The Orioles were right to extend Matt Wieters a qualifying offer even though the plan backfired, writes Rich Dubroff of CSNmidatlantic.com. Dubroff’s wish list for the club includes first baseman Chris Davis, a starting pitcher, and a quality outfielder. He doesn’t expect the club’s payroll to exceed $130MM to $140MM. With about $100MM committed to their current roster, the club has just enough money to pay Davis and one other substantial piece.
- The three-year, $36MM contract signed by J.A. Happ serves to set the market floor for mid-tier starting pitchers, per Dubroff. Possible Orioles targets like Yovani Gallardo, Scott Kazmir, John Lackey, and Jeff Samardzija can expect to earn more than Happ. If the club retains the space to re-sign Davis, then they’re out on any of the top market starting pitchers.
- Dubroff also looks at first basemen past Davis. Several like Chris Parmelee, Kelly Johnson, Travis Ishikawa, Mark Reynolds, and Steve Pearce have already appeared with the Orioles. None would represent a fan-inspiring signing. Should the club fall short on Davis, Dubroff suggests a one-year flyer on Justin Morneau as one alternative.
- While Baltimore may look to free agency for additions, current players need to step up their game too, writes Steve Melewski of MASNsports.com. In particular, J.J. Hardy, Chris Tillman, and Miguel Gonzalez are listed as three players in need of a rebound. Injuries have ruined Hardy’s last two seasons, especially at the plate. Tillman, once a promising pitching prospect, is coming off his worst season since 2011. Gonzalez is entering his age 32 season after posting career worst numbers across the board.
The wishlist of the Orioles
“Davis, a SP and a quality OF”
Didn’t they have Davis, Chen and Parra and still stunk the place up last year?
doesn’t mean they can’t be worse
If they had Davis and Chen back for next year, I think it would be reasonable to expect them to be luckier.
O’s should blow it up – not looking good.
Mid-tier SP getting an AAV of 12mil is crazy to me. Hopefully Happ lives up to it, but that is still scary for a guy who had one very good second half. Wouldn’t consider him mid-tier either if that means #3 guy. His deal seems crazy high to me.
Not really when u think about it, all the pitchers mentioned in the above article would likely fetch 15-20 million PLUS a draft pick, plus, likely, longer term(except Lackey) It was important for the Jays to not give up draft picks, as they gave up a lot of prospects last season, they don’t want to trade from their offence, and they don’t want to tie their payroll up into one player, so, all things considered, if Happ makes 30starts @185 innings, around a 4-4.20 era, with the offence they have, it’s fine.
I have a hard time seeing any of those guys being worth a 15mil AAV (aside from Shark even though he had a bad year, but even then), and Happ is pretty well beneath them just because of his track record. I don’t think it is a bad signing, I just think paying 12AAV for three years is a lot for a guy who hasn’t done much to warrant it.
A 4-4.20 era doesn’t seem to warrant 12mil. In my personal opinion if you can’t pitch to at least a 4era you shouldn’t be making more than 10mil.
Beuhrle made 19 million last year for 30 starts @4.00 era
Buehrle has been one of the most reliable and consistent starters for over ten years. That’s why he earned that salary.
Right, 200 innings, and @4.00 era consistently, that’s what he got paid for.
Buehrle was under a 4 era last 2 year for the blue jays actually.
He’s heading back to the White Sox
I hope his shoulder is ok, he struggled late last year with that, it was a shame he didn’t get the 200 innings, was really pulling for him to get that, if he goes to Chicago that would be hopefully a nice story, and maybe a fitting ending, to really, a remarkable career for someone who was never highly touted, it was amazing to watch him pitch and carve people up with a fastball of 84 mph lol, it was unfortunate he didn’t get to pitch in the post season for Toronto but it made sense, but, something tells me he was the type he would of got it done, I think he may of been hurting more than we know, wish him the best.
They all turned down 15.8 million QO
Yeah I was just saying how crazy it is to think about how that production gets you that much money. It’s shocking in my mind lol.
Teams keep paying, so it must be there. It’s a what 9 billion dollar industry. I’d rather it went to the players, as the talent, sacrifice, hard work, luck, timing health, etc must all come together in order for a player to even make free agency as a pro athlete. Fans pay to watch talent, I think it’s getting a bit absurd what we pay to watch pro sports but we keep doing it.
You have to kinda keep in mind, free agency is an overpay, for the most part, most guys go for the highest bid.
For sure. I’d be very wary of 2nd-3rd tier SP this offseason if THAT deal set the market rate. Outragious for what he did. Be safer gambling on Bronson Arroyo coming back from his injury woes and putting up back of the rotation numbers, same with Marke Buehrle eating innings than giving Happ 36m.
It just seems like if this is going to be the norm where players get that much money for a good half a season, then Greinke or anybody who ever has a season like that should get 35mil+ AAV.
Obviously that’s absurd, but if that’s the trend then a 4era means 10mil AAV, 3.5era 15mil, 3era 20mil, 2.5era 25mil, 2era 30mil
kershaw got 30mil AAV 2 years ago. next tier below him (e.g. everybody else) is gonna be getting there. better get used to it
Looking to sign Davis, Aoki, and Gallardo or Leake, whichever is more affordable.
I can’t reason giving JA Happ $12M, he’s not consistent enough and really wasn’t good in the first half. I would have tried to get someone else like Kazmir or Gallardo first, and he’d be a plan C for like $8M at most
Everyone pitches well with the Pirates. Happ has upside of a #3 starter but is more of a below average 4th starter. I’d say 12 mil is fair value
8 million? Really? Doug Fister will likely get 10-12 million this year. Jesse Chavez who is a #5-6 swingman with the Jays will get 5 million in arbitration this year.
About how much will Morneau cost?
What type of contract do you think Morneau to get? I can see the Pirates trying to sign him if they non tender Alvarez or trade him (maybe to the Orioles).
I think the jays would have been much wiser to spend an extra 3m per year and go after someone like Gallardo or Leake. What we really needed was a guy like Zimmerman to compliment Stroman. I guess us jays fans can look forward to hopefully grabbing another top tier pitcher at the trade deadline lol.
Hoes is back…back again.we dont need to sign anymore talent.