My offseason plan

[JTrea81]

This is what I would do if I was GM this offseason:

1. Offer 4/68 to Adrian Beltre tonight. - It's time to show the Orioles are serious. No more of this waiting for the market. I'm setting the market. If you want to take Beltre from the Orioles, you are going to have to go all in and Beltre is going to have to turn down some serious cash if he doesn't want to play in Baltimore. I'm betting he'll take it, eventually though the offer may have to go up slightly.

2. At the GM Meetings trade Chris Tillman, Josh Bell and David Hernandez to the Brewers for Prince Fielder (sans extension). Forget about Gonzalez. Fielder will come much cheaper, and is still a bonified threat in the middle of the lineup. He lead MLB in walks and in a down year was still worth 4.1 WAR. I don't extend him because I'll likely be able to re-sign him for less than an extension when he hits FA.

By the Winter Meetings I expect to have my corner IF solved. Next step - SS.

3. Pick up one of the likely non tenders - Bartlett or Hardy. Sign them to a 2/10 deal.

4. Re-sign Koji Uehara to a 1 year $5 million deal with an option for 2012 to be the closer

5. Sign Eric Hinske to a 1 year $2.5 million deal with an option for 2012. Hinske was a solid option off the bench for the Braves and could do the same for Baltimore

6. Sign Jason Varitek to a 1 year $3 million deal with a team option for 2012. The Orioles need a solid backup catcher so they don't burn out Matt Wieters. Varitek is the best that's out there, and he is a good bat off the bench as well.

7. Sign Jerry Hairston to a 1 year 2.5 million deal to backup the middle IF spots.

8. Sign George Sherrill to a minor league deal with a ST invite after he's non-tendered. Sherrill got lit up against RH hitters but was still excellent vs. LH hitters. I think he could be this year's Ohman.

9. Trade Mike Gonzalez to the Yankees for AJ Burnett and $10 million. The Yankees need a LH reliever and the Orioles need a SP. I think Burnett will do better getting out of NY and he's wanted to pitch in Baltimore. Gonzalez isn't going to be worth the salary the Orioles are paying him. Burnett would be about $13 million a year, which would be about the going rate for a SP with his background.

Your 2011 Orioles:

Lineup:

2B Roberts

RF Markakis

3B Beltre

1B Fielder

CF Jones

DH Scott

C Wieters

LF Pie

SS Hardy/Bartlett

Bench:

OF Reimold

IF Hinske

C Varitek

IF Hairston

Rotation:

SP Guthrie

SP Matusz

SP Burnett

SP Bergesen

SP Arrieta

Bullpen:

LR Patton

MR Hoey

MR Berken

MR Sherrill

MR VandenHurk

SU Johnson

CL Uehara

That team is a 90 game winner on paper IMO and the only huge contract you give out is for Beltre at 4/68. Eventually Fielder will have to be re-signed, but you will already have Beltre and the core of the lineup under contract. You might need to still pick up another arm for the bullpen but that's about it until next offseason.

It's these kinds of moves that the Orioles need to make to set themselves up to be a winner. They probably won't make the playoffs in 2011, but might be able to if all goes right, and they won't have to add much at all before 2012 to finally be a playoff team.

[TWpj]

http://talk.baltimoresun.com/showthread.php?t=273135

/popcorn

[JTrea81]

http://talk.baltimoresun.com/showthread.php?t=273135

/popcorn

Yeah I posted it before, but this is for folks that may not have seen it (if they care).

[Roll Tide]

This is what I would do if I was GM this offseason:

1. Offer 4/68 to Adrian Beltre tonight. - It's time to show the Orioles are serious. No more of this waiting for the market. I'm setting the market. If you want to take Beltre from the Orioles, you are going to have to go all in and Beltre is going to have to turn down some serious cash if he doesn't want to play in Baltimore. I'm betting he'll take it, eventually though the offer may have to go up slightly.

2. At the GM Meetings trade Chris Tillman, Josh Bell and David Hernandez to the Brewers for Prince Fielder (sans extension). Forget about Gonzalez. Fielder will come much cheaper, and is still a bonified threat in the middle of the lineup. He lead MLB in walks and in a down year was still worth 4.1 WAR. I don't extend him because I'll likely be able to re-sign him for less than an extension when he hits FA.

By the Winter Meetings I expect to have my corner IF solved. Next step - SS.

3. Pick up one of the likely non tenders - Bartlett or Hardy. Sign them to a 2/10 deal.

4. Re-sign Koji Uehara to a 1 year $5 million deal with an option for 2012 to be the closer

5. Sign Eric Hinske to a 1 year $2.5 million deal with an option for 2012. Hinske was a solid option off the bench for the Braves and could do the same for Baltimore

6. Sign Jason Varitek to a 1 year $3 million deal with a team option for 2012. The Orioles need a solid backup catcher so they don't burn out Matt Wieters. Varitek is the best that's out there, and he is a good bat off the bench as well.

7. Sign Jerry Hairston to a 1 year 2.5 million deal to backup the middle IF spots.

8. Sign George Sherrill to a minor league deal with a ST invite after he's non-tendered. Sherrill got lit up against RH hitters but was still excellent vs. LH hitters. I think he could be this year's Ohman.

9. Trade Mike Gonzalez to the Yankees for AJ Burnett and $10 million. The Yankees need a LH reliever and the Orioles need a SP. I think Burnett will do better getting out of NY and he's wanted to pitch in Baltimore. Gonzalez isn't going to be worth the salary the Orioles are paying him. Burnett would be about $13 million a year, which would be about the going rate for a SP with his background.

Your 2011 Orioles:

Lineup:

2B Roberts

RF Markakis

3B Beltre

1B Fielder

CF Jones

DH Scott

C Wieters

LF Pie

SS Hardy/Bartlett

Bench:

OF Reimold

IF Hinske

C Varitek

IF Hairston

Rotation:

SP Guthrie

SP Matusz

SP Burnett

SP Bergesen

SP Arrieta

Bullpen:

LR Patton

MR Hoey

MR Berken

MR Sherrill

MR VandenHurk

SU Johnson

CL Uehara

That team is a 90 game winner on paper IMO and the only huge contract you give out is for Beltre at 4/68. Eventually Fielder will have to be re-signed, but you will already have Beltre and the core of the lineup under contract. You might need to still pick up another arm for the bullpen but that's about it until next offseason.

It's these kinds of moves that the Orioles need to make to set themselves up to be a winner. They probably won't make the playoffs in 2011, but might be able to if all goes right, and they won't have to add much at all before 2012 to finally be a playoff team.

Trea's Back:boogie:

I am ok with Fielder, even though I prefer Gonzalez.

I'd want Hardy for SS.

Beltre would have to seriously consider the Orioles. The good thing is the Red Sox won't likely overpay. So he'd be ours with a serious offer. Persoanlly If your going to do all this why not add Soriano. How much more is he going to cost than Uehara. He's more durable than Uehara. I actually would prefer adding Putzto the pen. And I dont think Uehara's coming back.

[RVAbird]

http://talk.baltimoresun.com/showthread.php?t=273135

/popcorn

This is the first time I've actually looked at the Sun boards.

I would gladly pay twice the plus membership fee to keep the OH board alive.

[Roll Tide]

From the Sun board

Jtrea-you should post here more. you are the only sense of reason over on that other board

Not Trea :rofl:

[TWpj]

[OrioleMagic]

Sounds like Boras wants 7 years for Beltre. Granted he might only get 5 or 6, but 4 is likely not enough.

[JTrea81]

Sounds like Boras wants 7 years for Beltre. Granted he might only get 5 or 6, but 4 is likely not enough.

I'd be willing to offer the 5th year if that's what it took to land him.

3B looks to be a wasteland for the next several years on the FA market.

You might have ARam next year, but he's not a match for Beltre defensively.

[Roll Tide]

Does anybody actually think McPhail would commit $22 Million per to Beltre & $23-25 Million per to Fielder?

I say the chances of this is similar to my chances of winning the Power Ball for $180 Million.

[Bosibus]

JTrea's team is a pipedream but I would feel confident going into 2011 with that on the field, do not know about Angelos's pockets would feel though.

[JTrea81]

Does anybody actually think McPhail would commit $22 Million per to Beltre & $23-25 Million per to Fielder?

I say the chances of this is similar to my chances of winning the Power Ball for $180 Million.

Actually it would be more like $23-$25 million per to Fielder and $17 million per to Beltre.

Keep in mind though, they would be the only premium additions to the payroll.

Beltre, Fielder, Markakis, Wieters and Jones would be the core of your lineup for several years.

[Roll Tide]

Actually it would be more like $23-$25 million per to Fielder and $17 million per to Beltre.

Keep in mind though, they would be the only premium additions to the payroll.

Beltre, Fielder, Markakis, Wieters and Jones would be the core of your lineup for several years.

Yes ...But you are also advocating for trading for Greinke right? He's at very least a $15 million per player also right?

And to make it worth trading the package your suggesting him you'd need to extend him.

[JTrea81]

Yes ...But you are also advocating for trading for Greinke right? He's at very least a $15 million per player also right?

Burnett, not Greinke, and I'd expect the Yankees to eat $10 million which would put him at 3/39 or $13 million per year.

[Hank Scorpio]

Welcome back, Sly.

Love the assumption that you'll be able to sign Fielder and keep him in shape for the 8 years he'll require.