Jump to content

Rey Navarro joins the utility infielder competition

wildcard

By wildcard
in Orioles Talk

Recommended Posts

fearthenoodle Major Leaguer

fearthenoodle

Posted
Posted
There is no good citizen award here that gets a player a spot of the 25 man roster. He has to be able to help the team win. So after being suspended for steroids he had a bad season hitting for a 572 OPS and this spring he is having trouble playing 2nd base much less third. How the heck does he beat out Flaherty with that track record. There is only on way. He has to do better between now and opening day and he knows it:

Cabrera speaking from Roch's blog:

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2015/03/morning-notes-on-webb-johnson-and-cabrera.html

This is all a lot of speculation on your part. I'm pretty sure the Orioles are writing off his 2014 season as an aberration, or they wouldn't have guaranteed him the money that they did. As long as he is healthy and in good standing, he's a lock for the roster.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
  • Replies 96
  • Created
  • Last Reply
Can_of_corn Hangout Grand Counsel

Can_of_corn

Posted
Posted
This is all a lot of speculation on your part. I'm pretty sure the Orioles are writing off his 2014 season as an aberration, or they wouldn't have guaranteed him the money that they did. As long as he is healthy and in good standing, he's a lock for the roster.

Was 2010 an aberration as well?

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Redskins Rick Hangout Grand Counsel

Redskins Rick

Posted
Posted
This is all a lot of speculation on your part. I'm pretty sure the Orioles are writing off his 2014 season as an aberration, or they wouldn't have guaranteed him the money that they did. As long as he is healthy and in good standing, he's a lock for the roster.

I disagree with lock. Yes, he is a good defender at SS, and is insurance for Hardy, but that doesn't mean, he won't be playing ball @ AAA.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
wildcard Hangout Grand Counsel

wildcard

Posted
  • Author
Posted
This is all a lot of speculation on your part. I'm pretty sure the Orioles are writing off his 2014 season as an aberration, or they wouldn't have guaranteed him the money that they did. As long as he is healthy and in good standing, he's a lock for the roster.

I can see the O's expecting something around his career OPS of 650. That is not the problem to start the season though. Its that he has not played 2B in five years and he will need time to adjust. Even has a SS he does not come up to the consistency of Hardy.

I am not saying that Cabrera will not be a asset with his speed. Just that he needs to get his defensive act together to back up both 2B and 3B to beat out Flaherty as the utility infielder. If he goes to Norfolk and improves at those two positions he can beat out Flaherty because of his speed. I think that is what the O's saw in him.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
fearthenoodle Major Leaguer

fearthenoodle

Posted
Posted

I can see Schoop being the 2B again. I don't see any path besides injury for Flaherty to beat him out for the utility spot. That's just my opinion. And yes, the money is certainly one factor, but the bigger factor is that he was worth 4.5 wins in 2012/13, and the Orioles are going to give him a chance to get back to that level. I fully believe that. If they thought his 2014 was a new baseline after the steroid suspension, they wouldn't have guaranteed him what they did. They are willing to take the chance that the drop-off had a lot more to do with him dealing with hamstring issues all season than anything.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Can_of_corn Hangout Grand Counsel

Can_of_corn

Posted
Posted
I can see Schoop being the 2B again. I don't see any path besides injury for Flaherty to beat him out for the utility spot. That's just my opinion. And yes, the money is certainly one factor, but the bigger factor is that he was worth 4.5 wins in 2012/13, and the Orioles are going to give him a chance to get back to that level. I fully believe that. If they thought his 2014 was a new baseline after the steroid suspension, they wouldn't have guaranteed him what they did. They are willing to take the chance that the drop-off had a lot more to do with him dealing with hamstring issues all season than anything.

If accumulated WAR is a factor why get Snider? You have Lough worth over 4 wins (f and r WAR) in part time play over the last two season.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
fearthenoodle Major Leaguer

fearthenoodle

Posted
Posted
If accumulated WAR is a factor why get Snider? You have Lough worth over 4 wins (f and r WAR) in part time play over the last two season.

So much of Lough's value is tied up in his defense (wRC+ 97 and 95 the last two years). In Snider, they see (imo) a much better chance at significant offensive production (121 wRC+ last year) without a huge defensive drop-off. It's also not like they got rid of Lough. The Orioles obviously like to identify guys that they think have a chance to outperform their salary or break out. In Snider's case, they are hoping his 2nd half last year was repeatable and that moving from a terrible park for LH power to a great park for LH power will help too.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Can_of_corn Hangout Grand Counsel

Can_of_corn

Posted
Posted
So much of Lough's value is tied up in his defense (wRC+ 97 and 95 the last two years). In Snider, they see (imo) a much better chance at significant offensive production (121 wRC+ last year) without a huge defensive drop-off. It's also not like they got rid of Lough. The Orioles obviously like to identify guys that they think have a chance to outperform their salary or break out. In Snider's case, they are hoping his 2nd half last year was repeatable and that moving from a terrible park for LH power to a great park for LH power will help too.

Right, because the O's run prevention strategy is not predicated around a strong defense.

I don't see how getting 2+ WAR out of 500K is not "outperforming their salary".

Link to comment
Share on other sites
fearthenoodle Major Leaguer

fearthenoodle

Posted
Posted
Right, because the O's run prevention strategy is not predicated around a strong defense.

Their run prevention strategy involved Lough playing 500 innings of defense last year. I'm not sure what the argument is, because he looks ticketed for at least that again this year. Snider doesn't change their Lough usage all that much imo.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Can_of_corn Hangout Grand Counsel

Can_of_corn

Posted
Posted
Their run prevention strategy involved Lough playing 500 innings of defense last year. I'm not sure what the argument is, because he looks ticketed for at least that again this year. Snider doesn't change their Lough usage all that much imo.

Why trade assets for Snider, who costs more and has preformed, by WAR, inferiorly when you already have Lough?

Obviously the O's are not overly relying on WAR which was one of your main points as to why Caberera would be given a roster spot over Flaherty.

the bigger factor is that he was worth 4.5 wins in 2012/13

I am just trying to figure out why you think accumulated WAR is the biggest factor for Caberera but isn't for Lough.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

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

Go to topic listing


  • Posts

    • Tony-OH
      9/26: A Weak Effort In New York

      By Tony-OH · Posted

      I was at a meeting and came out to the Orioles down 1-0. I looked away for what seemed like a minute and it was 5-0, then 7-0. Do we know why Burnes was lifted after just 69 pitches after 5 innings? Was he hurt? Do we know why Cano was brought into the game in the 6th (Have to imagine his adrenaline may not have been as flowing at that stage of the game)?  Obviously the bullpen was pretty horrific last night, but could some of this be because Hyde was using guys who typically are late in game relievers in the 6th inning?  
    • cboemmeljr
      9/26: A Weak Effort In New York

      By cboemmeljr · Posted

      GAME RECAP
    • OriolesUpAndDowns
      Is there a 5th O's #1 Prospect?

      By OriolesUpAndDowns · Posted

      Good point on the age.  I think it would have to be someone like Nate George from this year's draft just blowing up next year. The story would be how everyone missed on him because he played in a cold weather state.    
    • Moshagge3
      The Achilles heel for this team is the bullpen

      By Moshagge3 · Posted

      First, Schmidt is having a better year than Cole. Second, the O's teed off Ragans and Lugo last time they faced them.
    • HowAboutThat
      The Achilles heel for this team is the bullpen

      By HowAboutThat · Posted

      Elias needs to use better judgement when he dumpster dives, prepare better for the high percentage chance that his dumpster diving pickups will fail, and increase usage of other means to get pieces. Bullpen usage is another problem, but it’s hard to effectively juggle flaming torches. A wrong move burns badly 
    • e16bball
      DH - O'Hearn v. Kjerstad

      By e16bball · Posted

      I can see the case for Mountcastle based on defense alone, but what has Kjerstad done to warrant that kind of treatment? Is it the .505 OPS he’s put up since coming back? The overall .438 ML OPS since getting hit in the head? I’m as bummed as anyone that his season got derailed, but if you’re talking about where they are right now — he’s not your huckleberry. As for O’Hearn, he’s 8 for his last 23 (.348), with 3 doubles. That feels a little like the “getting himself together” that you referenced. He had an awful month-long slump, but he also has an extended track record (over 1.5 seasons) of excelling in the role he’s now back in, as the platoon LH 1B/DH guy. He had a 125 wRC+ in those 750 PAs as an Oriole until 8/20, which is roughly when Mountcastle went out.  I’d be good with Kjerstad DHing against LH starters, because there’s good reason to think he hits them better than O’Hearn. And if they want to play both O’Hearn and Kjerstad against some RHPs, in order to set up the potential of Mountcastle coming in to PH against a lefty reliever, I’m down for that too. But the primary alignment is going to (and should) be the Mountcastle/O’Hearn duo we’ve gotten accustomed to seeing.
    • Moose Milligan
      The Achilles heel for this team is the bullpen

      By Moose Milligan · Posted

      The Achilles heel for this team is going to be the unit that doesn't step up in the postseason. I can easily see scenarios where: the bullpen is hot and provides good performances but the offense sputters and isn't clutch the offense comes up big but the bullpen blows games late starting pitching tosses some clunkers (not really likely with Burnes and Eflin) and they can't recover the defense sucks and gives opponents extra outs to work with, blowing games open when the bullpen or SP would have been able to escape and continue We've seen all of these units falter at one point or another during this season.  We've also seen all of these units perform very well at different times throughout the season.  So, we'll see what turns out to be the Achilles heel for the Orioles in the playoffs starting next week.

  • Popular Contributors

×
×
  • Create New...