Will Mike Elias force Chris Davis to mainly be the DH?

[Diehard_O's_Fan]

I don't know about you guys but I am very eager to find out if Mike and the new regime will force Chris Davis to mainly be the DH. The whole team gets better if Davis is the DH. Trey Mancini can be the full time first baseman. The outfield improves by getting Mancini out of the outfield. Mark Trumbo then becomes either a part time player or the Orioles release or trade him.

[bpilktree]

4 minutes ago, Diehard_O's_Fan said:

I don't know about you guys but I am very eager to find out if Mike and the new regime will force Chris Davis to mainly be the DH. The whole team gets better if Davis is the DH. Trey Mancini can be the full time first baseman. The outfield improves by getting Mancini out of the outfield. Mark Trumbo then becomes either a part time player or the Orioles release or trade him.

How do they get better.  Davis although he declined some on defense is still a better defender.  That move has no effect to Trumbo if one Is DH one is 1st.  He still has to play right field.  They only way we can get better is trading Trumbo but that prob takes least til deadline.

[Aglets]

No way as long as Trumbo is still on the roster.    Maybe not even if he leaves.    Maybe if Trumbo and Mancini leave somehow.

[Diehard_O's_Fan]

As long as Trey Mancini is on the team, he should play first base. Mancini and Trumbo should not see any time in the outfield in 2019 especially if the Orioles want to improve their defense. Mark Trumbo should either be a bench player or traded or released.

[Moose Milligan]

It doesn't really matter.  He's still here.  Trumbo is still here.

With Davis, he's gotta go.  I understand there's a sliver of a chance that he gets back to what he used to be, or at least above replacement but I don't think any of us are banking on that.  This is a player who's so incredibly lost at the plate and just looks terrible in every at bat, it's hard to picture him being a positive WAR player.  Even if he's not in the field and at the DH spot, he's still sucking up 4 at bats a game that could go to Mancini or DJ Stewart or someone else.  

I understand that his contract dictates that he'll be in the lineup in opening day and get a fair shot at regaining some semblance of the player he used to be, but no one is fooled here.  Elias has to figure a way to get him off the team.  

Trumbo needs to go as well.  

[interloper]

Yeah, it does not matter. This year is about building front office and scouting/analytics infrastructure and having a good draft.

By next year, hopefully sooner, Trumbo will be gone and then you can move Davis to DH full time if necessary.

This kind of thing matters when you have a nice 1B prospect/young player that you want to get big league experience, or when you are worried about roster makeup while contending. No one is blocked at 1B other than Mancini and he's a trade candidate as much as Trumbo, some would say.

[wildbillhiccup]

1 hour ago, Diehard_O's_Fan said:

I don't know about you guys but I am very eager to find out if Mike and the new regime will force Chris Davis to mainly be the DH. The whole team gets better if Davis is the DH. Trey Mancini can be the full time first baseman. The outfield improves by getting Mancini out of the outfield. Mark Trumbo then becomes either a part time player or the Orioles release or trade him.

Davis is the best defensive 1B on the roster so I don't agree. If they're playing him (and that's a big if) he should be in the field. 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

Would need to change the position name to Designated Out. 

[wildbillhiccup]

56 minutes ago, Diehard_O's_Fan said:

As long as Trey Mancini is on the team, he should play first base. Mancini and Trumbo should not see any time in the outfield in 2019 especially if the Orioles want to improve their defense. Mark Trumbo should either be a bench player or traded or released.

You can't argue for a scenario that doesn't exist. Right now Trumbo IS on the roster and they're not going to completely bench him. Which means that at least 70% of the time he's going to be the DH. Mancini's a bad OFer, but he's not Trumbo bad. If Davis continues to struggle after the first few months of the season and they bench him then you can talk about moving Mancini to 1B. 

[theocean]

It was reported the O's were looking for outfield help at the Winter Meetings - so that means they don't feel like they have enough outfielders for Opening Day. I think a lot depends on if Trumbo is on the DL or not to begin the year. If he is, Davis probably plays 1B and Mancini is the DH. When Trumbo is back, Mancini is probably back in left field. 

I'd assume the Front Office will try to trade Trumbo as soon as they can, but I wouldn't expect other teams to have any interest until midseason.

[VaBird1]

I hope they put whoever they think is the best defensive first baseman at first, the best hitter left at DH and the other guy on the bench.

[DrungoHazewood]

16 minutes ago, VaBird1 said:

I hope they put whoever they think is the best defensive first baseman at first, the best hitter left at DH and the other guy on the bench.

Isn't it possible that means Davis plays at first hitting like he's got a whiffle ball bat, Trumbo DH's out his last year of his deal, and Mancini (the only one with any possibility of being here the next time the O's win 81 games) sits the pine?

My plan would be get Mancini as many ABs at possible, and who cares about the rest?

[atomic]

Davis only had a .493 OPS against left-handers last season.  But Trumbo has hit right-handed pitching pretty well. I think the solution is really to never let Davis leave the bench. 

[Frobby]

18 minutes ago, wildbillhiccup said:

Davis is the best defensive 1B on the roster so I don't agree. If they're playing him (and that's a big if) he should be in the field. 

Two years ago I would have said Davis was the best defensive 1B on the team.    His defense has slipped considerably since then IMO.   From 2016-18:

Rfield: +6, -6, -4

Rtot: -4, 1, -4

Rdrs: +8, -5, -4

UZR: +3.2, -0.9, -1.7

For me this matches the eye test.   Fewer successful scoops, more hard smashes that either miss his glove or tip off it.

[atomic]

30 minutes ago, theocean said:

It was reported the O's were looking for outfield help at the Winter Meetings - so that means they don't feel like they have enough outfielders for Opening Day. I think a lot depends on if Trumbo is on the DL or not to begin the year. If he is, Davis probably plays 1B and Mancini is the DH. When Trumbo is back, Mancini is probably back in left field. 

I'd assume the Front Office will try to trade Trumbo as soon as they can, but I wouldn't expect other teams to have any interest until midseason.

The Orioles owe Trumbo 15.5 million dollars.  He isn't getting traded.