Camden Chat

"When I talked to my agent recently, Boston was the first team I mentioned. I don't know if it's in...

2008-12-02T03:05:27Z

"When I talked to my agent recently, Boston was the first team I mentioned. I don't know if it's in the cards or if I squished my chances of ever returning there. I know the circumstances of my departure from there a few years back were blown out of proportion. I've talked to Tito [Terry Francona] several times since then and we're OK. I'd love the chance to go back there because that's a winning organization and they're committed to winning. They do things the right way."

Good luck with that, Jay-Pay

The deliberate, patient approach to Markakis' contract extension

2008-11-30T21:28:35Z

The deliberate, patient approach to Markakis' contract extension

It's obvious the Orioles are going to pony up and pay Markakis at some point. But the lack of urgency to lock him up right now (and engender some good will) seems to have no real benefit and it could potentially end up annoying Markakis as he watches his peers (like Evan Longoria) have their pre-arbitration years and arbitration years quickly bought out so they can be rewarded with long-term stability.

While it's true that the Orioles have plenty of leverage right now, the longer the team waits, the more valuable Markakis becomes. Literally, each day that passes is a day his value goes up. Maybe it's by $100, maybe it's $100,000, but the point is, he isn't getting less expensive the longer you wait. This is a stock that's only going to climb in value over the next 10 years. The fact that the two sides say negotiations are moving very slowly suggests, to me, that they are light years apart and that the Orioles haven't yet decided to get realistic about Markakis' value. When Tampa Bay locked in Longoria for six years at $17 million plus a number of option years even though he'd only played six major league games, it suddenly became the smartest deal in baseball.

Amen. I get that Andy likes to take his time, but for once, couldn't we send the right signal and show a marquee player that he is wanted?

Olson for Pie rumor

2008-11-30T00:27:57Z

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/baseball/bal-orioles1129,0,3629851.story

I'm a Cubs fan, but I grew up in Maryland and love Camden Yards.

I'll be honest, I don't get this for Baltimore. For the Cubs, Pie has become a spare part, with Fukudome's contract giving him the lefty platoon rights to center field.

I don't see the point of adding Pie. Jones/Markakis is a nice combo. Let Reimold get a shot, amongst others.

Also, at the cost of Olson? Olson still looks like a solid mid-rotation lefty. Is a 3rd OF needed?

Now, to be fair, the article doesn't say 1 for 1, so maybe we wait and see, but I fail to see what other pieces that the Cubs would likely be willing to add to make this deal make sense, IMO, for Baltimore.Even, say, Pie/Cedeno would still seem iffy to me, although that's a better gamble (but the Cubs might have to keep Cedeno for the Padres). I don't know if the Cubs want to move Fontenot, but he would make sense, giving the flexibility to move Roberts.

The interest in Adam Dunn is non-existent...

2008-11-28T01:49:53Z

Things have appeared oddly quiet for the biggest slugger on the free-agent market. That would be Adam Dunn, who may find his value isn't quite what he had hoped (though we have to believe he doesn't actually expect the $100 million that ex-Reds teammate Bronson Arroyo says he's expecting).

The Nationals, who have been in on many big names (including Maryland native Mark Teixeiraand Maryland resident A.J. Burnett), could be a possibility. Nationals GM Jim Bowden is said by baseball people to love Dunn, who hit .236 with 100 RBIs and 40 homers last season.

A few other teams might look Dunn, as well. He is the most consistent 40-homer hitter in baseball. How consistent? Well, he's hit exactly 40 home runs for four years running. And the year before that he hit 46, giving him a grand total of 206 homers in the last five years.

http://www.fannation.com/si_blogs/hot_stove/posts/27101-top-free-agent-slugger-may-come-cheap

We haven't talked about this guy in a while. Yeah hes not as good as Tex, but hes almost on the same level. MacPhail should be considering Dunn as plan B if they don't get their main targets. But Dunn and his agent are probably waiting for Tex and Manny to sign and set the market or something. Can't hurt to begin courting him to make him feel loved though. Did Wayne Krivsky have a good relationship with him? Maybe he could give Dunn a call...

Thanksgiving in Birdland

2008-11-27T05:31:51Z

The truth about me is that, outside of my friends and family, I don't really care about many things. But one thing I really do love is the holiday season. From Thanksgiving to New Years I'm happy to be around the decorations and the music and the food. I revel in it. I love finding new recipes for Thanksgiving and buying new ornaments for the tree. I love Christmas cookies and Christmas music. I love the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and finding that perfect present for someone.

I get schmaltzy this time of year; I can't help it. It's a time when I feel thankful and happy and grateful for pretty much anything that gets in my way. That includes the Orioles and Camden Chat and Andy MacPhail.

I wrote a Thanksgiving post here a few years ago and I feel that since then we have a lot more to be thankful for. Don't get me wrong, I know the work isn't even close to being done. There are plenty of questions to be asked, plenty of criticisms to be made. The Orioles need 4/5 of a rotation and at least half of an infield. They need to be more proactive in searching for international talent and they need to continue to woo the fan base beyond new uniforms. Oh, and winning would be nice too.

But.

Our farm system has gone from barren to respectable. Recent drafts have given us Matt Wieters and Jake Arrieta. Trades that just a few years ago wouldn't have been pulled off provided us with Chris Tillman and Adam Jones. Gone are the days when the GM not only tries to build a .500 team and nothing more, but actually admits it in public. No longer do we hear the infuriating assurances from Peter Angelos that next year the team will definitely be competitive even though everyone knows it isn't true. In Andy MacPhail, the team has a man at the helm with a track record and a plan. And of course there's Nick Markakis.

There are positives here in Birdland. I can only hope that the Orioles will continue to address shortcomings and needs of this broken franchise and provide us with even more reasons to be thankful.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Addition to the front office.

2008-11-26T21:07:10Z

Krivsky Joins O's

BALTIMORE -- Longtime front office executive Wayne Krivsky joined the Baltimore Orioles on Wednesday as special assistant to the president of baseball operations.

Krivsky, a former vice president and general manger for the Cincinnati Reds, will work under club president Andy MacPhail. His responsibilities will include scouting, contracts and other baseball administration duties.

The 54-year-old Krivsky previously served for nearly 27 seasons as an assistant or special assistant to general managers with Texas, Minnesota and the Mets. He spent the 2008 season as special assistant to Mets GM Omar Minaya.

O's reaching far and wide for pitching, keeping an eye on 3 arms from Japan

2008-11-25T16:40:55Z

O's reaching far and wide for pitching, keeping an eye on 3 arms from Japan

It's nice to see this is finally happening. I'd like to see the O's get a few Asian players simply to get their foot in the door. Sounds like they have no chance for the 22 year old, but the others could be interesting.

Then there was the practical results. Tejada played an adequate shortstop, hit .283 with a...

2008-11-24T06:18:17Z

Then there was the practical results. Tejada played an adequate shortstop, hit .283 with a pedestrian 13 homers and 66 RBIs -- often from the No. 3 spot in the lineup in front of Lance Berkman and Carlos Lee.

Outfielder Luke Scott, one of the throw-ins in the deal, hit .257 with 23 homers and 65 RBIs for the Orioles. In addition, the Astros gave up two of their best pitching prospects -- Matt Albers and Troy Patton. Patton was injured in the spring and did not pitch. Albers was 3-3 with a 3.49 ERA, which would have ranked fourth on the Astros' staff.

Tejada trade will haunt Astros for years

Yes it will. MacPhail's in ur r0ster, fleecin' ur d00ds.

Orioles looking at SS Cesar Itzuris

2008-11-21T04:59:13Z

Orioles looking at SS Cesar Itzuris

The article says that they're not interested in Furcal for price reasons, or Cabrera and Renteria because they don't want to pick up a class A free agent and give up draft picks.

Also notes that the Padres wanted to trade us Khalil Greene for Garret Olson, but the Orioles weren't interested. Khalil Greene sucks, so I don't really care.

A few thoughts on Mike Mussina

2008-11-21T02:42:43Z

Have I forgiven Mike Mussina?

I've rationalized on his behalf before, many times, right here on this blog. If you're bored enough, you can look up the umpteen Mussina discussions and find that I'm pretty consistent.

I hated that he went to New York. Why couldn't he have gone to the Dodgers or something? Or even the Mets? I don't give a damn about the New York Mets. Why the Yankees?

But I never blamed him for it. I blamed Peter Angelos for driving out a man that could have had a chance at going down as the greatest Orioles pitcher of them all, even better than Jim Palmer. (And, no, he didn't quite get to Palmer's level even with his whole career counted, but even still he remains the second-greatest starting pitcher in Baltimore Orioles history.)

So, again, have I forgiven him?

I think it's time I can say that I never truly hated him at all. Not once. Not for a single moment. It was easy to root against him when he was in my face; when he was hurling for the Yankees and against the Orioles. Maybe if the Orioles had been competitive during his time in New York, it would have been different, and I would have been a full-time Moose hater.

But I'm not trying to change reality here. I can only tell the truth, which is that when he wasn't on the hill against our Birds, I still rooted for Mike Mussina, and I didn't care what jersey he wore.

I rooted for Moose because he was one of my first "inspirations" as a Little League baseball player. I played lots of positions, but mainly, I pitched. I was OK. I didn't have a great fastball, and being a bit of a nerd, I decided it'd be best if I learned to change speeds and focus more on location. Mussina and Greg Maddux -- those were my guys. I wouldn't say I studied them, because I was just a kid playing ball, but those were the guys I tried to be like. Those were my pitching heroes.

It's pretty hard to start hating your heroes, even once you're too old to have hero ballplayers anymore, and when who's on what team starts mattering more and more to your level of "dedication" as a fan.

I was happy for Mike that he got 20 wins this year. Honestly, given how irrelevant our team has been since his departure (and a bit before that), I wouldn't have given much of a hoot if he had won the World Series one time or five times with the Yankees.

Sure, I revel in Yankee failure like any Yankee hater does. I could hate on Clemens, hate on Pettitte, hate on Jeter and Posada and Bernie and Ruben Sierra and Shane Spencer and all the rest of those jerks. But not Mike Mussina.

Because Mike Mussina was our guy long before he was theirs. And when time comes for really looking back, I think history is going to remember Mike Mussina as a Baltimore Oriole, and not a New York Yankee. I know I sure as hell will.

He gave us a lot. Management wasn't willing to give back. I hope he makes the Hall of Fame, which I think he's earned. I hope we see Mike Mussina donning an Orioles cap and jersey at least one more time. I hope he comes back to Camden Yards someday and gets the ovation he so richly deserves from this team's fans.

Enjoy your retirement, Mike.

Farewell, Moose

2008-11-20T00:36:23Z

Exitfare already posted a fanpost on this, but I felt compelled to write something myself.

As this season ended it was always a very real possibility that Mike Mussina would retire. We all speculated that he'd like to stick around for a few more years to get three hundred wins (he will end his career with 270), and that speculation seemed true when he filed for free agency. But at the age of 39 and 11 months, after 18 seasons in the majors, he decided enough was enough.

When I got in my car this evening the first thing that flashed on my XM radio was, "Report: Mike Mussina to retire," and I'll be honest, it caught me off guard how emotional I felt. I sat in the parking lot looking at those words flash across the screen and I welled up with emotion. Since he'd declared free agency, I'd harbored this fantasy that Mussina would sign a three year deal with the O's and during those three years he'd get his 300th win and also the WS ring he's been chasing his whole career. I knew it wouldn't happen, but I wanted it to so badly.

Mike Mussina is a player from my childhood and one of my all time favorites. As a very young child I went to baseball games and watched them on tv with my dad, but I didn't start to truly get into baseball until my early teen years. I was 12 years old when Mike Mussina came up to the bigs and I came of age with him, Cal, and Brady. To me, those are the good old days.

I know there are a lot of mixed feelings about Mike Mussina here in Birdland. But I hope that if you are one of those who was never able to come to terms with his departure, you'll set that aside for a moment and remember the 10 amazing seasons Mike Mussina spent as a Baltimore Oriole. He was a great pitcher with a great career, and now that he's retired none of my childhood favorites are still in the game.

Mike Mussina's stats as a Baltimore Oriole:

W	L	CG	BB	K	WHIP	BB/9	K/9
147	81	45	467	1535	1.18	2.09	6.87

Along with those numbers are 5 All Star games and 4 Gold Gloves. No Cy Youngs, but he finished in the top 5 five times as an Oriole.

Coco Crisp traded to Royals

2008-11-19T18:00:10Z

From Yahoo

BOSTON (AP)—Outfielder Coco Crisp was traded from the Boston Red Sox to the Kansas City Royals on Wednesday for reliever Ramon Ramirez.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore called the switch-hitting Crisp a “championship-caliber player” who will help Kansas City move forward. Crisp is a career .280 batter in seven seasons with the Cleveland and the Red Sox.

The 29-year-old stared 98 games for the Red Sox last season while sharing the center field job with rookie Jacoby Ellsbury. He stole 20 bases in 27 attempts, marking the third season in a row he’s reached the 20-steal mark.

The trade frees up some money for Boston. Crisp is owed $5.75 million next season, with an $8 million club option for 2010 or a $500,000 buyout.

Ramirez is a 27-year-old right-hander who had a 2.64 ERA in 71 2-3 innings last season.

Apparently the Royals just HATE having good relievers so they're going to trade them all away.

Sweet Jesus, are the Yankees insane?

2008-11-19T07:34:34Z

According to the NY Post, they are preparing offers to Sabathia AND Burnett... with the idea of landing them both:

The Yankees, according to several industry insiders, spent yesterday preparing an offer - perhaps a five-year deal worth about $80 million - for Toronto righty A.J. Burnett. This would come after they offered Milwaukee lefty CC Sabathia a six-year contract worth between $140 million and $145 million.

So, at $16M per year for A.J., and $24M per year for CC, they would have $40M invested in TWO pitchers.... which is just a little less than what the entire Rays team made last year.

Dear New Yorkers: You might see ticket prices goin' a little berzerk the next few years.

Orioles' Top 20 Prospects for 2009

2008-11-19T07:04:06Z

Sickels' report is posted over at Minor League Ball.

The top 10 are all As and Bs except for Patton:

1) Matt Wieters, C, Grade A: Best prospect in baseball. Mutant cross between Mauer and Piazza.
2) Chris Tillman, RHP, Grade B+: Want to see sharper command, but I’m very impressed overall, especially given his age.
3) Brian Matusz, LHP, Grade B+: Not David Price, but should advance quickly due to sharp command of solid stuff.
4) Jake Arrieta, RHP, Grade B+: Very high ceiling, command still an issue at times, but can dominate.
5) Brandon Erbe, RHP, Grade B: Made progress after difficult ’07 season. Double-A transition critical.
6) Nolan Reimold, OF, Grade B-: A bit old for a prospect now, but power bat should carry forward.
7) Zach Britton, LHP, Grade B-: Love the groundballs this guy gets, young, good stuff, a sleeper.
8) Brandon Snyder, 1B, Grade B-: Horrible glove, but bat took a big step forward last year.
9) David Hernandez, RHP, Grade B-: I still think people are underrating this guy. Needs to lower walks.
10) Troy Patton, LHP, Grade C+: If health reports are accurate, he should rebound. Useful pitcher but not likely a star.

And Sickels' take on the farm system is encouraging....

SYSTEM IN BRIEF: This organization has rapidly improved over the last couple of years. Drafting early has helped that, but willingness to actually spend money on good players (Wieters, Arrrieta, Matusz) is a key factor that some other early-drafting teams have missed. Trades have helped bring additional depth, and they’ve shown some ability to develop sleeper types. High school bats such as Snyder and Rowell have brought mixed results, but overall the level of talent in the farm system is something that Baltimore fans should be happy about.

It's all a good read and worth your heading over there to look at. And yes, I also posted this to move certain other non-Oriole info down the page.

Pedroia named AL MVP

2008-11-18T21:01:04Z

Pedroia named AL MVP

Congratulations, I guess. Kevin Youkilis, Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau, and Carlos Quentin also received some votes.

Pedroia's line - .326 BA/.376 OBP/.493 SLG/50 BB/52 K/17 HR/83 RBI/118 R/Plays for Boston. Gold glove winner, posted a VORP of 63.3 and stole twenty bases as well.

Morneau's line - .300 BA/.374 OBP/.499 SLG/76 BB/85 K/23 HR/129 RBI/97 R. Not as good defensively, his team didn't make the playoffs and he had a VORP of 47.2.

Edit: Mauer's line - .328 BA/.413 OBP/.451 SLG/84 BB/50 K/9 HR/85 RBI/98 R with a VORP of 57.1. An outstanding defensive catcher who swings the bat to get on base.

The real story here is that Aubrey Huff juuust edged out Jason Bartlett and Mike Mussina for 16th place overall in the voting.

Tigers, Reds interested in Ramon Hernandez

2008-11-18T15:27:10Z

http://masnsports.com/index_blog_roch.html

As for catching, the word on the street is that the Tigers and Reds are interested in Ramon Hernandez, and have expressed it to team president Andy MacPhail.

I don't expect either team would offer much in return - it would be a miracle to get either team to pay all of Ramon's salary next year.

The problem with trading Ramon is that there is no way you can credibly keep Wieters down in AAA for a few weeks (to buy that extra year of club control) when Quiroz is the best catching option.

How about Camden Chat favorite Greg Zaun as a stopgap?

Scott Proefrock leaving Orioles to be Assistant GM in Philly

2008-11-17T14:36:05Z

According to Ken Rosenthal.

Proefrock, the Orioles' director of baseball administration, will join the Phillies as an assistant GM, according to major-league sources. An announcement is expected Monday.

The Phillies selected Proefrock over Jim Duquette, a former GM with the Mets and Orioles; Wayne Krivsky, a former GM with the Reds; and Muzzy Jackson, a former assistant GM with the Royals.

Proefrock will play a major role in contract negotiations and other administrative duties. Prior to joining the Orioles in Oct. 2005, he spent 10 1/2 years in a similar capacity with the Rays.

I don't really know much about what Proefrock did with the O's, but best of luck to him in Philly. I'm sure it's a better gig than here.

Stay silver, Ponyboy

2008-11-13T23:30:45Z

Aubrey Huff officially won his Silver Slugger Award today. It was quite a fine year for Huff, who outperformed every single projection on the planet to have his best season since 2003.

Congratulations, Aubrey.

	G	AB	R	H	2B	3B	HR	RBI	BB	K	SB	CS	AVG	OBP	SLG
2008 - Aubrey Huff	154	598	96	182	48	2	32	108	53	89	4	0	.304	.360	.552

Sources: Yanks deal for Swisher, minor leaguer

2008-11-13T21:11:34Z

Sources: Yanks deal for Swisher, minor leaguer

One less team to steal Teixeira from us? Although I guess Swisher also plays the OF. Somehow this annoys me.

Another baseball source said Wednesday that the Cubs' yearlong efforts to land Baltimore leadoff...

2008-11-13T19:56:01Z

Another baseball source said Wednesday that the Cubs' yearlong efforts to land Baltimore leadoff hitter Brian Roberts aren't dead, suggesting the Orioles might be more willing to move him with only one year left on his contract, pending the outcome of extension talks.

Chicago Sun Times