MFY readying Lee offer; Red Sox contact Werth

[Babypowder]

I'd try to sign Martinez to play first and Jose Lopez for third. He had a bad yr. for Seattle last season but is only 26 and had two good years previously. Better than average fielder.

If Martinez doesn't work, I'd still go for Butler. More and more, I'd like to see them try for Grienke. Keep Izturis unless something really great presents itself. Manny's there soon, anyway.

You mean this Jose Lopez? The one with the .266/.297/.400 career line? He never had a good year. He has had two years where he wasn't embarrassing.

[Tony-OH]

I bolded the part that I think makes the most sense. It's just my opinion, but I think the Orioles could push themselves closer to being relevant in the AL East by trading for what they need to fill their holes. Count me as one who doesn't see the point of offering the moon to Werth or C. Lee, or to a lesser extent, Dunn/D. Lee/Beltre. Is Werth or Lee, or any of those other guys really going to put them over the top? It's not likely. While it would make us all fee good in December, and give us all something to talk about, does Werth or Lee really make the O's a contender? I just don't see it. Maybe I'm wrong.

And no, I don't have the perfect trade solution in front of me either. But if a guy like Colby Rasmus is made available, you explore that, and explore it with fervor. That's a cornterstone-type player, in my opinion. And while I don't really care for Mark Reyonolds, if he can be had for a sack of baseballs and a pouch of Big League Chew, you make a run. He's actually a perfect example of a potential low risk/high reward player that could be had (if made available) without decimating the farm.

Those are the types of aggressive moves that I'd love to see this offseason.

And, again, that's just my $0.02.

This is a pretty common theme around here, but in my opinion, it's about getting better. Sure, if we only get Lee or Werth it's not going to put us "over the top," but it will improve the team and that makes it easier to build the rest of the team.

Say for instance we did get Lee, our rotation going into 2011 is Lee, Matusz, Guthrie, Bergesen, Arrieta with Britton and Tillman as depth at AAA. I'll be glad to go against the AL East with that rotation.

Then say we added Werth, put him in left field and traded Reimold/Pie, Hernandez and say Steve Johnson/Mickolio for Mark Reynolds (might take more. Then sign Juan Uribe for SS and and Derek Lee on a two year deals and suddenly we have a team that looks competitive to me.

Our lineup would be:

1. Roberts - 2B

2. Markakis - RF

3. Werth - LF

4. Scott - DH

5. Lee -1B

6. Wieters - C

7. Reynolds - 3B

8. Jones - CF

9. Uribe -SS

I think we put this team together for about $120 million and be a contender. It's time to take on risk! Make a splash!! Let's do it!!

[Babypowder]

This is a pretty common theme around here, but in my opinion, it's about getting better. Sure, if we only get Lee or Werth it's not going to put us "over the top," but it will improve the team and that makes it easier to build the rest of the team.

Say for instance we did get Lee, our rotation going into 2011 is Lee, Matusz, Guthrie, Bergesen, Arrieta with Britton and Tillman as depth at AAA. I'll be glad to go against the AL East with that rotation.

Then say we added Werth, put him in left field and traded Reimold/Pie, Hernandez and say Steve Johnson/Mickolio for Mark Reynolds (might take more. Then sign Juan Uribe for SS and and Derek Lee on a two year deals and suddenly we have a team that looks competitive to me.

Our lineup would be:

1. Roberts - 2B

2. Markakis - RF

3. Werth - LF

4. Scott - DH

5. Lee -1B

6. Wieters - C

7. Reynolds - 3B

8. Jones - CF

9. Uribe -SS

I think we put this team together for about $120 million and be a contender. It's time to take on risk! Make a splash!! Let's do it!!

I think JTrea hacked Tony's account.

[Frobby]

What I WANT is a real first baseman, a real third baseman, a REAL cleanup hitter, and shortstop who can hit his weight. I WANT the Front Office to act like building the team and filling the holes is a priority, not an afterthought. I want players to come in here who will help make us a winner, not players that will be stop gaps while we wait for the "supposed" prospects to make it. What I WANT is for the Orioles to act like a professional organization, rather than the laughing stock we have been for a decade, before 2 months of Bucky Ball has some feeling giddy again.

I don't think what I am asking for is too much. I don't need to know about moves before they happen, and MacPhail should absolutely not be tipping his hand to anyone, but I just wonder how many more seasons we have to enter April with a team we KNOW cannot compete before fans will stop giving this organization the benefit of the doubt?????

I agree with at least some of what you are saying, though not all of it. I agree we should be more aggressive this winter than in the past several years. But that's not necessarily because I think we were wrong to be less aggressive in the past. I just think the timing is better for us to be aggressive, due to the experience our younger players now have. Our window to compete has been glued shut for a while because our core just wasn't ready, but now I feel it is starting to open, and we need to go get the pieces we need to supplement the core now.

That said, I just don't care about the Yankees announcing on day one that they are going after Lee. We need to figure out who our targets are and pursue them, but I really don't care if we telegraph it in the media, and in certain cases, if we need to wait until the arbitration date passes to make a real move, then fine.

[El Gordo]

You are completely missing the point. The irritation is not with the fact that we are not going hard after Werth and Lee. The irritation is the fact that once again it appears the Orioles FO is sitting back, letting the market set itself, and not being aggresive in our pursuit of filling the AT LEAST three major holes on this team.

Why do we always need to wait until December or January to start filling our needs? Why can we never be the ones making the November trades? Why? Because its MacPhail's MO to sit back and wait while the teams ahead of us make themselves better.

You base this on what? The fact that we aren't mentioned in press reports on Lee and Werth 2 days after FA begins? That's pretty silly to me. And as I said before we should be letting the market set itself on 1B. There is nothing there to be aggressive about. You aren't going to hear anything in the press regarding trades when AM is involved.

[BaltimoreTerp]

If it looks like a duck, and it sounds like a duck, then its probably a duck.

Past history has shown that MacPhail is not quick to make moves. If you want to believe that is changing for some reason, more power to ya. I HOPE you are right.

If the duck is in another room, and you can't see it or hear it, you can't call it a duck. It might not be a duck; it might be a rabbit or a tiger or a vermicious knid.

Some of us want a window to be opened into that other room before we start speculating on whether or not the duck is in there again.

[Dipper9]

If the duck is in another room, and you can't see it or hear it, you can't call it a duck. It might not be a duck; it might be a rabbit or a tiger or a vermicious knid.

Some of us want a window to be opened into that other room before we start speculating on whether or not the duck is in there again.

[BaltimoreTerp]

No. I don't want them to tell ME anything.

What I WANT is a real first baseman, a real third baseman, a REAL cleanup hitter, and shortstop who can hit his weight. I WANT the Front Office to act like building the team and filling the holes is a priority, not an afterthought. I want players to come in here who will help make us a winner, not players that will be stop gaps while we wait for the "supposed" prospects to make it. What I WANT is for the Orioles to act like a professional organization, rather than the laughing stock we have been for a decade, before 2 months of Bucky Ball has some feeling giddy again.

I don't think what I am asking for is too much. I don't need to know about moves before they happen, and MacPhail should absolutely not be tipping his hand to anyone, but I just wonder how many more seasons we have to enter April with a team we KNOW cannot compete before fans will stop giving this organization the benefit of the doubt?????

If you are looking for those kinds of absolutes this early in free agency, you aren't going to be happy even if you were a Yankees fan.

You want these things done YESTERDAY, which is a fine belief as long as you aren't trying to project it onto a situation that makes it impossible for you to be satisfied. It becomes whining for the sake of whining, whether there are valid views behind them or not.

[BaltimoreTerp]

http://twitter.com/#!/SI_JonHeyman/status/1999405624332289

hearing #orioles are being aggressive in free agency early, as well as #pirates and #nationals. good to see.

How 'bout them quacks?

[Tony-OH]

I think JTrea hacked Tony's account.

Funny. Don't get me wrong, I don't think this is going to happen because clearly the Yankees are not going to be out spent for Lee and Werth probably won't come back here unless we significantly overspend.

I do think Uribe would be a decent sign and I'm all about trading for Reynolds. I also stand by the fact that we need a TOR starter and as god as Matusz was over the last six weeks, I still haven't seen him do it over the course of an entire season yet.

[El Gordo]

Funny. Don't get me wrong, I don't think this is going to happen because clearly the Yankees are not going to be out spent for Lee and Werth probably won't come back here unless we significantly overspend.I do think Uribe would be a decent sign and I'm all about trading for Reynolds. I also stand by the fact that we need a TOR starter and as god as Matusz was over the last six weeks, I still haven't seen him do it over the course of an entire season yet.

Do you think we should overspend and do whatever it takes to get these guys? I think they should trade for Reynolds and trade for a SS like Hardy or Bartlett. If we can't get these guys, then Uribe and Hall would be decent fall back options. Trading for a TOR like Grienke makes sens as well.

[Dipper9]

No. I don't want them to tell ME anything.

What I WANT is a real first baseman, a real third baseman, a REAL cleanup hitter, and shortstop who can hit his weight. I WANT the Front Office to act like building the team and filling the holes is a priority, not an afterthought. I want players to come in here who will help make us a winner, not players that will be stop gaps while we wait for the "supposed" prospects to make it. What I WANT is for the Orioles to act like a professional organization, rather than the laughing stock we have been for a decade, before 2 months of Bucky Ball has some feeling giddy again.

I don't think what I am asking for is too much. I don't need to know about moves before they happen, and MacPhail should absolutely not be tipping his hand to anyone, but I just wonder how many more seasons we have to enter April with a team we KNOW cannot compete before fans will stop giving this organization the benefit of the doubt?????

If you are looking for those kinds of absolutes this early in free agency, you aren't going to be happy even if you were a Yankees fan.

You want these things done YESTERDAY, which is a fine belief as long as you aren't trying to project it onto a situation that makes it impossible for you to be satisfied. It becomes whining for the sake of whining, whether there are valid views behind them or not.

See the bolded section above. I want a productive offseason heading into April is what I inferred above. I do NOT expect things done yesterday and I know we have a lot to do. My pessimism is based on what MacPhail has historically done, not on the fact that we are not in on Lee or Werth.

[Tony-OH]

Do you think we should overspend and do whatever it takes to get these guys? I think they should trade for Reynolds and trade for a SS like Hardy or Bartlett. If we can't get these guys, then Uribe and Hall would be decent fall back options. Trading for a TOR like Grienke makes sens as well.

I would certainly prefer the trading route but we only have so many chips to trade, so free agency will have to come into play even if it means losing a wnd round draft pick.

I would target Hardy and make Uribe my backup plan. Bartlett would be good as well but I doubt TB trades him within the division. I think we will have to overspend a bit and we'll have to take on risk, but the more players see that the Orioles mean business the more players are going to want to come here. Actions speak louder than words and it's time for the Orioles to make a splash and announce to everyone that they are real players again in the free agency and trading markets.

[BaltimoreTerp]

See the bolded section above. I want a productive offseason heading into April is what I inferred above. I do NOT expect things done yesterday and I know we have a lot to do. My pessimism is based on what MacPhail has historically done, not on the fact that we are not in on Lee or Werth.

But you are using that pessimism not to question the potential path of the entire offseason, but to damn him for not doing the impossible over a couple of days.

So far, all we have are the report that the Orioles didn't bid in that Japanese pitcher, and a tweet from Jon Heyman (who, annoying as he may be, knows what he is talking about when it comes to what he is told) saying the Orioles have been aggressive so far.

[Babypowder]

Funny. Don't get me wrong, I don't think this is going to happen because clearly the Yankees are not going to be out spent for Lee and Werth probably won't come back here unless we significantly overspend.

I do think Uribe would be a decent sign and I'm all about trading for Reynolds. I also stand by the fact that we need a TOR starter and as god as Matusz was over the last six weeks, I still haven't seen him do it over the course of an entire season yet.

Obviously I wouldn't think you actually thought all that was possible in one offseason. I would also love Reynolds, and agree we need an ace but calling for a 120 million dollar payroll? I don't think anyone is realistically expecting that anytime soon.