3:26pm: Markakis, too, says he is unaware of any current extension talks, tweets Connolly. He quotes the right fielder: “Nothing. Unless my agent hasn’t been telling me everything, because I haven’t heard anything.”
2:53pm: Cruz says that there are no talks at present, though he had some discussions with the Orioles earlier in the year, MLB.com’s Britt Ghiroli reports on Twitter.
1:37pm: The Orioles have interest in reaching a late-breaking extension with outfielder Nick Markakis as well, Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun suggests on Twitter. He does note that deals do not appear imminent with either Markakis or Cruz.
Earlier, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com tweeted that he would not be surprised to see the club try to open talks with Markakis.
12:08pm: After seemingly reaching terms on a deal with J.J. Hardy, the Orioles are now “pushing” to get a contract done with fellow free agent-to-be Nelson Cruz, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports on Twitter.
Cruz, 34, enjoyed a monster season at the plate in his first year with the O’s, hitting an MLB-best 40 home runs while working his way to a strong .271/.333/.525 batting line. While he’s been known to have injury problems in the past, Cruz tied a career-best with 159 games played this season.
Cruz is currently playing on a one-year, $8MM contract after struggling to find a suitable multi-year deal last offseason on the heels of a PED suspension and a qualifying offer. The slugging DH/outfielder recently switched agents, signing on with Diego Bentz of Relativity Sports, so he’ll have different representation this time around than he did when negotiating his last contract.
If the two sides do indeed reach a deal, the free agent market will take a significant hit today. Hardy was arguably the best pure shortstop on the market, and Cruz represented perhaps the best power bat for teams looking to add some thump to their lineup. An extension for Cruz would be unquestionably good news for the likes of Victor Martinez, Melky Cabrera and Yasmany Tomas, as there will now be less competition on the open market.
Well this is somewhat surprising
Team chemistry counts. A lot. They should stay with the O’s and Buck. The same way James should stay with the Orioles.
America likes baseball teams. Not fantasy league teams in big markets made up of expensive free agents.
America likes winners. And stories, we also love a good story.
3 years/$45MM w/ $19MM club option, $3MM buyout, I’m predicting/think would be appropriate.
And I’m predicting that that buyout is a guarantee no matter how good or poor he does.
WOW!!!!! The Orioles are getting work done today.
Orioles sure are using their free time before he ALCS effectively.
I was wondering what they would do with this extra off time.This is a very very good way to spend this off time….GO O’S !!!!!!1
Hopefully for them though it doesn’t affect anything. Could Cruz/Markakis be annoyed now because they didn’t get an extension?
Extensions can get distracting, they could have waited a bit.
I read that they had groundwork laid in ST. So it could be finalized quickly. The others didn’t have anything laid down. I’m sure they wanted to see what they would get out of Nick because of a down year after an injury. And Cruz was kind of a wild card in general.
O’s about to turn into a powerhouse for the next couple years. It doesn’t even matter if everyone is healthy.
Health means everything. Ask the Rangers. The O’s did have two major injuries this year, so props to them for hanging on and getting hot, but the healthiest rotation in the big leagues, and no significant DL time for the bullpen either. If that changes, the team is far from a powerhouse.
The reason why the pitching staff didn’t get injured was some luck, but how buck manages the pen is a big reason why they stayed helathy
No, the reason the bullpen stayed healthy is because the SP’s stayed healthy. Because the O’s could count on 6 innings from the SP’s almost every night, the bullpen could be manipulated by Buck so that no one was overused. Teams that use 14 or 15 SP’s like the Rangers and Rockies, got destroyed late in games because their bullpen was gassed, if not hurt (or usually both).
So you repeated my point by saying buck managed the bullpen well? As I said it was lucky that the starting pitchers stayed healthy? Idk what you tried to prove there guy.
How many of their starters averaged 6 innings a start for the year?
Buck kept the rotation healthy by having a 10-man rotation using a AAA shuttle utilizing pitching depth. Grabbing an extra day of rest for key rotation arms has kept them healthy. It’s not dumb luck. It’s happened three years straight.
The difference was management. The Orioles knew how to utilize their guys in light of injuries.
The O’s got lucky with Steve Pearce’s emergence. He was the depth that helped them get through injuries this season.
Matt Wieters realistically was a #6/#7 hitter who’s value has greatly been embellished.
A 6/7 hitter is still a big upgrade over the bat of Joseph/Hundley.
You’re arguing a point that has no relevance, Matt wasn’t going to be the x-factor in this team missing or making the playoffs. Steve Pearce was.
Wieters had a bad year offensively in 2013. But before that he was a 3+ oWAR player, and looked to be back to having that kind of season this year before he got hurt. Having that kind of production from your 6/7 hitter, especially in this lineup, is not “greatly embellished.” That’s a huge difference.
He was a 3WAR player because most catchers are dead bats, Brian McCann posted 1.7oWAR this year batting 3rd and 4th for nearly an entire season. He was horrible for 75% of that season but because he was a catcher, he’s rewarded despite being a horrible middle of the order bat.
The Os have some good pitching depth. Their best pitching prospect hasn’t even hit yet. He will be better than Gausman will.
The fact that this is on the table is how we know that Cruz isn’t a Boras client. Might explain why Cruz changed agencies this week too, if he was interested in working out an extension and his old agency wasn’t for it.
He also might have not liked how they managed his past free agency after getting that 1 year 8 million dollar deal.
While true, it’s hard to argue that he didn’t wind up in a good place, so while it was definitely disappointing at the time, he might not have specifically hard feelings about that at this point.
That had hardly anything to do with the Orioles and everything to do with his market league wide. The Orioles had no intention of even signing him when it was going to cost them a first rounder. It was only the signing of Jiminez that even opened the door to signing Cruz for a second rounder as silly as that seems in retrospect.
I can’t remember back that far, but didn’t he want something like 5 years, $75MM last offseason?
He didn’t get it, he certainly won’t now that he’s a year older. Cruz is being smart. He’s probably been convinced by certain people that he could get that kind of money. Some players are just handed $100MM deals, others are not. Cruz must have accepted/figured out his market wasn’t of the high 8-to-low-9 figure variety like he’d wanted.
He’ll get something very nice but in no way bank breaking. He’ll be rich. The Orioles will remain budget conscious. All’s well that ends well.
Does this mean they don’t plan on picking up Markakis’ option and going with De Aza/Pearce in left, Jones in center and Cruz in right?
does not mean that at all… DH and LF/RF occasionally.. If he signs..
I’d be interested to see if they can afford Cruz and still pick up Markakis’ option. I think we’re talking a little too big for the O’s to do it, but you never know.
Unless they extend Markakis too. He’s put a lot of blood, sweat, and tears into Camden Yards, and has been a quietly dependable and durable outfielder for them for eight years.
Now that it’s paying off and the O’s are becoming contenders, I could see him being interested in a long-term deal in lieu of them picking up his option. He’s only 30, so something like 3/30 with a club option for a fourth year, maybe?
EDIT: Looked at his previous contract. 3/30 might be a little light. Maybe 3/36?
They should let Markakis walk. He’s a league average player on the wrong side of 30.
His previous contract shouldn’t have a bearing. He is poor defensive corner outfielder, with no power. No power in a very good park for power hitters.
Markakis is a poor defensive outfielder?
Yes. Strong arm, poor range. Although this year his range improved some.
3/30 is ridiculous for Markakis.
He’ll get 3/24 with an option. Good defensive outfielder and decent hitter. Not to mention a locker room leader. He stays.
if Markakis does not sign a team friendly extension after Duquette declines the options and pays the buyout, he will be gone. He should sign for 2 years 20 million.
Though Markakis did not live up to his original deal I think that he has earned more stability than that. 5 years 45 million sounds about right to me.
A 5 year contract for a 30 year old 2 WAR player????
2 War this year and less than that the previous 2.
2 years, $30 mil with maybe a 3rd year vesting option would be reasonable IMO.
I think he gets more than that, especially if he foregoes free agency.
No chance he takes anything that low. I’d be surprised if an extension were any less than $48MM over three years, and I wouldn’t be at all surprised if it wound up higher than that.
He’d get more than that in free agency.
no more than 3 years 45 million please. Don’t want to reserve the DH spot for aging veterans like the Yankees do.
Let him walk. Go big for Tomas.
Markakis: 2/24 w/ option. Cruz: 4/56 w/ club option, no buyout.
Seems a bit much. Markakis has fallen off a ton. league average offense in RF, with subpar defense.
He plays enough to still have value. Earlier projections have him near ~2 WAR. I could see him as an average player each of the next two years and putting up ~4 WAR, which, in our market, really could be worth about 24 MM… plus he’s a career Oriole so I think there’s reason for both sides to get a deal done.
Also fwiw, much of his career negative defensive value comes from being a rightfielder, not from being particularly awful in RF. He’s pretty average, and that has value, especially to a franchise that wants to keep him there and he’s always been there. It kinda just seems like a perfect contract to extend him with.
If I’m the orioles I offer Markakis 3 years/$27MM w/ $10.5MM in performance incentives and roster bonuses.
Markakis’ durability has never been an issue. Offering him roster bonuses is somewhat insulting. Teams generally only do those with players with injury risks.
They can’t set based on his stats, but rather awards he gets/games played. Do they want to guarantee that much money to Markakis though? He is only 30, and plays a corner outfield spot, but his power has absolutely disappeared.
He only had 14 hr, and he doesn’t bring good defense, speed, or on base skills to offset that. Especially when you are talking about 14 in a ballpark like Camden. It’s unimpressive.
What Markakis have you watched to say “he doesn’t bring good defense, speed or on base skills”. Are you kidding me?
His on base skills are slightly above average but his defense and baserunning are subpar says every metric that has ever measured him.
I don’t think Cruz takes the deal. Peralta coming off PED suspension got a 50m deal. That has to be a floor for Cruz. Teams will overpay for power.
Agreed. Why wouldn’t he test the market again? He has nothing left to prove. Legitimate Power hitters are a scarce commodity in baseball today.
He is exactly what a team that just missed the playoffs (like the Mariners) needs.
I was thinking the same thing. Mariners would be a perfect fit.
Playing in Seattle nearly killed Adrian Beltre’s career, right handed power hitters have stayed away from Seattle for a reason.
He’s 34, so this will be last big pay day. If Seattle offers the most money, he will take it.
Looking forward to a contract when Cruz is 37-38 will not deter him from signing a the biggest contract he can today.
Unless Seattle gives him a 6-7 year deal, I don’t see any RHB who uses the longball as their calling card ever signing in Seattle. If he gets a 3-4 year offer from another team with the same AAV, guess where he’s going. Not to the place that buys him out in a year.
Nice straw man tactics.
All that was never my point, especially because it is painfully obvious, and we agree on it.
My point is this: If Seattle gives him a competitive 3-4 year offer that is higher AAV than others, he will not think about his career dying because he is already 34. He will take the most money. Age will kill his career before Seattle does. At 37-38 years old, your career is over regardless. Beltre was young. Cruz is not.
I really don’t know how to make it any more clear.
People who use PEDS seem to defy the aging curve, I don’t think people who saw David Ortiz play in 2008-2009 would have thought he’d be playing at a near elite level in a few years.
Regardless, your predicting the future like you know Cruz’s career is going to die in a few years. Can I have the lottery ticket numbers for tonight?
I want the O’s focusing on the upcoming series!
Not on financial matters! That can wait!
hahaha seriously.
This has potential to be a huge distraction for someone gearing up to play in the ALCS.
I agree. This is a bad plan imo to bring up in the middle of a playoff run. Will Cruz and Markakis be annoyed/lose focus because they not getting extended?
They brought it up specifically on a lull day. I have a feeling this has been agreed upon for a little bit of time but Baltimore waited until there was no baseball going on so they wouldn’t be a distraction since that’s MLB’s wish. My guess is sometime between the end of the regular season on September 29th and today the Orioles and Hardy’s camp hammered out the framework for this extension.
I would not extend Markakis or even Cruz unless it’s on the team’s terms or close to them. Markakis has been declining for awhile and how much is Cruz really worth. Both men will have to make certain concessions.
It sounds good, but they may not have better options available to them.
If that’s the case and they are gauging their own values on the open market well you let them walk. You have to think Nelson Cruz is gun shy of free agency after last year.
I meant it more in the vein that the Orioles may not have better options available to them to keep a contending team together.
They might have to weigh taking on contracts that may not have the greatest long-term potential against maintaining a good team in the interim.
I did not read that correctly, sorry. I could see 3/45 for Cruz but when is Markakis really worth. He’s not been productive in awhile.
Markakis checked in at 2.5 fWAR and 2.1 rWAR in 2014, and his projections for next year are checking in a bit below that.
Assuming $5.5M per win on the open market, call him a roughly 2 win/$11M player. His option for 2015 is $17.5MM, with $2M buyout, so essentially a $15.5M contract. Would it be worth a $4.5M premium to Baltimore on a one year deal to avoid having to offer up multiple years and ensure the player doesn’t hit the open market? Not sure.
He really isn’t a 2 war player don’t think. His UZR came almost to 0, should regress back to his normals. I really can’t see them taking that option. He is a corner outfielder with poor defense and no power. Pretty replaceable, not someone that a $110MM payroll team should be spending that much on.
Depending on whether you use rWAR [a bit above 2] or fWAR [a bit below], his WAR has generally averaged around 2 since 2009.
No way I would pay him that much for one year but the option/buyout do complicate things.
Markakis would be a horrible extension.
I think he needs a change. Markakis is someone that piqued my interest as a possible buy low candidate, if a team thought they could figure out where his power went. He cut his strikeouts way down, but his lack of power really is concerning. Interesting, but nobody should be spending a fortune on him.
Yeah he’s intriguing and a possible contributor for lots of teams. But he’s a buy low candidate like you said, not someone you try to lock up on the eve of the ALCS unless he’s cool with something like 2/10. His defense has been in decline for years and the power is not likely coming back at this point. Hunter Pence is the only guy who can choke up on the bat and still hit for power. :p
No way markaisias is going to resign with the os
O’s should give Cruz a QO, and Markakis 2 years/18 million.
Fortifying their troops at the right time. Considering the way the rest of that division has fallen back, the O’s could be in a position to maintain a long term contender.
Give Markakis 3 for 30 with 9 deferred over the next three years. Throw in some incentives and it could work.
news so hot that not even the players have heard them!