Flaherty...what is the verdict?

[Can_of_corn]

McLouth was a 1-win player paid for one win a year for two years.

Flaherty is 27, has been worth less than a win in his career, and has a slash line of .212/.272/.354. Overpaying for him would be 2/4.

Not in favor of paying 1 win guys the going rate for a win. Not far enough above replacement level to compensate for performance variances.

You can pick a fourth outfielder off the scrap heap a lot cheaper then 2/10.

[Redskins Rick]

Not in favor of paying 1 win guys the going rate for a win. Not far enough above replacement level to compensate for performance variances.

You can pick a fourth outfielder off the scrap heap a lot cheaper then 2/10.

Which is why DD let McLouth walk south.

[DrungoHazewood]

Not in favor of paying 1 win guys the going rate for a win. Not far enough above replacement level to compensate for performance variances.

You can pick a fourth outfielder off the scrap heap a lot cheaper then 2/10.

No argument here. The Nats had more money than sense. But McLouth is a step up from Flaherty. Nobody pays a player of Flaherty's track record and age more than $2M a year, almost ever. You need an electron microscope to see the minute differences between Flaherty and six guys on Norfolk's roster.

[Redskins Rick]

No argument here. The Nats had more money than sense. But McLouth is a step up from Flaherty. Nobody pays a player of Flaherty's track record and age more than $2M a year, almost ever. You need an electron microscope to see the minute differences between Flaherty and six guys on Norfolk's roster.

I respectfully disagree.

Name me one Norfolk roster member that can play 3+ positions at above average defense at the major league level?

Flash is a rare super sub.

Buck has said repeatedly over the years that guys like Flash are very rare in the MLB.

[Can_of_corn]

I respectfully disagree.

Name me one Norfolk roster member that can play 3+ positions at above average defense at the major league level?

Flash is a rare super sub.

Buck has said repeatedly over the years that guys like Flash are very rare in the MLB.

Robert Andino.

Yes I know he isn't at Norfolk but that is because he is in Indianapolis.

[wildcard]

I respectfully disagree.

Name me one Norfolk roster member that can play 3+ positions at above average defense at the major league level?

Flash is a rare super sub.

Buck has said repeatedly over the years that guys like Flash are very rare in the MLB.

I agree.

[wildcard]

Robert Andino.

Yes I know he isn't at Norfolk but that is because he is in Indianapolis.

Andino never played defense like Flaherty can.

[glorydays]

He is this era's Kiko Garcia. Or Jeff Reboulet. Rene Gonzalez. Billy Ripken.

Or Lenny Sakata... That dude could CATCH!

[wildcard]

I would compare Flaherty to John McDonald.

[DrungoHazewood]

I respectfully disagree.

Name me one Norfolk roster member that can play 3+ positions at above average defense at the major league level?

Flash is a rare super sub.

Buck has said repeatedly over the years that guys like Flash are very rare in the MLB.

Rare? Over the last two seasons there have been 34 players who've played at least one game at each of 2b, SS, 3b, LF, and RF. Flaherty is 7th in bb-ref's defensive figuring (although also 10th in playing time), and 17th in OPS+. Every team has a Ryan Flaherty or two, and a bunch more in ready reserve at AAA. The Atlantic League has multiple guys like Brendan Harris who are essentially Ryan Flaherty, and they're making $1500 a month.

You can't really think there'd be any real impact on the Orioles if Flaherty left the team to join a UFO cult tomorrow and was replaced by Lombardozzi, Weeks, Phelps, DeJesus, Paredes or Casilla. Can you?

[glorydays]

With all due respect... These type of post drive me crazy. It's what I would expect to hear from average intelligent baseball fans call into into sportsline. As Drugo mentioned - every successful mlb team has one or two Flaharty's on their bench. In years past we didn't have the Steve Pearce or Delmon Youngs on the bench to be the hitters and therefore the Flaharty's had tribe counted on to do more.

But he is what he is... Plus bench glove and fill-in starter.

[DrungoHazewood]

I would compare Flaherty to John McDonald.

The same John McDonald who's played on eight different MLB teams over 16 years and has never made $2M in a season?

[Redskins Rick]

Rare? Over the last two seasons there have been 34 players who've played at least one game at each of 2b, SS, 3b, LF, and RF. Flaherty is 7th in bb-ref's defensive figuring (although also 10th in playing time), and 17th in OPS+.

You can't really think there'd be any real impact on the Orioles if Flaherty left the team to join a UFO cult tomorrow and was replaced by Lombardozzi, Weeks, Phelps, DeJesus, Paredes or Casilla. Can you?

Of those 34 who played more than one game, how many was plus defenders at two or more of those locations.

As for your second list, how many of play plus defense at more than two or more position.

Like Buck said, there are many people in ML that can play 2 positions with plus defense, however, it's rare to have a guy that can do it at three or more.

[Old#5fan]

When I see threads like this they make me smile and even chuckle a bit. All the back and forth over Flaherty on this site is literally astonishing at times.... and yes I am as guilty of being part of it (sucked in) just like so many others here. After being a strong Flaherty basher as a potential starting second baseman, I have come to like him now as strictly a utility man who can fill in defensively where needed. He serves that role well. What never ceases to amaze me is why folks here in the first place thought this guy could become a good or at least decent major league hitter in the 240/20 HR range. All you need to do is watch him hitting and you can see he has more holes than a block of swiss cheese. He tries to pull everything, rarely if ever goes to the opposite field, and over swings. His best ability with the bat is hitting a hard smash right at the second baseman (usually against a RH pitcher) and striking out against a lefty. As said in the OP he can't hit an offspeed pitch to save himself. He seems to have learned nothing during his time with a major league hitting instructor.

If he really wanted to learn how to hit, he should study Nick Markakis night and day. Even so, I just think he lacks the ability to hit at this level, but his glove and the ability to play multiple positions has kept him around and served this team well, especially this season with the injuries to Manny, and Hardy. However it says a lot when Buck puts Davis at 3B over Flaherty when he is hitting a buck 98, but is considered night and day better than Flaherty offensively.

[Can_of_corn]

Andino never played defense like Flaherty can.

That's odd because Baseball reference has Andino at 1.4 dWAR in 2011 (his outlier defensive year) versus .8 for Flaherty this year (I think his .6 year in 2013 was better using the eye test).

Andino in 2011 was every bit the defender that Flaherty has shown to be.