Would you bring BRob back next year if the price is right?

[Frobby]

I think BRob has shown he is still an adequate major league player. We have Schoop in the wings, but in my opinion he needs at least another half-season of MiL seasoning. Assuming he's willing to sign cheaply, would you want BRob back?

There are not a lot of 2B on the FA market this winter. There's Cano, of course, but let's rule him out as implausible. Here's the Cot's list:

Robinson Cano

Alexi Casilla

Mark Ellis * ($5.75 mm option, $1 mm buyout)

Mike Fontenot

Omar Infante

Kelly Johnson

Nick Punto

Ryan Raburn

Brian Roberts

Ramon Santiago

Skip Schumaker

Ben Zobrist * ($7 mm option, $2.5 mm buyout)

The Rays would be crazy not to pick up Zobrist's option. Ellis (.666 OPS, 1.8 fWAR) is more iffy, but I'd bet the Dodgers pick up his option, too. Infante, who is having a career season at age 31 (.790 OPS, 3.0 fWAR) is probably the only other guy on the list who would be a clear upgrade for us.

The other alternative, of course, is to just hand the job to Flaherty, whose offensive numbers are about as good as BRob's this year and is better defensively.

My biggest concern with bringing BRob back is that Buck will feel compelled to play him for 140+ games if he's healthy.

[CanadianOriole]

No, go with Flaherty with Schoop in the wings.

[CA-ORIOLE]

No. Go with Schoop/Flaherty platoon and add an additional depth guy at AAA.

[isestrex]

In a vacuum, I want Kelly Johnson's power and position flexibility over Roberts.

For the Orioles, I think Flaherty should be the starting 2B.

[mdbdotcom]

I don't think he brings enough to the team to take away money they need to spend in other places. Another year older next year, another half-step slower... even if it's only 2 or 3 million above minimum, I just don't see it. I'd rather play Casilla, Flaherty, or Schoop than see Roberts back.

It's time to not put the band back together.

[Tx Oriole]

I think BRob has shown he is still an adequate major league player. We have Schoop in the wings, but in my opinion he needs at least another half-season of MiL seasoning. Assuming he's willing to sign cheaply, would you want BRob back?

There are not a lot of 2B on the FA market this winter. There's Cano, of course, but let's rule him out as implausible. Here's the Cot's list:

Robinson Cano

Alexi Casilla

Mark Ellis * ($5.75 mm option, $1 mm buyout)

Mike Fontenot

Omar Infante

Kelly Johnson

Nick Punto

Ryan Raburn

Brian Roberts

Ramon Santiago

Skip Schumaker

Ben Zobrist * ($7 mm option, $2.5 mm buyout)

The Rays would be crazy not to pick up Zobrist's option. Ellis (.666 OPS, 1.8 fWAR) is more iffy, but I'd bet the Dodgers pick up his option, too. Infante, who is having a career season at age 31 (.790 OPS, 3.0 fWAR) is probably the only other guy on the list who would be a clear upgrade for us.

The other alternative, of course, is to just hand the job to Flaherty, whose offensive numbers are about as good as BRob's this year and is better defensively.

My biggest concern with bringing BRob back is that Buck will feel compelled to play him for 140+ games if he's healthy.

Good points Frobby. With the caveat that he is there as a filler till Schoop is ready.

Would Roberts agree? If it is Ryan F. then the same deal is in place. I want to see

Schoop as the starting 2nd baseman in 2014.

[Ed-die... Ed-die]

This is a tired topic. The management likes him... at the games I've been to, the fans still like him... he's had a solid "comeback" year... he hasn't stolen bases, but he's running the bases really well and is still fast... so I think he is going to get offered a reduced short-term deal.

Playing another year (or two) while Schoop proves IF he's a productive major leaguer or not (and we all hope that he's the real deal) is a good plan.

BRob is professional, scrappy, but the BIG thing for me is that one thing he has clearly demonstrated over the last couple of months is that he has BY FAR the best plate approach of anybody we have. That is a big deal. The whole team needs to take notes --- he's the ONE guy who is patient at the plate and works the pitcher.

Plus, I'll also give him this: he drives in critical runs better than anybody.

[DrungoHazewood]

Infante, who is having a career season at age 31 (.790 OPS, 3.0 fWAR) is probably the only other guy on the list who would be a clear upgrade for us.

I don't think a 31-year-old coming off a career year in a walk year (or a near-career year) is a clear upgrade so much as it is a trap. One of my litmus tests for a GM would be how he'd react to exactly this situation. I would expect Infante to provide less value for more money than just using internal options or signing players year-to-year on one-season deals.

I'd lean towards CA-Oriole's solution: some combination of Schoop and Flaherty, with some DD-style backup depth to be stashed at AAA. I'd also find a way to get Navarro some more reps at second, because I think he was the best-hitting second baseman in the system this year, Roberts, Schoop, Flaherty, and Casilla included.

[El Gordo]

I don't want to spend a lot of money on 2B. I want to spend it elsewhere, so Roberts would be a cheap short term option.

[DrungoHazewood]

BRob is professional, scrappy, but the BIG thing for me is that one thing he has clearly demonstrated over the last couple of months is that he has BY FAR the best plate approach of anybody we have. That is a big deal. The whole team needs to take notes --- he's the ONE guy who is patient at the plate and works the pitcher.

I'm less concerned with approach than outcome. It's great that he works the pitcher real hard to put up that .307 OBP and .664 OPS. I'd rather have a "bad" approach that gets you a .750.

[NJ BIRD FAN]

I think BRob has shown he is still an adequate major league player. We have Schoop in the wings, but in my opinion he needs at least another half-season of MiL seasoning. Assuming he's willing to sign cheaply, would you want BRob back?

There are not a lot of 2B on the FA market this winter. There's Cano, of course, but let's rule him out as implausible. Here's the Cot's list:

Robinson Cano

Alexi Casilla

Mark Ellis * ($5.75 mm option, $1 mm buyout)

Mike Fontenot

Omar Infante

Kelly Johnson

Nick Punto

Ryan Raburn

Brian Roberts

Ramon Santiago

Skip Schumaker

Ben Zobrist * ($7 mm option, $2.5 mm buyout)

The Rays would be crazy not to pick up Zobrist's option. Ellis (.666 OPS, 1.8 fWAR) is more iffy, but I'd bet the Dodgers pick up his option, too. Infante, who is having a career season at age 31 (.790 OPS, 3.0 fWAR) is probably the only other guy on the list who would be a clear upgrade for us.

The other alternative, of course, is to just hand the job to Flaherty, whose offensive numbers are about as good as BRob's this year and is better defensively.

My biggest concern with bringing BRob back is that Buck will feel compelled to play him for 140+ games if he's healthy.

This is the main problem and even if Buck were to sit him at some point, he has no versatility.

[NJ BIRD FAN]

I'm less concerned with approach than outcome. It's great that he works the pitcher real hard to put up that .307 OBP and .664 OPS. I'd rather have a "bad" approach that gets you a .750.

In a vacuum I agree. But his approach, which no other Oriole seems to be able to adopt does have a trickle down affect. In four at bats, it could mean an additional 10-15 pitches for the opposing team, not to mention the additional looks that the other Oriole players get. I do have to admit though, it does not seem to have had an impact, as the Orioles offense does not seem have benefited from it.

[Dipper9]

I'm a big BRob fan, but I just don't think he has enough left in the tank to warrant a starting position next year. Now, IF, IF, he was willing to come back as a part time bench guy, I'd be all for it. I think THE biggest problem with the Orioles this year, and many years, is the weak bench. Its the reason Buck doesn't want to rest his starters, and its the reason why as a group they have ALL failed in September. These guys are just plain tired. BRob as a bench player would be a clear upgrade over what we've had there.

[Can_of_corn]

I'm a big BRob fan, but I just don't think he has enough left in the tank to warrant a starting position next year. Now, IF, IF, he was willing to come back as a part time bench guy, I'd be all for it. I think THE biggest problem with the Orioles this year, and many years, is the weak bench. Its the reason Buck doesn't want to rest his starters, and its the reason why as a group they have ALL failed in September. These guys are just plain tired. BRob as a bench player would be a clear upgrade over what we've had there.

The problem with Roberts on the bench is simple, he can only realistically play second and DH. He isn't tall enough for first and doesn't have the arm for anywhere else on the diamond.

[OsEatAlEast]

I voted no. Even if he comes back cheap. Buck would feel the need to play him ALL the time. He just isn't the type of player that needs to be playing ALL the time.

My feellings are pretty much the same on Hardy. Geez Buck! Give him a break every now and then!