Infield positioning, generally: Strong arm, great range -- SS. Strong arm, limited range -- 3B, Limited arm, great range -- 2B. Limited arm, limited range -- 1B.
It's been reported that the Orioles don't. If you wish to believe that O'Hearn and his agent aren't very smart, knock yourself out. As I said, it makes total sense to me and I'm frankly surprised at how hard you are working at trying to create some big mystery where none exists. O'Hearn didn't want to go double or nothing on $300k because that is serious money to him. It really is as simple as that, IMO.
I don't get why you keep saying $300k isn't much incentive. That is the root of our difference of opinion. O'Hearn isn't a superstar to whom $300k is pocket change, IMO.
Bird in the hand. Perhaps he and his agent didn't feel overly confident that they would win at arbitration. Easy for us to talk about risking a sure $300k for a possible $600k, but in reality that is a pretty big gamble. Locking in that $300k is likely meaningful to a man with his prospects for the future. Makes total sense to me.