Press Box: Orioles New Right Fielder

[weams]

https://www.pressboxonline.com/2016/12/29/orioles-should-consider-moving-chris-davis-to-right-field

 

Quote

Let's start with a look at the hole that currently exists in right field. Several names have been mentioned, including free agents such as Colby Rasmus, Michael Saunders, Angel Pagan, Rajai Davis and Jose Bautista, as well as possible trade candidates in the form of Mets outfielders Curtis Granderson and Jay Bruce, who would cost the team right-handed bullpen fixture Brad Brach. 

 

Also, there is the lengthy dalliance with the club's own free-agent outfielder, Mark Trumbo. The two sides seem to agree upon only one thing: the length of a proposed four-year contract. But apparently the Trumbo team is still seeking a contract north of $65 million, while the Orioles seem to feel his top figure would have to be about $52-55 million. That offer, for the record, is supposedly off the table, yet the player and the team are still in touch.

 

While a Trumbo return would make the team better than it is today, it's not the "big" move that will tip the World Series odds in the Orioles' favor. 

 

That move, in my book, is taking the best right fielder currently on the roster and deciding to move him off first base. That's right, moving Davis back to the outfield allows the O's to make moves that could set in motion the true advancement of their on-base capability they claim to want.

 

With Davis set to play right field, the Orioles could then sign first baseman Mike Napoli and place him (and his career .352 OBP with World Series experience) squarely in the middle of the order. Napoli, 35, on a two-year $24-25 million deal (without losing a draft pick, as the Cleveland Indians did not offer Napoli a qualifying offer) makes much more sense than signing Trumbo and his career .303 OBP for four years at double the cost. 

 

While Davis is the Orioles' best first baseman, he is also potentially the best defensive right fielder on the team. Napoli is solid at first, and, of course, he can play designated hitter on plenty of occasions as well. Once Napoli would be on board, the Orioles should also spend about $7 million on outfielder Rajai Davis. Davis is not a high-OBP player (.314), and consequently, he wouldn't play every day for me. He'd play plenty but would lead off against all lefties, who he carries a .343 career OBP against. In addition to adding a dimension of speed, he'd also provide Showalter with a backup center fielder for Adam Jones, who would better serve the Orioles as a 140- to 145-game a year performer at this point in his career.

 

With these two additions to the Orioles' roster, the payroll would approximate $170 million, which is exactly double what it was when Duquette took over in November 2011. These two moves would accurately reflect Davis' desired sense of urgency that now is the time for the Orioles to seriously contend for a championship.

Stan Charles

[Aristotelian]

Signing Napoli and moving Davis to RF to do so would be a massive slap in the face to Mancini. It would be like they are doing everything possible to keep him from playing. Since Mancini is also the most MLB ready player in our system, by extension it would also tacitly admit that our system is a disaster. I also disagree that Davis is the best RF. Certainly not from anything I have seen. I would be shocked if they go down this path. 

[turtlebowl]

8 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

Signing Napoli and moving Davis to RF to do so would be a massive slap in the face to Mancini. It would be like they are doing everything possible to keep him from playing. Since Mancini is also the most MLB ready player in our system, by extension it would also tacitly admit that our system is a disaster. I also disagree that Davis is the best RF. Certainly not from anything I have seen. I would be shocked if they go down this path. 

I know you like Mancini and I would kind of like to see what he could do given a chance.  The O's though have shown no sign's that they are going to give Mancini a real opportunity to be a full time player this year.  The concern they have I guess is how can they rely on an unproven player when they are still believing the 2017 team is a playoff contender.  If you pencil him in as your primary DH or First baseman what happens if he craps the bed. First base and DH are very important offensive positions and very few teams can have a black hole there and compete. Not saying that would happen with Mancini but that is where the unprover part comes into play. Also, they certainly aren't going to pay a guy like Napoli 12 million to back up Mancini.  

At this point I almost hope that another team thinks highly of Mancini and they have a young outfielder that we could use him as a trade chip. The only way I see Mancini fitting in at this point here is if off season plans fall apart or an injury occurs early in the spring. 

[Shabadoo25]

Meh.  Sign Angel Pagan and keep Davis at 1B.

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, turtlebowl said:

I know you like Mancini and I would kind of like to see what he could do given a chance.  The O's though have shown no sign's that they are going to give Mancini a real opportunity to be a full time player this year.  The concern they have I guess is how can they rely on an unproven player when they are still believing the 2017 team is a playoff contender.  If you pencil him in as your primary DH or First baseman what happens if he craps the bed. First base and DH are very important offensive positions and very few teams can have a black hole there and compete. 

The 2014 Orioles did OK with "unproven" 2B Jonathan Schoop. The 2012 Orioles improved when they added "unproven" Manny Machado.   I'm not saying Mancini will be as good as those guys, and he certainly won't contribute defensively as they both did.    But I don't think teams can succeed by never taking risks with younger players.    Mancini seems like a reasonable bet to contribute offensively.   

[clapdiddy]

44 minutes ago, Frobby said:

The 2014 Orioles did OK with "unproven" 2B Jonathan Schoop. The 2012 Orioles improved when they added "unproven" Manny Machado.   I'm not saying Mancini will be as good as those guys, and he certainly won't contribute defensively as they both did.    But I don't think teams can succeed by never taking risks with younger players.    Mancini seems like a reasonable bet to contribute offensively.   

I like Mancini as part of a DH platoon with Kim, with both getting occasional starts in the field. 

I like the idea of Pagan and Rasmus in LF and RF respectively.  Not sure if we have the roster flexibility to make all of that happen, though.

[Jules]

We're not going to find a better RF then Davis. 

There's also zero chance of him playing out there or Trumbo and Davis would've switched last year to better the team. 

[backwardsk]

7 minutes ago, clapdiddy said:

I like Mancini as part of a DH platoon with Kim, with both getting occasional starts in the field. 

I like the idea of Pagan and Rasmus in LF and RF respectively.  Not sure if we have the roster flexibility to make all of that happen, though.

I think there is roster flexibility if you don't mind splitting starts against LHP between Kim and Pagan or among Kim, Pagan, and Rasmus.  Add Rickard or DAlvarez and that's six OF/DHs.  Then you have 7 INF/C.

[Can_of_corn]

Hmm take a good first baseman and make him into a poor right fielder than replace him at first with someone who isn't as good defensively.

That sound like a heck of an idea.

[Superbee83]

24 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Hmm take a good first baseman and make him into a poor right fielder than replace him at first with someone who isn't as good defensively.

That sound like a heck of an idea.

 

   Yeah, it pretty much weakens the team in two spots.

   Davis is not the answer in right IMO.

[turtlebowl]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

The 2014 Orioles did OK with "unproven" 2B Jonathan Schoop. The 2012 Orioles improved when they added "unproven" Manny Machado.   I'm not saying Mancini will be as good as those guys, and he certainly won't contribute defensively as they both did.    But I don't think teams can succeed by never taking risks with younger players.    Mancini seems like a reasonable bet to contribute offensively.   

Totally agree that you have to give young players a chance.  Both Schoop and Manny though were known to be major league ready defensively.  Buck has shown a willingness to give someone opportunities as long as they are an asset in the field.  That is pretty much why Flaherty has kept a spot on a major league roster.  I just don't know if it is in anyone's best interest to take a young player and make him part of a platoon DH when he really hasn't had opportunity to show that he can't do more. Just the way this team is structured it just looks like it is going to be real hard to give Mancini a real opportunity which truthfully he has likely earned.  

[Moondoggie]

Napoli is a pretty good defensive 1B, but it looks like he's going to Texas. Beyond that, I don't see the point of moving Chris Davis off first base in favor of a defensive downgrade. Trumbo should only be signed as a DH, but I'd still rather upgrade the defense in both corner OF spots and move Kim to DH. Barring a trade for Granderson or somebody, I think Pagan and Coghlan would be foot corner OF fits.

[Ruzious]

4 hours ago, Shabadoo25 said:

Meh.  Sign Angel Pagan and keep Davis at 1B.

That probably is the most logical of the realistic ideas that have been mentioned.

I think Davis would have been fine to play RF when Markakis left, but my impressions just from watching Davis the last couple of years is that he's not as athletic as he used to be, and I'd guess any time he'd spend in the OF going forward would be in emergency situations only.  And I think Davis is overrated as a 1Bman - he's okay but nothing special - and declined towards the end of the season, imo.

 

[DrungoHazewood]

7 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

Signing Napoli and moving Davis to RF to do so would be a massive slap in the face to Mancini. It would be like they are doing everything possible to keep him from playing. Since Mancini is also the most MLB ready player in our system, by extension it would also tacitly admit that our system is a disaster. I also disagree that Davis is the best RF. Certainly not from anything I have seen. I would be shocked if they go down this path. 

Sounds a little bit like signing Will Clark when you had Cal Pickering coming off a near triple crown, 1.000 OPS, .434 OBP season at Bowie at the age of 21.  Mancini probably isn't the hitter Pickering was, but someone will eventually let him play because he doesn't weigh 300 lbs.

[DrungoHazewood]

4 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

Hmm take a good first baseman and make him into a poor right fielder than replace him at first with someone who isn't as good defensively.

That sound like a heck of an idea.

Might be a better idea than leaving your good first baseman at first, and putting someone like Dariel Alvarez in RF.  I'm not a fan, but Davis to RF is not the worst idea.

I could always be the first one this particular offseason to point out ABCXYZsports.com has Ryan Flaherty as the RFer on their O's depth chart since they don't have a RFer on the roster so I'm going to assume that Dan's plan is to play Ryan Flaherty in RF and that's why they're going to win 67 games.