Connolly's scale of return: 6 for Parra

[Going Underground]

Parra better then 50/50. Should make at least one poster happy.

Solid, but should have been better. He was having a breakout offensive season with the Brewers, hitting .328 with a .369 on-base percentage and nine homers in 100 games before being dealt to the Orioles on July 31. The adjustment to the American League was a difficult one for the career National Leaguer. He hit just .237 with a .268 on-base percentage in 55 games with the Orioles, though he finished on a high note with eight hits in his final 13 at-bats of the year. He didn't look as sharp defensively as advertised, either. He occasionally made fundamental mistakes ? such as throwing to the wrong base ? that belied his status as a two-time Gold Glover.

Parra seemed like the best facsimile, and he was younger and potentially had more power than Markakis. He fit in seamlessly, and Orioles manager Buck Showalter applauded Parra's work ethic, personality and versatility. He can bat just about anywhere in a lineup, can drop a bunt and draw a walk, skills lacking on this roster. There's no one who immediately can replace Parra currently in the organization, so bringing him back on a solid, multi-year deal seems viable.

Most teams could use him; contenders with deep pockets may view Parra as a platoon player (he's hit .289 in his career versus right-handers and .232 versus lefties). Mid-level clubs looking for steady defense in the corner outfield spots ? the Seattle Mariners, Cleveland Indians, San Diego Padres, for instance ? could fit.

Connolly's scale of return: 6

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-parra-free-agent-profile-1103-20151102-story.html

[Can_of_corn]

I wouldn't have thought it possible to analyze Parra's season without referencing BABIP.

[DrungoHazewood]

Was that the whole piece? Where was the mention of his 3000+ MLB plate appearances before 2015? You know, where he did have a 4-win season buoyed by an almost inexplicable +26 defensive season in 2014, but otherwise was usually a below-average player with a low-to-mid-.700s OPS? Where is the discussion of his almost unprecedented 48 run drop in defensive value over 2013-15? "He occasionally made fundamental mistakes... that belied his status as a two-time Gold Glover?" Really, citing gold gloves as a reason to be surprised by lapses, then saying "clubs looking for steady defense in the corner outfield.. could fit"?

My analysis of Parra is that he can be valuable in a limited role, or if he has an off-the-charts spike in either defensive metrics or BABIP. Otherwise he's a high-variance, average-ish player who may be counting on teams paying him for his peaks while ignoring the multiple red flags.

[DrungoHazewood]

I wouldn't have thought it possible to analyze Parra's season without referencing BABIP.

Or if you want to dumb it down for the newspaper audience you could just say "he's valuable when he's hitting .320 or fielding like it was 3-5 years ago, but that probably ain't happening."

[Can_of_corn]

Was that the whole piece? Where was the mention of his 3000+ MLB plate appearances before 2015? You know, where he did have a 4-win season buoyed by an almost inexplicable +26 defensive season in 2014, but otherwise was usually a below-average player with a low-to-mid-.700s OPS? Where is the discussion of his almost unprecedented 48 run drop in defensive value over 2013-15? "He occasionally made fundamental mistakes... that belied his status as a two-time Gold Glover?" Really, citing gold gloves as a reason to be surprised by lapses, then saying "clubs looking for steady defense in the corner outfield.. could fit"?

My analysis of Parra is that he can be valuable in a limited role, or if he has an off-the-charts spike in either defensive metrics or BABIP. Otherwise he's a high-variance, average-ish player who may be counting on teams paying him for his peaks while ignoring the multiple red flags.

Pretty sure you are overqualified to write for the Sun.

[Can_of_corn]

Or if you want to dumb it down for the newspaper audience you could just say "he's valuable when he's hitting .320 or fielding like it was 3-5 years ago, but that probably ain't happening."

But do you want to present that view when you think he is coming back?

I would and you would but evidently the Sun doesn't.

[Tony-OH]

Parra is a solid 4th outfielder on a upper Division team or a regular on a lower end team. Anyone expecting more than that will be disappointed though he's probably better than what he showed with the Orioles at the end of this year.

[Tony-OH]

Pretty sure you are overqualified to write for the Sun.

I'm pretty sure 80% of this community is as well.

[Redskins Rick]

Parra is a solid 4th outfielder on a upper Division team or a regular on a lower end team. Anyone expecting more than that will be disappointed though he's probably better than what he showed with the Orioles at the end of this year.

So does he replace Lough as the 4th OF? If so, isn't he a little pricey for that role?

[DrungoHazewood]

So does he replace Lough as the 4th OF? If so, isn't he a little pricey for that role?

Here's my problem: I always go back to Earl's rule that everyone on the roster has to do something well, preferably better than someone else on the roster. So you can find a job for them where they're actually helping out the team. Lough's role was guy who played outfield defense a lot better than anyone else, and could also run fast. Parra doesn't fill that role. Parra's role would have to be corner outfielder against righties. Maybe 400 PAs, 80-90% with the platoon advantage. Something like a win or two in value. I guess I'd be okay if that was really the role, and the contract was something like 2/15 or (stretching it) 2/20. But my fear is that he wants more, both money and role. And that he'll fall into a regular role where his value will be less.

[Aristotelian]

Parra is a solid 4th outfielder on a upper Division team or a regular on a lower end team. Anyone expecting more than that will be disappointed though he's probably better than what he showed with the Orioles at the end of this year.

I agree. He is a rich man's David Lough offensively, maybe a poor man's David Lough defensively (strong arm but questionable reads and decisions). He was brought in to solve our corner OF problem but ended up as a platoon player. Honestly I would rather go with the next Travis Snyder and put the money toward a good player. The last thing DD should do is "double down" on Parra.

[Redskins Rick]

Here's my problem: I always go back to Earl's rule that everyone on the roster has to do something well, preferably better than someone else on the roster. So you can find a job for them where they're actually helping out the team. Lough's role was guy who played outfield defense a lot better than anyone else, and could also run fast. Parra doesn't fill that role. Parra's role would have to be corner outfielder against righties. Maybe 400 PAs, 80-90% with the platoon advantage. Something like a win or two in value. I guess I'd be okay if that was really the role, and the contract was something like 2/15 or (stretching it) 2/20. But my fear is that he wants more, both money and role. And that he'll fall into a regular role where his value will be less.

I agree with most of what you said. Lough does have speed, but doesn't translate too well to the base path.

Regardless, my confusion was Tony-OH calling Parra more of a 4th OF, which is the role that Lough has played and IMO, a pretty good job, just wish he had a stronger bat.

[UpstateNYfan]

Is there really a 4th OF? It seems to me it's more like a 1, 2, 3 and 3, followed by a 5. I see nothing terribly special about Parra other than he is better than most of the options the O's had for the majority of the 2015 season.

[mdbdotcom]

Is there really a 4th OF? It seems to me it's more like a 1, 2, 3 and 3, followed by a 5. I see nothing terribly special about Parra other than he is better than most of the options the O's had for the majority of the 2015 season.

Seems more like Adam Jones and Friends to me.

[Babypowder]

He was worth -0.8 wins in 238 PAs. That's pretty impressive.

He's a replacement level player, no significant amount of money should be spent on him. I honestly don't understand why he seems to be a target at all.