Any chance we draft a slick fielding first base?

[Gurgi]

Is anyone knowledgeable enough to know if there is a decent fielding firstbase available high in the first round?

I know you should never draft a need but maybe if we can get someone over there who can field the ball we might compete?

Pick a polished guy and throw him out there. Dont even worry to much about the offense this year?

I dont want to look back at this season and think it all fell apart because we have ham fisted butter fingers fielding at first?

[SammyBirdland]

Compared to the performance of most of our 3B options, Chris Davis might as well start doing Ozzie Smith backflips in the infield.

[NewMarketSean]

Michael Aubrey...11 HR for the Nats AAA team, .834 OPS...good defender...maybe we shouldn't have let him go.

Surprised the Nats haven't called him up yet with all their injuries.

[Stotle]

Is anyone knowledgeable enough to know if there is a decent fielding firstbase available high in the first round?

I know you should never draft a need but maybe if we can get someone over there who can field the ball we might compete?

Pick a polished guy and throw him out there. Dont even worry to much about the offense this year?

I dont want to look back at this season and think it all fell apart because we have ham fisted butter fingers fielding at first?

There is absolutely zero chance of Baltimore drafting a slick fielding first baseman in the first round.

Delmonico is a good athlete, and should be good defensively at 1b provided his bat can carry him through the system.

[Gurgi]

There is absolutely zero chance of Baltimore drafting a slick fielding first baseman in the first round.

Delmonico is a good athlete, and should be good defensively at 1b provided his bat can carry him through the system.

None of them warrant using a high pick on? That sucks.

[allstar1579]

None of them warrant using a high pick on? That sucks.

Not unless it's an added bonus to someone you are already going to pick. At 1B the criteria should really be the bat, and it's gotta be special. Good D would be a nice bonus, but you're not going to walk away from a bat that could stick at 1B because of the D.

[eb45]

None. Zero chance. The Orioles may not be the best front office in the game, but they wouldn't hit the bad drafting superfecta of drafting a) immediate impact over long-term value, b) need rather than talent, c) defense at an offensive-minded position, d) an extreme reach with a top-5 pick.

That said, I like Richie Shaffer a whole lot, and would take a long look at him if Correa is off the board. But he's not a 1B right now, and he probably couldn't help in 2012 anyway.

If you want a slick-fielding, athletic 1B for the Orioles, there's one in AAA right now, on the 40-man even, named Joe Mahoney. He probably doesn't have the bat to be a ML regular, but he's a much better option than blowing a top-five pick on a defensive 1B.

[eb45]

Well I mean he's certainly better than Wilson Betemit. Probably Nick Johnson too, and better than Davis has played lately. Bat isn't good, but he's a much better solution to 1B defense than throwing a top five draft pick at it.

[allstar1579]

Well I mean he's certainly better than Wilson Betemit. Probably Nick Johnson too, and better than Davis has played lately. Bat isn't good, but he's a much better solution to 1B defense than throwing a top five draft pick at it.

Yeah but the offense you lose from Davis to Joe is worse than the defense you lose from Joe to Davis.

But yes, you do not throw a top 5 pick at a good defensive 1B. Although I started making an argument for it a couple months ago, you shouldn't throw a pick that high at a good defensive SS either (Marrero) unless the bat warrants it as well.

[eb45]

Well yeah, I'm definitely in favor of playing Davis at 1B and dealing with whatever defensive issues arise, and I think anyone clamoring for adding another 1B is being reactionary, but I'd also take Mahoney over any 1B in this draft if we're only talking this season, and then there's the added bonus of not blowing a top-five draft pick.

What do you think of Shaffer though? All the video I've watched of him has been very impressive: excellent bat speed, quiet load, good lower body usage. Worth a look at 1:4?

[weams]

Yeah but the offense you lose from Davis to Joe is worse than the defense you lose from Joe to Davis.

But yes, you do not throw a top 5 pick at a good defensive 1B. Although I started making an argument for it a couple months ago, you shouldn't throw a pick that high at a good defensive SS either (Marrero) unless the bat warrants it as well.

So very true. It's always about the bat (or with a pitcher, the arm) in the top ten.

[Hallas]

I think the idea is that you draft a slick-fielding shortstop or third baseman who also can hit the ball a ton, and hope that they don't lose the qualities that made them slick-fielding when they gain some weight and have to be moved to first.

If you draft a teenager that's a "slick fielding first-baseman," chances are he's going to be a lumbering DH type when (if) he makes the Majors. The same is true for college kids, although to a lesser extent.