How is Roberts Not Your Leadoff Hitter?

[Can_of_corn]

Buck has been know to stick with players having defensive problems but he didn't with Davis at 1B in 2012. Buck could have stayed with Davis at DH or 1B and put someone else in the outfield if all Buck does is stick with his players at one position. However, that is not what Buck did. He moved Davis around as needed. Just like he can do with Flaherty if he starts at 2B but is needed at SS or 3B, Buck is not a inflexible as you make him out to be.

There were two main reasons Davis got moved off of First.

1- Manny was talking over third base.

2- Reynolds seemed less bad over there then Davis did. (Davis dropped some balls that hit him square in the glove, that looks bad)

Anyway Davis in 2012 had no where near the veteran cache that Roberts has accumulated.

Keep in mind Buck wasn't even pulling Roberts for a defensive replacement last season.

[Frobby]

If Buck is willing to not play Roberts then how do you explain what happened during that 17 game stretch in 2012? Roberts put up 415 OPS and a 16 OPS+ while playing horrendous defense and the only reason Buck stopped putting him the lineup is he got injured.

True, but 17 games is not that long. Let's not forget that on the day BRob returned to the lineup, Andino was sporting a .625 OPS and had posted a .503 OPS over his previous 34 games. Flaherty was posting a .442 OPS at the time. So, it's not like Buck was looking at a lot of great alternatives. That said, it's certainly true that BRob played very poorly in that stretch, and Buck left him out there.

[weams]

Buck has been known to move players around depending on the circumstances. Davis played 1B, LF. RF and DH in 2012.

Davis was a utility man that season. He would NEVER do that with one of his nuggets.

[wildcard]

There were two main reasons Davis got moved off of First.

1- Manny was talking over third base.

2- Reynolds seemed less bad over there then Davis did. (Davis dropped some balls that hit him square in the glove, that looks bad)

Anyway Davis in 2012 had no where near the veteran cache that Roberts has accumulated.

Keep in mind Buck wasn't even pulling Roberts for a defensive replacement last season.

I am not comparing Davis to Roberts. I am comparing 2012 Davis to Flaherty. Flaherty is the one that would be moving around.

[wildcard]

Davis was a utility man that season. He would NEVER do that with one of his nuggets.

One of things Buck likes about Flaherty is his versatility.

[El Gordo]

Suppose Manny isn't due back until mid May. Then you have Flash at 3B and ?? at 2B. Suppose ?? is Roberts and he is hitting, do you bench him for Flash when Manny comes back? If he isn't, you can platoon them. I don't get the idea that Buck is going to play a vet because he's a vet, even if he isn't producing. He just gets a longer leash if he's a vet. Whether they sign Roberts depends on what they do for LF. If they sign Choo, Ellsbury or McLouth then it is less likely IMO..

[Can_of_corn]

Suppose Manny isn't due back until mid May. Then you have Flash at 3B and ?? at 2B. Suppose ?? is Roberts and he is hitting, do you bench him for Flash when Manny comes back? If he isn't, you can platoon them. I don't get the idea that Buck is going to play a vet because he's a vet, even if he isn't producing. He just gets a longer leash if he's a vet. Whether they sign Roberts depends on what they do for LF. If they sign Choo, Ellsbury or McLouth then it is less likely IMO..

Latest news is that Manny might very well be ready for opening day why are we suddenly supposing mid May?

Roberts in 2012

Vlad

Hardy batting second

Markakis in 2013

[El Gordo]

I'll be surprised if Manny is ready for opening day. But if they have a good idea he will be, then it makes less sense to sign Roberts. But in that case it is Flash at 2B and a choice between DeJesus/Phelps and Roberts.

[notyourbuddy]

Roberts probably has the best chance of giving us a .330 OBP from the 2B spot in 2014.

That said, like others have said, Roberts would not only be granted the starting gig no questions asked he would be impossible to dislodge from it. He just has too much history in this organization that Buck wouldn't bench him out of respect. Probably throw out the cliches "the baseball season is a marathon not a sprint"; "everyone goes through slumps"; etc while he lets Roberts "try to play his way out of it."

No thanks. Had to sit through that crap with terrible Jay Payton and Kevin Millar getting everyday reps on a 93 loss team. It was a traumatic experience and something I don't wish to repeat. Yes, it was Trembley back then but even Buck has shown with both Vlad & BRob that he too believes in the veteran rule.

Competition between the AAAA's and Flaherty - may the best man win is fine by me.

[Can_of_corn]

I'll be surprised if Manny is ready for opening day. But if they have a good idea he will be, then it makes less sense to sign Roberts. But in that case it is Flash at 2B and a choice between DeJesus/Phelps and Roberts.

"We put a real safe date on it," Showalter said of Machado's timetable, which initially was estimated at six months for a mid-April return. "I think he's got a real chance to make the start of the season. [He] needs to play in [spring] games by March 15 to make the season."

http://m.orioles.mlb.com/news/2013/11/21/64123788/baltimore-orioles-confident-manny-machado-ready-for-opening-day

[Tony-OH]

I'm I'm DD, I'm not giving him any veterans that I know he will play even though I've given him better options. Buck is so fiercely loyal to his veterans that it has become a double edged sword. He gets the most out of his guys and players love to play for him, but he'll also run out a Brian Roberts every day because he's "earned the right to be there," and not because he should be out there every day. With Phelps/De Jesus/Schoop and Flaherty, there are enough options to man the position without putting out a guy who thinks it's his job no matter what and a manager that agree with him.

If Brian Roberts is the opening day second baseman while leading off, this will not be a contending team in 2014. At least there is upside in Phelps who once was a pretty decent prospect and even if he's not, hopefully Schoop will be ready soon.

[russ snyder]

Michael Young has no defensive position to play anymore. Roberts would be a much better 2B choice than him.

That's your opinion. The advantage that Young has over Roberts is that you can plug him in at a couple of positions. I don't believe that either player is a regular in the majors any longer. However, IMO I think Young has more value than Roberts at this point in his career.

[BillySmith]

I'm I'm DD, I'm not giving him any veterans that I know he will play even though I've given him better options. Buck is so fiercely loyal to his veterans that it has become a double edged sword. He gets the most out of his guys and players love to play for him, but he'll also run out a Brian Roberts every day because he's "earned the right to be there," and not because he should be out there every day. With Phelps/De Jesus/Schoop and Flaherty, there are enough options to man the position without putting out a guy who thinks it's his job no matter what and a manager that agree with him.

If Brian Roberts is the opening day second baseman while leading off, this will not be a contending team in 2014. At least there is upside in Phelps who once was a pretty decent prospect and even if he's not, hopefully Schoop will be ready soon.

I've been mulling similar opinions and Markakis batting leadoff. I just can't see Phelps or Dejesus being anything more than emergency backups to Roberts, Flaherty, and eventually Schoop. And Flaherty has shown to be a possibly solid utility guy with tremendous versatility, but not a starting second baseman in the AL East.

To me, it still is Roberts, although the arguments against are strong. Maybe batting ninth, but I'd take the odds on Roberts having the best year of any of the alternatives, all in all. If Schoop is ready by summer, all the better.

[El Gordo]

That's your opinion. The advantage that Young has over Roberts is that you can plug him in at a couple of positions. I don't believe that either player is a regular in the majors any longer. However, IMO I think Young has more value than Roberts at this point in his career.

You can plug Wilson Betemit into several positions as well. That doesn't mean you should. Young's declining defense is not just my opinion. Check out his metrics.

[BradyBunch]

I'd say it's possible. Roberts (1) was shaking off a few years of rust, (2) couldn't train for part of the offseason because of surgery he had, (3) missed time with his knee injury. If he has a full offseason to work out, and stays healthier next year, I could see him posting a .330ish OBP if things go his way. Of course, there's no guarantee that he does that, or that he stays healthy.

When has Roberts stayed health long enough for a whole season?