Joey Rickard, you have one job until the beginning of the regular season...

[FanSince88]

Learn to play OUTFIELD DEFENSE.  

We need at least one above average outfield glove on the 25 man.  

It ain't coming from Kim or Trumbo.  Jones is getting old, and Seth Smith is mediocre in the field.  

Joey Baseball -- your mission if you choose to accept it is to become that elite outfield defender you were supposed to be when we drafted you in the Rule V.  If not, have fun in AAA.  

[El Gordo]

Call me crazy but I think Buck is a pretty good evaluator of talent. He seems to have a lot of confidence in Joey's abilities despite the eye tests of our cognoscenti and the small sample size defensive metrics that indicate other wise. In lieu of adequate data I think I'll trust in Buck.

[ReclaimTheCrown]

Make sure his hair is on point?

Oh, oops, never mind. Learn how to play defense. Got it.

[weams]

11 hours ago, FanSince88 said:

Learn to play OUTFIELD DEFENSE.  

We need at least one above average outfield glove on the 25 man.  

It ain't coming from Kim or Trumbo.  Jones is getting old, and Seth Smith is mediocre in the field.  

Joey Baseball -- your mission if you choose to accept it is to become that elite outfield defender you were supposed to be when we drafted you in the Rule V.  If not, have fun in AAA.  

Is that a skill you can learn in a gym? If you can learn it at all?  Who is his bat against live pitching since the wrist injury?

[DrungoHazewood]

12 hours ago, FanSince88 said:

Learn to play OUTFIELD DEFENSE.  

We need at least one above average outfield glove on the 25 man.  

It ain't coming from Kim or Trumbo.  Jones is getting old, and Seth Smith is mediocre in the field.  

Joey Baseball -- your mission if you choose to accept it is to become that elite outfield defender you were supposed to be when we drafted you in the Rule V.  If not, have fun in AAA.  

In other words, Joey, you have two+ months to learn to do something that you've been unable to accomplish in the last 25 years combined.  Go!

[DrungoHazewood]

14 hours ago, FanSince88 said:

...your mission if you choose to accept it is to become that elite outfield defender you were supposed to be when we drafted you in the Rule V. 

Wait, I just noticed this.  Whoever said Rickard was supposed to be an elite defender?  Does it make any sense at all for the Rays to have left an elite defender with a .390 MiLB OBP unprotected?  If Rickard were elite then he'd more-or-less be Kevin Kiermaier and the Rays could have just rolled with two outfielders.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Wait, I just noticed this.  Whoever said Rickard was supposed to be an elite defender?  Does it make any sense at all for the Rays to have left an elite defender with a .390 MiLB OBP unprotected?  If Rickard were elite then he'd more-or-less be Kevin Kiermaier and the Rays could have just rolled with two outfielders.

I'm sure the O's talked up his defense when they selected him.

Also he's fast, fast guys are supposed to be great defenders in the outfield, by default.

[InsideCoroner]

8 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Wait, I just noticed this.  Whoever said Rickard was supposed to be an elite defender?  Does it make any sense at all for the Rays to have left an elite defender with a .390 MiLB OBP unprotected?  If Rickard were elite then he'd more-or-less be Kevin Kiermaier and the Rays could have just rolled with two outfielders.

I would love to see a team get two Kiermaiers in the outfield and a Britton on the mound, and go with a five man infield.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, InsideCoroner said:

I would love to see a team get two Kiermaiers in the outfield and a Britton on the mound, and go with a five man infield.

Could trade Britton to the Cubs.  Maddon might try it.

[webbrick2010]

I think the O's are sending a different message to all their players, especially those in the minors

Bulk up and be prepared to hit 30 HRs. We don't care if you can field we pay premium prices for one dimensional HR hitters. Don't walk, don't hit for a high average and don't sweat actually fielding a position. It's not necessary. Swing hard hit 30 beautiful HR's, K 200 times, never steal a base and prove you can hit as a DH. Your ticket to fame and fortune on The Baltimore HomerO's

[weams]

14 minutes ago, InsideCoroner said:

I would love to see a team get two Kiermaiers in the outfield and a Britton on the mound, and go with a five man infield.

I like this idea. And then 

 

 

 

[Frobby]

2 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Wait, I just noticed this.  Whoever said Rickard was supposed to be an elite defender?  Does it make any sense at all for the Rays to have left an elite defender with a .390 MiLB OBP unprotected?  If Rickard were elite then he'd more-or-less be Kevin Kiermaier and the Rays could have just rolled with two outfielders.

"Elite" shouldn't be thrown around so lightly.    Above average would be nice.   

[DrungoHazewood]

3 hours ago, InsideCoroner said:

I would love to see a team get two Kiermaiers in the outfield and a Britton on the mound, and go with a five man infield.

Q: Better outfield, Delmon/Jones/Trumbo, or two Kevin Kiermaiers?

My guess is Delmon and Co, but not by a lot.

[InsideCoroner]

38 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Q: Better outfield, Delmon/Jones/Trumbo, or two Kevin Kiermaiers?

My guess is Delmon and Co, but not by a lot.

I would agree, as long as you don't have a fly ball pitcher. Although I also am curious how a fifth infielder would affect things. Shouldn't there be some OOTP mod to run sims on this?

[DrungoHazewood]

25 minutes ago, InsideCoroner said:

I would agree, as long as you don't have a fly ball pitcher. Although I also am curious how a fifth infielder would affect things. Shouldn't there be some OOTP mod to run sims on this?

I don't think OOTP could do this.  I know it somehow accommodates shifts now, but I don't think you can set up five-man infields or two-man outfields.  There's very little empirical data to support that.