Source: Orioles Close To Signing Kevin Gregg To Two Year Deal

[delinodeshields]

Bard, Jenks and Papelbon at the end of games?

Daniel Bard is by far the best of the bunch. The longer he is kept out of the closers role the better. Papelbon and Jenks are sinking ships.

[isestrex]

Daniel Bard is by far the best of the bunch. The longer he is kept out of the closers role the better. Papelbon and Jenks are sinking ships.

Agreed... I think Papelbon might bounce back but the Jenks ship has sailed. This has Eric Gagne part 2 written all over it.

[Os84]

New update from Zrebiec.

[Sports Guy]

Hopefully he goes to a team where he is definitely the closer.

[Mark Carver]

New update from Zrebiec.

Horwits declined to characterize what team is the frontrunner for Gregg's services, but he did say that the opportunity to close is very important to him.

Interesting.

[El Gordo]

Interesting.

Maybe that's why we offered so much. We'd rather Koji closed and Gregg set up.

[Sports Guy]

Would the Orioles offer him the closers job to get him here?

[DuffMan]

Would the Orioles offer him the closers job to get him here?

I hope not, but that wouldn't surprise me if they did.

[isestrex]

Would the Orioles offer him the closers job to get him here?

Why not? If he has a Gonzo like disaster opening day, we have Koji as his replacement.

It's not like we have someone totally set right now or that Gregg is such a horrible option.

(you just don't want him for multiple years, regardless )

[Os84]

I don't think they would offer him the closer's job exclusively, but maybe just the opportunity to close some games.

[DrungoHazewood]

What he said.

Grant Balfour is only a worthwhile signing at $1 million per season.

Balfour is the poster boy for what's wrong with the current draft pick compensation system. He's been worth about a win a year over the last three years, 180 innings of a 3.00. Decent enough pitcher, somebody you'd be reasonably justified in signing to a 1/5 or 2/10 kind of deal.

But since he'll cost you a 1st/2nd round pick worth upwards of $5M, maybe more, he's essentially valued at $0. He really would have been more valuable this offseason if he'd blown his last 6 saves and dropped to a Type B.

If he ever signs another MLB contract he'd do well to become the team's union rep, and work his butt off to get the compensation system fixed or eliminated.

[Frobby]

Balfour is the poster boy for what's wrong with the current draft pick compensation system.

I'd have to agree with you there.

[Cavspider]

Balfour is the poster boy for what's wrong with the current draft pick compensation system. He's been worth about a win a year over the last three years, 180 innings of a 3.00. Decent enough pitcher, somebody you'd be reasonably justified in signing to a 1/5 or 2/10 kind of deal.

But since he'll cost you a 1st/2nd round pick worth upwards of $5M, maybe more, he's essentially valued at $0. He really would have been more valuable this offseason if he'd blown his last 6 saves and dropped to a Type B.

If he ever signs another MLB contract he'd do well to become the team's union rep, and work his butt off to get the compensation system fixed or eliminated.

If he is a type A free agent that means he was offered arbitration and he refused, right? He messed up and should have accepted arbitration. Sounds like his agent screwed up to me. The system is working as intended from the players perspective IMO. He had two choices and picked the worst one.

Not sure I understand why this shows a need to fix the system, though it might need it for other reasons such as competitive team balance perspective (i.e. the rich better able to game the system denying the poor the balance it was intended to promote).

[RVAbird]

If he is a type A free agent that means he was offered arbitration and he refused, right? He messed up and should have accepted arbitration. Sounds like his agent screwed up to me. The system is working as intended from the players perspective IMO. He had two choices and picked the worst one.

Not sure I understand why this shows a need to fix the system, though it might need it for other reasons such as competitive team balance perspective (i.e. the rich better able to game the system denying the poor the balance it was intended to promote).

If Balfour had never been offered arbitration, he would likely receive that same arbitrated salary or more over a multi-year deal. Arbitration grants a player a one year contract, whereas some long-term stability might be favorable, especially to a reliever.

There's no question that Balfour would have received the most lucrative offer had he not qualified for type-A status, rather than if he had accepted arbitration or declined and come at the cost of a draft pick.

[DrungoHazewood]

If he is a type A free agent that means he was offered arbitration and he refused, right? He messed up and should have accepted arbitration. Sounds like his agent screwed up to me. The system is working as intended from the players perspective IMO. He had two choices and picked the worst one.

Not sure I understand why this shows a need to fix the system, though it might need it for other reasons such as competitive team balance perspective (i.e. the rich better able to game the system denying the poor the balance it was intended to promote).

First problem is that a guy who's put in the requisite service time to qualify to go to the team of his choosing can't do that, or really have much of any choice at all, because the compensation the system has in place for signing him is more valuable than he is. Basically the system says that if you play well, but are in a role that limits your market value like middle relief, you don't get to really be a free agent.

Second problem is that the system was supposedly put in place to compensate teams when they lose a player they paid a lot of money to develop. Balfour was signed by the Twins many years ago, has changed organizations multiple times, and yet the Rays will be compensated for losing him.

You mention the problem of rich teams gaming the system in ways poor teams often feel they can't.