Truth & Rumors > MLB

Orioles target Burnett

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If this is late November, then the Orioles are still in the hunt for some exciting free agents. Time will probably tell a different story, but the star dujour who supposedly is within reach is pitcher A.J. Burnett. Burnett is a good pitcher with the right home address. He lives in Monkton and is believed to want to play as close to home as possible. You don't need a Garmin to determine which major league team is the shortest commute, but it still might require a crystal ball to figure out whether that will work to any tangible advantage for the Orioles. I'm guessing it will if they really are committed to signing him, but that just raises another question with no clear answer. Orioles president Andy MacPhail and agent Darek Braunecker talked Friday, and Braunecker said afterward that the Orioles remain one of roughly a half-dozen teams on the short list to sign Burnett, but that would require a dramatic shift in organizational philosophy for the Orioles.

Baltimore Sun

A.J. Burnett, Nick Laham/Getty Images A.J. Burnett, Nick Laham/Getty Images
Comment #1 has been removed
November 28, 2008  08:13 AM ET

Grossedout:

What is wrong with you?

Comment #3 has been removed
November 28, 2008  10:55 AM ET

i hope they get him so the Yanks dont haha stupid Yanks arent going to get anyone. CC to the Angels, Texeria to the Sox, Manny to the Dodgers, Burnett to the Orioles. That would be awesome

November 28, 2008  11:28 AM ET

Last season, i was at the final game of the year between the Jays and the O's. I saw him leaving the stadium with his 2 kids, and wife. He was holding both his kids' hands and walking. He would not stop to sign anyone autographs. I also heard him re-assuring his kids on when he will be home with them. He is obviously a family oriented man. I can see him taking a deal for a little less to be closer to his family.

November 28, 2008  11:55 AM ET

I don't know. Baltimore needs more than him to be a contender and they have a history of free agent signings that just don't work out. I love the ball park though. Went 2 years ago and the atmosphere was just great and the tickets were very reasonable. Of course saw them play Minnesota so that helped.

November 28, 2008  12:32 PM ET

Maybe this is the 3rd team towers is talking about. Roberts goes to the Cubs, two or three young pitchers go to San Diego, and Peavy goes to Baltimore.

Hey if Towers can make this stuff up, so can I.

November 28, 2008  01:07 PM ET
QUOTE(#7):

Maybe this is the 3rd team towers is talking about. Roberts goes to the Cubs, two or three young pitchers go to San Diego, and Peavy goes to Baltimore.Hey if Towers can make this stuff up, so can I.

Sounds good to me.

November 28, 2008  01:45 PM ET
QUOTE(#7):

Maybe this is the 3rd team towers is talking about. Roberts goes to the Cubs, two or three young pitchers go to San Diego, and Peavy goes to Baltimore.Hey if Towers can make this stuff up, so can I.

Do not see that happening

November 28, 2008  07:45 PM ET
QUOTE(#9):

Do not see that happening

I think you missed the sarcasm here..... there's so much shyte being thrown around, it's not even funny.... major disinformation campaigns.... Joseph Goebels has nothing on these guys....

November 28, 2008  08:19 PM ET

I wish he'd sign with someone so T&R can get off this hourly BS

November 28, 2008  08:47 PM ET
QUOTE(#10):

I think you missed the sarcasm here..... there's so much shyte being thrown around, it's not even funny.... major disinformation campaigns.... Joseph Goebels has nothing on these guys....

I figured that but you never know it is the MLB ran by Selig

November 29, 2008  12:17 AM ET

Angelos is a whack job, and no FA player signs in Baltimore unless they are coming off of career seasons looking for the most money (i.e. Tejada, Javy Lopez) or are veterans looking for their last huge payday before riding into the sunset (Palmeiro, Belle). Free agents do not go to Baltimore because they know they will never win in Baltimore, not with Angelos non-stop interference with his front office.

If you want to know who Baltimore will sign, look for guys like Penny, Hampton, Wolf, and their ilk wanting one-year deals to establish themselves for a FA run in 2009. Angelos is delusional and thinks Roberts is the key to their rebuilding (a 33 year-old lead-off guy) and he interferes with Andy McFail's attempts to deal. He ultimately has set them up for failure for his entire stewardship of the once-proud Orioles organization. Any pitcher wanting salary AND the prospect of winning will avoid Baltimore... after all, beyond Markakas the team has no reliable offensive core. Only a mercenary would sign there, and there is a big enough market that only the injured, desperate, or those coming off of steroids, would ever choose to take Angelos's money. Burnett will likely end up in Atlanta or in Yankee pinstripes, even if Angelos outbids them...

November 29, 2008  01:19 AM ET

A winter coup for the Orioles would be signing Giambi & Nomar (a 1b/DH tandem), Wolf, and Pedro Martinez, along with trading scraps to the Padres for Greene (to address their short-term needs at SS). They're not going to get any marquee guys, certainly not a rotation ace, but if their kids step up (and they make signings/deals like these), they COULD be the Rays of 2009. I honesly think that's the best Angelos could hope for. McFail was a curse on the Cubs organization, but he's a whiz at running a mid-market club... if Angelos stays out of the way and lets McFail get guys like these as short-term plugs while the kids develop, the Orioles COULD have a chance at building the core they've lacked for the last decade.

 
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