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Roch: AM isn't putting on a show for the fans by making offers he secretly hopes are turned down


ChaosLex

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As for Dunn...

Yes, the Orioles apparently offered him $40 million over four years. That's what I was told late last night, which (not surprisingly) confirmed a report in The Sun.

I'll eliminate one theory right away: President of baseball operations Andy MacPhail isn't putting on a show for the fans by making offers that he secretly hopes are turned down. False hustle isn't his style. At least, it hasn't been for the entire time that I've covered the Orioles with him in charge.

I pushed for the Orioles to increase their offer to Mark Teixeira despite MacPhail being told early in the process that the first baseman wasn't interested in coming to Baltimore. I felt like he had nothing to lose - end up with Teixeira or go down swinging from the heels and avoid the heated criticism - but he wasn't going to increase his offer without agent Scott Boras coming back to him about the original one, and while knowing that the Orioles weren't being considered. And MacPhail doesn't publicize his offers. Remember that he won't confirm his "aggressive" one to Paul Konerko. In his perfect world, nobody would know besides the players and agents.

Also, MacPhail isn't sitting around with wads of cash in his hands and a frown on his face because he's told that he can't spend it.

MacPhail made the opening bid and was told that the slugger could find a better offer elsewhere, which he did when the White Sox gave him a four-year, $56 million deal. Either MacPhail was hoping for a return call from Dunn's agent, and the opportunity to increase the offer, or he felt that Dunn wasn't worth more than $40 million.

MacPhail's concession was adding a fourth year to the package. That wasn't going to get it done without sweetening the pot.

If the Orioles were willing to go higher, it was an ultra-conservative opener. My feeling is they weren't going to budge from $40 million. Apparently, we value Dunn more than the team. I certainly thought that the White Sox did quite well for themselves at $56 million, and I said so yesterday.

The Orioles could trade for third baseman Mark Reynolds. Those discussions remain active, and it wouldn't surprise me in the least if it happens. But they'll need to be aggressive in signing a first baseman.

Be...aggressive.

Baltimore remains a tough sell, even with Buck Showalter in the manager's office. Agents aren't rushing to the phone to seek increases in low opening offers, not when plenty of other teams are throwing around larger sums of cash.

The Orioles have a chance to be aggressive next week in Orlando, in face-to-face meetings with these representatives. It has to be done, or they'll never get a Dunn.

http://www.masnsports.com/school_of_roch/2010/12/no-dunn-deal-for-orioles-2.html

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I don't think he's making offers to trick me into thinking he's being productive. I just think he's making stupid offers. It's like going to buy a new Camaro and offering them $5k, then turning around saying you thought that was all it was worth. You knew before you made the offer it wouldn't be accepted, you knew you weren't willing to give them what it took to get it done, so why the heck did you even make the offer? To make yourself look cheap? To prove some kind of point? It honestly serves no purpose whatsoever. It just lets all other FAs know you aren't willing to dish out big cash IMO.

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I would rather that it was an intentional lowball offer than what Roch states here. If MacPhail truly thought that 4/40 was a GOOD opening offer after Dunn already turned down 3/45 from the Nats, then we are in a lot more trouble than even I could have imagined!

Help us Obi-Wan Kenobi...you're our only hope!

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I would rather that it was an intentional lowball offer than what Roch states here. If MacPhail truly thought that 4/40 was a GOOD opening offer after Dunn already turned down 3/45 from the Nats, then we are in a lot more trouble than even I could have imagined!

Help us Obi-Wan Kenobi...you're our only hope!

This. If he was going to make an offer he had to know would be rejected, why even make it?

I don't think that MacPhail is a dumb guy. I just don't understand his thinking on this one.

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I think it's pretty clear that AM wants a big bat in the line up, but would prefer it to be a right handed one. But if a guy like Dunn or Pena can come on the cheap, then that's fine. Hence his low ball offer to Dunn. And his aggressive approach with Vmart and Konerko. I suspect that DLee is his third choice. I'm frustrated that it seems like the same old slow process that have lead to poor offseason's the past two years. But I'll wait until the offseason is over before I judge it a failure. My guess is we sign DLee/Pena, trade for Bartlett and Reynolds, sign a few BP arms and a innings eater veteran. They won't build a statue of AM for that kind of offseason, but it would be fine with me.

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MacPhail made the opening bid and was told that the slugger could find a better offer elsewhere, which he did when the White Sox gave him a four-year, $56 million deal.
Agents aren't rushing to the phone to seek increases in low opening offers, not when plenty of other teams are throwing around larger sums of cash.

Good for Roch for calling the team out on this... :clap3:

MacPhail's style of free agent negotiations will simply not work.

He's got to make his best offer the first time because it will likely be the only time he gets to.

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I think it's pretty clear that AM wants a big bat in the line up, but would prefer it to be a right handed one. But if a guy like Dunn or Pena can come on the cheap, then that's fine. Hence his low ball offer to Dunn. And his aggressive approach with Vmart and Konerko. I suspect that DLee is his third choice. I'm frustrated that it seems like the same old slow process that have lead to poor offseason's the past two years. But I'll wait until the offseason is over before I judge it a failure. My guess is we sign DLee/Pena, trade for Bartlett and Reynolds, sign a few BP arms and a innings eater veteran. They won't build a statue of AM for that kind of offseason, but it would be fine with me.

At this point I would do backflips naked down Charles Street if MacPhail can pull all of that off this offseason!

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Well season ticket plans go out next week. Maybe we will sign someone to keep the few ticket holders left happy. Where is the O's marketing this year? I see no ads in the Sunpaper for tickets or gift certificates. Has anyone seen the holiday four pack they used to sell. Other teams do caravans across the state with players to get the fans worked up for next season. The O's go into hibernation. The perfect holiday gift would be if they raised ticket prices this year.:laughlol:

That being said,Reynolds,Lee,LaRoche and Pena are probably still in play. They may have to act quickly with Reynolds since other teams might want to take a chance on a guy who hits home runs.

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Well season ticket plans go out next week. Maybe we will sign someone to keep the few ticket holders left happy. Ehere is the O's marketing this year? I see no ads in the Sunpaper for tickets or gift certificates. Has anyone seen the holiday four pack they used to sell. Other teams do caravans across the state with players to get the fans worked up for next season. The O's go into hibernation. The perfect holiday gift would be if they raised ticket prices this year.:laughlol:

That being said,Reynolds,Lee,LaRoche and Pena are probably still in play. They may have to act quickly with Reynolds since other teams might want to take a chance on a guy who hits home runs.

My agent hasn't even contacted me to see if I want to re-up.

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I would rather that it was an intentional lowball offer than what Roch states here. If MacPhail truly thought that 4/40 was a GOOD opening offer after Dunn already turned down 3/45 from the Nats, then we are in a lot more trouble than even I could have imagined!

Help us Obi-Wan Kenobi...you're our only hope!

I'm sure MacPhail looked at Dunn and saw half a player in that Dunn doesn't play defense. Now obviously the other half is quite proficient - but I would imagine (and this is just me pontificating) that it's difficult for AM to justify giving a DH $56MM over 4 years.

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I'm sure MacPhail looked at Dunn and saw half a player in that Dunn doesn't play defense. Now obviously the other half is quite proficient - but I would imagine (and this is just me pontificating) that it's difficult for AM to justify giving a DH $56MM over 4 years.

If that's the case (which I DO agree he is NOT a first baseman) then why make any offer at all? Or, at least do a 2/30 type of deal. Offer more per year to see if he'll bite as a DH. If you are offering 10 million per year when he already rejected 15 million per year, why even bother?

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