Markakis renewed by club for just $455K

he'll have to settle for the paltry $400k.

for the teams, it's just economics. they have to save money where they can.

Does that leave the Astros as the worst-run club in the majors?

Any advantage you give a player now will cost you more later. Nick still makes more than virtually everyone in the country. Shut up and play ball.

Ryan Howard won the MVP and the Phillies went out of character and paid him double his slot with a 900K contract last year.  This year, Ryan Howard wanted a big ol' raise in arbitration and won his case.  So, even though they ponied up the year before, he still wanted even more money so he will never be happy.

Now, because he got paid $900K (which is still less than $1M and he won an MVP), people like Hamels (his teammate), Fielder, and Papelbon are all demanding they get the same treatment.  The Phillies, if they had stuck to their guns and paid him a small increase, would've been fine and this would all be a dead issue.  

Papelbon was quoted in saying that in his one year negotiations with the Red Sox, he told them he wouldn't accept anything less than 900K.  First of all, he didn't win the cy young.  Second, he is a closer and closers don't typically get huge pay days.  They get paid more than a regular reliever, but not a huge pay day like a prime starter or position player.  Now, would you pony up $900K to a guy who makes a demand like that?  No, you pay him his slot and tell him to wait his turn.

Hamels said his 500K is a low blow.  "I felt like it wasn't necessarily equal compensation for what I do and for what I can do," Hamels said.  He has had nearly 2 seasons in the bigs, and he put up solid numbers.  The Phillies paid him more than they had to so he got a raise from his normal slot and he sill isn't happy.

Fielder got $670K and he thinks it is a slap in the face because he got 3rd in the MVP voting so that means he is as good as Ryan Howard and his 900K.  

See what happens when one team decides to reward a player?  If the Orioles pay him $1 million, then every young player with any kind of talent will demand Nick's $1 million contract.  We could be talking next year about how Scott Moore and Adam Jones are pissed that they didn't get Nick's contract.  The slots were created by the player's union and the owners when the came up with the collective bargaining agreement.  The players know what they are suppose to get, and for them to complain about a raise that they receive that it wasn't enough is just selfish.  Red Sox fans are already starting to worry that Papelbon will be so hard to deal with contract-wise now that they could let him walk at the end of his arbitration years because they couldn't sign him long term.  Anyone that speaks out like this against their team because of money is not out for the team.  I agree with a comment I read elsewhere.  When the Diamondbacks were in money trouble after they shelled out big bucks for veterans, you didn't see any one flipping money back to the team to help them out or anyone taking a pay cut.  Players are in it for themselves and players like Hamels, Papelbon, and Fielder are on my shit list.  I wouldn't want any of them on my team regardless of their talents because of attitudes like that.  When will we get back to the days where teams are getting home town discounts because a player wants to stay loyal to a team that has treated him well?  It won't happen except for a few isolated cases.  

Next year, when Nick is signed to a long term deal to cover his arbitration years, this thread will be looked back upon and laughed at for all the disdain against the team.

I'm not saying he doesn't deserve the raise he desired. I'm saying he shouldn't be surprised or pissy about not getting it. But I really don't think it matters. Heat of the moment stuff.

Gone but not forgotten...

First, the sun article stated they were $360K away from one another with neither side budging.  If you just take the $470K he got renewed at and add the $360 (though I would believe MacPhail was at holding at $500K or so), you would get $830K.  This is real close to, big shocker, Ryan Howard's $900K.  Markakis was asking for Ryan Howard type of money.  Ryan Howard won the MVP had a .313avg, 58 HR, and 149 RBI.  So, let's ask the question.  Did Markakis perform this well?  No.  Then the contract does not apply.

Second thing, I started looking up rookie's of the year and then what they made the year or two after they won the award.  I would think if someone won this award they would be worthy of a nice pay raise.  Just about all of them had their contracts renewed until arbitration or received finite raises above the min the team had to pay them.  

Fans, historically, side with the players, especially fan favorites because they want them to stay with the team for their careers.  I am sympathetic to his feelings, happy about his neutral reaction, and fed up with the media attempting to make the Orioles out to be the bad guys.  Andy MacPhail has shown his ability to get deals done both in trades and in contracts.  He has a history that shows he has the knowledge to do this.  I trust his decisions, not because it doesn't matter if I do or don't, but I think he understands the process better than anyone we've had in the front office for a long time.  

Markakis will probably sign long term probably through his arbitration years with club options after that to eat up a year or so of free agency.  No one wants to sign long term with the Orioles right now, so why don't we let the MacPhail shape the team and get rid of the riff raff.  Markakis will see how he is the leader of the team and Macphail will pay him for what he is worth.  

The Indians signed Guthrie to a major league deal out of college.  Same with Loewen.  I think that's why their pay rate is a bit different.  

Rocky Cherry, O's pitcher, not John C. McGinley's love child.

Hmmmm, tough choice...

I remember 14 straight foul balls in one at-bat.