Chris Davis is a Keeper

[brianod]

The problem with statistics is that they are static. Chris Davis is 26 and is in the middle of his first full time starting position. It would be amazing if you DIDN'T see dramatic improvement in some areas of his game. You can't expect a hitter to be productive without regular at bats. You can't extrapolate performance from a hitter who has not been given regular at bats. The only regular at bats Davis has got before this year was when he was 22. You can't extrapolate performance based on stats of a 22 year old rookie. You can give me all your war+ and uzis or whatever you stat nerds like to throw out there but they are meaningless when it comes to Davis. I also don't care what they have to say about a guy that is hitting like Reynolds. Reynolds stats are horrible and unless he gets hot, he'll end up one of the worst starting 1bs in the game. You don't reward someone who has produced like Reynolds with a 25 million dollar contract imho.

[Ampontan]

I expect the Orioles to sign Mark Reynolds to a new 3 year deal this off season, and he will be the Orioles first baseman going forward. Davis will also have a prominent role on the team going forward as the primary DH, and occasional corner IF, OF. Why should anyone expect anything else?

While you might be right about this, the question at the end is surprising. We might expect something else because Dan Duquette is the general manager, and with him it is not possible to expect anything except (1) the unexpected, and (2) a lot of it.

[Babypowder]

The problem with statistics is that they are static. Chris Davis is 26 and is in the middle of his first full time starting position. It would be amazing if you DIDN'T see dramatic improvement in some areas of his game. You can't expect a hitter to be productive without regular at bats. You can't extrapolate performance from a hitter who has not been given regular at bats. The only regular at bats Davis has got before this year was when he was 22. You can't extrapolate performance based on stats of a 22 year old rookie. You can give me all your war+ and uzis or whatever you stat nerds like to throw out there but they are meaningless when it comes to Davis. I also don't care what they have to say about a guy that is hitting like Reynolds. Reynolds stats are horrible and unless he gets hot, he'll end up one of the worst starting 1bs in the game. You don't reward someone who has produced like Reynolds with a 25 million dollar contract imho.

Since you apparently don't respect more advanced and better statistics, I will keep it simple.

Reynolds: .219/.332/.408 .740 OPS

Davis: .252/.304/.437 .741 OPS

One is "horrible", and one is "productive"?

[gmelson26]

At first, I thought this was an interesting idea. Andino rounds out the bench. But then we have no backup catcher. One player too many. Am I counting wrong?

Wasn't it said that Davis is the 3rd string catcher because he did some in college?

[El Gordo]

While you might be right about this, the question at the end is surprising. We might expect something else because Dan Duquette is the general manager, and with him it is not possible to expect anything except (1) the unexpected, and (2) a lot of it.

Looking at next season, the holes are LF, 1B, 2B, and SP. Little question they will look to sign another solid mid rotation SP to add to what they have. They can use some combination of Davis, Avery and Hoes to address LF or they can look for a FA. Or they can address 1B with some combination of Reynolds, Davis, and Betemit or they can look for a FA. I don't think they will look for a FA to fill both 1B and LF. In both cases Davis is part of a solution. Pretty sure he will fit into our plans somewhere. They will probably make do at 2B with some combination of Roberts. Andino and Q.

[TheBee]

This is where I am on Chris Davis. He's still 26 and slightly younger than Jones, and I believe he's currently demonstrating in word and deed that he's coachable. In 2009 at AAA, he managed a 12.9 w/9, a 20.1 k/9, a .418 OBP, .407 WOBA, .939 OPS, and an ISO of 194. It wasn't a full season - only 200 AAA PAs - because he got called up. If he can improve his approach and work towards replicating those numbers at this level, obviously he would be even more valuable than he already is. So, I like him, but how much room for growth is left is an obviously huge ?. I will at least say that I think he's trying and the raw power should help in his efforts.

[ccbird]

This is just ridiculous. You don't think the Rangers gave Chris Davis regular AB's after his rookie season? They did, He didn't peform and went back and forth to the minors. Every time he was given regular AB's in the minors and peformed, he was recalled and failed time and time again. Now this year again, he's gotten regular AB's, and you know what? He's showing us what the Rangers slowly found out. He's not very good. His OPS by month this year with regular AB's.

April - .922

May - .829

June - .659

July - .701

August -.534

As pitchers, who maybe hadn't faced Chris Davis ever. or in couple of years, found out as the season went along. Just don't throw this guy anything in the strike zone, expecially a fastball which he might run into accidentally. He can't hit anything offspeed. I've never seen a batter WAIVE at so many pitches. He can't catch up to high heat but swings at it anyway and chances anything offspeed low and out of the zone. HE'S NOT A GOOD HITTER. He's strong and he can hit it a long way but he's not a good hitter. If the O's go into next offseason counting on him as an everyday player at a key offensive position they are making a huge mistake. I'm not big on Reynolds either but is far and away a more productive hitter who has proven multiple times and as recently as 2011 that he can be productive. Reynolds at his worst and Davis at his best is about even.

As a footnote, Chris Davis 2012 season is almost an exact replica of his 2009 season, the year after his good HALF YEAR rookie season. It just goes to show that he hasn't grown ONE IOTA as a hitter since than and you shouldn't expect any going forward.

http://espn.go.com/mlb/player/stats/_/id/29170/chris-davis

All of this. Davis has been bad the last 2 and a half months.And extremely streaky to boot. He was right around a .500 OPS for most of July before having a really good week to push his OPS up around .700. He'll be cheap power next year with an ability to play multiple positions in a pinch. He has a role but it shouldn't be as a starter at any position, including DH.

[EagleOriole]

It possible, but very doubtful, that both Andino and Quintanilla are on the team if Roberts is healthy and playing.

Yep, either Quintanilla or Roberts will be on the roster, but not both, that is what I meant.

[EagleOriole]

At first, I thought this was an interesting idea. Andino rounds out the bench. But then we have no backup catcher. One player too many. Am I counting wrong?

If Roberts is on the roster Quintanilla isn't. If Roberts isn't on the roster than Quintanilla is. You have the nine starters, with a bench of Reimold, Andino, Betemit, Teagarden and 12 pitchers.

[Leitch]

Chris Davis [...] is in the middle of his first full time starting position. [...] The only regular at bats Davis has got before this year was when he was 22.

This just isn't true. Look at his gamelogs. He came up and took the 1B job at 22, and then was the starting 1B in 2009. He started all but 10 of the Rangers' first 77 games, getting 277 plate appearances. At this point, he was sent down because even though he was on a 30-homer pace, he was hitting .202 with almost no walks.

He came back up 43 games later and got hot, hitting .308/.338/.496. So what did the Rangers do? They put him in the starting lineup for 2010. When he hit under .200 in April after starting every game, they sent him down again.

Bottom line: Chris Davis has been afforded many opportunities, more than most. He hasn't hit at an acceptable level for a first baseman or DH since his rookie season. It would be a mistake to count on Chris Davis being our first baseman going forward.

[TheBee]

I look at that at bat last night, and I see a guy who did what he said after the game he was trying to do. He fought to stay back and took an 89 mph fb to the opposite field. Porcello said, "One pitch was what we got beat on, and it wasn’t even a bad pitch." I don't think it was great pitch - I think Porcello got more of the middle than he wanted to- but I do wonder if Davis' August numbers would look better in the short run if he wasn't trying to make adjustments and improve. He certainly wasn't up there blindly selling out and pulling for power.

[jabba72]

Davis with another opposite fielder HR today for his 20th. I did forget to check the velocity of the pitch.

[DrungoHazewood]

Since you apparently don't respect more advanced and better statistics, I will keep it simple.

Reynolds: .219/.332/.408 .740 OPS

Davis: .252/.304/.437 .741 OPS

One is "horrible", and one is "productive"?

If you're going to argue one is horrible and one is productive, you'd have to label Davis the horrible one. His season numbers are about in line with his career, while Reynolds' are well off his career marks.

[TheBee]

I think Davis and Reynolds have both helped us get where we are...today again...I think Davis still has a bit of room for improvement due to age, gaining experience, and based on AAA numbers. I think Reynolds is having a down year, but still could likely have a strong finish to get closer to career norms.

[Babypowder]

If you're going to argue one is horrible and one is productive, you'd have to label Davis the horrible one. His season numbers are about in line with his career, while Reynolds' are well off his career marks.

Agreed. I was just pointing out how absurd it was that he was saying reynolds has been horrible and davis has been productive.