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There's nothing to wake up Camdencast from a winter's slumber like the Orioles surprising everyone with Saturday morning news about re-signing Chris Davis. You better believe that rates what's only the second breaking news edition of Camdencast in its history. Alex and I are here to get all of our immediate thoughts and reactions out into cyberspace before we have a chance to regret thinking or saying any of it later.
This episode of Camdencast is so breaking news that more news was breaking while we were recording it - Buster Olney's report of the deferred money in the contract, which came out after we'd been talking for about 40 minutes, left us so flabbergasted and excited that for a span of several minutes we were both rendered incapable of doing basic math.
The contract is a big deal for the Orioles, and it may even prove to be a big deal. We run through the best and the worst of the deal, looking ahead to what it means for next year's Orioles team and the Orioles of the future as well. Should you be worried about Davis declining? Sure, but hopefully it's great until that time. The impact on the 2016-18 Orioles - when Manny Machado and Adam Jones are still signed - will be huge. That matters.
Here and there, in the usual Camdencast way, we cover some other stuff, including our worries for the rest of the team (starting rotation, ahem) and the likelihood of some wild scenario where the Orioles pivot from this signing to also sign Yoenis Cespedes. It sounds so ridiculous I can't even believe I could type it. Alex tries to catch me off guard by randomly bringing up Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard and then we end up going on about him for five minutes. Oops.
In very un-Mark-like fashion, my excitement builds up in a crescendo until finally, towards the end of the podcast, it culminates in my drawing a comparison so ridiculous that even Alex's dog drops by to tell me what a moron I am. Listen for yourself above!
Technical note: Sorry all the Camdencast feeds and such are not active right now. To be honest, the under-the-hood of Camdencast hasn't been updated since it started and it needs that now, but various Camden Chat stuff always seems to be on my plate and the podcast hasn't been the highest priority. I thought nothing big would happen in the offseason, and I am happy the Orioles have surprised me. So, for now, this is the only place you can listen. I'll try to do better by next time.