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

[Can_of_corn]

Tell me it wouldn't be more fun to watch Hamilton than Clay Rapada! I'm almost ready to champion a movement to limit teams to nine pitchers on the 25-man.

Of course I agree. There should be a spot on a ML roster for a weapon like Hamilton. I have to think he would win the Reds more games then the last pitcher out of the pen.

[mark_beckens]

Teagarden.

.600 would be an improvement over his .480.

[Dipper9]

Yes, I suppose he could have. But you'd still be left with Roberts at second, Flaherty at short, and Casilla running to fetch Gatorade and praying for a Matt Wieters single that puts the winning run on base in the 9th.

And even in those situations Buck let Wieters run more often than not! It was mind blowing.

[DrungoHazewood]

And yet the O's went with Casilla, Teagarden, Dickerson, Flaherty, etc. off the bench. Your post proves my point that the bench needs to be better. Maybe BRob isn't the answer, but he's certainly better off the bench than the guys we've had there all season.

I don't think he is any better than those guys. Dickerson was the only utility outfielder for most of the year. Flaherty has a better glove at multiple positions than Roberts. Casilla can at least pretend to play short or third and is faster than Roberts, and I don't think anyone wants him back. Teagarden has the "I know how to buckle shinguards" thing going for him.

Roberts is just the wiley veteran who can't really hit any more and can only play second base.

[Can_of_corn]

I don't think he is any better than those guys. Dickerson was the only utility outfielder for most of the year. Flaherty has a better glove at multiple positions than Roberts. Casilla can at least pretend to play short or third and is faster than Roberts, and I don't think anyone wants him back. Teagarden has the "I know how to buckle shinguards" thing going for him.

Roberts is just the wiley veteran who can't really hit any more and can only play second base.

And DH

Which is where Buck has him today.

[Tony-OH]

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.

I appreciate the fight, but there is no reasoning with people who have to go to "approach" and call a barely replacement level 35-year old an adequate major leaguer and want him back next year. I'd rather go with Buck Britton honestly. Flaherty should be in the mix while Schoop should get a look (I think Schoop may need another 200 PAs in AAA). Another thought is putting Manny at SS, JJ at second base and finding a third baseman. Valencia was a plus defender at 3B coming up through the minors. If you think he'll be ok there at this stage in his career, then you have to imagine he'll out OPS anything the Orioles would get from Flaherty or Roberts in 2014. Heck, maybe a Flaherty/Valencia platoon at 3B?

I don't know, but we need to turn the page from the players that were good four years ago.

The Orioles will have some interesting decisions to make this off season to fix second base.

[Dipper9]

Taking BRob out of the equation, its amazing to me the amount of people who are saying give the job to Flaherty. Aside form a good glove, what has this guy done to prove he should be given the position? Even if its only a stop gap til Schoop is ready, Ryan has stunk in his two seasons with us. I don't see it. He is like the new Felix Pie around here...keep letting him play even though the results stink!

[DrungoHazewood]

Of course I agree. There should be a spot on a ML roster for a weapon like Hamilton. I have to think he would win the Reds more games then the last pitcher out of the pen.

I suppose we have to assume that the collective wisdom of MLB currently disagrees.

And since it'll be near impossible to get managers to give up their 11th, 12th, and sometimes 13th pitchers maybe MLB could have some roster changes. If not straight up expansion, then maybe something like you see in other sports where you have exemptions... like you can keep a Rule 5er who doesn't count against the 25-man limit. Or players under certain service time limits don't count. There's got to be some way to integrate some offensive flexiblity and strategy into the modern game with hyperspecialized pitching.

[mark_beckens]

No. Time to move on. I'd give the job to Flaherty, sign a utility guy for 1M, who bats RH, and let Schoop start the year in AAA.

Can Valencia play 2B?

[DrungoHazewood]

Taking BRob out of the equation, its amazing to me the amount of people who are saying give the job to Flaherty. Aside form a good glove, what has this guy done to prove he should be given the position? Even if its only a stop gap til Schoop is ready, Ryan has stunk in his two seasons with us. I don't see it. He is like the new Felix Pie around here...keep letting him play even though the results stink!

For me Flaherty is just a proxy for "don't just resign Roberts and please don't go out and sign Omar Infante to some silly 3/18 deal." Flaherty is the fallback option with a glove that might be good enough to not kill you if you manage to fill some other holes.

[Dipper9]

I appreciate the fight, but there is no reasoning with people who have to go to "approach" and call a barely replacement level 35-year old an adequate major leaguer and want him back next year. I'd rather go with Buck Britton honestly. Flaherty should be in the mix while Schoop should get a look (I think Schoop may need another 200 PAs in AAA). Another thought is putting Manny at SS, JJ at second base and finding a third baseman. Valencia was a plus defender at 3B coming up through the minors. If you think he'll be ok there at this stage in his career, then you have to imagine he'll out OPS anything the Orioles would get from Flaherty or Roberts in 2014. Heck, maybe a Flaherty/Valancia platoon at 3B?

I don't know, but we need to turn the page from the players that were good four years ago.

The Orioles will have some interesting decisions to make this off season to fix second base.

To this point, you have a trained eye that most of us don't have. Is Nick gonna bounce back next year, or is he one of these players from your bolded statement above?

[Can_of_corn]

I suppose we have to assume that the collective wisdom of MLB currently disagrees.

And since it'll be near impossible to get managers to give up their 11th, 12th, and sometimes 13th pitchers maybe MLB could have some roster changes. If not straight up expansion, then maybe something like you see in other sports where you have exemptions... like you can keep a Rule 5er who doesn't count against the 25-man limit. Or players under certain service time limits don't count. There's got to be some way to integrate some offensive flexiblity and strategy into the modern game with hyperspecialized pitching.

They also like naming designated Closers then adjusting bullpen use around them.

[Aristotelian]

No. I just think we have options (Flaherty and Schoop) that are better defensively, almost as good offensively, and much cheaper than anything Roberts will sign for. I would love to see the guy be part of a playoff team but he is a walking injury risk and isn't that great when he is healthy.

[Can_of_corn]

To this point, you have a trained eye that most of us don't have. Is Nick gonna bounce back next year, or is he one of these players from your bolded statement above?

I don't have Tony's eye but I have faith in the old contract year bump for Nick.

I think he has a very nice year.

[OFFNY]

Taking BRob out of the equation, its amazing to me the amount of people who are saying give the job to Flaherty.

I wouldn't necessarily be against at least giving Flaherty a chance to vie for the starting job next season.

However, when Flaherty was 0-for-life earlier this season, I believe that there were numerous posters that wanted him run out of town with a one-way ticket to anywhere but Baltimore Oriole Land (and if there WERE NOT numerous posters that had said anything like that, then I apologize in advance.)

So ........ if they had had there way back then, Flaherty would have been gone before his bat had ever gotten hot, and wound up complementing his exemplary defense. And I don't mean gone as in "take him out of the starting lineup" gone. I mean GONE, gone. So, for anyone who was screaming for Flaherty's exile when he was batting .161 in the middle of June, he really shouldn't even be a consideration in their argument/case now.

Or at the very least, they need to put a "I was wrong when I wanted Flaherty out of here a few months ago, but now that he has proven me wrong, I think that he should be, etc." at the beginning of their post proclaiming their favor of him.