Is Dariel Alvarez That Terrible?

[Aristotelian]

4 minutes ago, Rene88 said:

 

If you don't think he has gotten preferential treatment due to Brady Anderson and Buck, not sure what to say. He has.

You don't think inserting him in as a defensive replacement in the Wildcard game was more than a little...ummm...questionable?

Only alternatives would have been Stubbs, who has pretty bad whenever he played, or Flaherty, who might have been needed later in the game. 

[PaulFolk]

3 minutes ago, Rene88 said:

 

If you don't think he has gotten preferential treatment due to Brady Anderson and Buck, not sure what to say. He has.

You don't think inserting him in as a defensive replacement in the Wildcard game was more than a little...ummm...questionable?

I'm not sure what you mean by "preferential treatment." I agree that Reimold remained on the roster too long. That happens with a lot of players. That doesn't necessarily make it preferential treatment.

[Can_of_corn]

7 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

Only alternatives would have been Stubbs, who has pretty bad whenever he played, or Flaherty, who might have been needed later in the game. 

And Flaherty hasn't shown himself to be good in the outfield.

[terps19]

He seems hard to gauge.  In 2015 he hit 16 HRs in 541 plate appearances in AAA and we all know how that park is to hit in.  In 2016 he hit all of 4 in 560 PA.  In 2014 he hot 15 HRs in 564 PA but in 2013 he hit 4 with only 83 PA.  That all being said I believe he was pretty old for the league in each year he has played.  He hits lefties better than righties.  

He doesnt walk... at all and struck out 80 times last year in AAA.  

His dont look so terrible that you should just overlook him but I dont think he is an everyday player.  

[Frobby]

25 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

He might be passable in a platoon role but I'd bet he could be turned into a power reliever in a years time.  He auditioned for teams as a pitcher and outfielder.  IMO, he's a fringe ML player as an outfielder.  If it wasn't for his arm no one would really care.  He has a chance to be something more as a reliever.  He probably doesn't want to convert when he's so close as a player.

Question: has Alvarez ever pitched?    Givens, at least, pitched in high school.    Throwing a ball off a mound from 60 feet away is a lot different from throwing from the outfield, and just because he has a strong arm doesn't mean he could be even low-A quality as a reliever.   

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

Question: has Alvarez ever pitched?    Givens, at least, pitched in high school.    Throwing a ball off a mound from 60 feet away is a lot different from throwing from the outfield, and just because he has a strong arm doesn't mean he could be even low-A quality as a reliever.   

http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.cgi?id=alvare002dar

2006, 2007, 2009 all in relief and not a lot of innings.

[Frobby]

2 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.cgi?id=alvare002dar

2006, 2007, 2009 all in relief and not a lot of innings.

Thanks.   Certainly nothing spectacular there, but at least we know he's been on a mound.

[Frobby]

37 minutes ago, Rene88 said:

 

If you don't think he has gotten preferential treatment due to Brady Anderson and Buck, not sure what to say. He has.

You don't think inserting him in as a defensive replacement in the Wildcard game was more than a little...ummm...questionable?

First of all, whether Buck made a questionable decision in the WC game doesn't enter into my thinking as to whether Reimold got any special treatment as an Oriole.    Am I supposed to conclude he has an irrational hatred for Zach Britton because he didn't get used in that game?

Second of all, Reimold entered the game as a pinch-hitter for Kim against LHP Liriano.   He stayed in the game.   It's not like he was brought in for defense.   

 

[terps19]

Gosh I still remember when Buck brought in Jimenez.  I threw the remote at the dog... well not really but that summed up my feelings.  

[ELMERO]

55 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Question: has Alvarez ever pitched?    Givens, at least, pitched in high school.    Throwing a ball off a mound from 60 feet away is a lot different from throwing from the outfield, and just because he has a strong arm doesn't mean he could be even low-A quality as a reliever.   

Bingo, Frobby, again.  It's a shame you had to put in those words, but, if he hasn't done any pitching since 2009, well......The man is 28 years old.  I suppose it's not impossible for him to reach the Majors by the age of 30, 31, as a RP, but, c'mon!  If he's that incompetent as a position player , why don't they do him a favor and just release him now?  As for Reimold being brought back on the roster, time after, time, speaks of how insanely horrible our farm system is, from top to bottom.  

[InsideCoroner]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

Question: has Alvarez ever pitched?    Givens, at least, pitched in high school.    Throwing a ball off a mound from 60 feet away is a lot different from throwing from the outfield, and just because he has a strong arm doesn't mean he could be even low-A quality as a reliever.   

Maybe the plan is for Alvarez to pitch from right field.

[terps19]

3 minutes ago, InsideCoroner said:

Maybe the plan is for Alvarez to pitch from right field.

If he can do that then he and Trumbo should be able to cover enough of RF for Jones to be happy, right?  

[SteveA]

5 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

Seventy-two walks in 1767 plate appearances.  That is significantly lower than what Schoop and Jones accomplished in the minors..

Wow.   Didn't realize it was that bad!

[Moondoggie]

Alvarez was a below league average hitter in Cuba and basically all the scouts who weren't employed by the Orioles didn't think he could ever hit in the big leagues. This is what Baseball America said in its scouting report when the Orioles signed him:

Quote

Scouts didn’t have many positive things to say about Alvarez. Several scouts said he struggles against live pitching, with an uppercut righthanded swing that has effort in it to try to lift the ball with occasional power.
 

And frankly he hasn't exactly put up huge numbers in the minors.

[Babypowder]

3 hours ago, Frobby said:

First of all, whether Buck made a questionable decision in the WC game doesn't enter into my thinking as to whether Reimold got any special treatment as an Oriole.    Am I supposed to conclude he has an irrational hatred for Zach Britton because he didn't get used in that game?

Second of all, Reimold entered the game as a pinch-hitter for Kim against LHP Liriano.   He stayed in the game.   It's not like he was brought in for defense.   

 

Reimold looked especially bad last season because he was used in basically the worst way he could be. He has always had reverse splits and hit RHP better than LHP, but somehow Showalter decided he was useful in a platoon against his weaker side. So he gets sporadic PAs against the side he already hits worse. He predictably did not respond to that role well. Even last season he actually hit RHP well when he got a chance with a 105 wRC+, but he was miserable against lefties and that's what he was mainly used for. I don't think he should have player more against RHP, but keeping him around for that role didn't make sense at all.