Are the O's a better team with Flaherty at 3B?

[wildcard]

Poll coming. Get the Hangout's opinion on this one.

[Can_of_corn]

Just make sure you have an option for way too early to tell.

[wildcard]

Just make sure you have an option for way too early to tell.

You got it.

[DrungoHazewood]

Way too early to tell, but it's unlikely that Flaherty's defense will make up for his likely 100-150 OPS point deficit with Reynolds on offense. It's possible (probable?) that the correct configuration changes day to day.

[SammyBirdland]

I need to see if he's going to start hitting the ball. Right now he's Cesar Izturis. Great with the glove, no bat.

[scottbbfm]

Too early to tell - but if he could approach the numbers he put up in the minor leagues when he had extended stops - .275ish average, HR every 30 AB's, .750+OPS, yeah, they would be a better team.

Thing is - I don't think they are a WORSE team with him out there and Reynolds DHing, so he should be given about 50-75AB's (about 20 games) of consistent playing.

[Gurgi]

Way too early to tell, but it's unlikely that Flaherty's defense will make up for his likely 100-150 OPS point deficit with Reynolds on offense. It's possible (probable?) that the correct configuration changes day to day.

Career wise Reynolds is barely a positive with the WAR.
http://www.baseball-reference.com/pl...eynoma01.shtml

If we could get a guy who just was around 1 with the WAR it would likely be a help. The pitchers would all throw less pitches.
So yeah we would be better without this guy.

[El Gordo]

I like what I've seen so far from Flaherty's glove. He looks good at the plate, too soon to tell whether he can hit. For now I would platoon him with Reynolds at 3B. Reynolds is better than Betemiit. A .700 OPS and a +5 glove would be worth about 1.5 WAR at 3B. That's more than Reynolds last year.

[Brendan25]

I'd keep throwing him out there. Hit him 8th or 9th. The glove is there, let's see if he can learn how to hit the ball at the major league level.

[vatech1994]

I'm definitely starting to lean in that direction, but it is too early to tell. Flaherty has promise with the bat. He won't be an 850 OPS guy, but I could see 750-800 as a possibility. I like (but don't love) his approach, swing, bat speed, ability to read pitches, and ability to fight off good pitches. This was definitely a nice pick up.

[wildcard]

I like Flaherty's defense at 3B. I don't know if he will hit or how much he will hit, but the O's need to tighten up their defense if they are going to win. Flaherty helps that.

The O's should have enough offense to carry Flaherty's glove. Jones, Wieters, Hardy and Markakis should hit. Reimold and Davis may not be be best defensive players but they look like they will hit. Andino will not hit a lot of homers but he looks like he has learned the league enough to hit for average. Either Reynolds or Betemit should be able to DH at a respectable level if we look at what they have done over the last 2 years. The O's are near the top of the league in homers and not many of them have come from a third baseman.

So there should be enough offense to carry Flaherty's glove and they need someone at 3B that is going to pick the ball and hit Davis in the chest with a throw. So far that is what I see in Flaherty.

Who played 3B for the World Champion 1983 Orioles? Todd Cruz. He wasn't there for his offense. He was picked up for his defense.

I don't care if its Flaherty or Antonelli, the O's need better defense at 3B. That is the way I see it.

[DrungoHazewood]

Who played 3B for the World Champion 1983 Orioles? Todd Cruz. He wasn't there for his offense. He was picked up for his defense.

I don't care if its Flaherty or Antonelli, the O's need better defense at 3B. That is the way I see it.

The '83 Orioles managed the unbelievable feat of getting -2.6 WAR out of their third basemen and still won 98 games. If they'd had the 2011 version of Mark Reynolds instead of the desperation platoon of Cruz/Leo Hernandez/Aurelio Rodriguez/Glenn Gulliver/Rich Dauer they would have won about 101 or 102 games instead of 98.

The '83 O's third base situation has to be one of the worst single positions on a World Championship team in history. The only contender that springs to mind is the '68 Tigers' shortstops, who combined for a .461 OPS and were so awful they converted a regular outfielder who'd never played short (Mickey Stanley) and just gave him the position from Sept 23rd through the playoffs.

The '83 O's won despite Todd Cruz. Don't make him a case for playing another non-hitter at the position.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Platoon/rotate at this point imo.

[Bradysburns]

Too early to tell - but if he could approach the numbers he put up in the minor leagues when he had extended stops - .275ish average, HR every 30 AB's, .750+OPS, yeah, they would be a better team.

Thing is - I don't think they are a WORSE team with him out there and Reynolds DHing, so he should be given about 50-75AB's (about 20 games) of consistent playing.

I agree with this post. And I like the idea of Reynolds DH'ing - whoever plays 3rd. Flaherty has not necessarily shown himself to be a great third-baseman throughout his career. He is an excellent defensive 2nd baseman, from what I can tell, however. So... I'm not sold on him as the everyday 3B either.

Also, he looks absolutely silly against a decent breaking pitch from a lefty pitcher, like tonight. Just not even close to making contact. Late innings against any decent specialist and he's going to be easy pickings, until/unless he figures that pitch out.

[bobmc]

I agree with this post. And I like the idea of Reynolds DH'ing - whoever plays 3rd. Flaherty has not necessarily shown himself to be a great third-baseman throughout his career. He is an excellent defensive 2nd baseman, from what I can tell, however. So... I'm not sold on him as the everyday 3B either.

Also, he looks absolutely silly against a decent breaking pitch from a lefty pitcher, like tonight. Just not even close to making contact. Late innings against any decent specialist and he's going to be easy pickings, until/unless he figures that pitch out.

Yeah - he's no Bryce Harper....