Schmuck: After free-agent frenzy, it's time for Orioles to extend core players

[CA-ORIOLE]

Buck loved Teagarden because he thought he had skills and was being paid a relatively low salary, imho

Buck often stated that Teagarden would be a starter on most teams if he was healthy.

[Redskins Rick]

Buck often stated that Teagarden would be a starter on most teams if he was healthy.

Of course Buck is an idiot and knows nothing about baseball and players.

[CA-ORIOLE]

I have more respect for Buck's opinion than you do, obviously. I bring a little humility to my opinions as a fan. I watch a ton of Oriole baseball, and I'm up on all the stats and analytical website stuff, and yet I still believe that Buck is better able to judge who is valuable to his team and the relative value of different guys. I don't think he's infallible, but his overall approach gets results and I'm willing to believe there are aspects to playing catcher that aren't easily measured but that a good manager can evaluate.

Putting Buck's opinion to one side, I think Wieters will be above average as an offense/defense combination for the next 5-6 years.

Respect and humility aside, I'd prefer our GM make the personnel decisions and I'm fairly confident that includes him not paying Wieter's anywhere near 13 mil per year on an extension.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Of course Buck is an idiot and knows nothing about baseball and players.

Ah yes, we can't criticize old Buck about anything can we.

[weams]

Assuming Davis has two solid not great years, say 35-40 HR, you will be talking about a guy, not yet 30, who has hit 150+ HR in the last 4 years. With both the MFY and the SUX needing a 1B, how much do you think they would be willing toverpay him? I'd say more than they paid Ellsbury. I'd say he stands to earn 15 M next year plus 7/170 M minimum as a FA. I think you have to offer at least 8/180M to have a conversation with Boras.

35 to 40 homers is a great year in today's game.

[Frobby]

Respect and humility aside, I'd prefer our GM make the personnel decisions and I'm fairly confident that includes him not paying Wieter's anywhere near 13 mil per year on an extension.

When DD was first hired, the very first thing he said about the team was he liked that they were strong up the middle with Wieters, Hardy and Jones. I bet he said that in ten different interviews his first week on the job. I think he values Wieters pretty highly. Not as highly as Scott Boras, I'm sure.

[Frobby]

35 to 40 homers is a great year in today's game.

What's his batting average? What's his OBP? How many doubles? 35 to 40 homers doesn't tell me enough. Adam Dunn has hit 75 homers the last two years and I certainly wouldn't say he's been great. To me, while 53 homers was very important, it was also important that Davis posted a .370 OBP and hit 42 doubles. He contributed in a lot of different ways, not just with the bombs.

[weams]

What's his batting average? What's his OBP? How many doubles? 35 to 40 homers doesn't tell me enough. Adam Dunn has hit 75 homers the last two years and I certainly wouldn't say he's been great. To me, while 53 homers was very important, it was also important that Davis posted a .370 OBP and hit 42 doubles. He contributed in a lot of different ways, not just with the bombs.

I assumes he would continue to post Non-Dunn numbers in those categories. I thought the a reduction in his power numbers to that level was being called good, not great.

[Scrat1]

Machado.

[Frobby]

I assumes he would continue to post Non-Dunn numbers in those categories. I thought the a reduction in his power numbers to that level was being called good, not great.

Let's put it this way -- Davis hit 33 homers in 2012, in 139 games. If he plays 160 games instead, that HR rate would project out to 38 homers. But I wouldn't consider that to be a "great" season from Davis if he mirrored his 2012 line of .270/.326/.501. I'd consider that a decent season, but sort of disappointing.

There are some warning signs that Davis' BA and OBP could slip from last year's levels. He was down significantly in those categories in the second half of last year. But I don't think he will slip all the way to where he was in 2012. I think he will be somewhere in between, and that will be very good, maybe even good enough to be called great.

[weams]

Let's put it this way -- Davis hit 33 homers in 2012, in 139 games. If he plays 160 games instead, that HR rate would project out to 38 homers. But I wouldn't consider that to be a "great" season from Davis if he mirrored his 2012 line of .270/.326/.501. I'd consider that a decent season, but sort of disappointing.

There are some warning signs that Davis' BA and OBP could slip from last year's levels. He was down significantly in those categories in the second half of last year. But I don't think he will slip all the way to where he was in 2012. I think he will be somewhere in between, and that will be very good, maybe even good enough to be called great.

I would consider that projection great in the context of what MLB power numbers reflect these days. I would not consider that disappointing at all, save for the context of his record breaking season of 2013.

[Frobby]

I would consider that projection great in the context of what MLB power numbers reflect these days. I would not consider that disappointing at all, save for the context of his record breaking season of 2013.

You simply value home runs more than I do. I feel our 2013 offense, which easily led the league in homers, was good but not great, because we didn't have enough guys getting on base. Therefore, if Davis' OBP slips significantly in 2014, which I fear it will, that will be bad for our offense, even if he still hits quite a few bombs, which I fully expect him to do.

There is a lot of room between a .326 OBP and a .370 OBP, though. Davis is a smarter hitter and a more feared hitter than he was in 2012. If his OBP goes from .370 to .345 or so, I wouldn't be disappointed. If he slipped all the way back to .326, yes, I would be disappointed by that.

[Redskins Rick]

I value home runs, but at the same time, its not good to lead the league in home runs allowed.

If there are people around Crush are hitting, then his OBP is not going to slip too much and this team will be just fine. IMO

[Frobby]

You simply value home runs more than I do. I feel our 2013 offense, which easily led the league in homers, was good but not great, because we didn't have enough guys getting on base. Therefore, if Davis' OBP slips significantly in 2014, which I fear it will, that will be bad for our offense, even if he still hits quite a few bombs, which I fully expect him to do.

There is a lot of room between a .326 OBP and a .370 OBP, though. Davis is a smarter hitter and a more feared hitter than he was in 2012. If his OBP goes from .370 to .345 or so, I wouldn't be disappointed. If he slipped all the way back to .326, yes, I would be disappointed by that.

Just getting this back on the topic of extensions, I don't think you pay $20 mm/yr to a guy who hits 38 HR with an .827 OPS. 38 HR and an .875 OPS would be a closer call.

[Tony-OH]

I'm sorry, I love wieters, but I'm afraid his best years are either behind him or will happen this year/next year. Just my own gut feeling. Take what we got from him and let someone else overpay for the downside of his career.

This is really the key for me. It's not that I think Wieters doesn't have value now or even in the near future, but I'm not thrilled with having to pay for a 6-foot-5 catcher in his 30s. Someone is going to overpay for Wieters with Boras as his agent and I don't want it to be the Orioles.