O's Sign Endy Chavez

[NewMarketSean]

This is a good backup signing. The 4th OFer depth that the team was looking for. He is not being signed to be a starter. Why is it an eyeroll?

Because chances are he will get regular playing time at some point this year. You can't rely on Reimold to start 162 games. He'll be lucky to play in 120.

Endy Chavez will be starting at some point this season due to injury or struggles. That's not good.

IMO, you take a guy with some upside as your #4 OF...someone who does a couple things well and perhaps struggles in other areas. Not someone who is mediocre in all areas.

[Fan4Life]

Because chances are he will get regular playing time at some point this year. You can't rely on Reimold to start 162 games. He'll be lucky to play in 120.

Endy Chavez will be starting at some point this season due to injury or struggles. That's not good.

IMO, you take a guy with some upside as your #4 OF...someone who does a couple things well and perhaps struggles in other areas. Not someone who is mediocre in all areas.

The most important item they check is cost. Then they determine who can be had for the amount they are comfortable with.

[NewMarketSean]

The most important item they check is cost. Then they determine who can be had for the amount they are comfortable with.

I don't know what Chavez was signed for but I bet there are more "upside players" available for less, or via trade.

[mskrulz]

It's a depth move. Not sexy but is what it is.

I'm not comfortable making that statement. How do we know it's a depth move? To me this solidifies the fact that we are going to start Reimold in LF and use Endy when/if he starts to struggle. Everyone keeps calling our moves depth moves but we still haven't made a move for a starter. Call me crazy but I'd like to solidify my starters before I go out and spend money on depth.

[Frobby]

how about addressing the negative value we've gotten at 1B from Lee and from our rotation and add wins there? There is where the major improvement needs to be made.

The Vlad, Lee, Atkins era has cost the Orioles more wins than you can see in WAR numbers. The difference between Fielder & what we had with Lee is colossal. A lot more than the 4 or 5 wins that some stat junkie will claim. Honestly I got tired of watching Lee fail in clutch situations last spring/summer.

In the rotation adding Floyd and Darvish (Darvish is now gone I know) Wouldve allowed you to drop Guthrie to #3 and would have a bigger impact on the whole rotation.

Also how about a closer that can actually close games? How many did the Orioles lose in the late innings last year?

I think almost everyone agrees that the biggest place to improve the team is pitching. After all, as the OP says, our offense was average last year. The pitching was last in the league. How much Wada and Eveland improve the pitching is difficult to tell. It provides more competition at the back end of the rotation, so hopefully you can settle on 5 guys whose ERA isn't ridiculously high. We had 86 starts from pitchers whose ERA was 5.00 or above last year -- 53 over 5.50 -- 28 over 6.00. Having more competition at the back end should improve those numbers. Obviously, we would get more improvement from adding a guy like Floyd, but he might cost a lot in a trade. As to Darvish, if the reports that the winning bid was $55-60 mm are true, that is an enormous risk to be taking, and not one I would recommend for a 69-win team like the Orioles.

[mskrulz]

Because chances are he will get regular playing time at some point this year. You can't rely on Reimold to start 162 games. He'll be lucky to play in 120.

Endy Chavez will be starting at some point this season due to injury or struggles. That's not good.

IMO, you take a guy with some upside as your #4 OF...someone who does a couple things well and perhaps struggles in other areas. Not someone who is mediocre in all areas.

What he said!

[Frobby]

I'm not comfortable making that statement. How do we know it's a depth move? To me this solidifies the fact that we are going to start Reimold in LF and use Endy when/if he starts to struggle. Everyone keeps calling our moves depth moves but we still haven't made a move for a starter. Call me crazy but I'd like to solidify my starters before I go out and spend money on depth.

I think Duquette and Showalter want to give opportunities to Reimold and Davis to show what they can do with regular playing time. I think DD sees 2012 as a year of assessment and opportunity, rather than a year where he is going to spend a lot of money. That's just my impression from things he has said, and his actions to date.

[mikegallo]

Really cuz I am pretty sure Endy is elite in an area where the Orioles were last in the league, DEFENSE. So when you mistake his average bat to him being mediocre in all areas that makes me very happy that your not running this team. I mean sure if you want to have a 4.9 era again next year when our XFIP was 4.26 go ahead, but if this team could even be average on defense our 30th ranked pitching staff is suddenly middle of the packish. (NewMarketSEan) and (mskrulz?)

[Nick The Stick]

Because chances are he will get regular playing time at some point this year. You can't rely on Reimold to start 162 games. He'll be lucky to play in 120.

Endy Chavez will be starting at some point this season due to injury or struggles. That's not good.

IMO, you take a guy with some upside as your #4 OF...someone who does a couple things well and perhaps struggles in other areas. Not someone who is mediocre in all areas.

Going to be 34. Blah. Big bat? Meh. But... he provides solid defense, a good outfield arm, an average bat and speed. This is what the team was looking for with its LHed, 4th OFer, who can spell Jones when needed.

[PaulFolk]

Playing in Texas tends to help one's SLG. By the way, where was Chavez in 2010? Hurt?

Yes. Tore an ACL in his right knee after a collision in 2009: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bal-baltimore-orioles-closing-in-on-deal-with-outfielder-endy-chavez-20111218,0,554510.story

[BRobinsonfan]

4th OF with good defense, some speed who will be the O's best leadoff option (outside of Roberts)...sounds like a good depth move.

How is a guy with a .313 lifetime .OBP who is caught stealing in more than 1/3rd of his attempts the "best leadoff option" outside of Roberts? :roll eyes:

[LA2]

Endy Chavez is what he is and nothing more. This is a move that a good team like Texas makes to solidy its bench or a move that a terrible team makes because we will rely on him as a starter..

So I guess that means the Orioles are a good team. Great!

[mikegallo]

Not solid defense elite defense and a one year deal for 1.5 mill for a guy who over a full season even with a WOBA of .310 can still be worth two or three wins with full season playing time. Ill take that everyday of the week. This board really underrates defense which is surprising considering the history of this team. You know why we had 4 20 game winners in the same rotation? because we had an all time great defensive club behind them. The key to getting back to the oriole way is so obivous yet no one ever acts like it is anything more than a luxury. Defense is the oriole way and our ticket back to the playoffs if our front office ever gets it.

The Rays get it so do the Redsox and yankees. But look at the Rays there the team that really shows the value of a great defense

[LA2]

The Wikipedia article on Chavez is quite good about the greatest moments of his career.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Endy_Ch%C3%A1vez

[mskrulz]

I think Duquette and Showalter want to give opportunities to Reimold and Davis to show what they can do with regular playing time. I think DD sees 2012 as a year of assessment and opportunity, rather than a year where he is going to spend a lot of money. That's just my impression from things he has said, and his actions to date.

I'm okay with that if that's how it all goes down. I have seen this scenario before and what's more likely to happen is that Reimold/Davis struggles early, we have no patience, and Endy Chavez is an everyday player for us.