Heyman via twitter: O's after Konerko

[Dipper9]

They aren't going to get Werth. I don't want Pena. Beltre would be good but that still leaves a hole at 1B. If we got someone like Beltre and resigned Wigginton then I would be happy. I'd rather have Wigginton at 1st next year then someone like Pena or Berkman to be honest.

Wow! I guess we will agree to disagree.

If Wiggy is our starting first baseman next season, with ALL the other options out there, then MacPhail should resign his GM post immediately.

[reisig08]

Konerko has Glenn Davis written all over him....pass.

I'd rather get someone who can play good defense while our young pitchers continue to mature, while also providing some pop if nothing else. I really think Pena should be our main target. He's solid defensively, knows the division, and although streaky, has excellent power. Plus he is three years younger than Konerko.

[bluedog]

A geriatric with a Rascal would be an upgrade over what we had at 1B last year...that doesn't make signing Konerko a smart move.

And his "average" season over the last four years, which was one of the central points of the post to which you were responding, wouldn't be *that* much of a step-up, regardless.

So an .850 OPS, which is approximately Konerko's OPS over the past 4 years, wouldn't be a big upgrade for the O's at first? We put up a sub .700 OPS at first base this year.

Among qualifying 1b in the AL, only Cabrera, Konerko, Billy Butler and Teixiera posted an OPS over .840 this past year and Butler and Tex were only barely above that threshold.

If Konerko came in at .850 or so in 2011, I'd suggest that would not only be a signficant upgrade for the O's over their 2010 numbers, but that he'd also likely be outhit by only a handful of guys in the AL - Youklis, Morneau, Cabrera and possibly Teix. Pretty good company if you ask me.

Clearly we'd like to have a superstar at the position, but given the realities of what's available, Konerko may be one of the smartest moves the O's could make unless he completely falls apart, which I wouldn't expect him to do.

[bluedog]

Konerko has Glenn Davis written all over him....pass.

I'd rather get someone who can play good defense while our young pitchers continue to mature, while also providing some pop if nothing else. I really think Pena should be our main target. He's solid defensively, knows the division, and although streaky, has excellent power. Plus he is three years younger than Konerko.

So you expect a guy with 13 straight years of playing at least 137 games a year to come to the O's, suffer a major injury and never play baseball again? Cause that's what "Glenn Davis written all over him" says to me.

Konerko has 30 HR / 90 RBI written all over him to me.

[Hank Scorpio]

I could live with Konerko or Derrek Lee if MacPhail doesn't come up with some stroke of genius trade for a long term solution.

[AZOriole]

Konerko's "average season" would be a big improvement for the O's at 1b.

As much as I'm not a proponent of the O's signing Konerko, this is a sad fact.

[reisig08]

"So you expect a guy with 13 straight years of playing at least 137 games a year to come to the O's, suffer a major injury and never play baseball again? Cause that's what "Glenn Davis written all over him" says to me."

You are taking me a little TOO literally on this one...what I am saying is he has the look to me of a player that is coming off some big years but is about to go into a big decline. We don't have the line up to protect this guy like he had in Chicago and he doesn't play very good defense. I don't want him. If you want to make exact comparisons, then I guess I should be more careful with my comments...

Konerko is not the guy the Orioles need right now. I just think he's a huge risk at the money and years he'll likely be asking for after a 39 HR season....as I said, PASS.

[Guest rochester]

Yeah, I mean I agree. He's got his reasons for not coming here, but hell, so does everyone else. :laughlol:

Didn't they just win the WS when he re-upped? That feeling can be pretty persuasive..

[Woody Held]

We need a right handed power hitter. With the American League East having so many dominating southpaws you need a right handed power hitter.

All the other first base options are left handed or switch hitters who have more power from the left side.

I find the O's chance of going hard after Konerko a real possibility.

You can still go after Gonzo or Fielder next year and move Konerko to DH

[MrOrange82]

So an .850 OPS, which is approximately Konerko's OPS over the past 4 years, wouldn't be a big upgrade for the O's at first? We put up a sub .700 OPS at first base this year.

Among qualifying 1b in the AL, only Cabrera, Konerko, Billy Butler and Teixiera posted an OPS over .840 this past year and Butler and Tex were only barely above that threshold.

If Konerko came in at .850 or so in 2011, I'd suggest that would not only be a signficant upgrade for the O's over their 2010 numbers, but that he'd also likely be outhit by only a handful of guys in the AL - Youklis, Morneau, Cabrera and possibly Teix. Pretty good company if you ask me.

Clearly we'd like to have a superstar at the position, but given the realities of what's available, Konerko may be one of the smartest moves the O's could make unless he completely falls apart, which I wouldn't expect him to do.

Your stats are misleading. For one thing, 11 first basemen had an OPS of .840 or better last year (a down year for offense)...OK, only four of them were in the AL. These things happen. In 2009 Konerko's .842 OPS put him 20th in baseball, just ahead of Nick Johnson and worse than Adam LaRoche, Victor Martinez, Russell Branyan, Lance Berkman, Carlos Pena, Adam Dunn...and many others. In 2008 Konerko's .783 OPS actually placed him one spot higher (19th)...once again behind most of the players just mentioned. In 2007, Konerko's OPS was .841...13th in baseball, and sandwiched between Casey Kotchman and Ryan Garko.

Konerko is aging, and coming off a borderline-inexplicable career year. The "averages" you cited, when dissected, show that he's been anything but elite (or even very good) over the last several years, with 2010 being the exception. I have zero interest in overpaying Konerko for a performance he's virtually guaranteed to not repeat. If you insist on looking at averages like the ones you mentioned in weighing your decision, realize that you're taking about a player whose been better than "average" at his position just once in the last four years for the statistical category on which you're leaning.

[Crazysilver03]

I think Dunn is the best first baseman available in free agency (even considering his awful defense), because his bat is the surest thing. Konerko is probably second.

But neither Dunn nor Konerko is so much better than Lance Berkman to justify giving up our second round pick.

I'm an Adam Dunn advocate, mostly because of the cascade effect I think he'd have on other players in the lineup (especially if someone like Beltre or Reynolds was also acquired for 3B...though I realize spending money on Dunn and Beltre is unlikely), although it looks like Dunn may end up with the Tigers.

After Dunn, I don't really like the available options...maybe D. Lee (given that he winds up cheaper than Konerko). I'd say trade or 1 year stopgap with a mind towards throwing the kitchen sink at one of next year's FA first basemen.

Well it looks like Dunn is about to become a Tiger.

[Brendan25]

Wow! I guess we will agree to disagree.

If Wiggy is our starting first baseman next season, with ALL the other options out there, then MacPhail should resign his GM post immediately.

Listen I'm not saying Wiggy at 1B is our ideal option, but if they can get someone like Beltre at 3B, I would be more willing to accept Wigginton at 1B. The ideal would be to get someone like Beltre and LaRoche or Martinez, but at least one big bat has to come. One of Martinez, LaRoche, Dunn, or Beltre. Werth or Crawford aren't coming here.

[RVAbird]

We need a right handed power hitter. With the American League East having so many dominating southpaws you need a right handed power hitter.

All the other first base options are left handed or switch hitters who have more power from the left side.

I find the O's chance of going hard after Konerko a real possibility.

You can still go after Gonzo or Fielder next year and move Konerko to DH

Derrek Lee??

[El Gordo]

Anyway, he'd provide some middle of the order (MOO!) power.

Take some WOW to get MOO.:laughlol:

[SrMeowMeow]

There are two interpretations:

"I've seen that the Orioles are making a run at Konerko, which makes sense because they need corner infielders."

and...

"I see (I predict that) the Orioles make a run at Konerko, because they need corner infielders."

I think it's clearly the latter. And Heyman is a dummy.