Jen Royle gets it

[JTrea81]

Because you know what the Orioles have to do to get this domino affect started? OVERPAY. They need to OVERPAY for a big-name player to start the recruiting process if you may. Because one of the other main reasons why Martinez signed with the Tigers was Miguel Cabrera, his fellow Venezuelan.

Who on the Orioles is selling Charm City? And if they are, what is their sales pitch?

With reports that Adrian Beltre close to signing a five-year deal in the $65M range with the Oakland A's, yes you read that correctly, the Oakland A's, while most veteran players are looking to join winning teams, sometimes, just sometimes, that one extra year or that extra $5M added to the Christmas stocking can do the trick.

My concern is that the Orioles aren't offering either.

http://www.masnsports.com/the_royle_rundown/2010/11/os-fans-can-say-c-ya-to-v-mart.html

Not sure about that Beltre line but she nails everything else.

Figures she's a former Yankees reporter, but she's used to following good teams. Good for her for taking the team to task. We'll see how long she stays at MASN though...

[JTrea81]

Saw this as well:

We all know the O's are going to have overpay for a key free agent. Some might say they did just that in this case. It's reaching the point that they may have to go beyond overpaying to offering a crazy contract to get something done.

They just are not going to be able to get anyone while maintaining any constraint or fiscal sanity.

So Victor's not coming here.

The fans are ticked off and tired of this feeling. They've been here before.

What will it take to win one of these sweepstakes and when will it happen?

http://www.masnsports.com/steve_melewski/2010/11/victor-goes-to-detroit-and-os-fans-feel-spurned-yet-again.html

Wow Melweski might actually be finally succumbing to the Orioles continued offseason failures.

Crazy contract to get something done? They might have to boost the payroll significantly to get players to win? Blasphemy!

[Moose Milligan]

Who do you want to overpay for this year and possibly hamstring us from getting Fielder next year?

[JTrea81]

Who do you want to overpay for this year and possibly hamstring us from getting Fielder next year?

Beltre. They have to get him.

And they can afford them both...

[scOtt]

Beltre. They have to get him.

And they can afford them both...

What Trea said.

[SilentJames]

What Trea said.

Is not very accurate or wise?

[DuffMan]

You lost me at Jen Royle.

[scOtt]

Is not very accurate or wise?

I think we need to make the big push now.

[Araqnid]

So if you can, go after Pena, who is also familiar with the American League East.

Ooh, lets overpay for this one!

Without Kevin Millwood and possibly Ty Wigginton, who will step up on this Orioles team and be a clubhouse leader? Adam Jones? Nope. I respect Adam as a player and a person, but I don't think it's in his personality to take control over a clubhouse. Brian Roberts? No again. Luke Scott? Possibly, if he stays. And the list goes on and on.

Why not Roberts? Or Guthrie or Markakis? Clearly Wigginton, and not Markakis was the leader of this team.

Trea, she doesn't get it at all. The basis of the article, that you need to make a big splash is completely correct, and I agree that we really need to push for Beltre, but when she makes statements like the above, makes claims about reports that have seemingly no basis since no one has heard them and she hasn't cited anything but "reports", I can't take this seriously at all.

[brotherlo38]

Worrying about who will be the "team leader" is ridiculous. And thank god we didn't sign V-Mart to that contract. Spend the money on Beltre.

[Mongolbird]

We didn't need VMart, who would have been a converted catcher. If the O's offered 4/48 for conversion, that was fiscally irresponsible. Glad he signed with the stupid, overpaying Detroit Tigers trying to keep up with the Yankees and making everybody else suffer.

As for Beltre. Big fat no on an aging, inconsistent ballplayer. Besides, he wants to play on the West Coast. O's aren't going to touch that pole. I'm fine with passing on him. But I won't be fine if AM buys another Atkins out of desperation.

I'm also not fine with the Koji situation. You don't go cheap on pitching and that's what AM did. I'm tired of that kind of crap. I'm tired of not going after the Cliff Lee's of the world. AM can't even get a decent veteran pitcher to come in. No, he buys retreads and aging has beens because nobody else wants them.

I haven't bought an O's ticket in two years because I'm not going to support that kind of penury when we know the O's can well afford to pay at least market value for a good player to shore up our needs. But the catch 22 to that is, the O's can no longer attract top tier FA's because they know AM and PA are like Scrooge and Marley.

[JTrea81]

Ooh, lets overpay for this one!

Why not Roberts? Or Guthrie or Markakis? Clearly Wigginton, and not Markakis was the leader of this team.

Trea, she doesn't get it at all. The basis of the article, that you need to make a big splash is completely correct, and I agree that we really need to push for Beltre, but when she makes statements like the above, makes claims about reports that have seemingly no basis since no one has heard them and she hasn't cited anything but "reports", I can't take this seriously at all.

There's a reason I quoted that certain part of the article. I agree she's off base with other things.

But the fact is this team's recruiting is quite abysmal under Andy MacPhail. They never have pulled out all the stops to get a player - be it with their offer or the effort they make with their sales pitch.

For a team that's performed as poorly as the Orioles, "wining and dining" is very important and the Orioles' GM is among the worst of not the worst at doing so in MLB and it sets the Orioles back from the start.

[Moose Milligan]

There's a reason I quoted that certain part of the article. I agree she's off base with other things.

But the fact is this team's recruiting is quite abysmal under Andy MacPhail. They never have pulled out all the stops to get a player - be it with their offer or the effort they make with their sales pitch.

For a team that's performed as poorly as the Orioles, "wining and dining" is very important and the Orioles' GM is among the worst of not the worst at doing so in MLB and it sets the Orioles back from the start.

The fact remains is that you have no clue what the Orioles do for their "sales pitch".

I'd love to be corrected, though. Please give some details about how the Orioles "wine and dine" their potential signings and how they could improve.

[JTrea81]

The fact remains is that you have no clue what the Orioles do for their "sales pitch".

I'd love to be corrected, though. Please give some details about how the Orioles "wine and dine" their potential signings and how they could improve.

I see the result. That's my evidence.

MacPhail has never landed a premium FA, ever. Every pursuit of premium free agent targets the Orioles may have had have all failed during his tenure.

Every single one.

[YardBirds13]

Sorry to make this a post in a thread, but can someone please PM me how to do that Monkey List thing or whatever it's called. I'm not going to be make it through the off-season without it.

Thanks in advance.