4:56pm: The Orioles aren't the team that has offered Balfour a vesting option, tweets Encina.
3:40pm: Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles are one of three teams that has made a two-year offer to Balfour. One team's offer contains a vesting option for a third season, he adds. Connolly isn't sure which team has offered the vesting option, but he gets the sense that it's not the Orioles (Twitter links).
1:45pm: The O's prefer Balfour on a two-year deal, and one other club is still in the mix at this time, tweets Heyman.
12:56pm: Years are the main sticking point in negotiations with Balfour, tweets Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun.
THURSDAY, 11:54am: The Orioles are confident that they can sign Balfour, tweets Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports.
WEDNESDAY: The Orioles have an offer out to reliever Grant Balfour and others as they try to fill four holes in their lineup, writes Jon Heyman of CBSSports.com. The O's also have an offer out to John Axford, a source tells Jon Paul Morosi of FOX Sports (on Twitter). Heyman also notes that Baltimore has talked to Nelson Cruz's agent, but a source tells Eduardo A. Encina of the Baltimore Sun (via Twitter) that the club hasn't made an offer to him.
Heyman writes that the O's are also in on an unnamed starting pitcher. Baltimore also has to address holes at closer, left field, and at DH. Balfour is their top choice to replace Jim Johnson as a closer with Axford and Chris Perez believed to be secondary options.
As a fan of another AL East team, I would be in favour of the Orioles signing Nelson Cruz to a 4/$60m contract.
The extra “U” gave you away…ehhhh
Haha yes! I am in fact Canadian.
Its cold; got any poutine?
Ha! I wish I could have some poutine right now. I got my wisdom teeth taken out yesterday, and I basically can’t eat anything 🙁
You can eat anything if you let it get soggy enough.
Haha
The Orioles want to spend money… Voluntarily!?
Knowing DD, they are probably $1M, 1 year offers. At least we’re being considered!
Os. Why would’ve you have offered Grandy that deal instead?
Giving up #17 draft picks is something the Orioles REALLY can not afford.
I didn’t realize that spot carried multiple draft picks. No wonder they can’t afford to lose it.
Please God, no. Not Cruz. Not for that money, and not for a pick. Quick! Someone give DD a Breath-a-lizer! I don’t think the contract offer counts if one of the involved parties is intoxicated…
Don’t worry Duq won’t be able to get Angelos on the phone to approve anything.
Ugh. Why do I even bother?
If the O’s are gonna give up a pick, why not Morales instead? Younger, no steroid implications, hasn’t had his numbers inflated by playing in a hitters park.
If the O’s are going to give up the pick, they might as well go after Choo(spoiler alert: they won’t). Cruz and Morales just aren’t very good baseball players. I’m pretty confident that a Jason Kubel/Danny Valencia platoon could put up better numbers than Morales next year and wouldn’t cost a pick. The Orioles should go after Justin Smoak now that Seattle has signed Hart and traded for Morrison. He would be a perfect platoon buddy for Valencia and he still has the potential to get better.
Kubel strikes out almost 50% of the time, he’ll be out of baseball within two years.
Nobody seems to be showing interest in him, strange??
need a left handed left fielder who plays solid defense. So naturally we will go after a right handed right fielder who plays poor defense.
Carl Crawford ?
Delmon Young?
Why didn’t the O’s go for Granderson? Would have rather had him. Although, maybe he didn’t want to leave NY?
At least we are doing something.
Just not digging Cruz though.
I’d rather see us spend that kind of money on a starting pitcher than someone who’s sole value is hitting home runs in a lineup who’s sole value is hitting home runs.
Pleaseeeeeeeee not John Axford!!
Why would anyone give Cruz that type of contract
There is a very good chance that the O’s don’t know what they are doing.
Why would anyone give Cruz that type of contract
The Orioles win 93 games in 2012, and then do nothing of significance in the 2012-2013 offseason.
The Orioles win 86 games in 2013, dump their closer to save money, then offer a contract to another expensive closer. Duquette says he’s looking for a left-handed left fielder who plays solid D, and he offers a contract to a right-handed left fielder who shouldn’t even be allowed in the outfield.
What in the world is going on in the Warehouse?
Peter Angelos recently put offices for himself & his son in the warehouse.
The Orioles win 93 games in 2012, and then do nothing of significance in the 2012-2013 offseason.
The Orioles win 86 games in 2013, dump their closer to save money, then offer a contract to another expensive closer. Duquette says he’s looking for a left-handed left fielder who plays solid D, and he offers a contract to a right-handed left fielder who shouldn’t even be allowed in the outfield.
What in the world is going on in the Warehouse?
I can honestly say that I wouldn’t take Cruz for free. He cost a draft pick, wants $15 million a year, plays poor defense, has PED baggage, no speed, is in his mid 30s, hits right handed when we need a lefty bat, and he has a “meh” AVG and OBP.
He offers literally nothing that the Orioles need.
Which is leading me to believe it’s a bogus rumor.
It seems like Heyman has tweeted that the O’s have interest in just about every player this offseason. The thing that scares me though is that we are apparently willing to offer 4/60 or a “little more”. I really hope that was just put out there by Katz (his agent) to try and get a little more money for his client. Like you said, I am praying and hoping that this report, as well as the one about Chad Gaudin, was bogus.
What does him wanting 15 mil per year have to do with you not wanting him for free?
He is a 33 year old power hitter ( probably because of the roids) who plays terrible defense will cost 15 million a year and cost a draft pick and doesnt get on base all that much
Conflicting information out the wazoo.
Wazoo just got 5 years/$75MM.
I dont mind rumors that say the orioles are interest in or the orioles are talking to and so on but you should have some real information if you are going to say a contract has been offered
giving 15 per to a 33 year old and losing a pick in the process is the opposite of what the orioles should do….opposite dan…opposite
signing balfour just puts us back to where we were before trading Johnson it does not improve our team at all
Back to where we were? Perhaps, but some would consider it to be a downgrade at closer. Didn’t Balfour blow just as many saves as Johnson in less opportunities?
JJ was 50/59 and Balfour was 38/41
That’s pretty good
Personally, Id give Balfour a 2 year deal or a 3 year deal with a Lackey clause (1 extra year at league minimum if he has a significant arm injury). Nathan, Rivera and others have shown closers can make good comebacks from injury at an old age.
Mo could’ve had a 2.50 ERA, 1.5 Whip with a 1.5K/9 line from on a wheelchair or crutches if he wanted to in 2012.
I bet that the other team in the mix are the Yankees, could they be the mystery team?
Balfour to the Orioles is a great idea… that way they can claim he’s yelling for coach Buck instead of something else…
The good Ol’ Mystery team is in the mix. I’d figure they’re offering 3/$27MM to him.
That seems too low. Brian Wilson and Joe Nathan each made $10mil, I can’t imagine Balfour will go for any less.
Too many closers on the market for him to make that kind of demand. He missed his chance by waiting to sign. His agent should have sized up the market right before the signing period began and realized that waiting was going to cost money no matter who was offering. If it turns out Balfour can’t get anything north of $8 mil per for a multi-year deal, he’d probably be best suited to taking a one-year deal since the arms slated for free agency after 2014 is much lighter than this batch that just hit the market.
Yankees, O’s, and Indians. Yankees have the 3 year offer.
I wish I knew how to feel about all this.
However, what I can say/type: This is getting very,very, annoying!
“Baltimore also has to address holes at closer, left field, and at DH.” This line just made me laugh. You would think they would have already addressed a couple of those needs. But this is the Baltimore Orioles you have to be a retread coming off a really bad season for us to be interested or willing to play for a much cheaper price. The Orioles are a joke because of their owner.
O’s, Indians, Rockies/Cubs/Yankees
O’s, Indians, Rockies/Cubs/Yankees