Major League Baseball

Jorge Arangure Jr.
Washington Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, January 17, 2006 2:00 PM

Washington Post staff writer Jorge Arangure Jr. was online Tuesday, Jan. 17, at 2 p.m. ET to talk about the latest baseball news.

The transcript follows.

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Jorge Arangure Jr.: Hey everyone. Thanks for joining us. Contrary to what it appears, we at the Post still care about baseball. First of all, thanks to the woman at the Orioles fanfest who said she enjoyed the chats. Everyone else, shame on you for not giving me the credit I deserve. Let's go.

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Washington, D.C.: So Jorge, what is the deal with Bowden pursuing Sosa?!? Like the Nats need another outfielder (just traded away two decent guys in Wilkie and Sledge). He hasn't accomplished any of his offseason goals (no decent starters, no leadoff hitter, etc) and has brought in a potential clubhouse cancer in Soriano. Is he making his best attempt at running the franchise into the ground because he knows he won't be retained when/if MLB sells the team? Or is it just that Bowden is plain awful at being a major league GM?

Thanks!

Jorge Arangure Jr.: At first glance, it would seem that a Sosa signing would seem inappropriate. But really if you're not paying him a bunch of money and the only way he does get paid is with incentives that would mean he had a successful season, then why not risk it? The Nats at this point are relegated to these types of low risk/high reward moves.

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Montgomery County, Md.: Not that the Nationals have a season under their belt in D.C., will The Post now cover Orioles like it does the Ravens- the secondary team in the market?

Jorge Arangure Jr.: We still plan on covering the Orioles as we have for the past several years. Nothing is likely to change.

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Arlington, Va.: Who do you like in the AFC championship game? Go Steelers. They beat the Colts and the referees. Being a Steeler fan I have to thank your San Diego Charges for helping us with a good game plane. Okay, here's my baseball question. Does Eleanor Holmes-Norton have any say on the stadium? What's her opinion? Is she a supporter of the stadium? She's been very quiet and I haven't heard her name mentioned once in the last 18 months regarding baseball in DC.

Jorge Arangure Jr.: Being a Chargers fan I can't help but be angered about the fact that San Diego was a better team than a few teams that did happen to make the playoffs, including your beloved Redskins, who they beat. But of course they failed to live up to expectations, yada, yada yada. I'd take Denver over Pittsburgh in the championship game. Not really quite sure what Norton-Holmes is thinking. But man what a heavyweight fight that would be.

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Fairfax, Va.: How extensive will Post coverage of the World Baseball Classic (WBC) be this spring. Do you know if any networks (ESPN?) will carry the games? I have assumed that most MLB teams are politely resistant to letting their players participate because of the risk -- especially to pitchers. Should we expect pitchers to only go 2-3 innings each that early in the spring, or will the games be too competitive to show such restraint?

Jorge Arangure Jr.: We here at the baseball department are curious as to how this WBC will be received. We have yet to flesh out definitive plans on how to cover the event, but let it be known that I will gladly go to my hometown of San Diego to cover the finals. I doubt that starting pitchers will be allowed to pitch more than 6 innings and the first significant injury will test the future of this event.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Which three or four teams have had, in your opinion, the best off season acquisitions thus far?

Jorge Arangure Jr.: Good general baseball question. I like it. Anyway, I'd have to say the Blue Jays had the most active offseason, but I'd hesitate to say it was the best. None of their acquisitions are sure bets. The Dodgers have also been extremely active but, as the Blue Jays, they also have gambled.

Personally, I'd have to say I have had the best offseason of the baseball staff because I haven't seen Barry very much. Barry's wife has had the worst offseason because she sees him almost every day.

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Hartford, Conn.: Love the chat, sorry about the Skins and in that case sorry bout the Nats, O's but hey that hockey player sounds like the real deal. AL East - Yanks still the class but after all the positives being thrown towards Richardi, One shoulder injury and a few blown saves from sending the Jays to oblivion for the next ten years. Ryan and AJ risky or brilliant?

Jorge Arangure Jr.: You know everyone in the newsroom is raving about this hockey goal that I have yet to see. Never once have I ever been compelled to tune in to watch a hockey highlight, but perhaps I will now. I bet it will be a total let down. I mean I'm sure I scored much better goals while in college playing NHL 94 on my Sega. Pavel Bure was just about the most unstoppable player in the game and I mastered that trick move that pretty much allowed you to score a goal every time you got to the goalie.

As for Ryan and AJ, both are very risky. When you spend $13 million a year on a player you expect that guy to be an absolute sure thing. Guys making that much should still not be banking on potential.

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We-love-Jorge-ville, USA: (No, there is no such town -- that's just a shameless attempt at flattery in hopes of getting my question answered.) Are the Orioles working under greater financial constraints this offseason because of the impact of the Nationals? Or, rather, does their lack of free-agent spending signal that they are genuinely confident that their young talent will step up and help the big-league club next season and thereafter?

Jorge Arangure Jr.: What do you mean there is no Jorge-Ville USA? Of course there is. It's called San Diego, often referred to as America's Finest City.

I don't believe the Orioles are really working under any financial restraints. What has happened here is that there are very few free agents worth risking millions on this offseason. Like I've mentioned in previous questions, most guys this offseason were huge gambles.

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Charlotte, N.C.: Thanks for taking my question/comments. Personally, I look forward to these chats every week, even though you don't talk enough Orioles. Speaking of which, what are the chances of the O's signing Jeff Weaver? Or, for that matter, making any other moves to improve the team prior to spring training?

Jorge Arangure Jr.: Don't talk enough Orioles? What do you mean? And if we don't can you blame me? I mean how much can I dissect the Millar/Conine signings? Or how many times can I answer the "GM's stink" or "Angelos sucks" questions?

As far as weaver, the Orioles can be called suitors if and only if Boras is willing to accept a deal that is somewhere in the 3 year range and an annual salary of $8-$9 million. Otherwise it seems unlikely the Orioles will want to jump into the sweepstakes.

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Arlington, Va.: Jorge, thank goodness you are back. Between Svrulga shameless self-promotion of Panera and La Canfora's admitting to drinking Stella Artois at sports bars while watching the NFL playoffs, your return is welcome.

My question -- Nats ink Schneider to a four year deal today -- who made the better deal for a catcher this offseason, Nats or O's with Hernandez?

Also Mark Touhey is quoted in the Metro section today saying the stadium deal will be done this week. What are you hearing?

Jorge Arangure Jr.: Svrluga a shameless self promoter? LaCanfora a snobby drunk? Is anyone surprised by this?

It's all about Pabst blue ribbon and Rubio's fish tacos for this baseball reporter. I will deftly combine a couple questions here and give my assessment of the Hernandez signing by the Orioles. It's just one of my many talents.

Bruce Bochy called Hernandez the best catcher in the NL, which btw includes Schneider. He is highly respected for his work with young pitchers and is also capable of hitting 15-20 home runs. I think Hernandez was a great signing by Baltimore that has been largely overlooked.

And sorry no inside info on the stadium deal.

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Washington, D.C.: Are the Orioles still listening to offers for Tejada? It seems to me the team would improve if it could trade Miggy for a top-of-the-line starting pitcher and average shortstop. The rumored deal for Prior with the Cubs sounded like a possible good deal for the O's to me.

Jorge Arangure Jr.: Tejada is still a hot issue no matter how many times he says he won't be traded. Will the Orioles trade him? Not likely. Will they continue to listen to offers? No question. They would be silly not to listen at this point. Throughout this whole process the Orioles said how much they were hurt in negotiations with other teams because Tejada kept insisting on being traded, which in some team's point of view lessened what they would need to give in return. Now with Tejada saying he wants to come back, perhaps the Orioles are getting better offers.

A Tejada for Prior deal seems pretty fair to me.

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Arizona Bay, Ariz.: Do you have ANY idea why Peter Angelos wasn't at fanfest? (He does suck)

Jorge Arangure Jr.: Angelos, as far as I know, doesn't regularly go to FanFest. I mean why would he subject himself to taunts from fans? I mean it's like if Barry showed up at my house for dinner. I mean we all know the guy would get taunted and ridiculed for his ineptitude.

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Baltimore, Md.: I cannot for the life of me fathom why anyone cares how much The Post covers the Orioles. An entire generation of people from the DC area grew up only knowing the Orioles as the local team. They didn't play in DC, but it was close enough. You think all of the sudden a 34-year-old who grew up with the O's as his/her team is suddenly going to drop them because the Nationals moved into RFK? Sports loyalties just don't work that way, and I think the editors and writers at The Post recognize that. And let's not forget the readership in Howard and Anne Arundel Counties, either.

Get over yourselves, would you? If you don't want to read about them, skip the article of flip the page! Sheesh!

Jorge Arangure Jr.: Nah you should never turn the page if my byline is on a story. That's just bad judgment.

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Arlington, Va.: What's your offseason like? I saw that your nemesis Barry had a nice article on Chris "I love cheerleaders" Cooley. Are you as diverse and talented as Barry or do you just stick to baseball? Also, the goal was crazy and worth tuning into the highlights. I would recommend watching Channel 4 sports especially if George isn't on. His back-up is very good!

Jorge Arangure Jr.: Who else to write a story about "I love cheerleaders" Cooley than Barry "The ultimate cheerleader" Svrluga? He was perfect for that story.

As for me, I pretty much am all baseball all the time for now. I think part of it has to do with the fact I live incredibly far from Redskins park and it would be a huge inconvenience for me to get there. But had they won on Saturday and were in the NFC championship game, who knows if I would have been sucked in.

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Rockville, Md.: Hey Jorge:

Sosa, Thomas, Piazza, Palmiero: who's done, who's not, and why? Also, how does it feel to cover baseball in a two team market where neither team has a snowball's chance of competing for the postseason?

Jorge Arangure Jr.: It is certainly a question as to how much Sosa was affected by his various foot ailments. Perhaps he still has something to contribute. Most likely, all the players you mentioned are done being regulars in the majors. All would be best used as part-time players.

As for covering bad teams, yes I'm already dreading those meaningless games in September. I'm just hoping I'm not feeling that way about games in July.

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Md.: Is it true that the O's don't have "Baltimore" on their road jerseys because the city does not want to be associated with such losers?

Jorge Arangure Jr.: Apparently we at the Post are considering removing Barry Svrluga's name from his stories for the same reason.

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Forest Hills: So, is there any positive news about the Nats. Soriano acquired, refuses to change positions (I still would rather have Wilky then him). Stadium deal hung up over which tiles to put in the bathroom (location of said bathroom another hang up), and an owner is no where in site. Worst part is, the terrible TV deal does not even let me see how terrible this team could be this year (but I do get to see how terrible the O's will be).

Jorge Arangure Jr.: The one positive thing going for the Nats is that Barry won't be covering the team for most of spring training since he is going to the winter Olympics. Now you can get real coverage when Dave Sheinin takes over for a bit.

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Augusta, Maine: I've been reading lots and lots about Jim Duquette in the Orioles coverage and very little about Mike Flanagan. Is Duquette now the public face of the front office and Flanagan is locked away in a back room with Angelos? Can you explain the hierarchy there?

Jorge Arangure Jr.: It is certainly a delicate issue at the warehouse. The Orioles are very careful not to call the arrangement a co-GMship even though that is what it is. Duquette is the lead for many trade and free agent talks. Flanagan lies mostly in the background and I'm still not yet sure what his day to day duties are. Obviously Duquette would not have left his job in New York unless he was assured he would have decision making powers. And he certainly does now, though we all know Angelos has the ultimate authority.

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Northern Virginia: I noticed that Cal Ripken wasn't listed as one of the Orioles alumni to show up at the fanfest. What kind of relationship does Cal have with the 0s at present? If it's not a close/amicable relationship, is it because of what Cal has said about wanting to own or manage an MLB team someday?

Jorge Arangure Jr.: I certainly wouldn't say Ripken has a bad relationship with the Orioles. He often appears at team events, but really he is his own separate entity, complete with a public relations team.

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Whoville, W. Va.: There might be good reasons why we haven't given you the credit you "deserve." Like why haven't we seen any analysis from the Post about the hapless offseason of the Orioles? It doesn't take a genius to comprehend that LaTroy Hawkins, Ramon Hernandez, Jeff Conine, Corey Patterson, and Kevin Millar are low-impact, "depth" moves that probably won't add many wins to the team next year. At best, they'll keep the O's paddling close to 80 wins. No wonder Tejada was unhappy -- his team is tumbling towards irrelevancy. Where is the boost that this team needs going to come from?

Jorge Arangure Jr.: Don't blame me. Blame the editors. They designate the space.

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Burke, Va.: What does it me that Walter Young has been "designated for assignment"? If another team claims him, do they have to keep him on their major league roster? Do the O's see too many holes in his swing? I like the Millar and Conine acquisitions, but I was hoping to see more of Young. Also, did BJ Surhoff retire?

Jorge Arangure Jr.: To designate Young for assignment means a team can claim him and put him on their 40-man roster once the Orioles put him on waivers. If Young clears waivers then he can be assigned to one of Baltimore's minor league affiliates.

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Washington, D.C.: Do you expect the Os to make any more moves for fielders? Not Prince or Cecil, but perhaps Durazo or Hatteberg to get an extra lefty stick? And is calling Durazo a fielder an exageration or simply a misidentification?

Jorge Arangure Jr.: Durazo is certainly nothing more than a bad first baseman/designated hitter. He could play the position but isn't much of a defender. Hatteberg has also been discussed and the team has had contact with his agent for most of the offseason. I wouldn't be surprised if either player is signed.

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Columbia, Md.: At fanfest, were you wearing the blue sweater? I think I saw you from the side after the sport writers had their forum, but I wasn't sure if that was you?

Anyway, What's your take on the O's designating Big Walter Young. Too many 1B on the club already? I wish he had more ABs last year when he was called up.

Jorge Arangure Jr.: Yup that was me with the blue sweater. The attractive, hip one.

As for Young, the Orioles never really saw him as their long term fix at first base. Obviously there are questions as to how his size will affect his ability to field the position. And also, questions arose about his power. After a great year in Class AA, Young did not show the same power at the Class AAA level.

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Bethesda, Md.: Jorge,

Ripken and Gwynn should be near-unanimous choices for the H of F next year. Do you think McGwire can get 75%? Do you think Albert Belle has any chance, next year or ever? (His record, year for year, is better than many Hall of Famers, but he only played 10 or 11 years, and he didn't seem to be Mr. Personality.)

Jorge Arangure Jr.: Obviously, and probably unfairly, Belle will be negatively affected by his difficult relationship with the media. But that aside, Belle didn't sustain his excellence for an extraordinary amount of time.

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Baltimore, Md.: Let's say the Red Sox offered Manny Ramirez and either Jonathon Papelbon or Jon Lester for Tejada. Would the Orioles accept the trade?

Jorge Arangure Jr.: I'd say they certainly would listen. But I still think any manny deal would have to include some cash back from the Red Sox.

BTW, I just saw that much talked about goal. I'm telling you, I did better with Bure on NHL 94.

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America's Finest City: Not sure about PBR, but Rubio's is the way to dine in the offseason and regular season as well. So what to make of the Padres? If Cameron isn't spooked by his collision last year he should be good in center. Will Sledge be any good? Not sure about moving Eaton and Aki. Woody Williams sure doesn't inspire much faith. Any chance they'll move Roberts for every bartender's favorite son, David Wells? By the way, Orioles fans, Hernandez is that good except that he failed to block the plate TWICE in the playoffs. Inexcusable.

Jorge Arangure Jr.: I'm not quite sure what to think of the Padres. I like the fact they are getting younger. I believe Young will do better for the Padres than Eaton will do for the Rangers. Eaton has always been a guy who has never lived up to his potential. I hope Josh Barfield wins the second base job. I honestly am not thrilled about Castilla at third. But I love Cameron in center. The pitching staff looks like a mess though.

Rubios though, always looks good.

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Baltimore, Md.: The anti-Os venom being spewed by Nats fans should reach fever pitch if, as predicted, the Nats tank really, really badly this year. Question: Will The Post reduce its coverage of the Nats as they fade from contention?

Jorge Arangure Jr.: Now that is a great question. We will certainly cover the Nats for the entire season and will travel with them even if they fall way out of contention, something that we haven't done with the Orioles. But it certainly stands to reason that we won't write as many Nats story if they are a terrible team.

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Arlington, Va.: If you think Sosa is a good deal with an incentive contract, how about Palmiero? Then trade Soriano for an excellent pitcher and offer Guzman in the package with Soriano as a bonus (sic)?

Jorge Arangure Jr.: I honestly wouldn't bring Palmeiro to Washington, the site of his infamous finger point and then his perjury investigation.

I think that would be a nightmare.

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Silver Spring, Md.: Any word on how Roberts' arm is recovering?

Jorge Arangure Jr.: Roberts looked pretty healthy at fanfest and he said he has begun weightlifting. I still think he will at least miss a couple weeks of the regular season, but the injury shouldn't affect him the rest of the year.

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Hyattsville, Md.: How does the AL East end up this year?

Jorge Arangure Jr.: I say it's the Yankees, Blue Jays, Red Sox, Orioles, Devil Rays. I think the Yanks easily win the division.

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Response to Baltimore Ranter: Reasons why fans have switched alliances to the Nats:

1. The Nats won 81 games.

2. O's fans are lifeless. Games are BORING at Camden Yards.

3. NL baseball is more compelling.

4. MLB ownership of Nats is better than Angelos.

5. Flanagan insults free agents while trying to sign them. He has lost all credibility.

6. O's ownership doesn't care about winning. If you think they do, then you are deluded.

7. However, misguided Bowden may be, he cares about winning.

Jorge Arangure Jr.: And with that, I'll leave you guys. Thanks for stopping by. In case you guys cared, the Orioles avoided arbitration today with Erik Bedard, Bruce Chen, Corey Patterson and Todd Williams, signing all four to one year deals. Not big news really. Just the standard deal for all arbitration eligible guys.

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