Manny Machado has heard the Alex Rodriguez comparisons, like everyone else. The Orioles’ first round selection is a big high school shortstop from the Miami area, so A-Rod was an unavoidable point of reference. Machado finds the comparisons flattering – to a point.
“I’m Manny Machado,” he said after celebrating the draft with about 25 family members. “I can’t be like anybody else. You’ve got to be yourself.”
Before long, Machado could be making a name for himself in the same organization as recent first rounders Nick Markakis, Matt Wieters and Brian Matusz. Orioles scouting director Joe Jordan says he was drawn to Machado’s enthusiasm for the game and, most of all, his talent.
“He’s going to automatically be one of the premier prospects in the organization,” Jordan said.
Technically, the Orioles have to sign Machado before that happens. Whether the shortstop likes the A-Rod comparisons or not, Machado definitely has something in common with Rodriguez: Scott Boras. That connection has intimidated teams before, but Jordan expressed confidence that the Orioles will sign Machado.
“He’s going to be a Baltimore Oriole,” Jordan said. “I have no doubt about that.”
Wieters, another Boras client, obtained the highest bonus in Orioles history when he signed for $6MM in 2007.
The Os have set signing bonus records of some sort every season under Jordan. Sometimes it’s qualified though. But they are records of some sort. Last year I think the Os set a record for highest amount going to Cameron Coffey at his slot. He basically got 1st RD money at a deep lat round pick.
I guess I just find it interesting when so-called experts look at the Orioles, a losing team, and figure that they must also be a small market type of ballclub in the Oakland or Pittsburgh type of mold. So we hear this kind of default reporting on them, that they should have problems signing prospects. Then again, if the results are the same, then maybe it’s just semantics and the observation is valid?
Though traditionally the Orioles should be a team at about the Phillies or St. Louis level of market and payroll. They have just been down due to bad management, not lack of funds.
The Orioles have failed to sign a first round pick more recently than the Pirates or A’s, for what it’s worth. But who thinks of them as small market? Don’t we associate them with Angelos wasting tens of millions of dollars?
Orioles did make a 100mil+ offer to teixeira when he was a free agent.
Yeah, they have the funding, but this team has a couple of big problems: 1) Consistent bad management. I think over the last 10 years the one constant gripe of Orioles fans has been about the front office. 2) The AL East. When you’re in a division with 2 teams that tend to have some of the best resources in the league, you’re already facing an uphill battle. Add to that over the last couple of years the meteoric rise of the Rays, and let’s face it in any other division the Jays are a constant playoff threat.
The Pirates are only a small market team because of the lack of success the they have had. Look at the Penguins and Steelers, when they started winning, they were able to make a lot more money. Once the Pirates start to win, they’ll be able to make a lot more money.
The economics of football are different. Small market teams in football can prosper due to more equitable league revenue sharing, salary cap, etc. Not sure about ice hockey…
“I’m Manny Machado, I can’t be like anybody else. You’ve got to be yourself.”
So the orioles drafted a relative of Forrest Gump?
This amuses me. O’s optimistic about signing Machado. You better be!
“‘He’s going to be a Baltimore Oriole,’ Jordan said. ‘I have no doubt about that.'”
That’s the sound of all your negotiating leverage going down the drain.
What, do you think his position would have been stronger if he’d said “I’m not sure we’re going to be able to sign him – we’re a pretty crappy team, I’m not sure he wants to play for us”?
I think his position would be stronger if at the very least he HADN’T said “I will pay whatever Scott Boras tells me I have to pay.” Do you see why