Orioles select SS Richie Martin with 1st pick of Rule 5 Draft

[25 Nuggets]

The common thread between Elias' very first roster moves appear to be upgrading infield defense.  3B and now SS.

[Tony-OH]

8 minutes ago, interloper said:

I would caution folks who think that Elias is going to agree with everything the OH thinks or sees. I just feel like we're setting ourselves up for disappointment when the guy doesn't wave his magic data wand on everybody on Day 1 of ST. Not that I'm saying you are, Tony. But just throwing it out there to folks. 

I'm guessing this pick is all about the lack of the Orioles having a SS worth a damn, IMO. Teaching the guy a new swing path might be the last thing on Elias' mind - I think he just knows he needs any kind of talent ASAP.

"ML glove with speed? Absolutely. You're picked. What bat? Who cares? Another SS is available? Let's get him, too. Here, have some international money. Alright now we have a couple infielders and I can breathe a little."

With Elias coming from an analytical background, I really can't see this being his thought process. It's rare to find a guy who hits a ground ball two times to every one time he hits a flyball/linedrive. It's even more rare for that guy to have success in the major leagues unless he's Billy Hamilton fast.

Now, if Martin's defense is as good as advertised, and the Orioles think he can hit enough to provide value, then I understand, but no one's defense is going to overcome a .550 OPS in this offensive minded MLB anymore, so I doubt they are thinking "who cares" about the defense.

I said in another thread before the draft that Martin made sense if the Orioles think he can become an everyday SS, something the A's obviously did not think of they would not have left him off their 40-man.  

[bobmc]

19 minutes ago, Legend_Of_Joey said:

They also picked up another infielder for International money, so maybe some competition there.

@Luke-OH said:

 

[Tony-OH]

2 hours ago, interloper said:

Found this on a MiL SBnation site for the A's:

The A's completely retooled his swing

They added a leg kick and got him to incorporate his lower half. Out of college he had a slappy, opposite field approach with no power.

He looks completely different at the plate, and I think it took him a while to successfully incorporate those changes.

I would feel better if the stats showed that, but he hit better in the first half than in the second half of the season. I could not find a split for AO/GO.

[wildcard]

Looks like Elias is making an effort to improve the infield defense.  Ruiz, Martin, Jackson.

[Santandah]

OAK's #12 prospect

http://m.mlb.com/prospects/2018?list=oak

Scouting grades: Hit: 45 | Power: 30 | Run: 55 | Arm: 60 | Field: 60 | Overall: 50

Many evaluators tabbed Martin as the top defensive shortstop in the 2015 Draft class before the A's made him the No. 20 overall pick and signed him for $1.95 million. Knee surgery to repair a torn meniscus sidelined Martin early in his first full season, and he produced uneven results at the plate in the Class A Advanced California League once finally healthy before a late-season promotion to Double-A Midland based on his defensive merits. Martin's offensive woes deepened in his return to level the next year, prompting a demotion from the A's back to Stockton, and he began '18 in extended spring training while recovering from his second offseason knee surgery in the past three years to repair a torn meniscus. But after making a healthy return, Martin's bat finally came around as he started to look more like the player the A's thought they were getting three years prior.

Martin's impressive range at shortstop is a product of his athleticism and above-average speed, and scouts rave about his first-step quickness as well as his overall instincts. His arm is a clean fit at the position and enables him to make highlight-reel plays, but he's also capable of getting rid of the ball quickly while on the move, without sacrificing any accuracy.

The A's have long held out hope for Martin's bat, believing that it would eventually catch up to his defense, and he's rewarded the club by making harder contact and driving the ball more consistently in 2018. He shows good bat-to-ball skills, doesn't strike out much and reaches base at a solid clip. He'll never hit for much power, but there's enough pop in his right-handed bat for him to a consistent source of extra-base hits.

[25 Nuggets]

stocking the farm system with 50-rated prospects is a good thing.  That where the bulk of MLB-projected players sit at.  Once you get down to 40 the guy is not projected to pan out.

[Santandah]

Gammons loved him at the 2015 draft. His grandfather played with Jackie Robinson and Satchel Paige on the Kansas City Monarchs. "He's really fun to watch. Plays with a lot of energy"

Post draft interview. Sounds like a bright kid. Studied civil engineering. 

 

[interloper]

Qualls, I believe, was just quoted in the Sun as saying his "bat is trending upwards", something any of us could say by looking at his stats, so again, I caution folks who assume the O's have some super advanced analytics to rely on for this guy at this point. It's going to take quite awhile for Elias and Sig to get that going. 

Luke thinks his plane is poor. I saw some video of him where it seemed like he had a decent uppercut stroke that lifted a few balls. Maybe it's about pitch selection and not swinging at balls that you can't lift. Maybe a hitting coach tweaks a few things, maybe they just are glad to have someone who can defend for a season. I don't know.

If it's a swing plane issue, that certainly seems like an easy enough fix. Then again, if that were true, everyone would be hitting bombs in the minor leagues. The guy likely is what he is, a light-hitting shortstop like Cesar Izturis. Maybe he hits .250 in the league with 5 home runs. You aren't going to fix every player who fits that profile, and I very much doubt Elias thinks he's just going to turn the guy into Miguel Tejada. But it makes practical sense to improve your infield defense. It's exactly what MacPhail did when he came in, and it's the same now. 

[Number5]

http://www.milb.com/player/index.jsp?sid=milb&player_id=621006#/career/R/hitting/2018/ALL

[Lucky_13]

My question is why did the A's leave him unprotected if they've been working to retool his swing and he showed significant improvement last season? 

Anyway I'm all for upgrading the infield defense so I'm happy with both rule 5 picks today. 

[interloper]

5 minutes ago, Lucky_13 said:

My question is why did the A's leave him unprotected if they've been working to retool his swing and he showed significant improvement last season? 

Anyway I'm all for upgrading the infield defense so I'm happy with both rule 5 picks today. 

Because at the end of the day, sometimes you're just a light-hitting shortstop. And that's who this player is. There is no magical fix of his swing plane that will turn him into a power hitting shortstop. He's a decent player, but the A's know who he is. We just happen to be in a position to need that kind of player - that is, anyone who can play defense at SS.

[Ripken]

Sure looks to me like he's trying to elevate the ball.  Hands come down more than I'd teach but the swing is decent.

[interloper]

Just now, Ripken said:

Sure looks to me like he's trying to elevate the ball.  Hands come down more than I'd teach but the swing is decent.

That's what I see as well. I think he just needs to swing at the right pitches.

[weams]

https://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/bs-sp-orioles-richie-martin-rule-5-story.html