In a recent interview on MLB Network Radio (Twitter links), Orioles executive Dan Duquette further responded to recent comments by agent Casey Close regarding the Dexter Fowler talks. “It would’ve been a good fit for us. We’re disappointed the deal didn’t come together [but] that’s the way it goes sometimes,” Duquette said. Duquette went on to say that he was puzzled by the statement and he didn’t quite understand why Close was upset. “When you show sincere interest in a player, it helps him get a better deal,” said the Orioles GM.
Here’s more out of Baltimore and the rest of the AL East:
- The Orioles tried to open a conversation with the Braves about bringing back former right fielder Nick Markakis, Peter Gammons of GammonsDaily.com tweets. But Atlanta seemingly showed little interest in trying to work out a swap, per the report.
- The qualifying offer had an impact not only on Fowler, but also on one player who never fully tested the market: Marco Estrada, who struck a two-year deal to remain with the Blue Jays. Shi Davidi of Sportsnet.ca looks at the different experiences of Estrada and fellow Toronto signee J.A. Happ, who says he had interest from a dozen clubs on the first day of free agency. Estrada, meanwhile, says he “didn’t get a chance to really go through that process.” He added that he “probably should have done a better job of” assessing his market during his week-long consideration of the QO, and wishes he “could have gotten more years” in his deal, but ultimately says he’s happy to return to the Jays and was able to enjoy a more relaxing offseason after his early deal.
- Yankees righty Luis Cessa will get a shot to make it as a starter after being involved in several prominent trades, as Ken Davidoff of the New York Post writes. GM Brian Cashman said that adding Cessa and Chad Green in exchange for Justin Wilson was about getting quality pitchers who provide the team with options. “We think he has starter capability, just like we think Green has starter capability,” Cashman said. “And then if not, all failed starters go to the pen. We feel we acquired, in Cessa’s case, a strike-thrower with a good arm.”
- Newly-signed Red Sox outfielder David Murphy says that it’s “surreal” to return to the Boston organization, as Scott Lauber of the Boston Herald reports. Murphy says he knew he “was going to have to be patient” this winter, but nevertheless was surprised with how quiet market turned out to be. But he says he’s ready to “turn the page” on his disappointing winter and is looking forward to trying to crack the roster with the Red Sox — or, failing that, another club.
If tanaka , CC or Nate aren’t ready for opening date, I wouldn’t mind Cessa as a #4 or #5
Nova and Mitchell are ahead of Cessa at this point I’d think.
I’ve seen Cessa a few times in the minors, he’s not much. If he gets regular innings that can’t be good.
Makes me wonder what Baltimore had in mind for Markakis. Ship him off for prospects and get Soler.
Soler would cost Gausman and others, the o’s don’t have a deep farm system to get Soler.
I think he was referring to the Braves
Sorry my post was not clear at all. Braves should trade Markakis to O’s for prospect or two. Then turn around and go after Soler for say Teheran and other pieces exchanges in that deal.
Oh , somebody said that the cubs should do that but I’f im the cubs I wouldn’t trade soler for teheran. maybe try for carrasco or salazar.
I agree Cubs should shoot for higher value. My thinking is value of 4th OF on their roster and the state of each of the Indians and Braves make the ATL trade easier to make.
How about Teheran and Jenkins for Soler?
Why is there a perception that Soler’s value is so high and Teheran’s is so low, though Teheran never having a year like that, and going 220+ IP in an All-Star season the year before, while playing for the worst offense in MLB in 2015? I understand that Soler could be a great hitter, but Teheran’s a lot more developed, and signed to a nice deal, than Soler. The idea of including a former 1st rd pick too in Jenkins is silly. I wouldn’t even do a one-for-one Teheran-for-Soler.
I’m with ya. I don’t understand why everyone wants to ship Teheran for Soler.
If anyone’s value should be dropping you would think its Solers. He didn’t show very much last year to be honest. Could he be good still? Yeah maybe but it’s far from certain with what he’s shown on the big stage so far.
I’d much rather keep Teheran right now. Braves have talent but they need an ace. Teheran is that ace, he just had a bad year last year. Really it was only a bad first half. Look at his seconds half and it looks really good apart from getting tagged hard in 1 start against NYY
So I just don’t get it. Don’t throw in the towel on Teheran for no reason. It’s a serious knee jerk reaction to suddenly want to deal him.
You guys need to do a bit more research. Soler hit .290 as a Semptember call up in his first taste of the big leagues. He struggled to hit in the cold last year and also battled some injuries but has shown a ton of upside. He also mashed in the playoffs. The warmer weather in Atlanta would help him but I would rather have him with the Cubs.
All of this. Teheran is under an incredibly valuable contract and it would be bonkers to trade him for only Soler. If the Braves were to trade Julio, one could argue that the return needs to be at least the equivalent to the Miller/Swanson deal.
I agree that Teheran is a good to even great pitcher. I love my Braves team, but I am also not going to be a homer that says we should get Chicago’s farm for him. In the Cubs rotation, he is their 3rd man, maybe 4th.
The reason we will not get a Swanson return is Chicago and more importantly Epstein are not as desperate for win-now like Stewart and Diamondbacks are. My thought process was we get our 2nd OF for controllable years, at cheaper price than Teheran and get a catching prospect since we have no one pencilled in like we thought we did with CB.
And to add Jenkins in, not to bad. We trade Heyward and Walden for a year of Miller, Diamondbacks haul, and Soler.
To make ’17 the best shot of competing for the division, I would put best around FF or get a Miller haul for him.
And what makes you think Markakis has trade value sufficient to get the kind of prospects you’d need to flip for Soler? Did you see Markakis’ 2015 stats? Apart from a good batting average, he did little.
If this rumor is true–and after the Fowler debacle how can we trust any rumor–then it means the Orioles are feeling increasingly desperate about filling the hole in RF. .
Us Braves fans also have a lot of homers that only see the stats they want and struggle to find overall value of other teams’ players.
.296/.370 /376 …Orioles would be happy to get those kind of numbers from a right fielder this year, especially the 370 OBP
This is whats bad and broke about the QO. Estrada comes out of right field and has a career season and gets Cy young votes, and is punished for it by having his market limited.
Lol Marco Estrada should be thankful he got what he did.
4 years of mediocrity plus 1 good year shouldn’t net you a massive contract just cause that one good year was last year.
Cessa the next FHOF pitcher.
“Rebuffed”? That’s a bit dramatic isn’t it ? – for describing the kind of informal conversations that happen all the time in Spring training? I’m sure its not some nefarious plot hatched by the evil Duquette, Just some talk about a player who would like to go back to the Orioles anyway.