Longest. Negotiation. Ever.
It feels like the Orioles have been haggling with closer Grant Balfour for weeks. I guess it’s been a few days. Balfour’s name popped up in O’s rumors seven days ago, apparently they are still working on a deal.
The Boston Herald’s Jen Royle tweets that Balfour was offered a “sweet deal from another team” but prefers to sign with Baltimore. She adds that the Orioles offered two-years at $6 million per, then three-years at $7 million per season with incentives. Apparently Balfour wants three-year, $8 million with a vesting option.
Orioles went 2 yrs/$6M per, then 3/$7M (incentives), but Balfour wants 3/$8M w/ vesting option. Source says "they'll be no vesting option."
— Jen Royle (@Jen_Royle) December 15, 2013
Oof.
Balfour will be 36 in December. Three-years with a vesting option is just too much. Overall, I’m confused about the Orioles interest in Balfour after watching them deal Jim Johnson to Oakland.
What a terrible decision if the O’s gave him three years. Unbearable.
Why would that be a terrible decision, Matt? It is going to take a three year offer to get him. Maybe it would be bad at 8 million per year, but what would be wrong with a three year seven million dollar annual contract, compared to Johnson’s projected 11 million? Balfour is proven and has been as consistent as any almost any closer in recent years, in terms of efficiency and reliability. Besides, what are the alternatives? Jim Johnson was done in Baltimore once the season ended and the second best option would be Fernando Rodney, who is even older (and gets way too emotional), or a pedestrian “closer” like Chris Perez, who doesn’t scare anyone at all. Obviously two years is preffered but it’s not because of fear that Balfour won’t live up to his contract, it’s really just because of financial flexibility.
I don’t see anything wrong with going three years. I don’t think they have much of a choice either. They need Balfour. Badly. Baltimore needs someone who wants the ball in the ninth and is reliable, in terms of consistency and performance. No one else fits those criterias, including Jim Johnson.
I’m not sure if it’s his age that scares you or just the fact that you feel the price is too high, either way I don’t think it will be an issue. It also kills two birds with one stone, so to speak. If they were to promote someone from the bullpen to the full time closer role then they would need to sign another reliever anyway, might as well just sign Balfour and simplify things as much as possible. Last year I felt closer by committee would have made the most sense, with Balfour I am confident enough as an Os fan havin him in in almost any situation.
I’m alright with this deal, Balfour has good stuff and has a good track record the last few years.
He’s prone to the HR ball in a smaller ballpark at OPACY, his HR/9 rate is high.
You’ve already signed Webb, have Hunter and O’Day in the pen, where are these guys pitching out of the pen?
Ryne, the O’s need someone who can start games and pitch longer than 5-6 innings a game. The money Balfour wants with three years just isn’t prudent in my opinion. You have internal options that can close, why not use that money saved and “allocate” the money towards trying to fill the glaring holes on this team? Go after a starter and address left field.
Ryne, you are an idiot. You commented on another article that you were in favor of the Orioles doing “bullpen by committee” and not having a closer and that you were glad the Orioles saved $10mil by getting rid of Johnson and now you come on here saying you want them to sign Balfour to a contract and put him in as closer.
Your freaking “Sybil” with multiple personalities!. You don’t know what the hell your talking about. Ravens2488, 9Inchnails and Carl were right in thinking you are froot loops.
Matt. I agree with everything you are saying. Although Balfour is a somewhat prone to giving up the home run ball I still don’t think there is a better option than him, that includes their internal options. I don’t have faith in Tommy Hunter because his splits are horrible against lefties, which is why he doesn’t start, Matusz has the same problem but with lefties, and I feel O’Day has the most value as a bridge type of reliever. That’s not to say that they can’t close games. As J Evans said, I don’t have a problem with a closer by committee. I just don’t see Buck attempting and sticking to that, which we clearly saw last season. Buck, by his own admission is a baseball traditionalist. As atupid as it it can be label a single player the closer over anybody else my point is that since Buck most likely won’t even consider the thought of closer By committee it only makes sense to go after the best possible option, which is clearly Balfour.
As for you, J Evans, what about anything I said makes me an idiot? My point commenting on the other article was everyone was saying how stupid the Os were for trading Johnson when they didn’t even understand why they were trading him to begin with. It was clearly a salary dump. You obviously remember me commenting so you probably also remember the names I mentioned in my responses on that article; Beltran and Colon, who were both somewhat linked to the Orioles and would have required at least the amount of money Johnson would have demanded. I am not sure how playing out hypotheticals makes someone an idiot.. That’s all it was; a hypothetical. Bottom line, they weren’t able to sign any big names free agents so the hypothetical should have been. It anything you are the idiot for calling me an idiot because you clearly done understand the financial and business aspect of baseball well enough to engage in an actual conversation about it. My other point when mentioning closer By committee in my response To the other article was that people acted as if there weren’t other guys capable of closing for the Os. People see fifty saves and think “oh, snap. This guy is good.” Just because I say they should sign Balfour and in the past said they didn’t necessarily need a “closer” doesn’t mean I changed my mind or don’t know what I am talking about. It’s called context. At the time it made sense That the Os should invest that money elsewhere, like at the positions you talked about. They seem they are going to resign Roberts an Flaherty will
Still be here though. If the Os are smart then they sign Ibanez to solve their DHing woes against right handers and thu are already looking into signing AJ Burnett. If the a orioles make those three moves while signing Balfour then they clearly would save money when being compared to every other team and wouldn’t be committing long term, which would
Enable them more flexibility to extend guys like Davis, Wieters, Machado, etcetera.
For the record, do you always just go ahead and call People idiots just because you aren’t keen or aware enough to understand their thought processes. I assure you I know Much more about baseball and how it works than you do.
All im all, good article and read. I just don’t agree that three years is that big of a deal. I am not diminishing in any way that this team needs to focus in other positions, I just don’t see the others positions being an issue. Ultimately they sign a starting pitcher by default and I also see them signing Ibanez or trading for Arthur if all else fails. Other people don’t see progress because deals aren’t being made and don’t think there is progress being made because models are being maser I am confident enough in management to know they have likely learned from their mistakes and will make sure to fill those goods as well as they can.
Ryne, the guy, Evans calls you out and I basically agree with him concerning your being wishy-washy and you come back with “I assure you I know Much more about baseball and how it works than you do”.
Come on man, that’s 5th grade shit. Try to clear your name and all but don’t throw that shit out. It just makes you sound bad. I don’t agree with what you say but you are a good writer and are passionate about what you say so I give you that but just don’t stoop with that 5th grade shit.
Ravens. I appreciate your comment and that only reason I resorted to saying that in the first place is because he called me an idiot. I was being ironic. I obviously don’t know for a fact that I know more about baseball than him, I was proving a point. As for the wishy-washy talk, I am not being wishy-washy. Worst comes to worst the Os can handle a closer by committee role, if Buck drops the whole “baseball traditionalism) bull shit once and for all. I never questioned that. All I am saying is that it would be prefered that Balfor closes. The Os need to add a reliever regardless because they were down two or three solid guys in the bullpen last year, so why not just simplify and sign Balfour? There is nothing wishy washy about that. I am just saying that that is the desirable and “best” option. Anyways, thanks for the comments and responses. And I will pretty much reiterate what you said Ravens, people can have their opinions and voice those as they wish, there is no need for resorting to calling someone an idiot though. Statinghypotheticals doesn’t make someone an idiot, it makes them a realist. I never went back on my word or waivered, I merely stated what could work and how the Os could go about doing business.
I will try and put an end to this once and for all
And be as clear as impossibly
Can…
I was and still
Am in favor of a closer by committee closer role. The problem is it isn’t realistic to
Expect Buck to take on the same mindset. So, say whatever you want and call me whatever names you like, just know you should be directing them at Buck because he is the one who decides who takes the ninth. Again, in favor of closer t committee regardless of who is in the pen. It isn’t realistic to
Expect Though, not from Buck. So. How is that wavering or being two faced or whatever everyone is calling me? I never said they shouldn’t do closer by committee. I was praying they would last year when Johnson withered away anyhow of a postseason birth. I’m
Sorry, but if people are still
Claiming that I am wishy-washy or whatever nonsense then some people need to do a little more selfevaluating and resort
To Name calling a little less.