Git R Done

After this offseason, I don't think I'll never need to get on a roller coaster again. I've experienced enough up and downs this winter to last me a lifetime.

First Tejada was traded, then he wasn't. Then he was traded to the Astros. And just in the nick of time too. Man did the Orioles dodge a bullet there.

Then Roberts was traded to the Cubs, then he wasn't. Who knows why that deal fell apart...

Now Bedard has been reported to be traded to the Mariners after word was passed along that the centerpiece in the deal, CF Adam Jones, was told by the M's to fly home from Venezuela, where he was playing winter ball. Now both teams are denying that the deal is done, even though sources on both sides of the trade say that it is a done deal.

And now comes the show-stopper... word is that Peter G. Angelos has yet to sign off on the deal. The reason? He's unreachable today because of what The Sun calls "personal issues."

Unless Angelos is attending a funeral or some kind of dire family emergency, he should find the time to approve what could be one of the biggest trades in franchise history. And last time I checked, funerals aren't all-day functions.

I'm so sick and tired of being pulled along with these trade rumors, only to hear that the trade was snagged when Angelos got involved. When is Angelos just going to become another part of the process, and one that doesn't slow down the process by a day or two?

Now, this may be a formality. Who knows what's really going on behind the warehouse doors. But one things is for sure, the Orioles need to close the deal on these trades from time to time or else their reputation for being difficult gets even worse and the O's find them selves exiled on Pratt Street.

People close to the team are saying that the deal will be announced tomorrow. I sure hope so.

Sound the alarm

It sounds like Peter Angelos is up to his old antics.

Roch Kubatko from the Sun wrote this in his blog yesterday and it doesn't sound good.

Of course, we're going to believe that Angelos was indeed the one who killed the deal. He's repeatedly killed deals in the past, or changed his mind, or just stalled until the deal shriveled up and died. So when reports come out of Chicago that Angelos first approved a Roberts trade, and then changed his mind, thus killing the deal, excuse me if I don't give Angelos the benefit of the doubt.

I don't know what Angelos is thinking. Doesn't he realize that Roberts needs to be traded? That he'll help this team get better by being traded for 3-4 good prospects? That he's a goner after 2009 because he's sick of losing anyway?

Andy MacPhail may not be the team's savior like we'd hoped, and he may be asking for too much and taking too long to make decisions himself, but I do believe that he could get some deals done to improve this team and get a rebuilding process started. But not if Angelos is going to treat him like every other front office executive in the past by overruling him left and right.

This doesn't bode well for the O's. They are already viewed across the league as being difficult to work with, so this latest development isn't going to help their image at all.

So unless MacPhail can somehow convince Angelos otherwise, it looks like us fans should do what we always do around this time of year, and lower our expectations drastically.

While we weren't expecting a Wild Card run in 2008, I, among many, was looking forward to watching the young prospects that had been received in trades for Bedard and Roberts. But now it's looking more and more like we may only have to look forward to watching the players we got back from the Tejada trade, and some more mediocre free agents.

And at this point, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Miguel Tejada trade get reversed somehow. I'm sure the Astros could say they were traded damaged goods. But if that happens, you'd have to think that it wouldn't be Angelos' doing.

Right?

Either way, this once promising offseason has been tarnished. And at this point, it's going to take a miracle to save it.

Coming down to the wire...

After reportedly being close to a trade that would have sent Brian Roberts to the Cubs for pitching prospects Sean Gallagher, Sean Marshall and 2B/SS prospect Ronny Cedeno, the Orioles have slowed down their trade talks to a crawl.

Nothing appears eminent and the Orioles have repeatedly said that they are content going into the 2008 season with Brian Roberts and Erik Bedard on their roster.

Of course, this is a negotiations ploy, but as the days pass without action, it appears more and more like it could be a reality.

And while I am glad to see that Andy MacPhail has high demands for his 2 best players in Roberts and Bedard, I am beginning to worry that he isn't willing to budge.

Now, this could play out beautifully if the Cubs or Mariners get nervous as the season approaches and pull the trigger on the trades that MacPhail wants. But it appears that those teams aren't willing to give up their best young talent, regardless of how good Roberts and Bedard may be.

And therein lies the problem. Someone has to flinch. Hopefully it won't be the Orioles, but if it comes down to the wire, they may be forced to.

Entering the 2008 season with Brian Roberts and Erik Bedard on the roster points toward complete disaster. Both players have a better chance to lower their value than raise it, and both players have had injuries in the past that have sidelined them for extensive periods of time.

Having their value drop from ineffectiveness or injuries would force the Orioles into a corner that they wouldn't be able to fight their way out of.

They need young talent. They need it now. And they need to start the rebuilding process as soon as possible. Waiting for the trade deadline in July 2008 is not acceptable. There are too many risks involved. And most important, it pushes the rebuilding process back to 2009.

The Orioles may need to take a hard look at themselves and realize that they need to move these guys before the season begins, no matter what the cost. Yes, there is still time to hold out, to force the teams who covet Roberts and Bedard to cave in, but with pitchers and catchers reporting to spring training in a month, time is of the essence.

Taking one fewer player in a deal, or substituting a top prospect with a lesser player isn't the end of the world. Especially for Roberts, who I believe is grossly overrated by Oriole fans. The Gallagher, Marshall and Cedeno deal was bashed when it was reported as completed, but it seemed like fair value for a 2B in Roberts who is on the wrong side of 30 and is sure to start declining soon. Gallagher and Marshall are both candidates for a mid-rotation spot and Cedeno has posted a .900 OPS in AAA the last 2 years, but has struggled in the majors thus far.

If you're going to hold out for the best package, it better be Bedard. If we're forced to keep him, it doesn't hurt to have an ace on your team for 3 months or a year, especially if he maintains his current level of performance.

But if you hold onto these players too long, like the Orioles have done all too often in the past, you're playing with fire.

And the Orioles will be the ones who get burned.