Slugger Pedro Alvarez Signs w Orioles (1 yr: 5.75 + 1.5 potential bonuses) OFFICIAL

[24fps]

I cd see him as a character who gets a kick out of stealing home run catches from kids on the standing-room plaza (while holding a beer).

After thinking about it for a long time, I see Murray as a verbose message board poster with multiple personality disorder and no emotional filter. Kind of an amalgam of all of us here.

[OFFNY]

Sorry to disappoint you but I have better things to do than spend a lot of time on an Orioles message board in the offseason. Or in the regular season for that matter

Why do you spend ANY time on an Orioles message board?

You show nothing but disdain for the team.

[Il BuonO]

After thinking about it for a long time, I see Murray as a verbose message board poster with multiple personality disorder and no emotional filter. Kind of an amalgam of all of us here.

I believe I'm offended, or, maybe intrigued.

[DrungoHazewood]

Why do you spend ANY time on an Orioles message board?

You show nothing but disdain for the team.

There are people who get pleasure from claiming they're right and the rest of the world is wrong.

[DrungoHazewood]

I am not a complete believer in the advanced defensive metrics, particularly when it comes to outfielders. I have said more than once that in about 10 years, when all the new data that has been collected has been analyzed and digested, people will look at today's advanced metrics about the same way we now view blood leeching as an advanced medical technique. (OK, maybe that's a slight exaggeration.)

So is leeching the right thing to do 70% or 80% of the time? I'd bet that UZR or whatever advanced metric you choose broadly correlates (say, within five player buckets) with subjective observation or Gold Gloves 70% or 80% of the time.

I think most criticism of advanced defensive metrics comes down to picking on a handful of extreme cases or favorite players and complaining that it has to be broken and hopeless if it can't conclude that, say, Robbie Alomar wasn't completely awesome. How much would your opinion of defensive metrics be changed if Nick was a +7 RFer for his career?

[bluedog]

I think the Alvarez signing makes Rickard even more valuable as a bench player. Late inning base runner / defensive replacement for whichever slow / defensively challenged slugger is playing RF that night. If the O's have a lead late, I think Rickard will be used often.

[Il BuonO]

So is leeching the right thing to do 70% or 80% of the time? I'd bet that UZR or whatever advanced metric you choose broadly correlates (say, within five player buckets) with subjective observation or Gold Gloves 70% or 80% of the time.

I think most criticism of advanced defensive metrics comes down to picking on a handful of extreme cases or favorite players and complaining that it has to be broken and hopeless if it can't conclude that, say, Robbie Alomar wasn't completely awesome. How much would your opinion of defensive metrics be changed if Nick was a +7 RFer for his career?

I'd question my own powers of evaluation and relevance in message board hierarchy.

[Ori-Al]

I'm not happy that the Orioles will again field a team on which most of the hitters can't spell OBP, and will air condition stadia all season long, but what other options were available? As others have said, we'll get to see a lot of big flies, and, if the plan doesn't work, the low OBP additions are on one year contracts.

This team may hit as many homers as the 1996 team, but that team was much better at getting on base.

As for Kim, I'm willing to give him a chance longer than just spring training to figure things out.

[OFFNY]

I'm not happy that the Orioles will again field a team on which most of the hitters can't spell OBP, and will air condition stadia all season long, but what other options were available? As others have said, we'll get to see a lot of big flies, and, if the plan doesn't work, the low OBP additions are on one year contracts.

This team may hit as many homers as the 1996 team, but that team was much better at getting on base.

As for Kim, I'm willing to give him a chance longer than just spring training to figure things out.

I feel similarly, and that is why I wanted Fowler, and I DID NOT want Alvarez.

Now that we have him though, there is nothing left for me to do but:

A) Hope that Showalter uses him sparingly enough (perhaps no more than 400-425 plate appearances) so that his low OBP will be minimized in terms of how much it hurts the team.

OOOOOOooooooo OR

B) Hope that he has a surprisingly good season, hitting a lot of home runs and doubles while managing to also keep his OBP at a fairly respectable level (perhaps somewhere between .325 and .345.)

[BohKnowsBmore]

I'm not happy that the Orioles will again field a team on which most of the hitters can't spell OBP, and will air condition stadia all season long, but what other options were available? As others have said, we'll get to see a lot of big flies, and, if the plan doesn't work, the low OBP additions are on one year contracts.

This team may hit as many homers as the 1996 team, but that team was much better at getting on base.

As for Kim, I'm willing to give him a chance longer than just spring training to figure things out.

Important to note that league average OBP in 1996 was .340, while it was .317 in 2015.

[weams]

Important to note that league average OBP in 1996 was .340, while it was .317 in 2015.

Its a different game.

[BohKnowsBmore]

Its a different game.

It is. Simply responding to a cross years comparison of getting on base ability.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[25 Nuggets]

I feel similarly, and that is why I wanted Fowler, and I DID NOT want Alvarez.

Now that we have him though, there is nothing left for me to do but:

A) Hope that Showalter uses him sparingly enough (perhaps no more than 400-425 plate appearances) so that his low OBP will be minimized in terms of how much it hurts the team.

OOOOOOooooooo OR

B) Hope that he has a surprisingly good season, hitting a lot of home runs and doubles while managing to also keep his OBP at a fairly respectable level (perhaps somewhere between .325 and .345.)

You can actually combine these two... if Alvarez's plate appearances against LHP are limited. Career .320 OBP vs RHP, .270 v LHP.

[Tx Oriole]

Does anyone realize that the 2-6 hitters in the lineup are going to be a black hole? The starting pitching is not good enough to carry the team while the middle of the order is slumping and striking out. This is so disappointing

How do you know these things? You are very pessimistic.

[Tx Oriole]

Sorry to disappoint you but I have better things to do than spend a lot of time on an Orioles message board in the offseason. Or in the regular season for that matter

I meant no offense to you. I just disagree with you is all.