Jump to content

How is Roberts Not Your Leadoff Hitter?

BillySmith

By BillySmith
in Orioles Talk

Recommended Posts

BradyBunch All-Star

BradyBunch

Posted
Posted
And we have a thread winner folks! ;)

It goes without saying that I hope they don't bring Roberts back. Markakis would be the best current option to leadoff but I hope DD acquires a better leadoff guy.

I'd go with a platoon situation at second. Markakis can lead off. He's basically that with no speed. But flaherty and schoop can split games at 2nd.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 79
  • Created
  • Last Reply
BradyBunch All-Star

BradyBunch

Posted
Posted
So you would not platoon anywhere else then? I would agree this might be best.

Depends on what we do with LF. If we go with the mediocrity of our past LF.. then if McClouth is in the line up.. throw him at the top of the line up with Markakis in the 2 hole and move Manny to 3rd and bump Jones down to 5th. I like Davis in clean up, think he's more of a complete hitter then Jones. Davis is willing to walk, Jones not so much. If Reimold then.. what we saw of most of last year with Markakis at the top and Reimold 7th.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
notyourbuddy All-Star

notyourbuddy

Posted
Posted
I'd go with a platoon situation at second. Markakis can lead off. He's basically that with no speed. But flaherty and schoop can split games at 2nd.

So you are going to sporadically play Schoop? Seems like the kind of thing you do to a couple of career AAAA guys not a 22yr old you are trying to develop into an everyday player.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Three Run Homer Hangout Veteran Council

Three Run Homer

Posted
Posted

If Buck wasn't the manager, I'd be fine with signing Roberts to a minor league contract and essentially challenging him to earn the job in spring training. It's not impossible that he could regain some of his old mojo given more opportunity to train over the offseason. Based on what I saw from Schoop at the end of the last season, he's not ready for the big leagues yet--his power is commendable but he has a lot to learn about approach.

But given Buck's predeliction for playing familiar veterans, it's probably best to sign someone else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Il BuonO Hangout Grand Counsel

Il BuonO

Posted
Posted
If Buck wasn't the manager, I'd be fine with signing Roberts to a minor league contract and essentially challenging him to earn the job in spring training. It's not impossible that he could regain some of his old mojo given more opportunity to train over the offseason. Based on what I saw from Schoop at the end of the last season, he's not ready for the big leagues yet--his power is commendable but he has a lot to learn about approach.

But given Buck's predeliction for playing familiar veterans, it's probably best to sign someone else.

I like Mark Ellis.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
El Gordo Hangout Grand Counsel

El Gordo

Posted
Posted

The way I see things playing out we'll have Schoop at 3B, Manny at SS, when Hardy leaves, and Flash at 2B. Until then I think Roberts can be useful next season. He had QAB, and hit for power towards the end of the season, which tells me he hasn't lost much bat speed. His OBP was down because he was focusing on shaking the rust and getting his timing back. I think he can have an effective year next season, as long as his D stays around league average at 2B.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Il BuonO Hangout Grand Counsel

Il BuonO

Posted
Posted
The way I see things playing out we'll have Schoop at 3B, Manny at SS, when Hardy leaves, and Flash at 2B. Until then I think Roberts can be useful next season. He had QAB, and hit for power towards the end of the season, which tells me he hasn't lost much bat speed. His OBP was down because he was focusing on shaking the rust and getting his timing back. I think he can have an effective year next season, as long as his D stays around league average at 2B.

Given the money was the same and the contract was one year with maybe an option for a second, would you rather have Roberts or Ellis? Ellis made $5.25 million last year.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
russ snyder Major Leaguer Cup of Coffee

russ snyder

Posted
Posted
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.

Young is a better defender than Betemit. (My easy chair has more range than Betemit.) Further I never considered Young as a replacement for Roberts at second. I see him more as a stop gap player at third base.

Thanks for the offer after the fact, however, I'm not going to check out his defensive metrics for two reasons.

1. I know that his defense is declining. After all. he's thirty six years old and plays primarily third and first base and this point in his career.

2. Like Weams pointed out, I agree that the Orioles can spend their resources on better investments than either Young or Roberts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
El Gordo Hangout Grand Counsel

El Gordo

Posted
Posted
Young is a better defender than Betemit. (My easy chair has more range than Betemit.) Further I never considered Young as a replacement for Roberts at second. I see him more as a stop gap player at third base.

Thanks for the offer after the fact, however, I'm not going to check out his defensive metrics for two reasons.

1. I know that his defense is declining. After all. he's thirty six years old and plays primarily third and first base and this point in his career.

2. Like Weams pointed out, I agree that the Orioles can spend their resources on better investments than either Young or Roberts.

Last year young was -22 at 3B. That's Betemit territory IMO.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
El Gordo Hangout Grand Counsel

El Gordo

Posted
Posted
Given the money was the same and the contract was one year with maybe an option for a second, would you rather have Roberts or Ellis? Ellis made $5.25 million last year.
The contract wouldn't be the same, and if I'm spending 5.25M I'd rather spend it elsewhere than 2B.
Link to comment
Share on other sites
russ snyder Major Leaguer Cup of Coffee

russ snyder

Posted
Posted
Last year young was -22 at 3B. That's Betemit territory IMO.

At least he played enough infield to have a rating. Even if Betemit was healthy he would not have seen any appreciable time at third base last season..

Metrics aside, Young will play in the majors next year. Further, he'll log some time at a defensive position.

Betemit will have a difficult time making a MLB roster, much less seeing time playing defense.

IMO, Young is the more useful player at this point.

My opinion will be validated when he breaks camp with a MLB team.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

Go to topic listing

  • Posts

    • Frobby
      O’s cap every game

      By Frobby · Posted

      I must be in the minority.  I pay no attention to what uniforms and caps are worn on a given day.  You could ask me five minutes after the game what caps the team wore, and I wouldn’t be able to tell you. But I could tell you what happened in the game in vivid detail.  
    • Bemorewins
      Speculating on how the O's handle the pitching logjam

      By Bemorewins · Posted

      I don’t see any kind of “logjam”. That would imply some sort of challenge with having too much talent in one place/spot. What we have is a hodgepodge of mediocre to below average pitchers who are very interchangeable in terms of their talents (or lack there of). Of the pitchers that you mentioned, probably Bradish (who we don’t know about right now coming off the elbow injury) and maybe Suarez (very small sample size) are any good.  The rest …. They can be swapped out for one another and I don’t think any real difference is made. I hope Means can be the John Means of 2021. But the reality is that was a long time ago at this point. I don’t think that it is very probably that he will make it through the season and pitch effectively into October and be healthy the whole time. That’s probably pie in the sky/wishful thinking at this point.
    • cboemmeljr
      O’s cap every game

      By cboemmeljr · Posted

      This question was kind os answered today on BaltimoreBaseball.com.  I seem to recall that the choice was scheduled, Friday was black jersey and O's cap (before the city connect) and Saturday was the orange jersey.  Wondering when they changed to starting pitcher's choice.   https://www.baltimorebaseball.com/2024/04/26/midday-mailbag-orioles-wear-black-jerseys-often/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=midday-mailbag-orioles-wear-black-jerseys-often&utm_source=BaltimoreBaseball.com+List&utm_campaign=06dfb0fd98-RSS_MAILCHIMP&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_cddc084dff-06dfb0fd98-47594557&mc_cid=06dfb0fd98&mc_eid=f169a521ef
    • Tony-OH
      Cade Povich 2024

      By Tony-OH · Posted

      Most quality major league starter's hold their velocity throughout their starts. They may cruise for a bit, but have it when they want it. Typically command goes long before velocity.
    • Yossarian
      Setting the rotation for the four game Yankee Series

      By Yossarian · Posted

      Do we not want to throw a left hander and take advantage of the spacious left field?
    • Tony-OH
      4/25: Bowie Wins, Only Team Above .500

      By Tony-OH · Posted

      Thank goodness a minor league system is not judged on wins and losses, because they are putting many Ws up of late. Delmarva is pretty much an embarrassment right now from the hitting side. The first real wave of international position prospects have been left wanting after the first month or so of the season. The Shorebirds are scoring a league low 2.29 runs per game and slashing a league worse .182/.259/.263/.523. The Tides pitching outside of Povich and McDermott to a lesser extent has been pretty bad minus a few decent relieves in Vespi, Krook and Charles.  Elias/Sig's thought on being able to identify pitching talent through pitch shapes and spin rates through the draft after the 10th round has been a pretty big failure. Armbruster was the flag ship pitcher and he's been a flop this year so far, though I had already seen major red flags from him last year. Not surprisingly these guys struggle at the high levels and why they were available that late. Glad to see Elias made a change in his draft philosophy last year and went after some younger, higher ceiling guys like Forret vs 21-year old juniors in those later rounds.   
    • EdwinRip
      Speculating on how the O's handle the pitching logjam

      By EdwinRip · Posted

      Akin currently has a FIP of 1.11. He’s struck out 15 and walked 3 in 10 innings without yielding a homer.  I consider that well.

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...