Can D. Young upgrade 3b?

[Flash- bd]

That Ryan Flaherty guy would be a nice claim.

[El Gordo]

Weeks can get on base......and steal bases...I still think he can help this team. Not an integral piece, but help.

How? He can't play 3B, and neither can Schoop, who wouldn't be an upgrade to Davis at 3B anyway.

[DrungoHazewood]

When I saw this thread title I thought someone was suggesting the O's move Delmon Young to third base. I guess that's not much crazier than thinking you'd get a decent third baseman for five weeks of Delmon Young.

[weams]

I guess that's not much crazier than thinking you'd get a decent third baseman for five weeks of Delmon Young.

Or that a decent third baseman would get past the Yankees.

[DrungoHazewood]

The O's could try to pull a 1968 Tigers/Mickey Stanley thing. Stanley was the Tigers' GG center fielder. They didn't really have a shortstop, Ray Oyler played the most games an OPS'd .399 (seriously!). So in September, in the middle of the pennant race, they moved Stanley to short for the first time in his professional life.

Young at third? Lough? Jones? Markakis? Hey, lefties have occasionally played third, Don Mattingly did it!

[mdbdotcom]

The O's could try to pull a 1968 Tigers/Mickey Stanley thing. Stanley was the Tigers' GG center fielder. They didn't really have a shortstop, Ray Oyler played the most games an OPS'd .399 (seriously!). So in September, in the middle of the pennant race, they moved Stanley to short for the first time in his professional life.

Young at third? Lough? Jones? Markakis? Hey, lefties have occasionally played third, Don Mattingly did it!

I mentioned Stanley in another thread, as well as Paul Blair playing 2B for the Yankees in the World Series, while suggesting that Adam Jones be given a look at 3B. As far as I know, he still takes grounders at SS, and replacing Jones with Lough in CF would actually improve the outfield defense.

[Redskins Rick]

You know, if there was a doable fix that didn't break the prospect bank or the payroll budget.

I firmly DD would have made that call, an 100 times over by now.

But, it's not happening for a reason.

[DrungoHazewood]

You know, if there was a doable fix that didn't break the prospect bank or the payroll budget.

I firmly DD would have made that call, an 100 times over by now.

But, it's not happening for a reason.

The ham-fisted type of undermining that only a dedicated and inept saboteur could accomplish.

[InsideCoroner]

The O's could try to pull a 1968 Tigers/Mickey Stanley thing. Stanley was the Tigers' GG center fielder. They didn't really have a shortstop, Ray Oyler played the most games an OPS'd .399 (seriously!). So in September, in the middle of the pennant race, they moved Stanley to short for the first time in his professional life.

Young at third? Lough? Jones? Markakis? Hey, lefties have occasionally played third, Don Mattingly did it!

What always fascinated me about Stanley is that in his time as a shortstop in '68 and '69 combined, his fielding percentage (.967) was above league average. Pretty impressive.

[bpilktree]

I wonder if Elvis could play third base since he has cleared waivers. I know he has played SS pretty much all the time but there was talk about a possible move when Profar came up last season. Andrus has a large contract but he is still only 25 and then if we wanted to switch him over to SS next season and let Hardy go. He will make about 15 million but that is around what it would cost to pay Hardy and he gives us some speed this team is lacking. His defense has been solid up until this season where he has struggled but still he has nice range.

[SteveO]

I wonder if Elvis could play third base since he has cleared waivers. I know he has played SS pretty much all the time but there was talk about a possible move when Profar came up last season. Andrus has a large contract but he is still only 25 and then if we wanted to switch him over to SS next season and let Hardy go. He will make about 15 million but that is around what it would cost to pay Hardy and he gives us some speed this team is lacking. His defense has been solid up until this season where he has struggled but still he has nice range.

The reason he cleared waivers is that he is owed 118 million dollars after this season over the next 8 years. I seriously doubt the Orioles have even the slightest interest in picking up that type of contract.

[Redskins Rick]

The reason he cleared waivers is that he is owed 118 million dollars after this season over the next 8 years. I seriously doubt the Orioles have even the slightest interest in picking up that type of contract.

Its funny, how much people don't understand payroll, when they want the team to pick up a waiver wire guy or trade for another player.

[bpilktree]

Its funny, how much people don't understand payroll, when they want the team to pick up a waiver wire guy or trade for another player.

I understand it clearly but at this point we have seen Hardy getting 3/45 million contract. Andrus will get that same contract of 15 million a year but for longer. The next three seasons would you rather have a 25 year old SS or a 32 year old SS. Even with his contract it only goes to age 32 his prime years. While Hardy's is to 35.

[SteveO]

I understand it clearly but at this point we have seen Hardy getting 3/45 million contract. Andrus will get that same contract of 15 million a year but for longer. The next three seasons would you rather have a 25 year old SS or a 32 year old SS. Even with his contract it only goes to age 32 his prime years. While Hardy's is to 35.

Sorry but think you really don't understand. Your talking about a 25 y.o SS who has seen his offensive numbers decline almost yearly, has a WAR this season of 1.0 comparative to JJ's 2.8. So I would much rather be locked into only 3 years of Hardy with financial flexibility once its over than 7 years of Andrus being overpaid and not producing....just saying.

[DrungoHazewood]

I understand it clearly but at this point we have seen Hardy getting 3/45 million contract. Andrus will get that same contract of 15 million a year but for longer. The next three seasons would you rather have a 25 year old SS or a 32 year old SS. Even with his contract it only goes to age 32 his prime years. While Hardy's is to 35.

It's one thing to risk $15M a year for three years on a relatively old shortstop. It's another thing altogether to risk $15M a year for eight years on anybody, especially a defense-first shortstop in the midst of a down season.

The Andrus deal is still a bit of a head-scratcher. The Rangers had to really, really believe in his defense. That has to be the longest and most expensive contract ever for someone who's never even been a league-average hitter.