Orioles closing in on deal for Nelson Cruz

[Dr. Dinger]

Actually that's a pretty nice deal for the O's if they're planning on DHing him a lot and getting 1.5 WAR. Lol @ Cruz. Pretty soon Erv and Morales are going to have to bite the bullet too.

[ElNik2013]

I would think players who are QO'ed, and their agents, should start adjusting to the new market realities that come with having a draft pick attached to them.

 

What would Morales cost now, $5M for a year?

 

I would think the M's would take him back at that price....and put him in CF.

[ElNik2013]

He also turned down 5y/75m from the Mariners earlier in the offseason

 

lol

 

 

LOL @ both Cruz and M's.

[ElNik2013]

 

 

 

 

 

Not bloody likely. What would the QO be for him? I'd like to think he'd just accept the offer and go year to year.

[eastcoastjaysfan]

That's some terrifyingly bad decision making.

 

Cruz doesn't even have like 50-60M in career earnings already under his belt either. He has never really had a huge contract. How the f*** can you turn down 5/75?

[Anemic0ffense]

Wow. No risk/high reward signing. This could be a steal for the O's. They are doing exactly what we should have. Signed Jimenez and Cruz to cheap contracts, but instead of Cruz we should have targeted Drew. My God, I've had enough of waking up to the two clowns running this org.

[Anemic0ffense]

He didn't want to play centerfield

 

So he was willing to throw away 75 mil over that?....... lol

[P2F]

That's some terrifyingly bad decision making.

 

Cruz doesn't even have like 50-60M in career earnings already under his belt either. He has never really had a huge contract. How the f*** can you turn down 5/75?

 

Seriously, laughably egregious mistake on he and his agent's part (assuming it's a true report).

[flafson]

I wonder what the remaining FA's think now.

[kgm1]

Have to assume he'll have a new agent for next year

[G-Snarls]

1 year 8 million

 

LOL. Cost himself 6M and his agent probably 15% of that.

[G-Snarls]

Wow. No risk/high reward signing. This could be a steal for the O's. They are doing exactly what we should have. Signed Jimenez and Cruz to cheap contracts, but instead of Cruz we should have targeted Drew. My God, I've had enough of waking up to the two clowns running this org.

 

Well.to be fair we did similar with Melky last year and I loved the signing. Last year sucked for Melky obviously but he has another year to make it up.

 

We didn't need Cruz but we should be attempting a similar cheap signing of Drew instead.

[P2F]

A signing of Drew would really help salvage this atrocious offseason.

[G-Snarls]

In a related story, Tony and Colby Rasmus now open to discussing a reasonable 4 year extension with Alex Anthopoulos.

[flafson]

In a related story, Tony and Colby Rasmus now open to discussing a reasonable 4 year extension with Alex Anthopoulos.

 

Are you joking?

[Atothe]

In a related story, Tony and Colby Rasmus now open to discussing a reasonable 4 year extension with Alex Anthopoulos.

 

Yes please AA special. Something like 10.5 aav for 4 years

[G-Snarls]

Are you joking?

 

LOL yes

 

But I don't think Colby would turn down a QO if Toronto makes him one next off season

 

I think a lot more of these mid-tier free agents will accept them over the next year or two until they change the system.

[G-Snarls]

Now, Colby doesn't have the injury or PED flags that some of these guys have had. But he's also never had an all star season. He fits right in that category of "good enough for a QO but not so good that teams will shrug off the compensation draft pick"

[G-Snarls]

 

LOL good point. But I don't think he'd turn it down again.

 

This actually seems like a decent deal for Baltimore.

[glory]

If Colby has a full season with numbers like last year, I think some team will sign him since he plays CF (if he was a corner OF then it would have been hit or miss).

 

The issue with Rasmus is he has a few stinkers in between his two really good seasons. If he has another stinker, the Jays won't offer him the QO and he'll go somewhere else on a smaller deal (i.e. Josh Johnson). That's the risk from the Jays end. I think an extension would probably benefit and mitigate risk for both sides. I could see it happening, depending on how Rasmus feels about Toronto (and whether AA will be given the money to do it).

[GD]

I'd rather Cruz than Melky

 

I'd be wholly unsurprised if Melky outperformed Cruz this season.

[P2F]

I'd be wholly unsurprised if Melky outperformed Cruz this season.

 

Agreed. I see Melky having a nice bounce-back season.

[G-Snarls]

Agreed. I see Melky having a nice bounce-back season.

 

Ditto.

 

Cruz will hit more HR but Melky is.probably better on every other way if he's truly healthy again.

[bzapple]

This thread is making me wonder what kind of contract Colby could be looking at if he continues to hit. Say he has another 4 WAR season, with a weak CF market next year I'd have to think he'd at least be looking at Hunter Pence money.

[G-Snarls]

Wholly dependent on his performance this year, of course. For a guy who was as good an MLB hitter as I was for 2011 and 2012 seasons, if he can duplicate his 2013 while staying healthy, he'll probably shun the QO, if he regresses back to 2011/12 form, he'd jump at it ... and if he's somewhere in the middle, that's where the gamble comes into play.

 

Yep. if you extend him now you probably have to assume he's going to have 2 good years and 2 mediocre years when you calculate what you're willing to pay.

 

If you wait until mid season or later you get more info but you also risk it costing you more. Colby is bit of a deliemma no doubt.

[GD]

I'm thinking 5/75 or more. He's only going to be 28 in the first year of his new deal. Guy is going to get paid, IMO.

 

I was thinking that. Between 5/75 and 5/90, maybe.

[GD]

AA will probably try do despair him by offering Yunel Escobar money.

 

"We loved Colby and thank him for his time here, but at the end of the day, the dollars and years just didn't match up."

[G-Snarls]

Yea looks like the Orioles have 4th place locked up.

 

Funny and quite possibly true at the same time

[Atothe]

He'll then spend all offseason despairing Gardner and Aoki before giving the CF job to Gose and LF to Sierra.

 

this should be a meme loool

[G-Snarls]

He'll then spend all offseason despairing Gardner and Aoki before giving the CF job to Gose and LF to Sierra.

 

Gardner Gose and Bautista would be a pretty sexy defensive outfield with some speed and pop in 2015

 

Except if we can't afford to keep Rasmus we won't be able to afford Gardner either. Other teams will probably rightfully value Gardner more highly than AA or Cashman will.