Quick Hits: O's and MASN Related Stuffage...

photo from the baltimore sun...

Erik Bedard and Arbitration: There’s an article from the Ottawa Citizen about O’s pitcher Erik Bedard and his hopes for a contract extension. It’s an interesting read, and it sounds like at this point all he wants is the deal to be done so he can focus on pitching.

I think the Orioles seriously should start looking at possibly giving him a contract extension if Bedard so desires, as starting pitching is at a premium, and he if he continues his success, it would be far cheaper to sign him now than later down the road.

Ken Rosenthal and the O’s: In light of the media bashing of the Orioles and their winter moves, Fox Sports’ Ken Rosenthal believes that Oriole might surprise the skeptics.

Here are some notable quotes from the article:

"They play in the wrong division. They've got the wrong owner. And after nine straight losing seasons, it's reasonable to call them the game's most underachieving franchise; the Orioles, playing at Camden Yards, possess far greater financial resources than say, the Pirates and Royals."

That much I agree with. We just don’t have the firepower to fight the Yankees and Red Sox.

Then he says:

"The only way for the Orioles to challenge the Yankees, Red Sox and Blue Jays, however, is if Cabrera and Loewen make the same jump that left-hander Erik Bedard did last season. If that happens — and if the division somehow proves weaker than expected — then the O's could turn into the Tigers East, reviving with young pitching."

I think this statement is key, even moreso than the upgrade of the bullpen. I believe a team’s success is measured by its starting pitching. If Bedard, Loewen and Cabrera can take their pitching game to the next level, then the Oriole can seriously look at contending with anyone. Even though the Yankees and Red Sox do have the dominant pitching in the division, if the young arms develop – look out.

And finally…

More likely, the Orioles will improve modestly, then target a breakthrough in '08. Of course, the Devil Rays should be much-improved by then, while the Red Sox finally should have a closer and the Yankees could have Andruw Jones playing center field. Things never get easier in the AL East.

The statement above is why I think 2007 is critical to the long term success of the Orioles. If the Orioles can make can finish at or above .500, then the team is in perfect position to upgrade with marquee free agents in 2008 and perhaps make a serious at contention. However, if the Orioles finish at the same level as they did 2006, much of the moves done will mean nothing and the team will once again have to deal only with mid-level free agents rather than the marquee names needed to make an impact.

MASN News: According to the Baltimore Examiner’s Jim Williams, Rick Dempsey should be officially named to MASN this week. He’ll most likely work the pre and post game baseball shows for the Orioles. MASN is still looking for talent, and that will help shape the network, according to Phil Wood. I noted in a previous post that network may be going after ESPN’s Gary Throne.

As well, Williams says that Comcast Sports Net will still have a presence with baseball, especially at Camden Yards as it will too have its own pre-and post game shows.

In the same article, he mentions that Amber Theoharris might be leaving the network for a higher profile job in New York. I sorely hope MASN can keep her in town, as she is one of the better talents in the area and brings a great perspective on sports in the Mid-Atlantic region.

Chris Ray a Brave? LaRoche an Oriole?

Well, now the Braves are supposed in talks with the Orioles about again trading Adam LaRoche, this time for Ray and a complimentary player. Ken Rosenthal from foxsports.com reports:

" The Orioles have renewed their pursuit of Braves first baseman Adam LaRoche, this time without offering second baseman Brian Roberts.

Earlier this month, Orioles owner Peter Angelos nixed a trade of Roberts and right-hander Hayden Penn to the Braves for LaRoche and second baseman Marcus Giles.

In the latest discussions, the Braves likely are targeting Orioles closer Chris Ray, who could join closer Bob Wickman and setup man Rafael Soriano to give the team formidable late-inning relief.

The Braves probably would want another player in addition to Ray — perhaps Penn. They have been reluctant to trade LaRoche for Pirates closer Mike Gonzalez without receiving another piece in return.

The Orioles don't want to move Ray, but they would be foolish to dismiss the idea if they could add LaRoche, a left-handed hitter who could thrive at Camden Yards.

Ray, who turns 25 on Jan. 12, is five years away from free agency, but LaRoche, 27, also qualifies as a young, developing player he's three years away from going free.

By adding three free-agent relievers — right-handers Danys Baez and Chad Bradford and lefty Jamie Walker — the Orioles have built enough bullpen depth to thstand the loss of Ray."

Hopefully this will be nothing more than a rumor. I think the trade would be good on paper for both teams, as the Orioles need a power bat and LaRoche is young. The Orioles do have a stacked bullpen now, but Ray is cheap and not even near the arbitration stage yet. I'd be apprehensive in trading Ray right now, but we do need the power.

However, I don't think we should trade 2 young pitchers for LaRoche. Right now, pitching is at a premium, and if Penn ever does develop and if Ray keeps up his numbers over the next few season, this may look to be a lopsided trade for the fact that the future might have been mortaged to win today. I'd say trade should happen with Ray and perhaps a prospect in the lower level of the organization, not a pitcher like Penn.

It's a flip for me. If I were the GM of the Orioles, as much as I like Ray, I'd look into this deal.

Roch's Opinion on the Rumored Orioles Sale...

This was just posted on Roch Kubatko's Baltimore Sun blog about Ripken's involvement with the Orioles and the rumored sale:

"I have little doubt that Cal Ripken will eventually become involved in an ownership group that purchases the Orioles. He can't do it alone. Not at that cost. But he'll be an owner. I just don't know what to make of Ken Rosenthal's story that Ripken and Peter Angelos already have broached the subject and the wheels are in motion.

Rosenthal got his information from a reliable source. He's one of the best reporters in the business. Has been for a long time. You'd be amazed at how plugged in he is, with information available at his finger tips. It's inspiring to watch him work a lobby at the winter meetings. But a person close to Ripken denies that there's a story, saying another rumor pops up every time Angelos and the future Hall of Famer share a meal.

Either way, it makes for good conversation. Try it over dinner tonight.

Ripken just wants to be given a heads-up when Angelos is ready to sell. And I'm sure they've discussed this over appetizers.

Once again, we're entering a gray area here.

I doubt that it's going to happen in the near future, but yes, Ripken wants a chance to own the team. And it seems likely that Angelos will give it to him."

I think the topic has been brought up between Angelos and Ripken, but it won't happen now. Angelos is a fighter, and for right now, I'd imagine that the team would be sold if the Orioles do improve and if the team is once again seen as viable in the world of baseball.

I also agree with Roch that Ken Rosenthal would not make up a story up, and that there has to be concrete proof behind a discussion. I'm sure there were talks or the article might have been written on hearsay evidence, but also, I figure that it was not supposed to made public.