Do you think Schoop will be traded?

[Ripken]

I'm a big Flaherty fan. I think he's going to have a very nice season. That said, outside of Schoop I don't see any position players that look close to me and I do see a half dozen good pitching prospects. I'd rather the FO just spent some money to complete the 2014 Orioles and let the prospects stay where they are for now, especially if we end up losing a first round pick.

[Redskins Rick]

Looking at B-Roberts and Flash's college and minor league careers, they look very similar.

There is much to be said that Flash can have a breakout year, like Roberts did, but this isn't a lock.

Listening to Buck late last season talk about Schoop, they see him as the future 2nd, but he cautioned it may not happen as soon as the fans would like it to.

[Can_of_corn]

Looking at B-Roberts and Flash's college and minor league careers, they look very similar.

There is much to be said that Flash can have a breakout year, like Roberts did, but this isn't a lock.

Listening to Buck late last season talk about Schoop, they see him as the future 2nd, but he cautioned it may not happen as soon as the fans would like it to.

Brian had help.

[Redskins Rick]

Brian had help.

[Can_of_corn]

Oh that makes it less true now does it?

[Redskins Rick]

Oh that makes it less true now does it?

Corn,

There are two sides of this discussion, which has been had so dang many times and neither side is going to convince the other.

One side, he is a juicer, and so he is just a bad dude and lets hate him forever.

One side, he was a one time user that made a mistake, and shouldn't be considered bad like the really bad dudes.

Of course, the truth might be somewhere in the middle.

I had no desire to revisit this juice issue.

But, honestly looking at the past careers of those two, even back to college, they are both very similar.

[Can_of_corn]

Corn,

There are two sides of this discussion, which has been had so dang many times and neither side is going to convince the other.

One side, he is a juicer, and so he is just a bad dude and lets hate him forever.

One side, he was a one time user that made a mistake, and shouldn't be considered bad like the really bad dudes.

Of course, the truth might be somewhere in the middle.

I had no desire to revisit this juice issue.

But, honestly looking at the past careers of those two, even back to college, they are both very similar.

For the record I don't think he is a bad dude and I certainly don't have any reason to hate him.

There is little point in comparing college numbers at all and minor league numbers a decade apart are hardly any more useful.

[Redskins Rick]

For the record I don't think he is a bad dude and I certainly don't have any reason to hate him.

There is little point in comparing college numbers at all and minor league numbers a decade apart are hardly any more useful.

There is a point in comparing the numbers. Some people dont much stock in Flash showing improvement in his offensive numbers.

I think they need to be patient, like Roberts, sometimes success doesn't happen overnight.

[Can_of_corn]

There is a point in comparing the numbers. Some people dont much stock in Flash showing improvement in his offensive numbers.

I think they need to be patient, like Roberts, sometimes success doesn't happen overnight.

Except Roberts was in the majors at 23, two full years earlier then Flaherty. That is huge.

[terps19]

Flaherty will disappoint us this year majorly if he plays every day just like he left a big stink on the field last year with his sub .250 BA and his sub .300 OBP. He'd have to wow me with numbers greater then .280 BA and .333 or higher OPB.. something Flaherty has NEVER been close to doing outside of A ball.

In Flaherty's first real year at AA (2011) in 344 PA he hit 14 HRs 66 RBI 40 BB and 55K while batting .305/.384/.523 and an OPS of .907

He was then picked in the Rule 5 draft and played at a level above him.

[Flosman]

Except Roberts was in the majors at 23, two full years earlier then Flaherty. That is huge.

Think about how bad a team Brob got his first chances with. It is a damn harder task to get time on the O's current roster than when Brob reached the upper minors.

[Can_of_corn]

Think about how bad a team Brob got his first chances with. It is a damn harder task to get time on the O's current roster than when Brob reached the upper minors.

Not for Flaherty it wasn't. He jumped from AA to the O's.

Exactly what highly touted position players have been blocked the last few years?

[LA2]

Think about how bad a team Brob got his first chances with. It is a damn harder task to get time on the O's current roster than when Brob reached the upper minors.

Roberts had to win an extensive, drawn-out competition against Jerry Hairston, Jr. Flaherty, I'm guessing, had his way paved a bit by the fact that (a) he was defensively so versatile (we deployed him in the OF, all around the IF, and apparently he's an emergency choice at C) and (b) Duquette was desperately searching for low-cost players with a history of high OBP in the minors. The fact that he's provided some unforeseen--or originally less asserted--advantages, such as his defense and home runs, is quite promising. Hope it finally all comes together this season!

[BradyBunch]

I really don't get this line of thinking. I'm on record stating in what areas he needs to improve, but there's no doubt Flaherty possesses a ML caliber skill set defensively. And before you dismiss that remember Earl carried Belanger for years with the same philosophy. If you have a strong enough team then you can make up for the deficiencies of certain players and we certainly were not lacking in offense last year.

If nothing else, Flaherty will have a nice career as UIF who provides a LHB with decent pop off the bench. I've gotten used to the idea that he's a ML ballplayer and one who provides value because of his flexibility. That isn't something that is easily found in many players.

If you read what I first wrote you will find this.. I've never been high on Flaherty and see him as a Utility guy only. He can fill in at 3 or 4 position in the infield if need be. But he's not an every day player.

So I don't disagree with him be a UIF. Just don't see him as an every day player.

[BradyBunch]

Not for Flaherty it wasn't. He jumped from AA to the O's.

Exactly what highly touted position players have been blocked the last few years?

Flaherty didn't jump for AA to the O's. He played in AAA before being a Rule 5 pick.