Izturis officially an Oriole

The Orioles today announced they have completed the signing of free-agent shortstop Cesar Izturis to a two-year contract, shoring up a position that was a revolving door for the team in 2007.

[Mike]

yawn

[Schocker8]

calm before the storm.....i sure as hell hope

[calj]

yippy-freakin'-doo. there is no storm, don't kid yourself. name anyone the wOes would go after seriously and who would want to play for that utterly pathetic front office and owner.

[Ghost Oriole]

Huge news. And to think that people said MacPhail couldn't fix his own mistakes.

Izturis might hit a HR this year, and I hope I'm not asleep when he does it.

I'm a little disappointed that they're spending so much. Angelos could've pocketed more money if they'd gone with Everett.

[Ghost Oriole]

And I can no longer say that the O's have zero dollars spent in 2010.

They're up to $3 million with the "slick fielding" shortstop.

[Ghost Oriole]

It's a relief to find out that MacPhail wasn't lying about this the way he lied about the PTBNL in the Chad Bradford deal.

It's nice that the Orioles just give away players to other teams in the AL East. There was a time when other teams needed to win on the field, but now they can just have good O's players when they need them.

And looking at the Rule Five Draft, how in the world can the O's SELL their draft pick when they so desperately need talent?

[STR]

Ghost - I think you are on record with each one of your thoughts above. I know you have an immature need to continue to belabor the same points over and over - but please spare us.

Really, do you not have anything better to do every day than to repeat the same thoughts over and over again?

Grow up please!

[Ghost of Ned Hanlon]

Call me crazy, but I like this move. I look at the line-up and I am impressed. Sure we have a glaring hole at 1B, but that is about it. The huge issue is still starting pitching. Landing Texiera would be fine, but frankly I'd rather that money be spent on top-of-the rotation pitching. We still have no ace and none, best I can tell, on the horizon, while we do have tons of potentially high quality mid to back-end of the rotation guys. Picture a rotation with the back 4/5 being Guthrie, Arietta, Tillman, and Matusz. We just need a stud at the top. In this market, I'd be pursuing Peavey right now. He's arguably as good as Sabathia and definitively better than Burnett.

[Ghost Oriole]

And if anyone thinks it's not all about money----- Let's look at selling Bradford and selling the draft pick.

It's pocket change, in the grand scheme. If a GM is "rebuilding" the team, how will $250,000 offset the loss of two players?

LOOK AT WHAT THEY ARE DOING, not what they are saying.

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Other picks in the Rule Five which would've made sense:

James Skelton C 23 year-old with .416 career OBP (up to AA)

Jason Jones RHP 26 year-old SP with 3.77 career ERA (up to AAA)

Zachary Kroenke LHP 24 year-old relief pitcher with 3.64 career ERA (up to AAA).

How much of a risk would it have been to bring one of these guys to Spring Training?! You can always give them back.

Instead, MacPhail does NOTHING.

[Ghost Oriole]

Call me crazy, but I like this move. I look at the line-up and I am impressed. Sure we have a glaring hole at 1B, but that is about it.
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The team finished 17.5 games out of 4th place, and you're impressed by an even weaker lineup????

[Schocker8]

Why waste a roster spot on guys that appear to have less potential than guys already in the system? That is why you don't take a chance on Rule 5 guys. I have a feeling if the O's kept a Rule 5 guy, wasted a roster spot, then sent him back, the same people would be crying then, too.

Of course it's no secret the O's need pitching. But CC and Burnett are certainly not worth their money. Sure, better than what we got, but potential Alber-Belle-like problems with big money on the DL. If there were a simple answer the O's would've taken action, but who do you bring in now? Any one who is half decent left has a right to choose where they want to go. Sure, the O's losing ways can deter some, but it's not like any other pitchers out there aer saying "anywhere but Baltimore".

I just feel a move for pitching will be made later, and it may include some monster trade.

[Ghost Oriole]

Cesar Izturis

162 game average (career) 2HR 41RBI .260BA .299OBP

O's 2008 total SS production 2HR 44RBI .218BA .259OBP

The guy is obviously better defensively, but he's no help at all at the plate. The O's still have the worst-hitting SS in MLB, and the genius GM has him locked up for two years.

[Schocker8]

Ghost Oriole wrote:

Call me crazy, but I like this move. I look at the line-up and I am impressed. Sure we have a glaring hole at 1B, but that is about it.
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The team finished 17.5 games out of 4th place, and you're impressed by an even weaker lineup????

I've been impressed with their lineup for years. It's pitching. I don't see why people are so quick to knock the addition of a surehanded shortstop to an already potent lineup. The O's strengths go Offense, Defense, Pitching...and championship teams are just the opposite. I will gladly sacrifice some offense from the shrotstop position for better defense, which ultimately helps pitching.

[Ghost Oriole]

Why waste a roster spot on guys that appear to have less potential than guys already in the system? That is why you don't take a chance on Rule 5 guys.
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So all the other years the O's drafted Rule Five picks they were dumb? All of the other MLB teams who took Rule Five picks were dumb?

And there's PLENTY of room on the 40-man roster with the junk they're protecting.

They SOLD their pick. That's not the same as passing.

What does it hurt to pick a guy and bring him to Spring Training?

[Mike]

A 28 year old former gold glove short stop for 2 years works for me.

[STR]

Ghost Oriole wrote:

Cesar Izturis
162 game average (career) 2HR 41RBI .260BA .299OBP
O's 2008 total SS production 2HR 44RBI .218BA .259OBP
The guy is obviously better defensively, but he's no help at all at the plate. The O's still have the worst-hitting SS in MLB, and the genius GM has him locked up for two years.

You answered your own question - as only you can do since this board exists solely for you to talk to yourself.

Izturis is an upgrade - defensively for sure, offensively a wash.

Ghost - just STFU when you don't know what you're talking about.

[oscanada]

I knew there would be negativity abound with this and any other move the O's make. Let's give the poor guy a chance; kind of unfair to label him the worst hitting SS in MLB(especially since John MacDonald is still playing for the Jays!).
Let's also try to stay on the topic instead of bouncing all over the place-hasn't the Rule 5 subject been beaten to death elsewhere?
Personally, I'm in favour of having Itzuris play SS-the so-called defensive wizards we had in '08 (Castro/Cintron/Luis Hernandez) were anything but..

[Ghost Oriole]

I've been impressed with their lineup for years.
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Batting
2005 729 runs 10th in AL
2006 768 runs 10th in AL
2007 756 runs 9th in AL
2008 782 runs 8th in AL

Oh well. I've said for a while that "real O's fans" are either insane or dishonest.

Do you guys ever look at the rest of MLB, or do you stare at the O's and cheer for the laundry?

You must be totally baffled as to why the O's lose so many games.

[Schocker8]

Rule 5 picks are not dumb, nor did anyone ever state them as being dumb. You've got guys from Johan Santana down through Jay Gibbons who were Rule5-ers. As for the O's this year, you can't tell me that the mid-20's catcher with bad knees who only ever played at low A ball is a better option for a roster spot in the spring than the other guys in the system.

[Schocker8]

And as far as the other options that were available for Rule 5 draft by the O's, even the numbers that were spilled earlier from baseball digest guru, still not better potential than guys already in the system.