Right Off Russell

If there has ever been a better 2nd baseman int he modern era than Robbie Alomar, I have not heard of or seen him play.  To me, during his prime stretching from the beginning of the ’90’s until 2001, Alomar was a top 5 player in the game.  I put him right up there with Bonds, Griffey, Manny Ramirez and Frank Thomas as the dominant players of their decade.  Alomar did not put up some of the gaudy offensive numbers of his contemporaries that attracted more attention, but Alomar could beat you in so many ways and he did it consistently.  He was the best defensive player I have seen not named Ozzie Smith and he could do it all with the bat.  Here is what former teammate BJ Surhoff had to say about Alomar: Read more »

Around 4 PM yesterday, Matt Holliday announced his signing with the Cardinals. It was a 7 year, 120 million dollar deal. Good for him. Good for the Cards. Some disappointment for the O’s.

It’s hard to say that the O’s really had a chance or were ever in the game. McPhail denies doing anything other showing some initial interest. Other reports had the O’s making a huge offer. Scott Boras would not comment on the MLB Radio Network about the Orioles interest. As a fan, I feel played and it helps make this off season seem very lackluster.

It was hilarious last night to see our buddy Daniel Moroz (@CamdenCrazies) get in an online argument over Twitter with @WNST about How to Fix the Orioles.

If you want to see what the McPhail plan will look like in 2011, check out this summary by Heath over at Dempsey’s Army. It really isn’t that bleak.

In other news, former Oriole Ross Grimsley has been named the pitching coach for the AA Richmond Flying Squirrels.

Also, the Red Sox have settled in on a deal for Adrian Beltre. It was being the reported that the O’s were interested in him despite signing Garrett Atkins.

What I love about 24×7 sports coverage is that you can have one of those days where there are the highs and lows of a crazy story.

So I get a text that the O’s made Holliday a 8 year- $130 million offer. I then head over to Camden Chat and see that Stacy has already picked up the story.

I’m thinking… Wow… that’s pretty sweet.

20 minutes ago I decide to catch up on Twitter only to find Daniel Moroz from Camden Crazies being thankful that the offer was only false rumor. Leave it to the numbers guy balking at getting Holliday!

So goes a fun day in the Orioles sports world.

This week Jeff and Zach talk the upcoming holiday, the big win vs the Bears, the injury to Webb, and some playoff scenarios. Of course, we have some hot stove baseball talk!

Check it out! And don’t forget to subscribe on iTunes!

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This week Jeff and Zach talk about the big win vs Detroit, this weeks match up vs the Bears, and some more O’s talk.

Check it out! And don’t forget to subscribe on iTunes!

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Ken Rosenthal and John Paul Morosi of Fox Sports are reporting that the Orioles are entering the fray in the Matt Holliday bidding.  This comes as a surprise as there has not been much talk of Holliday having interest in the Orioles, or vice versa.  It is none the less and interesting development and maybe a step in the direction some folks at RoR want to see the Orioles head.  The pursuit of Holliday is apparently not without some qualifiers according to Rosenthal and Morosi:

Holliday, 29, is unlikely to go to the Orioles — a team coming off 12 straight losing seasons — unless they make him a much stronger offer than the Cardinals.

The Orioles, meanwhile, might only participate in the Holliday sweepstakes as a token gesture, an effort to demonstrate to their fans that they are trying to improve.

But they did mention that Holliday may see the O’s as a team on the rise in the AL East and that he could want to be a part of a team with young talent.  They also feel the acquisition of 3B Garrett Atkins, a former teammate and close friend of Holliday’s, is a positive thing for the Orioles efforts to lure Holliday.  Rosenthal and Morosi went on to speculate that a deal for Holliday would likely lead to a trade of another outfield for pitching, perhaps Felix Pei, Luke Scott or Nolan Reimold.

While I am encourage to hear this news, I remain skeptical that the club is making an earnet effort until I hear it from sources in theBaltimore media.  This could be nothing more than a ploy to step up the bidding for Holliday by his agent Scott Boras.  Thoughts on the validity of this news, or on the positives of a guy like Holliday?

The O’s have found their 3rd Baseman for next year and it is Garrett Atkins. They sign Atkins to a 1 year deal for an undisclosed amount. I’m not sure how much they have overpaid for him, but the 1 year limit means that it won’t hurt or limit them in the long run.

This is an interesting signing. Atkins has a strong bat as indicated by his success in the 2006-2008 seasons where he averaged .305, 25 HRs and 110 RBI’s. He struggled mightily in 2008 which is one of the reasons why he was left untendered by the Rockies. Hopefully, Terry Crowley can have an immediate effect on him.

Obviously, this gives Josh Bell another season in the minors, which is a good thing. It should be interesting to see what happens if he can somehow regain his earlier form. As of now, he isn’t much of an offensive upgrade from Mora or Wigginton, but any improvement form last year will make this a good deal for the O’s.

According to the Baltimore Sun the Orioles are closing in on signing free agent reliever Mike Gonzalez.  Gonzalez, a left hander, spent last year with the Braves where he posted a 5-4 record with a 2.42 ERA, 17 holds and 10 saves in 80 appearances.  Gonzalez also struck out 90 batters in 74 1/3 innings and has posted an ERA below 3.00 in five of his last six seasons.  The Orioles are looking to ink Gonzalez to a 2 year deal, perhaps learning from some recent 3 year deals to relievers that have gone wrong (see Walker, Jamie and Baez, Danys).

I think this is another solid move for the Orioles who needed a lefty in the ‘pen.  Gonzalez also has experience closing and could help the Orioles in that role.  The one draw back to signing Gonzalez is that he is a type A free agent and his acquisition would cost the Orioles their 2nd round draft pick.  Whether signing Gonzalez puts the Orioles out of the running for right handed reliever Fernando Rodney remains to be seen.

What are your thoughts on bringing in Mike Gonzalez?  Is he worth giving up a 2nd round draft pick for a 2 year deal?

I know it is still fairly early in the off season, but I am feeling pretty empty. Especially after a day where I saw the Mariners, Phillies and Red Sox all make big splashes. I keep thinking, why can’t the O’s do any of that?

Millwood is great and all but he alone isn’t going to bring the team more than 5 wins. Who else is coming in to pitch to protect Tillman and Matusz? Who is going to protect leads in the bullpen? Albers and Meredith? Who is going to score runs for this team? The only answer so far is that Ty Wigginton will get some reps at each.

The O’s have a payroll of $60 million. They should be competing at $100 to $110. They have the television revenue for 2 teams. Make a big statement. Overpay for Matt Holliday. Grab Delgado and Beltre. Take a chance on another starting pitcher. Make the young Oriole prospects force their way in to lineup. We as fans don’t need to invest our time and money supporting a team that ends up being a farm system for the league. Make a splash this year and a bigger splash next year. Make this team into a contender.

Yet, it seems like McPhail is going to continue to look for bargains and as such we may only hope to aspire to mediocrity.

The Orioles today announced that they have agreed to terms with RHP MATT ALBERS and RHP CLA MEREDITH for the 2010 season. In addition, the club declined to offer a contract to RHP BRIAN BASS, allowing him be become a free agent.

So nothing against Meredith and Albers, but why are the Birds letting Bass go. It is my opinion that he provided the most value to the Orioles last year. Oh well….

In McPhail we (not including Mark) trust.