According to Jeff Zrebiec of the Baltimore Sun, the Orioles have agreed to a 1 year, $8 million deal with free agent DH Vladimir Guerrero. The merits of this move have been hotly debated on Baltimore Sports Report, as well as on sports radio shows and other forums. Now we will get to see whether or not the aging slugger has much left in the tank. He certainly adds another veteran bat to a line-up that appears to be significantly improved over 2010. Vlad has a proven track record of being a run producer and will likely man the 4 spot in the Orioles line-up. The move also creates more depth and line-up flexibility for manager Buck Showalter.
I am a bit surprised that the Orioles increased their offer as much as they did. The club’s initial offer was reported to have been in the $3.5 to $4 million range, with incentives that could have earned Guerrero up to $5 million. Perhaps the reports were erroneous, or perhaps the Orioles saw an opportunity to add the slugger to their line-up and felt they needed to up their offer to get a deal done. Either way this move will please some who called for his signing, and disappoint others who felt that Guerrero adds little to the club.
What is your verdict? Did the O’s pay too much? Or were they smart to get the deal done?
At that price? Not worth it. Let's not forget, no one else even wanted this guy.
I'm curious as to why the price bothers you.
The Orioles have a boatload of cash by way of the ridiculous deal that Angelos forged with MLB when the Nats came to town.
There is no salary cap, it's a one year deal, and Vlad makes the lineup much more formidable.
Would you rather have the team just pocket the 8 million?
Oddly enough, the price doesn't much bother me. It's an overpay and I'd rather they invest that money in the draft. But for one year? Hard to get worked up about the cash.
The one and only way this signing will affect the investment in the draft is if the owner wants it that way.
Of course, that's a distinct possibility.
You mean they sign another guy like Hobgood?
If you believe any team can succeed without investing in the draft, I think we're done here. 😉
Lol- MGW is just bitter about Hobgood. The O's will need to continue to build through the draft although there is some speculation that Joe Jordan is the man for the job.
And why was Hobgood the O's pick?
Because he was "signable". In other words, the cheaped out.
I believe that's what MGW was referring too.
It was obvious when they signed him he wasn't worthy of the #4 (I think it was 4th) overall pick.
And it's showing now.
Couldn't agree more. So many people speak of Angelos being tight with money and then we sign Vlad not Ramirez or Damon or Thome(which i could have been sold on) But the same Vlad who was in the World Series last year. Love this pick up.
It ain't my money. Like Mark said, would you rather The Angelos Boys put the money in their pockets? Buy a new yacht?
For once, they have thrown the fans a bone.
Reimold is a three month wonder whose name we won't even remember two years from now. Stop whining about taking at bats from him. No one even flinched when Reynolds was acquired taking at bats away from Bell.
If nothing else, the offseason just got a little more exciting. It's about time to shut up the cry baby bandwagon football fans.
Eat your bone, doggy. Because that's all it is.
I will, thank you.
Bringing in Vlad is nothing but a positive for the Orioles. Even if you do believe that he hinders Luke Scott, Nolan Reimold or Felix Pie having more weapons is always a good thing. Then one of the four can become trade material at the deadline.
Not to mention you should always always always always put the best team on the field. You never know what could happen. While contention is unlikely this season, the Orioles should always make a consorted effort to field a quality product.
As for the price, who cares? Ticket prices aren't going to go up (any higher) because the Orioles over spent on Vlad. It's not our money so what does it matter. Vlad was added after the O's went out and got their targets. He wasn't a guy brought in like Jayson Werth in D.C. where they lost Adam Dunn and Josh Willingham in the process.
I certainly agree the vlad contract isn't crippling like the Werth contract but I still don't understand why you wouldn't sign Manny over Vlad. They are have slightly different skills (Manny = OBP; Vlad = SLG) but for the most part they look like similar cogs to plug into the lineup for one year and the market price for Manny was significantly lower.
I'd rather have ownership spend $8 million on a guy who isn't going to bring an attitude into the locker room and clash with the Orioles news manager.
I certainly appreciate that perspective. Those factors are difficult to quantify and could reflect the O's decision. Still $8 Million seems high to me. Thanks for the back and forth Jeff!
I always appreciate anyone who can support an argument with stats. Good stuff. I love the move and I think it's made a lot of fans eager for baseball this season.
I've been pretty swamped all week with non-Baltimore sports related activities but my initial reaction to this signing is "Why?". Everyone seems to agree this is an overpay, so why not sign Manny at one quarter of the cost. I think both players are still reasonable offensive weapons but neither will be worth ~2 WAR from the DH position. More importantly why sign an aging DH/OF at all? Riemold, Pie and Scott need at bats.
All in all there are no bad one year contracts but much like DA I'd really prefer to see this money spent on younger prospects. Perhaps spending some time with the numbers will change my opinion but for right now the Justin Duchscherer tickled my fancy much more than this one.
Protection in the lineup. So many people complained that Nick Markakis' numbers were down last year. There was no one to protect him. The Orioles bring in a veteran guy with a proven track record to provide protection. This lineup is solid.
Did you watch Manny Ramirez literally quit on the field last year with the Dodgers? That was when he was making 20 million. The guy is a whack job who can't be depended on for anything.
And why do Pie and Reimold "need" at bats? Reimold has had injuy issues his entire career. He couldn't get his head straight last year due to off the field problems and he was injured. He batted .249 at Norfolk and yet people still view him as this super prospect. He isn't. And Pie is a career 4th OF.
This notion that a one year deal for Vlad will somehow affect the money going to younger prospects is a red herring at best. The Orioles, with a much smaller payroll over the years, neglected the entire minor league system. They went cheap on draft picks (until recently) and didn't even have a legit spring training facility because the owner was such a dumbass. This signing should have zero affect on anything regarding prospects or the minors.
Just to clarify I don't think that $8 million is somehow crippling the franchise or holding them back from spending money in the future. However, it seems to make good business sense to be as efficient with your money as possible. Well run teams, like the Tampa Bay Rays, really recognize this. I think the O's front office is on their way but signings like don't reflect advanced management strategies, in my opinion. Regardless, there are no bad one year contracts and Vlad is still a reasonable offensive weapon. It will be interesting to see if he can surpass expectations and stay healthy. It is certainly a possibility.
The amount of money the Orioles have dwarfs what TB has.
The reason the Rays recognize it is because they have no other choice.
Btw, MacPhail's contract is up at the end of this year. Something to keep an eye on. He sure has a long way to go with "the plan".
I agree with Mark. The only area the Orioles should try and be like the Rays is in their ability to scout, sign and develop young talent.
The lineup is good; very good in most other divisions. I don't really believe in lineup protection or Markakis' power (still his OBP skills and defense still make him a nice player) but I do agree the 2011 O's offense is SIGNIFICANTLY improved. I just wish they could have do so in an even more affordable manner. I think Manny would have yielded similar results and was undervalued in the FA market.
I don't understand why fans critique the Orioles for overspending. If it isn't my money and tickets aren't increased then what difference does it make. I think Manny is a locker room cancer and Vlad still has a lot to offer the Orioles.
sammy sosa
This team has literally brainwashed the fans into believing spending money is bad.