KingJ
06-11-2007, 10:51 AM
From Buster Olney on ESPN.com Insider Blogs:
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An AL executive has a fascinating theory -- and dead-on, I'd bet -- as to why the Orioles ended their 12-year boycott of high profile Scott Boras clients and drafted Georgia Tech catcher Matt Wieters. "The Washington Nationals," said the executive. "They were picking right behind [the Orioles], and if the Orioles had passed on him, Washington would have taken him and would have signed him and the Orioles would have gotten killed. That rivalry is real now."
The executive believes that the Orioles will basically throw a blank check at Wieters in the negotiations, because they must. "You can't draft him, and then not sign him," said the executive. "He's too good. They should sign him. He's a good player and he will help them."
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If true, it's a welcome sign, not only of a rivalry with Baltimore but of a front office here that is willing to go after the big dogs like players represented by Scott Boras. No more Jeffrey Lurie/MLB's "Draft crap players with our first pick like Josh Karp who'll be easy to sign!"
_________________________
An AL executive has a fascinating theory -- and dead-on, I'd bet -- as to why the Orioles ended their 12-year boycott of high profile Scott Boras clients and drafted Georgia Tech catcher Matt Wieters. "The Washington Nationals," said the executive. "They were picking right behind [the Orioles], and if the Orioles had passed on him, Washington would have taken him and would have signed him and the Orioles would have gotten killed. That rivalry is real now."
The executive believes that the Orioles will basically throw a blank check at Wieters in the negotiations, because they must. "You can't draft him, and then not sign him," said the executive. "He's too good. They should sign him. He's a good player and he will help them."
_________________________
If true, it's a welcome sign, not only of a rivalry with Baltimore but of a front office here that is willing to go after the big dogs like players represented by Scott Boras. No more Jeffrey Lurie/MLB's "Draft crap players with our first pick like Josh Karp who'll be easy to sign!"