O's re-sign Lew Ford to minor league contract with spring invite

[Jordan Tuwiner]

https://twitter.com/masnRoch/status/267015995351261184

#orioles re-sign OF Lew Ford to minor league contract with spring training invite

[Matt P]

Good for him he deserved it.

[Old Sneakers]

Good for us! One less reason to entertain this fiasco known as signing Josh Hamilton.

[Seafordeagles]

Good for us! One less reason to entertain this fiasco known as signing Josh Hamilton.

This was good for a laugh. Since they are so similar in their stats.....

[Old Sneakers]

The stat line has nothing to do with it. The salary and age issue is my concern. Also I do not see Hamilton as a reasonable fit for the Orioles. I know he's a fine slugger but we need an OF that can actually play in the outfield as well as be reliable at getting on base. Not a guy that teases you with burst of streaky power and huge salary.

[Seafordeagles]

The stat line has nothing to do with it. The salary and age issue is my concern. Also I do not see Hamilton as a reasonable fit for the Orioles. I know he's a fine slugger but we need an OF that can actually play in the outfield as well as be reliable at getting on base. Not a guy that teases you with burst of streaky power and huge salary.

You need to look a little closer at last years stats. He played the 2nd most games in his career. He HITS A TON at Camden Yards. He hit career highs in home runs and missed his highest rbi total by 2. and you say he has "streaky power". The Orioles had one player with a better OBP then him (Markakis) and his OPS by far was higher then any oriole. He played 138 games in the outfield with 7 errors (while playing all 3 OF spots).

I understand it's a lot of money but his money is justifiable if you can get a 4 year deal.

[Jordan Tuwiner]

You need to look a little closer at last years stats. He played the 2nd most games in his career. He HITS A TON at Camden Yards. He hit career highs in home runs and missed his highest rbi total by 2. and you say he has "streaky power". The Orioles had one player with a better OBP then him (Markakis) and his OPS by far was higher then any oriole. He played 138 games in the outfield with 7 errors (while playing all 3 OF spots).

I understand it's a lot of money but his money is justifiable if you can get a 4 year deal.

Jun 2012 wOBA: .322 (that's still not terrible)
July 2012 wOBA: .255

I think that's the streakiness people see but I agree that if it's a four year deal the streakiness is worth putting up with.

[Old Sneakers]

I can not change your opinion or put you down for having a different one. To me though it's all about having very real hope that L.J. Hoes can bat lead off or Brian Roberts somehow comes back (unlikely). Our current roster is so close to being a very potent run producing machine we just have to get the lineup straight.

[Seafordeagles]

I can not change your opinion or put you down for having a different one. To me though it's all about having very real hope that L.J. Hoes can bat lead off or Brian Roberts somehow comes back (unlikely). Our current roster is so close to being a very potent run producing machine we just have to get the lineup straight.

What the Orioles need are 2 rbi machines in the middle of that lineup. Wouldn't it be great to have Chris Davis batting 7th and JJ Hardy batting 8th? Our highest rbi man was in the 80's. Those are the voids in the lineup and Hoes and Roberts do not fill those voids and probably never will. As much as I like Adam Jones and Matt Wieters they shold be batting 5th and 6th in the lineup. Maybe Manny can grow in to the 3 spot, but probably not in 2012.

That's why I like Hamilton for a 4 year deal. Even though I'm pretty sure he will end up getting what he wants from someone else.

[Jordan Tuwiner]

What the Orioles need are 2 rbi machines in the middle of that lineup. Wouldn't it be great to have Chris Davis batting 7th and JJ Hardy batting 8th? Our highest rbi man was in the 80's. Those are the voids in the lineup and Hoes and Roberts do not fill those voids and probably never will. As much as I like Adam Jones and Matt Wieters they shold be batting 5th and 6th in the lineup.

I agree with this. The Orioles really do need that stud hitter in the middle of the lineup but I'm not sure Hamilton is the best solution.

[Seafordeagles]

I agree with this. The Orioles really do need that stud hitter in the middle of the lineup but I'm not sure Hamilton is the best solution.

Unfortunately there is no one else available that can give you numbers like Hamilton did in 2012. If you try to acquire someone in a trade then you're going to give up a lot. To me, that's why you have to go through free agency.

[ofahn]

his money is justifiable if you can get a 4 year deal

If I were writing the checks that fourth year would have to be a vested option.

[ofahn]

Our current roster is so close to being a very potent run producing machine we just have to get the lineup straight.

Our current roster has the POTENTIAL to be a 95 win team IF at least two of the core four of the lineup learn how to lay off the ONE pitch they already know they can't handle.

[ofahn]

To me, that's why you have to go through free agency

Are you basing that theory on the idea that you will get a productive player for a fair price? If you are then you will be VERY disappointed with the results of signing a "premium" "free" agent.

[Old Sneakers]

LOL! I will guess then that I am in the minority here and one of the few against chasing Hamilton. So be it. No I wasn't comparing Ford and Hamilton. I just think Hamilton is a bad idea.