Roch: All kinds of fact drops and innuendos.

[weams]

http://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2016/03/more-thoughts-on-pedro-alvarez-and-his-impact-on-the-roster.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

Scouts have joked that center fielder Adam Jones, with so much ground to cover, will weigh 120 pounds by the end of the season.

Trumbo keeps flashing a plus-arm in workouts, one of the strongest in the organization. He just needs to do a better job of tracking the ball, which is a challenge for anyone in spring training. High sky, wind, poor background. The best tend to look bad. But there's been carryover into the regular season, which is why the Orioles considered first base to be his best position.

I wonder what the Reds were asking for in exchange for Jay Bruce, who made more sense for the Orioles due to his ability to play right field. Christian Walker definitely was part of the package.

[Hank Scorpio]

Me no likey how this sets up.

It's rather hard to believe a team could spend $300 million in an offseason and not really improve their two biggest weaknesses: On base acumen and starting pitching.

[Rene88]

Kim/Alvarez:

The initial response to the Alvarez news was that Trumbo instantly became the right fielder, but I've already had left field floated past me as another possibility. Let's not assume that Hyun Soo Kim automatically breaks camp as a starter.

It's been projected and expected, but there's always the possibility that Trumbo slides over to left, Kim goes to the bench and right field is handled by Nolan Reimold, Rule 5 pick Joey Rickard or L.J. Hoes. Dariel Alvarez and Henry Urrutia are on the 40-man roster. The Orioles have choices.

My thoughts are Kim is NOT a regular and Alvarez makes OD roster after Reimold goes to DL.

[Pickles]

Chris Davis in RF.

Trumbo at 1st.

Alvarez at DH.

That's the best alignment.

I don't particularly care if Davis doesn't want to play RF.

He got 160 million dollars. He does what he's told.

[Rene88]

Me no likey how this sets up.

It's rather hard to believe a team could spend $300 million in an offseason and not really improve their two biggest weaknesses: On base acumen and starting pitching.

How much was in DD's hands and how much wasn't?

Sometimes the waiting game can backfire, like it did this offseason.

Jordan Zimmerman is the guy I would have signed, but understood his desire to play in the mid-west.

Fowler screwed us bad. No doubt about it. Signing Alvarez is better than nothing. I am fine with it. Starting pitching is a HUGE concern. That's why you don't give it up for Parra or Snider.

[Rene88]

Chris Davis in RF.

Trumbo at 1st.

Alvarez at DH.

That's the best alignment.

I don't particularly care if Davis doesn't want to play RF.

He got 160 million dollars. He does what he's told.

And if your 160 million guy gets hurt?

[tntoriole]

Chris Davis in RF.

Trumbo at 1st.

Alvarez at DH.

That's the best alignment.

I don't particularly care if Davis doesn't want to play RF.

He got 160 million dollars. He does what he's told.

Nope. Davis plays first, Trumbo in right with Rickard late inning replacement, Alvarez becomes David Ortiz (we hope).

[DrungoHazewood]

Chris Davis in RF.

Trumbo at 1st.

Alvarez at DH.

That's the best alignment.

I don't particularly care if Davis doesn't want to play RF.

He got 160 million dollars. He does what he's told.

a) Why do you think Davis is better in RF than Trumbo?

b) This is an awesome way to run a team: "Chris, here's $160M to be our 1B for the foreseeable future. Okay, where do I sign? Right here... that's right... C, h, r...uh huh... okay... a... v...i ...s! Awesome. Now... psyche! You're really our right fielder!!!!!! Hahahahhaaha."

[Aristotelian]

Chris Davis in RF.

Trumbo at 1st.

Alvarez at DH.

That's the best alignment.

I don't particularly care if Davis doesn't want to play RF.

He got 160 million dollars. He does what he's told.

Why do you think Davis is that much better at RF than Trumbo? Why would you let the one year rental play 1B over the guy you are paying $160M to play 1B for the next 7 years? I would see the point if Davis was a big defensive upgrade over Trumbo, but he's not.

What makes sense to me is something like:

vs LHP Trumbo LF, Reimold DH, Rickard RF (Kim to bench);

vs RHP Kim LF, Alvarez DH, Trumbo RF

[Hank Scorpio]

Nope. Davis plays first, Trumbo in right with Rickard late inning replacement, Alvarez becomes David Ortiz (we hope).

David Ortiz is infinitely more selective at the plate than Alvarez.

[Pickles]

And if your 160 million guy gets hurt?

The odds of him getting hurt increasing in RF vs. 1b are pretty minimal.

[Pickles]

Why do you think Davis is that much better at RF than Trumbo? Why would you let the one year rental play 1B over the guy you are paying $160M to play 1B for the next 7 years? I would see the point if Davis was a big defensive upgrade over Trumbo, but he's not.

What makes sense to me is something like:

vs LHP Trumbo LF, Reimold DH, Rickard RF (Kim to bench);

vs RHP Kim LF, Alvarez DH, Trumbo RF

He sure looks to be a big defensive upgrade.

Trumbo's terrible in RF.

[Pickles]

a) Why do you think Davis is better in RF than Trumbo?

b) This is an awesome way to run a team: "Chris, here's $160M to be our 1B for the foreseeable future. Okay, where do I sign? Right here... that's right... C, h, r...uh huh... okay... a... v...i ...s! Awesome. Now... psyche! You're really our right fielder!!!!!! Hahahahhaaha."

Because I have eyeballs in my head.

If Chris Davis thinks his big contract allows him not to do what's best for the team, it was a bigger mistake than I already think it was.

[Pickles]

David Ortiz is infinitely more selective at the plate than Alvarez.

This.

Oh, and steroids.

[waroriole]

Chris Davis in RF.

Trumbo at 1st.

Alvarez at DH.

That's the best alignment.

I don't particularly care if Davis doesn't want to play RF.

He got 160 million dollars. He does what he's told.

Well, since he's a robot, he'll have no other option but to do what he's told and not let it diminish his performance. Let's just ignore someone's preference and comfort, because some statistical analysis, which doesn't take human factors into account, says we'll be about 5 runs better over the course of a season.