Taking a Flyer on Jason Botts?

[Tx Oriole]

I believe your anti Millar is coming through T.

[NewMarketSean]

This is an arguement to be had at the end of May if Millar is hitting .220 and his OBP is under .350. It's just too early for me right now to paint any player one way or another. From what I've read about Botts' defense, he sucks. So it isn't Millar that's holding up playing time for Botts, it's mostly Huff. And I'm not interested in replacing Huff with Botts anytime soon.

You do that and you lose the chance to get Botts.

I wouldn't mind having Botts on the bench for late inning, pinch hitting duties while Millar gets a bulk of the starts now. But if he is ineffective or traded, at least you have a back-up plan if you don't get a 1B back in a trade.

[Mackus]

I wouldn't mind having Botts on the bench for late inning, pinch hitting duties while Millar gets a bulk of the starts now. But if he is ineffective or traded, at least you have a back-up plan if you don't get a 1B back in a trade.

That's an entirely reasonable and solid approach to our current situation, although I think i'd rather that bench spot go to Moore than Botts.

[AnythingO's]

That's an entirely reasonable and solid approach to our current situation, although I think i'd rather that bench spot go to Moore than Botts.

Exactly, and Moore can spell Mora and Huff as well as Millar which could possibly increase their production. If you want to pick up someone for depth get Dan Johnson who can actually play 1B, probably as well as Millar, and has some Pena-like upside. He is only available because he was pushed out by an uber prospect.

[Sports Guy]

Again, Dan Johnson is the guy we should be getting...He is a better hitter than Botts.

But if you are going to ask me, which of these 3 players has a better chance of contributing on our next contending team....Payton, Botts, Millar, then my answer is going to be Botts.

[ledzepp8]

You don't have to cut Millar, but you can bench him and give Botts the full time DH role putting Huff at 1B.

You're still effectively giving away Millar's starting spot to someone who hasn't done anything to earn it. It would be one thing if Botts had done anything worthwhile during his time in the majors.

[ledzepp8]

Imagine if we had a league average SS that wouldn't have to depend on Millar making those saves...

Again I can't believe people think this team is going to suddenly go down the tubes if Millar isn't starting int the lineup everyday. He's still going to be on the team and can still be a cheerleader. He's not helping this team with his sub .700 OPS and is only better than Adam Jones with RISP and Jones is essentially a rookie. Millar being replaced in the lineup would most likely make this team better.

But Jason Botts would be helping the team with his sub .700 OPS?

[Mackus]

But Jason Botts would be helping the team with his sub .700 OPS?

His inferior defense would be so apparent that the rest of the team would know they need more runs to win and would therefore come together as a unit and collectively hit better to pick up their new poor-fielding teammate.

Duh.

[ledzepp8]

Right, Huff can't be a part of a winner here. Botts might be able to. So using your argument (and my assumption that Huff is untradeable, because of his terrible contract) we should bench Huff for Botts, because Botts has some small hope of being useful to a contending O's team.

I wouldn't replace either of them with Botts, at least not without giving Botts a small opportunity first and him succeeding in that role, I'm just showing the inconsistencies with the argument the "bench Millar" crowd is making. Huff and Millar are different shades of the same problem. Obviously you try to get rid of Millar first, but the basic argument is the same, and if you wouldn't replace Huff with Botts, then you shouldn't want to replace Millar.

Sign Botts, put him on the bench and let him play 3 times a week, fine. But to hand him a starting job is simply crazy.

And this right here is really the point that people like yourself and VaTech are trying to make. It really has little to do with who you think might do better between the two. It has to do with the fact that Botts has done nothing to be handed a starting spot over incumbents Millar and Huff.

[ledzepp8]

His inferior defense would be so apparent that the rest of the team would know they need more runs to win and would therefore come together as a unit and collectively hit better to pick up their new poor-fielding teammate.

Duh.

My bad, I clearly lost my head for a moment.

[RShack]

The thing that drives me so crazy about these sorts of discussions is that the advocates for change ARE POSITIVE this is the right way to go. You guys don't even acknowledge the possibility that doing something like this could have adverse impacts.

That's because there are a couple tendencies that show up with regularity around here:

• If a guy is generally a crappy ballplayer with a halfway-decent MiL OPS, we should put him on the roster.
• When in doubt, hurry up and make a McDeal involving marginal guys.
• Then, in the fine print, somebody might admit that this strategy probably won't get us to the WS... but if a marginal guy is less than 30, it might!

In this case, it boils down to an emphasis on MiL numbers, a disregard for ML numbers, and a blanket denial of any impacts on the team that cannot be measured by hitting stats.

ps: Yes, Lowenstein and Roenicke were a great combo. Guys like this aren't them.

[mikezpen]

A few thoughts

1) People say Botts hasn't earned a chance. But Millar isn't entitled to a thing unless HE earns it. And he's not earning it. He hasn't been hanging on in the middle of the Orioles order for 2 years because he's earned the spot. He's there because they never went out and got anybody better.

2) He's not being criticized because of some ageist conspiracy against guys over 30. He's being criticized because he's not hitting, not even at the mediocre level he did the past two years.

2) Botts doesn't have good numbers, maybe because he's lousy. Maybe it's because he's never had a chance to get regular at-bats. Bring him in and put him in regularly. You don't have to bench Millar and start him. But let him know he's in the lineup 2 of every 3 games at either DH, LF or first.You have someone who'as 36 and not doing the job. It's stupid to keep trotting him out there because somebody else "might" not be any better, particularly on a rebuilding team.

[BaltimoreTerp]

They tell me that, while he struggled in the 2nd half, he was still a better player while struggling than Jason Botts by a wide margin. That is what it tells me.

What do Jason Botts ML stats tell you?

That he's never had a chance.

[Dr. FLK]

That he's never had a chance.

I'd say that's pretty accurate. He has a career minor league OPS of ~875, yet he's been given less than 270 ML ABs over the course of 4 seasons.

[BaltimoreTerp]

This is going to sound sarcastic, but why do you think this? What empirical evidence do you have that this is a true statement and that it applies equally in all cases? I have read this line a thousand times in my life from fans, pundits, etc..., but it is never followed up by anything concrete. It is much like religion. Some believe, some don't.

That's funny, because all I've ever read is how clubhouse chemistry is as important as anything else in the sport, and that some guys are just great in the clubhouse while others aren't, and how all of that can positively or negatively affect play on the field.

When, of course, you have the A's in the early '70s and Yankees from the late '70s with terrible chemistry, Joe Tinker and Johnny Evers from the great Cubs teams of the early 20th century playing years without speaking, and other stories like that.

It is funny though, I very, very rarely hear a player discount good relationships in the clubhouse as a non-factor. I guess they must not be very smart. I believe in it, mostly because I've been a part of it first hand, but I'm also pretty stupid and naive.

Well, you want to work with people you like. That goes without saying. However, a professional can work with people they despise. Plus, do you really think Kevin Millar either losing his starting position or being off the team is going to have any effect on "clubhouse relationships"?