Orioles' Talks With Markakis On Hold

YES!!

Markakis is WAY too good to be stuck on the Orioles.

He is going to be one of the best in baseball when he hits his prime.

That being said, he is already up there.

Definitely one of the best young players in the game.

A great defensive right fielder who hits for lots of contacts, churns out doubles that one day may turn into home runs, and has great plate discipline. The guy is already a star at 25 and should be a cornerstone of that team, with Jones and Wieters.

I think the 'Free Agent look' is to see if the Orioles do anything.

well i hope so XD23, they better extend his contract and not let him walk in 3 years

"One day hit for homeruns? Hasn't Markakis hit like around 20+ HRs every season since he boke into the majors? That's prime power considering he's done it with no protection whatsoever, and, he did it before age 25."

I meant that in terms of increasing his home run power. Right now Markakis has probably 25 HR power, but as he reaches his physical prime he may be able to become a 30-35 HR hitter, which when combined with his contact and plate discipline tools makes him an awesome talent. I love this kid.

Considering all the signs that free agents are going to sign for a lot less than everything initially thought they would, isn't waiting 6 weeks to talk the worst thing Markakis could possibly do?

If he signed by now, he might've gotten a deal comparable to other recent deals. If he waits until free agents sign and they get weak deals, he's going to get a weaker deal. Yeah, if Dunn and Abreu turn around and sign for $60/4 each, it's good for him, but I doubt that's going to happen...

Basemonkey...so are we talking of a Rick Ankiel like cannon?

Not too concerned, though I'm eager to see this thing get done. The O's know how important Markakis is to their rebuilding effort and will do what it takes to lock him up. Not much more to add to what's already been said. Markakis is easily one of the better young players in the game as well as one of the best all around talents, young or old. To do what he's done before turning 25 is impressive enough; it should be fun to watch him over the next eight to ten years, as he really hits his prime. For all the misery O's fans have endured over the past decade, it seems we're finally beginning to make some progress. With Markakis and Jones already in the fold, Wieters on the way, and several interesting pitchers- Tillman, Matusz, Arrieta, and Erbe among them- almost ready, I like where we're headed. Now, if we can just convince Bud Selig to move us- illogically, but helpfully- to the AL Central or even the NL East, we might compete at some point over the next ten years!!! Ugh.

Ankiel is a good comp. Both guys were pitchers at some point in their careers, Ankiel most notably so. Both feature high accuracy mid 90s throws with excellent carry on the fly.

In the AL the other great arms are Vlad, Vernon Wells, and Alex Rios. Who might be those guys in the NL? I heard Francoeur, Hawpe, and Andruw are guys of note.

For those of us who have played baseball, the biggest thing about receiving balls from very strong arms is that it actually whistles differently in a high pitch. From the stands, you can also tell by what it does once it bounces. Average throws tend to die. Strongest throws seem to gain speed after they hit.

*here