Once you remove the idea of Miller you're left with Lincecum vs. Morrow and like I said, the comparison looked lopsided in TL's favor. But I think the actual talent isn't as big a difference. Yeah, the team really needed to add someone like Miller, but his risk/reward goes all out of whack once you pay him 8M.

Not to mention what that does to future draft picks in setting precedent.

I am still disappointed in what the M's did yesterday.  

I can understand the issue of not wanting to go above slot money.  However, the thing is that SOME team is going to do it.  There were rumors that the Red Sox and Yankees were dangling huge money, as were the Cubs.  The Tigers were obviously willing to pay up as well.  But really, Miller isn't going to get much more than 6.5 million.  Even if he holds out for 7.5 million - shattering the record for a draft pick - that is not that much in the long run.  Who cares if he sits out until next year.  He is the best player.  Look at what happened to Jarrod Weaver and Stephen Drew.  Everyone knew that they were going to be tough signs.  Thus, a lot of small market teams passed on them, and the Angels and D-Backs ended up getting premium players.  It took a year, but who cares.  In the grand scheme of things, one half season is irrelevant.  

To put the financial issue in perspective, the difference between Morrow and Miller is one year of Carl Everett.  Thats it.  For me, the decision between 6 years of Miller versus one year or Carl Everett is an easy one.  

Apparently, what it came down to was MLBs 'recommendations'.  I say, fuck those recommendations.  The M's didn't seem to care much about slot money with Tui.  How is this different?  Why should the Yankees, Red Sox, and Tigers be the only ones who crap on MLBs slot recommendations?  Why should the M's sit tight and be the nice guys when other clubs violate the recommendations?  The M's have the money.  There is no debating that.  Why not use it?  The M's need pitching far more than the Tigers.  The M's need prospects far more than the Tigers.  The M's are way behind the Tigers in their rebuilding.  Why should the M's puss out and let a team like the Tigers reap the benefits of small-market clubs' unwillingness to pay up?

I don't hate this move from a personell standpoint as much as I hate what it represents: the same old half-ass BS that we have seen from the M's for years.  This is just another Aurillia/Cirillo/Everett/Washburn cop-out.  Just like Miguel Tejada, the M's had the right move sitting right in their lap, and they weren't willing to do what it takes to win.  Same old crap.  

The fact is, no matter how much you want to sugar coat it, the M's passed on the best player in the draft, and instead picked a guy who is - at best - the number 5 guy.  Andrew Miller is clearly the best player in this draft.  It isn't particularly close.  He is the best talent.  

I don't dislike Morrow.  He wouldn't have been my choice, but he is certainly a good player.  

It just pisses me off that the M's had the opportunity to get a CLEARLY better player and they didn't have the sack to do so.  

I also think that they made some very questionable picks in rounds 3-5.  

Its disappointing.  The M's aren't as interested in winning as clubs like the Tigers, Red Sox, Yankees, Cubs, Angels, and Mets.  They have enough revenue to compete with these clubs, but they aren't willing to do what it takes.  They had plenty of cash to sign Miller, but made a conscious decision not to.  

Because of that stance, the M's are never going to win a world series.  

How can you expect the M's to compete against teams like the Angels, BoSox, and Yankees?  They have the money to level the playing field, but they aren't willing to use it.  Until they decide that they are willing to do what it takes to win, and start reinvesting their vast resources in the farm system, we can expect more 4th place finishes.