Let me start this by saying that all of this is, for the most part, just Spring Training, lack-of-stories nonsense. Without real baseball games to write about, the beat reporters are getting any stories they can, and the easy topic right now is all of the uncertainty surrounding the roster NEXT year. Once the games start to matter, all of this stuff should, hopefully, fade away.
For now though, reporters are tossing the bait out there, trying to get players to bite.
I just really wish they’d stop hitting the bait with the regularity that the fish in one of those old TV fishing shows seemed to.
“The source of it (the tweet) was, I wanted communication. I want to be able to talk. If I was in my second or third year, GM, ignore all my calls, but I’ve put in the time and put in the work here in Baltimore and in this organization.
“I’ve built a reputation in this organization and the city. I just feel I could be and should be involved a little bit. Not just me. Myself, (J.J.) Hardy, Matt Wieters, CD (Chris Davis), your core guys should have a feel of what’s upcoming.”
My reaction to Jones was something like this: Ya know, he cares. That’s good to see. He’s locked up to be here for a few more years, and while he may be a bit out of line a bit in thinking he should have a say in front office matters, I really don’t have a problem with him wanting to know what’s going on.
“I think that the things they have done the past few years have worked in their favor,” Davis said. “You obviously got Nelson Cruz at a pretty good price because of what happened the year before, but to compete in this division you’re not going to be able to do that year in and year out. You see it every year. The Red Sox, the Yankees, even the Blue Jays are spending money to get guys. That’s what it’s going to take.
“You might run into a couple of years where you have the right mix of guys, and I do believe in what we’re doing here. I do believe the coaching staff, the front office has a good plan, but I still think at the same time to be competitive year in and year out, you’re going to have to add some guys who have been through the fire and have established themselves as perrenial All-Stars. That’s what it takes to compete every year.”
My reaction to Davis was a bit different. Davis is a free agent in 2016, had an awful .196 batting average in 2014, and really hurt his team by getting popped for taking an illegal substance right before the playoffs started. Maybe focus on yourself, chief.
“Adam and I have both thought about that,” Hardy said. “I know Adam thinks about it a lot. I mean, losing Nick was big. He was one of the guys out there every single day with us. Obviously, we want to win and the reason we signed our extensions is because we like it here and we like the guys who were around, so if everyone starts leaving, I don’t know.”
Players may be able to ease their anxiety by trusting the process. The Orioles don’t spend big beyond raises for their arbitration-eligibles, but they’ve posted three straight winning seasons and twice made the playoffs.
“Yeah, but it’s with the same guys, you know?” Hardy said. “If those guys end up leaving, then I don’t know. The guys we’ve been winning with are the guys that are here, and if they leave, I don’t know. At some point, you’ve got to trust who’s in your clubhouse at this moment and why we’re winning.”
“When I signed, I trusted them that we were going to be doing everything we could to keep the guys who are helping us win. And it was more of a trust than me going and asking them, ‘Hey, are we going to do this or that?’ ” Hardy said.
“It’s not really my place. It was just more of a trust thing, I guess.”
And, most recently, Zach Britton:
“I feel like if you’re going to spend money, there are certain guys that you spend the money on,” Britton said, mentioning O’Day’s name in particular. “This is definitely the type of organization that’s gonna give guys opportunities that’s a little cheaper and see what they can do. It’s worked in the past, so why not run with it? But I think there comes a point where you’ve got to spend money on some guys that have been there.”
Current reaction:
SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP. Man, I really can’t wait until we have real baseball games to talk about, because having a new player bellyaching every day is really getting old.
Ya know what? Let’s just not even have a GM (or, “Vice President of Baseball Operations”) anymore. Let’s just have all of the players write down their roster wishes, toss them into a bucket, and have the Oriole Bird come pick them out and then Peter Angelos has to sign whichever name the Bird picks out. Sound good guys?
Look, I get it. The players are miffed because they lost their buddy, Nick Markakis. Some of them may even feel that Nick was treated unfairly by the Orioles, but these aren’t young guys we’re talking about here. Jones, Davis, and Hardy are veterans who should know by now that baseball is a business, and who should be used to seeing roster turnover. They’ve been there and done that, as they say.
So why do they suddenly seem to feel that all of the guys around them are going to be lifetime Orioles, something that very rarely, if ever, happens anymore?
Honestly, they sound a bit like fans who think they’re playing fantasy baseball or football. Here in Baltimore, across the street, the football team just traded away a guy that many fans thought would be here for his entire career, and there is much rending of garments going on over it. Despite the fact that the football team in town has been one of the most successful franchises in sports since joining the league, fans still feel like they could run things better.
That’s the feeling I get reading comments from some Orioles players lately – that they feel they can run the team better than the current regime is.
There is, potentially, another piece to this that I’d be remiss to not mention:
@MarkWJZ Had to have been magnified by the uncertainty surrounding Duquette all winter and the perception it created.
— Luke Jones (@BaltimoreLuke) March 11, 2015
Dan Duquette’s odd Toronto saga from the offseason could very well have left a bad taste in the mouth of all the players. It certainly did for fans. That bad taste may be fueling some of the consternation they seem to be feeling.
Putting that aside though, the players really need to sit back and let management do their jobs as they see fit. While the current O’s regime may not have done enough at this point to have earned all benefit of the doubt (some would argue that they HAVE), we should all at least be able to agree that they’ve done enough for us to take a “wait & see” approach while not automatically assuming the worst. Losing a few players to free agency doesn’t mean that it’s suddenly the dark years again, and that we’re on the verge of another decade-plus of losing.
As much as we fans may not want to hear it, teams can’t be contenders every single year. Those teams that are in the mix more often than not (the Oaklands and St. Louises of the world, for instance) do it by NOT breaking the bank to lock up all of their stars to long-term deals.
You know who did that? The Philadelphia Phillies, following their run of success from the mid 00’s and early 2010’s. How’s that working out for them? Would extending Wieters, Davis, Steve Pearce, Bud Norris, Chris Tillman and others right now really be smart business?
Consistently successful teams, instead, get the most out of their stars while they are still relatively cheap, then flip them for younger, cheaper players who are on the verge of becoming productive major leaguers themselves.
Whether or not we believe that our owner is “cheap” is really immaterial at this point. There is no salary cap, but the Orioles have a self-imposed spending limit and a way that they’ve chosen to do business that, lately, has been quite successful. The players would be wise to remind themselves of this simple fact.
Again, the hope is that all of this will go away quickly once the real season begins. While winning cures everything, on the chance that the Birds stumble out of the gate, will all of these concerns rise to the surface once again?
Though it seems counterintuitive at first, the Birds starting the season poorly might actually be the way that these questions get answered sooner rather than later. Don’t get me wrong – I absolutely want to see the team repeat as AL East champs for the first time since 1973-74, and to hoist a World Series trophy for the first time since I was learning to walk.
Still, I salivate a bit at the thought of what deadline trades of guys like Wieters and Davis could bring.
If indeed the O’s end up being sellers rather than buyers as the trade deadline approaches, the organization needs to be ready to flip some of these 11 pending free agents into a restocked farm system – no matter how loudly the fans – or other players – protest.
In the meantime, let’s get some actual baseball games to report on, please.
16 Responses
I have ZERO problem with players voicing their opinion given the history of this team prior to 2012 and the shenanigans that Dan caused during off season. If I’m a player in that clubhouse I’d be concerned too.
If you remember when Mussina was negotiating with the O’s before going to NY his biggest complaint was not knowing whether the club was dedicated to spending the money required to win. The management / ownership didn’t give him the time of day and we lost him to the Yankees.
I don’t think it’s fair to connect 2012-present to what happened under other regimes. Again, that’s Dark Years thinking. Under Dan and Buck, they’ve been successful, and we have every reason to think that ownership really is letting THEM run the team.
I disagree. I don’t think 3 seasons going on 4 is enough of a sample size. They languished for over a decade under this same owner. This upcoming off-season will be the test for sure as they’ll have a ton of free agents.
They’re still owned by Angelos and given question marks that hover over the front office regarding Duquette and the MASN fight with MLB, I think players have plenty of reason for concern, especially if their questions about the future go unaddressed (I would rather this happen internally, but it’s clear that it’s not).
If I’m in that club house I want to know that the organization is dedicated to more than juts profit (losing can still be profitable, see Houston Astros). More pressure is applied by being vocal than going through your agent. Because then the press is asking questions too.
It may be naive, but I choose to believe that things aren’t run the way they were before. Again, if Pete was meddling, I don’t think Buck would stick around.
I may be wrong, of course. It’s just better for my blood pressure to look on the sunny side, as it were.
I hope it is as you believe and my thoughts are just a process of having watched all those bad years.
agreed, STFU and play baseball, especially you adderal boy. maybe they all need some Greyhound Therapy. None of them have ever had to make payroll OR put together a MAJOR LEAGUE roster. And AJ stop swinging at slop in the dirt. I was really looking forward to the O’s this year after the Ray Rice deal and Haloti “I can’t sleep because of my kids so I took adderal too”. Again, STMFU and KNOW YOUR ROLE. I thank you and good day to you sir.
Just because the players get paid like owners they need to know they are not. They are employees and need to shut the hell up and do what they are getting paid to do.
I couldn’t agree more Derek. Shut up and play, tired of all the crying, bitching and moaning. Nick was offered 3 yrs., the Orioles didn’t want to go 4 with the neck issues. I agree with them 100%. Atlanta did and he took it, nothing stopped him but $$$ from staying here and taking the 3. They overpaid for him on the 6 yr. deal, although I loved Markakis as a player, he didn’t develop in to the 20 to 25 + HR guy they projected and paid for and missed significant time with injuries. Don’t get me wrong he,was still valuable but not at what he was paid. As for Cruz I can’t give a 35 yr old guy a long term deal. Seattle was willing, I’m glad the Orioles didnt. I have heard the national media bash the Orioles all Winter long just as they did last year and the 2 previous years before that. Remember they all thought the Orioles were nuts last year for rescind in the Balfour contact based on medicals. Looks like they knew what they were doing. I think this team is better than ,time will tell. Bowden and Ferrens were doing their usual Orioles bashing on MLB today.
Nick had a 4 year 40M offer on the table that he balked at before they pulled it back to a 3. 4M less than Atl offered, but wouldn’t have to uproot his entire existence. 4 more. That is on HIM in my view and these other guys really need to stop yapping about it. I always thought Nick was a good player, but also thought he was a bit of a dumbass too and that deal just verified it.
Hi Derek, quick correction for you…The last time the Birds won the AL East in back-to-back seasons happened in 1973 & 1974…But I digress…Great article…Cheers and GO O’s!
Corrected, thank you, and cheers yourself!
I think the players are sick of the same thing the fans are: Peter Angelos. It isn’t a GM issue (obviously our GM has a similar pain in his side as he tried to leave during the offseason). As an Orioles fan and a firm believer we will not easily replace a defensive catcher of Matt wieter’s caliber, it is infuriating to be told that he will definitely be a free agent. Chris Davis and some of the other guys are replaceable. Catchers are not a dime a dozen. They are extremely important. You think the Giants would let Posey walk into free agency if he were facing it this year? Heck no! Wieters is not as good as Posey but he is definitely top 5 and that is worth the pocket change. Additionally, why the heck didn’t the O’s go after shields?? That was a STEAL! And our pitching needs some bolstering. We are in the AL East: it would be a competitive advantage to add an ace. It comes down to Angelos being a cheap, stingy douche who doesn’t care about anything but money. It was made even more clear by his ploy to guarantee post season tickets ONLY to those who purchased season tickets for this year: why? So he could guarantee sales before the public caught on to the charade: the Orioles are temporarily winning. Very soon it will become too expensive and camden yards will become second home to the yankee fans again. Forgive me for thinking the players have reason to be concerned.
Lastly, why slam hardy for his comments?? He didn’t come across as trying to manage the team at all. He acknowledged it wasn’t his place to interfere with those decisions.
I was as anti-Angelos as anybody for years, but I don’t see how he’s standing in the way of anything anymore. He’s letting his baseball people run the baseball team, which is all most of us ever wanted. If Angelos was getting in the way, and Buck didn’t feel like he was being given a chance to win, I don’t think he’d stick around.
The Orioles have the 12th-highest payroll out of 30 teams, and it went up since last year. How is that being cheap? If our payroll was in the 20’s, sure; but it’s not.
I WISH Wieters was Top 5, but he’s not. MLB Network didn’t even have him in their top 10. While it hurts me to admit it, I think they’re right. Anyway, if he wanted to stay, he wouldn’t hire an agent who is so very anti-extension and who wants his clients to hit free agency.
Shields wanted to be on the West Coast.
Only guaranteeing postseason tix to season ticket holders is standard operating procedure around MLB. It’s just good business for the teams. Remember, they’re here to make money. It’s not just an Angelos thing though – everyone does it.
As for Hardy, in a vacuum, his comments are fine, but in the midst of all of the other locker room complaining that’s going on, it’s just more fuel to the fire.
MLB did not have Wieters in the top ten because of last year and they said that. How can you not think he is in the 5. Your talking reckless!
Buck,
Needs to have a team meeting and tell these guys to STFU and say we got this guys now go play ball!
Listening to 105 The Fan today, they were talking about the offers that were made to Davis (and possibly Wieters – not sure — I tuned in during the conversation) – the O’s offered Davis prior to the 2014 season, 4 years at 60 million. But, he didn’t take it at that time. If that isn’t commitment to the future, I’m not sure what is … His problem now is his 2014 was crummy average-wise and – oh, yeah … the drugs! If I were the O’s, I wouldn’t be offering him anything right now, either — not until I saw what his 2015 looked like. And, Wieters – who knows what his 2015 will be fully recovered from his injury. Will he be able to throw out runners as well as he used to? And, before the injury, he wasn’t framing pitches very well, grading out in the middle of the pack the season prior. It also sounded like the O’s made Wieters an offer prior to his injury, which he also didn’t take. Again, they didn’t offer him anything until they see what they got in 2015 and I don’t blame them.
My biggest concern is that I feel like it is more than just the media egging this on — that Jones’ tweet and his inability to get over the “Markakis breakup” has given the rest of the guys the ok to just spout off about this and not focus on playing for 2015. If this is an example of Jonsey’s clubhouse leadership over the next three years, this club will never be focused enough to win. It is ok to be concerned about the future and to voice that concern, but take care of it the right way & leave us out of it, because you are starting to sound like a bunch of whiny millionaire morons. Now, go play the game the right way and win us some ball games.