TT: Buck needs to make a decision on Brian Roberts

[weams]

Not trying to start anything here, but this kind of is one of the big reasons to give Roberts a lot of games.

I'm excited to see some RF for 3 days, though. I like him.

Roberts is not going to improve. He is what he is. I am sorry to say that.

[weams]

Besides, perhaps those skills would be better as a late inning pinch hitter. I know I'd rather have Roberts bat with runners on 1st and 2nd with no outs than Matt Wieters late in a game if a right-hander is on the mound.

And he is a switch hitter. That could be valuable.

[weams]

Since Roberts has taken over, how many DP's do you think were not turned that Flaherty would have turned?

Guessing? Three, four. To be fair, that probably includes one that he would have laid out for and one he would have jumped up for.

[Frobby]

Right, but that doesn't mean its the right decision.

Roberts has put up a .576 OPS since 2011.

For me, I'm only interested in what BRob has looked like in 2013. He looks way, way better than in 2012, and I'm just not that interested in his stats from a period when he was fresh off rehab from his concussion and seemed to lack athletic confidence. The BRob I'm seeing now is older and slower than the guy I'm used to seeing, but he does look like I'd expect a 35-year old BRob to look.

My gut instinct is that if BRob continues to play every day, his OPS will end up in the .675-.725 range. His K rate isn't bad and I see him hit a lot of balls hard (like the one caught at the fence yesterday).

I'm still lukewarm about BRob because I'm not sure that .675-.725 justifies losing a ground single on defense once every 2-3 days compared to what the .620ish Flaherty or Casilla would do. But honestly, I think who plays 2B is going to be a non-factor in the team's success or failure the rest of this season.

[wildcard]

People expect the old BRob, and we will never see him again. Instead his speed and defense has been replaced by a guy who hits in the clutch but does little else. Buck respects BRob and knows his time with the O's is limited.

I think once BRob comes back from leave Buck will stick him right back in the lineup for a month. Then Schoop gets promoted and gets some games at 2nd spelling BRob. Schoop's bat will get some attention and Buck will want to see him versus major league pitching. But Schoop will have to produce right a way to take time from BRob.

That's my guess.

[Tony-OH]

For me, I'm only interested in what BRob has looked like in 2013. He looks way, way better than in 2012, and I'm just not that interested in his stats from a period when he was fresh off rehab from his concussion and seemed to lack athletic confidence. The BRob I'm seeing now is older and slower than the guy I'm used to seeing, but he does look like I'd expect a 35-year old BRob to look.

My gut instinct is that if BRob continues to play every day, his OPS will end up in the .675-.725 range. His K rate isn't bad and I see him hit a lot of balls hard (like the one caught at the fence yesterday).

I'm still lukewarm about BRob because I'm not sure that .675-.725 justifies losing a ground single on defense once every 2-3 days compared to what the .620ish Flaherty or Casilla would do. But honestly, I think who plays 2B is going to be a non-factor in the team's success or failure the rest of this season.

This is not a gut instinct, this is your hope and desire because he has not shown any reason since 2011 that he can be that kind of player any longer. Even if you go just by this year, he has not shown an ability to do that. I'm sorry, and I know this hurts some of you who think with your hearts sometimes instead of your brains, but Roberts is who he is, and that's a .575-.600 OPS, slow, below average defensive second baseman. If that's good enough for you guys then that's on you, I think Flaherty, Casilla and eventually Schoop in September can do better.

[waroriole]

My gut instinct is that if BRob continues to play every day, his OPS will end up in the .675-.725 range. His K rate isn't bad and I see him hit a lot of balls hard (like the one caught at the fence yesterday).

I'm still lukewarm about BRob because I'm not sure that .675-.725 justifies losing a ground single on defense once every 2-3 days compared to what the .620ish Flaherty or Casilla would do. But honestly, I think who plays 2B is going to be a non-factor in the team's success or failure the rest of this season.

His BABIP (.265) is well below his career average (.312), and he looks the part at the plate. He is putting some good swings on pitches. I agree, he'll probably end about .700ish.

[jabba72]

For me, I'm only interested in what BRob has looked like in 2013. He looks way, way better than in 2012, and I'm just not that interested in his stats from a period when he was fresh off rehab from his concussion and seemed to lack athletic confidence. The BRob I'm seeing now is older and slower than the guy I'm used to seeing, but he does look like I'd expect a 35-year old BRob to look.

My gut instinct is that if BRob continues to play every day, his OPS will end up in the .675-.725 range. His K rate isn't bad and I see him hit a lot of balls hard (like the one caught at the fence yesterday).

I'm still lukewarm about BRob because I'm not sure that .675-.725 justifies losing a ground single on defense once every 2-3 days compared to what the .620ish Flaherty or Casilla would do. But honestly, I think who plays 2B is going to be a non-factor in the team's success or failure the rest of this season.

Dunno about that. In the late innings I'd prefer a defensive replacement over Roberts.

[olehippi]

People here can argue all they want about who is the better player, Roberts, Flaherty, or Castilla, or which would be best for the team if they played. But the bottom line is, Showalter obviously believes Roberts is that guy, and I would doubt seriously if that is because of a $40M contract or someone in the FO - or above - telling him Roberts has to play.

What happened to all the "we trust Buck" adherents?

[Tony-OH]

All I'm saying is that phrases such as "he has nothing left" should be reserved for Garrett Atkins - guys who hit like .150 over 250 ABs or whatever. Brian Roberts can still play. He can still turn double plays, he can still make running throws off one leg, he can still drive in runs and have good ABs and, yes, even hit home runs!

Is he better than Flaherty overall? Probably not. Fine, I'll meet you halfway there. But I'm sorry - saying he doesn't have any left whatsoever is just not true.

I think what he means is the guy has "nothing left" when it comes to being an everyday average major league baseball player anymore. Roberts can still handle the bat a bit and he'll catch pretty much everything hit at him. He'll turn the easy DP. But you know what, I can go into the minor leagues and find 100 players who can do the same thing. Just because a guy has some skills that allows him to do some things at a medicore level does not make him the best choice to be an everyday starting second baseman on a playoff caliber team.

[MurphDogg]

Even if you go just by this year, he has not shown an ability to do that. I'm sorry, and I know this hurts some of you who think with your hearts sometimes instead of your brains, but Roberts is who he is, and that's a .575-.600 OPS, slow, below average defensive second baseman.

Roberts is a .575-.600 OPS second baseman? With an OPS of .640 (and .722 a week ago)? Tell me again about brains.

[Going Underground]

Flaherty had basically eight days when he hit over half his homers and over half his RBI's. The rest of the year he was terrible offensively.

[webbrick2010]

For me, I'm only interested in what BRob has looked like in 2013. He looks way, way better than in 2012, and I'm just not that interested in his stats from a period when he was fresh off rehab from his concussion and seemed to lack athletic confidence. The BRob I'm seeing now is older and slower than the guy I'm used to seeing, but he does look like I'd expect a 35-year old BRob to look.

My gut instinct is that if BRob continues to play every day, his OPS will end up in the .675-.725 range. His K rate isn't bad and I see him hit a lot of balls hard (like the one caught at the fence yesterday).

I'm still lukewarm about BRob because I'm not sure that .675-.725 justifies losing a ground single on defense once every 2-3 days compared to what the .620ish Flaherty or Casilla would do. But honestly, I think who plays 2B is going to be a non-factor in the team's success or failure the rest of this season.

Wow, step back from the Orange koolaid, Roberts will miss those numbers by 100 points. .575 to .600 is what he's got left. He hits as many lazy fly balls as Weiters hits slow rollers to 2B

[waroriole]

Dunno about that. In the late innings I'd prefer a defensive replacement over Roberts.

I would like to see this happen. Otherwise, why do we have 3 2B on the roster?

[Tony-OH]

People here can argue all they want about who is the better player, Roberts, Flaherty, or Castilla, or which would be best for the team if they played. But the bottom line is, Showalter obviously believes Roberts is that guy, and I would doubt seriously if that is because of a $40M contract or someone in the FO - or above - telling him Roberts has to play.

What happened to all the "we trust Buck" adherents?

So you think Buck (Yes I know Duquette signs the players) would have signed Brian Roberts as a free agent with his current skill set and played him over Ryan Flaherty? I think it's way more complicated than some of you would like to admit. As for in buck we trust, well, considering some of his bullpen and lineup decisions, I'll say that went out the door once we realized that although buck is a very good manager, he's not without fault and afterall, that is what we do here.