after it. Now of course, it is up to MacPhail to do what is necessary but he has put us in a good position to do so.

[DrungoHazewood]

Look at the record and winning % for the Orioles under each GM. Then look at the record before the Orioles hired Showalter under AM.

MacPhail had the worst winning % of any GM in franchise history since Art Ehlers in the clubs first season in Baltimore.

The Orioles were at their lowest point under MacPhail as they had sustained horrible season after horrible season and kept getting worse.

MacPhail did a horrible job of surrounding the young talent last offseason. What makes anybody think he should have the chance this offseason? He's done nothing to show that he has an eye for difference making position player talent or that he's willing to pay or trade several young players to acquire it.

My only vendetta is wanting the Orioles to win, and as long as MacPhail remains GM, he'll be a roadblock to that process.

You've never faced up to the fact that a GM specifically brought in to do a rebuild should be expected to have a poor winning percentage for several years. Nor have you accepted that any GM is going to be using players acquired by other GMs, throughout the organization, for years after he arrives.

Basically, a GM in MacPhail's position has several years before the major league team's winning percentage is a reflection of his work. At best you can give him partial credit/blame for 2009, and a more significant share of 2010.

To simply grade MacPhail on the Orioles' winning percentage since the day he arrived is disingenuous, at best. It betrays a clear bias, and an obvious agenda. But we all knew that.

[DrungoHazewood]

One of the best things MacPhail has done is prevented roadblocks, such as acquiring veterans on horrible contracts that will rue the payroll.

We had a payroll close to $74M this season, but shed $9M in Millwood, $5M in Uehara, $3.5M in Wigginton, $2.6M in Izturis, $1.4M in Hendrickson, $4.5M in Atkins, and league minimum in Patterson and Lugo.

There is no increase in Roberts' contract, a $3.5M increase for Markakis, as well as arbitration increases for Jones, Scott, and Guthrie.

The payroll is open to be added to, so when the right piece does come along, we can go after it. Now of course, it is up to MacPhail to do what is necessary but he has put us in a good position to do so.

None of that matters when your starting assumptions are that the Orioles are willfully and intentionally not using most of the resources at their disposal.

Remember, his plan involves the O's adding $50M to the payroll immediately, and annually both trading and replenishing much of the talent in the farm system.

[ShaneDawg85]

The pitching was spectacular, but the offense still sputtered under Buck.

You can't expect that pitching to continue. It might, but you can't depend on that so the offense has to be there when the pitching isn't. And right now it certainly isn't there.

Why the heck can't/shouldn't we? It was on the wings of our young pitchers, under our control for several seasons. If anything, we should be demanding that it continue, because if these guys are as good as we believe them to be, there's zero reason it shouldn't.

[Crazysilver03]

The pitching was spectacular, but the offense still sputtered under Buck.

You can't expect that pitching to continue. It might, but you can't depend on that so the offense has to be there when the pitching isn't. And right now it certainly isn't there.

Why the heck can't/shouldn't we? It was on the wings of our young pitchers, under our control for several seasons. If anything, we should be demanding that it continue, because if these guys are as good as we believe them to be, there's zero reason it shouldn't.

We can't believe it because it is MacPhail's plan coming to fruition. The grown arms are producing.

[DrungoHazewood]

Why the heck can't/shouldn't we? It was on the wings of our young pitchers, under our control for several seasons. If anything, we should be demanding that it continue, because if these guys are as good as we believe them to be, there's zero reason it shouldn't.

We should expect the pitching to be better than it had been up until August. It's probably unrealistic for the team to continue to lead the league in runs allowed while playing in a slight hitter's park in the AL East.

[Frobby]

We should expect the pitching to be better than it had been up until August. It's probably unrealistic for the team to continue to lead the league in runs allowed while playing in a slight hitter's park in the AL East.

Yeah, I think we can expect the pitching to be a lot better. Just not as good as it was over the last 2 months.

[Sports Guy]

This is still AM's job to buyild the team..not Buck's.

Buck will have a lot of input, probably more than most, if not all, managers do. However, the decision will ultimately be MacPhails.

[RustyMcNail]

Well I've been over the other stuff before.

Yes, we are well aware of your obsession.

[bobmc]

This is still AM's job to buyild the team..not Buck's.

Buck will have a lot of input, probably more than most, if not all, managers do. However, the decision will ultimately be MacPhails.

Buck said in his final presser that the only interest he has in the playoffs is to watch players we might have interest in acquiring. It sounds like he has input but it is obvious that AM makes the final decision. He also did talk about that being in the manager's job description and alluded to the fact that if "they want him to do more than that later on down the road" (my paraphrase) then he will. His influence in these decisions for the future beyond next year sounds open to me.

http://www.masnsports.com/steve_melewski/2010/10/the-2010-season-comes-to-an-end-as-tigers-top-os-4-2.html

[byrdz]

One of the best things MacPhail has done is prevented roadblocks, such as acquiring veterans on horrible contracts that will rue the payroll.

We had a payroll close to $74M this season, but shed $9M in Millwood, $5M in Uehara, $3.5M in Wigginton, $2.6M in Izturis, $1.4M in Hendrickson, $4.5M in Atkins, and league minimum in Patterson and Lugo.

There is no increase in Roberts' contract, a $3.5M increase for Markakis, as well as arbitration increases for Jones, Scott, and Guthrie.

The payroll is open to be added to, so when the right piece does come along, we can go after it. Now of course, it is up to MacPhail to do what is necessary but he has put us in a good position to do so.

The best part about all of this is that when AM does lay down some dough on an FA (most likely this winter), it won't be because this was the plan all along, it'll be because Buck stepped in and demanded AM do it.

[scOtt]

I reject your reality and substitute my own! - Adam Savage

[Mizerooskie]

Look at the record and winning % for the Orioles under each GM. Then look at the record before the Orioles hired Showalter under AM.

MacPhail had the worst winning % of any GM in franchise history since Art Ehlers in the clubs first season in Baltimore.

The Orioles were at their lowest point under MacPhail as they had sustained horrible season after horrible season and kept getting worse.

MacPhail did a horrible job of surrounding the young talent last offseason. What makes anybody think he should have the chance this offseason? He's done nothing to show that he has an eye for difference making position player talent or that he's willing to pay or trade several young players to acquire it.

My only vendetta is wanting the Orioles to win, and as long as MacPhail remains GM, he'll be a roadblock to that process.

So you honestly expected MacPhail to come into an organization that had been a loser for almost a decade, and turn that around in 3 years? In the AL East? That's absurd. Everything would have had to go right. He probably would have had to sign 5-6 type-A free agents at premium positions (i.e., not the bullpen), at minimum. That wasn't happening with the recent losing culture.

He's taken on no debilitating contracts, hit homeruns on his two biggest trades in Baltimore, and seems to have figured out the managerial situation. He's set the team up for future success. Isn't that the job of a rebuilding GM?

What bad moves has he made that have hurt the organization long-term?