Ryan Flaherty has to go.

[wildcard]

Since I admitted I was wrong one day, I'm getting a lot of love. Keep it coming!

Like Buck keeps saying - One does not necessarily follow the other.

[EASTERNSHOREFAN]

I think he can be a part of a furture infield but right now everyday reps at Norfolk would probable be what's best for him.

[Frobby]

Frobby, we all know that you are normally fair in your analysis but you look kind of bias when your cherry pick Flaherty's spring average (which was poor)and ignore his OPS(which was much better than the average). RZNJ points this out.

When I made my post, I was using my iPhone and couldn't find Flaherty's spring OPS on the mobile version of Orioles.com so I just gave his BA, which I remembered because it was identical to last year's BA. No intent to be selective on my part, I would have posted his spring slash line if I knew where to find it. (P.S. - I've since realized that BB-ref is now showing spring 2013 stats.)

[Roll Tide]

Way overreact here!!! The Orioles have played 5 games and Ryan has played in 3?

Seriously dude ....Get a grip

[xKHx]

Ryan Flaherty has you all fooled. Why do you think him and Brandon Fayhey are never in the same picture!

[Why Not?]

But Ryan Flaherty will not have a stretch like Chris Davis is having right now.

NOBODY will have a stretch like Davis is right now.

But the point stands. Flaherty's current struggles in a three-game stretch are not indicative of much of anything. Every single player in MLB will do what he's done at some point. Flaherty might not be the answer at 2B. He might never be a quality player, but these three games aren't enough to make any decisions.

[DrungoHazewood]

Frobby, we all know that you are normally fair in your analysis but you look kind of bias when your cherry pick Flaherty's spring average (which was poor)and ignore his OPS(which was much better than the average). RZNJ points this out. Saying that Flaherty post season stats are meaningless is also kind of bias when you could be saying it should be figured into the total picture.

In this case, RZNJ just takes a more balanced approach IMO.

Yes, playoff and spring numbers should be figured into the total picture. Which is something like: (Scouting reports x 50) + (MLE's of his minor league career numbers x 20) + (last year's overall MLB numbers x 5) + (this year's spring numbers x 1) + (last year's playoff performance x 1). Or thereabouts.

[DrungoHazewood]

Frobby, we all know that you are normally fair in your analysis but you look kind of bias when your cherry pick Flaherty's spring average (which was poor)and ignore his OPS(which was much better than the average). RZNJ points this out. Saying that Flaherty post season stats are meaningless is also kind of bias when you could be saying it should be figured into the total picture.

In this case, RZNJ just takes a more balanced approach IMO.

For what small input spring numbers make on decisions, his OPS isn't doing much for him. He had a .781, which was very light on OBP (meaning it's not as impressive as it's middling first glance gives you), and according to bb-ref the average pitcher he faced in the spring was just a touch better than a AAA arm. Would you be excited about a low-OBP guy with a .781 in AAA?

[Rene88]

Drungo: good analysis. who would you like to see instead of Flaherty? Or what changes would you make if you were in charge?

[DrungoHazewood]

I think the key point to his spring numbers are that he went 0-11 with 7 strikeouts to end the spring. I don't attribute that to better pitchers faced as I do to just a bad slump that started at the end of spring and is continuing right now.

I see that as just a thing. Just 11 at bats that add the significance of maybe five regular season at bats to his professional pile of 2100 plate appearances.

[Can_of_corn]

NOBODY will have a stretch like Davis is right now.

But the point stands. Flaherty's current struggles in a three-game stretch are not indicative of much of anything. Every single player in MLB will do what he's done at some point. Flaherty might not be the answer at 2B. He might never be a quality player, but these three games aren't enough to make any decisions.

Davis is having a heck of a stretch right now but it is far from unprecedented in MLB. Reynolds for instance had that hot streak against the Yankees last year, eight Home Runs in seven games.

Flaherty doesn't have the offensive ceiling to get that hot. You can accept the bitter cold streaks from a player like Davis (or Luke Scott) since he can carry a team when hot.

Of course I wasn't advocating doing anything to Flaherty anyway and I agree it is too small a sample size to be meaningful. I just didn't care for the Davis comparison.

[DrungoHazewood]

Drungo: good analysis. who would you like to see instead of Flaherty? Or what changes would you make if you were in charge?

Given the roster that started the season I would make no changes at all for 3-4 weeks, and only among the most egregious under-performers with previously tenuous holds on roster spots then. If Flaherty is 5-for-42 on May 1st maybe I bring up Navarro to replace him for at least a while. If Tillman or Arrieta have nothing but awful starts for 3-4 weeks I think about one of the other candidates in Norfolk. But I only make a change if I truly believe the bad performances are talent and execution-based, and not results-based. Even 30-40 innings is a terribly small sampling to make decisions on.

[Rene88]

Thanks Drungo.

[weams]

Damn. It has been five damn games and you are already on this guy? This is unbelievable. Okay since you want him gone who do you

want to replace him?

They want Betemit. And so do I. But he's hurt. That's who Flaherty replaced.

[wildcard]

For what small input spring numbers make on decisions, his OPS isn't doing much for him. He had a .781, which was very light on OBP (meaning it's not as impressive as it's middling first glance gives you), and according to bb-ref the average pitcher he faced in the spring was just a touch better than a AAA arm. Would you be excited about a low-OBP guy with a .781 in AAA?

I fully agree that Flaherty would be better spending some time at AAA. He is only on the team because of injuries and the fact the Casilla isn't much of a hitter. Flaherty's minor league numbers seem to indicate that he may be a decent OBP guy in time. And he has shown power in the majors at times.