Regular Season Lineup

[Sessh]

I get what you are saying, but I think you are overvaluing the speed component. They have to be able to hit and get on base first. For Rickard to become a full time player this season it would take him greatly exceeding expectations or guys like Trumbo and Kim falling short of them, so I'm not hoping that happens. For Rickard, I'm just hoping for an improvement from David Lough.

The Orioles do not have another player with the tools Rickard has and that's why I want him in the lineup over a guy like Trumbo plus his D is better and his tools are something the Orioles desperately need in their lineup. We already have several players like Trumbo who are all or nothing strikeout machines. Using Rickard like we did Lough is a waste of potential talent and productivity and I seriously doubt Buck is going to use him like that after giving him all this playing time in the spring. Rickard is not David Lough until he proves he is much, much worse than what he is currently showing.

[ChuckS]

The Orioles do not have another player with the tools Rickard has and that's why I want him in the lineup over a guy like Trumbo plus his D is better and his tools are something the Orioles desperately need in their lineup. Using Rickard like we did Lough is a waste of potential talent and productivity and I seriously doubt Buck is going to use him like that after giving him all this playing time in the spring. Rickard is not David Lough until he proves he is much, much worse than what he is currently showing.

You are talking as if Rickard is a proven Major League player. We have no idea what he can do. Before 2015 he was an organizational player for the Rays that put up mediocre numbers though AA ball. He has to prove he can hit first. Then the tools may matter. I'm rooting for him, but expecting him in the lineup everyday before he has proven himself whatsoever at the big league level is unrealistic.

[weams]

The Orioles do not have another player with the tools Rickard has and that's why I want him in the lineup over a guy like Trumbo plus his D is better and his tools are something the Orioles desperately need in their lineup. We already have several players like Trumbo who are all or nothing strikeout machines. Using Rickard like we did Lough is a waste of potential talent and productivity and I seriously doubt Buck is going to use him like that after giving him all this playing time in the spring. Rickard is not David Lough until he proves he is much, much worse than what he is currently showing.

You give rule five players all the playing time. It's part of the deal. Rickard has been a nice possible fourth or fifth outfielder. They may still give him back.

[ChuckS]

I think it's also fair to remind you (Sessh) that Rickard is a Rule V pick who the offensively challenged Rays did not feel was worth a 25 or 40 man spot.

Let's temper expectations on Rickard a little bit.

[Sessh]

You are talking as if Rickard is a proven Major League player. We have no idea what he can do. Before 2015 he was an organizational player for the Rays that put up mediocre numbers though AA ball. He has to prove he can hit first. Then the tools may matter. I'm rooting for him, but expecting him in the lineup everyday before he has proven himself whatsoever at the big league level is unrealistic.

That's why I said potential talent. What he is showing right now and for the last year can't be ignored or swept under the rug just because he's a rookie. He is proving right now that he deserves a chance to continue this in the majors. It needs to be explored, not put on the shelf to rot away. He needs to stay fresh to see if he can keep this up because if he can, he needs to be in the lineup as much as possible. He isn't going to replace Trumbo or anyone right away and I'm not implying he will, but I am saying he needs to play more than Lough played in order to find out if he can prove himself. He can't do that sitting in the dugout day after day.

[MDtransplant757]

Where do we put Weiters? thats the big question.

[Sessh]

I think it's also fair to remind you (Sessh) that Rickard is a Rule V pick who the offensively challenged Rays did not feel was worth a 25 or 40 man spot.

Let's temper expectations on Rickard a little bit.

Rickard became a rule five because TB had a surplus and someone had to go. It wasn't performance related. Tyler Goeddel was another one that went to rule five because of the same surplus and that too was a gamble. This is not the same situation as a Ryan Flaherty, Jason Garcia or TJ McFarland as just being a cast off because of either not being ready or not being good enough. I am aware that Rule 5's are usually underwhelming and they are, but this isn't the same situation and Rickard isn't the typical R5. He may not do well, but right now there is no sign of it and no reason whatsoever to assume that is or will be the case. He needs the chance to prove it one way or the other.

[ChuckS]

That's why I said potential talent. What he is showing right now and for the last year can't be ignored or swept under the rug just because he's a rookie. He is proving right now that he deserves a chance to continue this in the majors. It needs to be explored, not put on the shelf to rot away. He needs to stay fresh to see if he can keep this up because if he can, he needs to be in the lineup as much as possible. He isn't going to replace Trumbo or anyone right away and I'm not implying he will, but I am saying he needs to play more than Lough played in order to find out if he can prove himself. He can't do that sitting in the dugout day after day.

I think Spring Training can be ignored for the most part. His minor league numbers mean something, but there is no guarantee it will translate and there are some concerns that his numbers last year were a bit fluky considering his entire body of work up to that point.

I expect he will get some opportunities and if he hits he will continue to get more of them.

[Sessh]

I think Spring Training can be ignored for the most part. His minor league numbers mean something, but there is no guarantee it will translate and there are some concerns that his numbers last year were a bit fluky considering his entire body of work up to that point.

I expect he will get some opportunities and if he hits he will continue to get more of them.

I am fully aware there is no guarantee, but he has been turning heads at camp since he got there. Every time his name comes up whether on the radio during games or in articles from Roch or Britt Ghiroli etc, it is always good. If a guy is impressing this much, I'm just saying he needs more of a chance than David Lough in order for us to be able to determine whether or not he is for real. We won't find that out if he's in the same role Lough was in. That is my point.

[ChuckS]

I am fully aware there is no guarantee, but he has been turning heads at camp since he got there. Every time his name comes up whether on the radio during games or in articles from Roch or Britt Ghiroli etc, it is always good. If a guy is impressing this much, I'm just saying he needs more of a chance than David Lough in order for us to be able to determine whether or not he is for real. We won't find that out if he's in the same role Lough was in. That is my point.

David Lough got plenty of chances. I expect Rickard will too if he makes the roster but doubtful he gets more than a start per week, if that early on. Will take injuries or underperformance from guys like Kim, Trumbo, and Alvarez.

Let me reiterate this is a low upside Rule V pick we are talking about and not Manny Machado. He absolutely has not earned and is not deserving of regular playing time at this point and Spring Training numbers are next to meaningless.

[Sessh]

David Lough got plenty of chances. I expect Rickard will too if he makes the roster, but doubtful he gets more than a start per week, if that early on. Will take injuries or underperformance from guys like Kim, Trumbo, and Alvarez.

Let me reiterate this is a low upside Rule V pick we are talking about and not Manny Machado. He absolutely has not earned and is not deserving of regular playing time at this point and Spring Training numbers are next to meaningless.

I disagree about the upside part being low. I wouldn't say it's high either, though. I don't really care if he's a rule 5 or if we pulled him out of the stands so long as he can play. It really doesn't matter to me how they get here, it's what they do when they get here that I am interested in. I didn't say he is deserving of every day playing time, just more than Lough got until he proves he doesn't deserve it. Besides, it's more than the numbers. He works counts, he gets on base, he is making solid contact often and his speed translates on the bases none of which Lough could do. Even without the numbers, there's plenty of potential upside to go on and that is no doubt what Buck and everyone else sees. They aren't looking at the numbers.

[FlipTheBird]

The Orioles do not have another player with the tools Rickard has and that's why I want him in the lineup over a guy like Trumbo plus his D is better and his tools are something the Orioles desperately need in their lineup. We already have several players like Trumbo who are all or nothing strikeout machines. Using Rickard like we did Lough is a waste of potential talent and productivity and I seriously doubt Buck is going to use him like that after giving him all this playing time in the spring. Rickard is not David Lough until he proves he is much, much worse than what he is currently showing.

We don't know what Rickard is yet. He's had only a handful of at bats above AA and one spring training. Just assuming he can translate anything to the MLB level is ill-advised. And if you want to talk "what we paid" metrics regarding Trumbo... remember that the Rays essentially gave Rickard away by leaving him exposed in the Rule V.

[JLee2027]

Buck has a lot of moving parts to play with this year. Personally I see Rickard may lead off and Trumbo possibly some kind of platoon. A lot depends on how quickly Kim comes along, who just had a screaming line drive hit (his first line drive and non-infield hit I think).

[MDtransplant757]

Buck has a lot of moving parts to play with this year. Personally I see Rickard may lead off and Trumbo possibly some kind of platoon. A lot depends on how quickly Kim comes along, who just had a screaming line drive hit (his first line drive and non-infield hit I think).

I would want the lineup to have Kim and Rickard at the top regularly due to their OBP. That won't happen this year, but it could be a possibility next year

[Sessh]

We don't know what Rickard is yet. He's had only a handful of at bats above AA and one spring training. Just assuming he can translate anything to the MLB level is ill-advised. And if you want to talk "what we paid" metrics regarding Trumbo... remember that the Rays essentially gave Rickard away by leaving him exposed in the Rule V.

Again, it was due to a surplus just as Tyler Goeddel was left exposed. The Rays had 43 players and three had to go. This is the second year in a row the Rays have taken heavy losses in the rule five draft. Their system produces major league caliber talent and so much of it that their cup runneth over. It is more telling of the quality of their system than it is the lack of quality in the players. They felt the other players had a higher ceiling than the three released, but not that Goeddel and Rickard were low quality players.

Based on several non-statistical things, he isn't David Lough. Look, Lough was on the bench most of the time because he couldn't hit, couldn't get on base and wasn't a great base runner when he got there. I can't go along with just lumping him into that category just because he's a rule 5 or because he's a rookie. He is showing enough to warrant further examination. David Lough was practically invisible as a late inning replacement type player and I just don't think that is enough time on the field to prove anything. We knew what Lough was pretty quickly.