Baltimore Orioles: Peter Angelos waited for the right player

Peter Angelos waited for the right player on which to spend big bucks for the Baltimore Orioles.

I find it interesting that most folks tend to put Baltimore Orioles’ owner Peter Angelos’ contribution to the Chris Davis deal on the back burner. It’s obviously been reported here and there that Angelos played a huge role behind the scenes, yet it’s almost the fact that nobody wants to admit. And mind you, Angelos probably wants it that way – he comes off as the type of guy who wants to stay in the background, and it’s quite frankly a role he plays very well.

For years Orioles fans complained that Angelos wouldn’t spend money on the team, and in many cases they were right. Granted he did keep the likes of

Brian Roberts

and

in Baltimore with lucrative contracts at various points. But in terms of free agent spending there wasn’t much. Free agents would go to high bidders while the Orioles stood and watched.

Mind you also that in many cases, it was the right thing to do in the end. Many of those free agent contracts were way over what they should have been. Furtherore, many of the players (such as NY’s Teixeira) ended up being injured quite frequently. However the fact remains that Angelos wouldn’t spend.

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Or would he? I mentioned Roberts and Markakis above; two lifelong Orioles (at the time) who were fan favorites. They were clubhouse and community leaders, and solid players. Then you look at someone like Chris Davis, who’s in the same category. Granted the Davis deal is worth much more than those of Roberts and Markakis, but you see the correllation.

So perhaps it’s fair to say that Angelos will open his checkbook for players who have already made an impact in the city or on the team. Some would say that’s almost like finding a needle in a haystack given that your own players have to prove worthy. But keep in mind that there’s a certain amount of awkwardness when a new guy comes into the clubhouse with a brand new long-term contract worth light years more than those of the rest of the team.

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Angelos waited for just the right guy on whom to spend, and I would submit that in doing so he made the right decision – for now. The real story will be told at the end of the contract. Granted Davis was aquired in a trade with Texas, however the point of spending on guys who have already made an impact on your team and city also drives home the point of having a strong farm system. If your players come up the right way, you have a much better chance of hitting on them at the big league level.

Next: Baltimore Orioles: Staying put

Some folks will laugh at these points, simply because Angelos remains unpopular in the fanbase. And that’s okay. But give the man his due in this case – he stepped up and did exactly what the fans wanted.