Watching Other Teams Ink Their Young Superstars To Long-Term Extensions Seems Fun! I'd Love To Be Able To Celebrate That Sometime Soon!
I'm not sure what was in the water going around baseball this week but my goodness would I like a gallon of it in Baltimore. Did I miss the extension memo going around baseball? The Red Sox signed two of their young stars in Garrett Crochet and Kristian Campbell, and the Padres locked up Jackson Merrill. A few other youngsters have signed deals recently as well. Guys like Bobby Witt Jr. and Jackson Chourio last year, Corbin Carroll and Fernando Tatis Jr. a few years back, but man the last 2 days we've seen 3 significant ones. Add in Ketel Marie who's not a youngster by any means, but he got signed to an extension on Wednesday as well. Is there some deadline that no one knew about or are teams just all actively thinking it's a good time to lock their guys up?
It seems like all the teams around baseball are recognizing the young talent they have and locking it up, except in Baltimore. Now don't get this twisted, I'm very supportive of the front office and how they've handled the team. I give them the benefit of the doubt on a lot of things, especially when a lot of O's fans are usually in the other boat. But if this is happening all around the league, then why it hasn't happened in Baltimore yet? I'm not over here pounding my fists and raising hell, but it's growing increasingly frustrating that extensions are happening all around them and nothing has happened with the O's young core who suddenly aren't so young anymore. They've got a handful of guys that should be great candidates for extensions, and for all we know maybe they have had extension talks with some of them, we don't know. But ideally you'd want to start locking these guys down as they enter their prime and lock down those future years.
I understand that several of the O's big guys all use Scott Boras and it's well known how difficult it is to get a deal done with one of his clients, especially in-season. Jackson Holliday, Jordan Westburg and Gunnar Henderson are all Boras guys and it sucks. But some of the other guys like Adley Rutschman and Colton Cowser also should be talked about as lockdown guys. Massive pieces to this team, why wouldn't you want them in an Orioles uniform for many more years. Boras said at the winter meetings that the Orioles have been very engaging and reach out to him about extensions, but we still got nothing to show for it.
I don't always agree with the Os fanbase, especially on Twitter but I'm with them on this one. I fully understand the uneasiness from some of the fans because we're well past the rebuild years now, and none of the guys that came from that rebuild have extensions. Biggest way to get the fanbase to buy in, to buy season tickets, to really go all out and support their team are those extensions. Showing the player you're committed to them for the long term and that shows the fans there is effort there. Again, I'm not saying there haven't been extension talks with the O's and these guys, they've become very quiet the last few years off the field, kind of Braves like in a sense. But I understand why people and fans are upset that we don't have Adley Rutschman signed until 2033, or Jordan Westburg signed for 5 more seasons. This fanbase has gone through a lot of long, dreadful seasons in the last decade, baseball wasn't fun in Baltimore for a few years. That fun is back, that winning is back, but many fans are too scared to get attached to this team because there aren't any long term commitments. Especially when you look around the league and seeing other teams load up and pay their young guys.
The O's ownership situation the past few seasons wasn't helping either, so that for sure puts a hold on things. Selling a team is a long process and usually that is when teams put a hold on things and all spending goes to 0, so I get if that was the case and nothing could be done then. That mess is over now and the ownership group has cash coming out of their ears, they're all VERY rich. Show it off now, show Gunnar that you want him to be an All-Star for the next decade in your uniform. Make Jackson an incredible offer that blows his hair off. I obviously understand the negatives too, guys flaming out, injuries, production falling off a cliff, it's all possible. Payroll has increased through various signings and arb deals, but fans still want one of the young stars extended. We just spent 3+ seasons burning it all down, we have the foundation so now put the concrete down around it. Fans shouldn't have to worry about buying a player jersey because they don't know if he'll be there in 3 seasons, just show some longterm stability plans.
I don't know shit from shit, but you'd have to think an extension to any of the guys would give the whole team a little lift, a nice little joint. One of the guys gets shown love by the front office and maybe that lights a spark under other folks and they can use it as motivation and take it on a run this season. I'm not sure what more guys like Gunnar or Adley have to do to get extension talks going (ditching Boras would be a start).We've seen it all around sports and not just baseball, but you win by drafting and keeping your guys. Fans will commit to the team if the team commits to the guys, it's that simple. This is group that is so talented, and so young. You don't often see a team succeed on top pick after top pick after top pick like the Orioles have, it's time to keep those talented guys home. It's unreal that you can draft guys like Adley and Gunnar IN THE SAME DRAFT. Or that you had a pool of 5 guys and somehow picked by far the right one in Jackson Holliday. Could all 3 be the face of baseball, and the fans are dying for them to be in Orioles uniforms when they fully get there.
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Going to say it again, I have no clue whether the talks have happened or are going on at all, but I'm saying it would be nice to have a young guy 2 signed up for a while. I'm not a complainer when it comes to baseball either, I kinda just accept everything as it happens. But after seeing the young talent alllll around the league get signed one-by-one, it gets frustrating after a while. I've seen a lot of good baseball lately and I've seen a lot of bad baseball in my life, I'd love nothing more than some of the young core stars stay here a long, long time. Gunnar could be Cal 2.0, he's Alex Rodriguez, we want him here. Adley is Buster Posey too, how could you not want him here forever? Be aggressive with these guys, it's past time to.
Again, I'm in full support of this front office and ownership, don't get that twisted. The way that they have accelerated the rebuild to the level that is is now in that short amount of time is incredible, it really is amazing how much talent they've brought in during that short time. I just want to make sure those talented guys are here for a decade plus. I'm still behind them all the way, these folks have literally helped build a World Series team, I trust them. I just want to see the moves start to be made to ensure the future of this team. And just for the record I do think we see one or two soon, like this season soon, I don't know why but I do. The willingness to spend is there, ya just gotta actually do it now. Has to start sometime soon, has to. Congrats to all the young guys collecting fat checks around the league after the few days, has to be an awesome feeling. Can't wait to celebrate an extension one day.
PS. I'm with Hubbs here, somehing must be going on behind the scenes with the lockout looming and they're telling people to lock down things now before the owners start clamping up and they're prepared for a season without making any money.