MacPhail Claims O's Had No Chance to Match Offer for VMart

[Dipper9]

Just for giggles, let's pretend Adrian Gonzalez was a free agent this year.

What would be your initial offer to him?

[JTrea] Blank check. [JTrea]

A blank check? Come on. Even the Trea has his limits.

Trea would obviously start the bidding at 8 years, $300 million. :mwahaha:

[Hank Scorpio]

I agree with this. Martinez would NOT have been my top choice, but since he WAS MacPhail's, you make him an offer that when he goes back to his wife and says..."The Orioles just offered me (x amount) and REALLY seem to want me" his wife says..."Sign the deal!"

I'm sure MacPhail thought he did exactly that.

As a catcher, Victor Martinez is a very good hitter. As a first baseman, he's a slightly better Lyle Overbay minus the defense.

How much would you offer Lyle Overbay?

[Shopay]

I'm sure MacPhail thought he did exactly that.

As a catcher, Victor Martinez is a very good hitter. As a first baseman, he's essentially Lyle Overbay minus the defense.

How much would you offer Lyle Overbay?

I think this is exactly the case.

[JTrea81]

Just for giggles, let's pretend Adrian Gonzalez was a free agent this year.

What would be your initial offer to him?

7/175 would be my initial offer provided he was healthy.

The health of his shoulder factors into that offer quite a bit.

I think the better question is if Prince Fielder was a FA and I'd give him the same offer.

[jaygdevil11]

This board is always damned if you do and and damned if you don't. The truth of the matter is we are not the quarterback, we do not have the new sports car, and we do not throw the parties, so how do we get the girl? We have to offer something that sets us aside from the competition and in the Orioles case that means going beyond what seems logical to other teams. I would be much more satisfied if we at least took some risk and were bad instead of treading water which we have been doing for over a decade now. I am not saying be reckless, but I would be all for giving up a more then nice package of young prospects to bring in a proven player like Fielder.

[Hank Scorpio]

7/150 would be my initial offer.

Is that including the Orioles tax?

[Moose Milligan]

7/175 would be my initial offer provided he was healthy.

The health of his shoulder factors into that offer quite a bit.

I think the better question is if Prince Fielder was a FA and I'd give him the same offer.

25 million a year for guys who aren't even the best at the game at their respective positions??????

[weams]

Hahaha, this is awesome. I can't stop laughing. :rofl::rofl::rofl:

Stop it Moose. We don't speak about THAT here.

[Hank Scorpio]

This board is always damned if you do and and damned if you don't. The truth of the matter is we are not the quarterback, we do not have the new sports car, and we do not throw the parties, so how do we get the girl? We have to offer something that sets us aside from the competition and in the Orioles case that means going beyond what seems logical to other teams. I would be much more satisfied if we at least took some risk and were bad instead of treading water which we have been doing for over a decade now. I am not saying be reckless, but I would be all for giving up a more then nice package of young prospects to bring in a proven player like Fielder.

I don't neccessarily disagree with you.

However, in this case, there's no way to know what was logical to other teams. Sounds to me like Martinez's agent got MacPhail's offer, knew Martinez wanted to go to Detroit, went to Dombrowski and said, "Hey, you need to do a little bit better than $12MM per year for 4 years, here."

Whoops!

[Hank Scorpio]

25 million a year for guys who aren't even the best at the game at their respective positions??????

No, no, no.... 7/150 was your initial offer, Trea. (See my initial response)

Guess what? Someone just offered him 7/$164 and he took it without calling you back.

Now you're just as much of a failure as AM. See how that works?

[JTrea81]

I don't neccessarily disagree with you.

However, in this case, there's no way to know what was logical to other teams. Sounds to me like Martinez's agent got MacPhail's offer, knew Martinez wanted to go to Detroit, went to Dombrowski and said, "Hey, you need to do a little bit better than $12MM per year for 4 years, here."

Whoops!

Yep, I'm sure how that's exactly how it went down. Now imagine if he went to Dombrowski and said can you beat 4/60?

There might have been a different result.

[Hank Scorpio]

Yep, I'm sure how that's exactly how it went down. Now imagine if he went to Dombrowski and said can you beat 4/60?

There might have been a different result.

4 years, $60 million is a ridiculously stupid expenditure for a 1st baseman (new to the position, by the way) with a career .838 OPS.

[JTrea81]

No, no, no.... 7/150 was your initial offer, Trea. (See my initial response)

Guess what? Someone just offered him 7/$164 and he took it without calling you back.

Now you're just as much of a failure as AM. See how that works?

C'mon now, I just didn't do the math right.

[Hank Scorpio]

C'mon now, I just didn't do the math right.

Hahahaha what would you say if MacPhail came out and said that?

[bej6789]

25 million a year for guys who aren't even the best at the game at their respective positions??????

I understand your point, but I think we need to look deeper here. The money is definitely out of control, but you aren't getting a top tier FA without overspending. Making an offer for 115 million and saying your offer is 'flexible' leaves the door open to essentially the exact thing that happened with Tex... you don't get a chance to see how flexible you really are. You have to put your best offer first when you're the Orioles, if someone wants to come out and beat it -- thats fine, but at least you know your best offer was on the table when it was topped and not your initial offer.

How much would you offer if you put your MAXIMUM offer on the table at first? If it's below 125 million, I'm not so sure it's feasible...