Pickles

I don't think it's he hates Dior, as much as he hates men who wear Dior.

You know, I should respond to this. The thing is, I don't really care that profoundly about your stats. I know you have your new grail, but in five years it will be the same song: a new grail, and an admission the old one was flawed. You'll argue that is the scientific process, ever-evolving. I say there is a level of randomness in this series of events which cannot be measured, and you'll never get a perfect "number." They're better than they were, because they were laughable before, but you cannot in the fine enough detail you claim put a number on the difference between Jorge Mateo and Darby Swanson to what is essentially a handful of runs over six months of games. The quest is inherently quixotic. What I care about is what I saw, and what others have long seen, as provided by Rizza the Razah, with the scouting report: A 60 glove, 70 arm, and 80 speed/range. That won't change unless he gets injured, or until he ages out of that and he's dead in his prime. Those are the numbers I care about.

I wouldn't have gotten that one.

I could do better than that. I'm not going to. But, rest assured, I could.

Who wouldn't want to relive Yunsiel Diaz' shining moment of glory?

Close, sure. But this isn't horseshoes. This is serious stuff. I'll be impressed by anybody who can, that's for sure.

Could anybody do this with out google? I honestly don't think so. Maybe some Orioles obsessed 8 year old.

No.

I haven't gone back and read a ton of scouting reports on Mateo as a prospect, but he was a top 100 prospect three consecutive years, and he never did anything with the bat. I have to imagine people saw those tools and projected him to be a plus defensive shortstop.

I hope so. And when that day comes, Mateo's status with the club will obviously change.

He certainly exceed my expectations. He's the HOF catcher many predicted him to be.

Yeah, I was wrong. I read that as Urias. However, while I understand Ortiz is highly regarded defensively by scouts, there are still risks in all prospect profiles. But I hope, of course, he does become a GG SS. That would put him in Mateo's category.

Mateo and Urias- forget about Odor, he's already been replaced- were worth a cumulative 7 WAR last year. What do you think the odds are that Oriz and Westburg are worth that next year? And what are the odds that Mateo and Urias can repeat that? Those are the questions that should be answered. Again, I'm not guaranteeing that Holliday is the SS in 2025. I'm saying clearly that is the Orioles' plan.

You seem to be well aware of the risks regarding prospects, even highly decorated ones, in regards to Holliday, but remarkably sanguine about the risks regarding handing starting spots to a couple of decent prospects in regards to Ortiz and Westburg. Seems a bit incongruent to me is all.

I was. I complimented him almost as soon as he came over from San Diego. He was much more fundamentally sound than I expected. Now, I didn't expect him to pick it like he did this year, but he obviously was a natural SS. I should apologize though because when I responded to that post I was actually thinking of Urias. Ortiz is described as a natural ss as well, so it's certainly a lot closer than it is with Urias, but I think it's folly to expect any prospect to match GG defense.

Aren't you the one eager to hand over at least one starting job, if not two, to a couple of decent prospects next year?

There's no way in hell Ortiz can defend at SS like Mateo.

No doubt. I don't like counting on any prospect, as we've discussed in regards to the infield situation next year. But with Holliday we have to assume they took him at 1/1, and called him a shortstop very specifically, for a reason. Holliday may not work out for a variety of reasons, but surely he is the long-term plan.

Well you undervalue him by not valuing him as what he is: An everyday player. Yes, he's a poor hitter, but he does literally everything else on the field exceptionally well. Culmulatively he's an above average regular, or at least he performed as one this year. You don't think he'll maintain that going forward; I do. We'll have to wait and see. I look at this as an 80/20 situation, like the Ravens approach things. Mateo provides 80% of the value of for 20% of the cost. In reality, it's probably more like 70/5.

Well I think you undervalue him but he's one, of a few, bridge options to Holliday, and one must assume that Holliday is the long term plan at SS, and he's only a few years away.

I thought he made sense last offseason, but this is it: Things have changed for the franchise. Not least of which is the performance of the man you failed to mention: Jorge Mateo.

Yeah, the league wide decline in offense is going to make a lot of the projections- and obviously not just for Mullins- seem high. I think it's important to note he was better defensively and on the base paths this year than last, and that despite his offense declining he still was an excellent player.

Leaves us too weak offensively. Not sure it makes any sense for the Reds. And I'm not sure that Hall/Bradish isn't just straight up better than Lodolo. This seems the kind of trade to make if you don't like your guys.

3 WAR is a pretty good player. We have both seen enough of prospects than to guarantee two, no matter how highly rated, will be 3 WAR players. Or at least I have. If Urias' defense at second isn't good enough, then one of Westburg or Ortiz can supplant him soon enough, and then he will be the utility man, as one of them will be on Opening Day.

I guess, but I'd ask what makes them believe that? Both are smack in the middle of their prime.