Chris Davis 2019 and beyond

[Frobby]

Just now, Natty said:

His contract debacle is the reason we have a AAA team playing in the majors this year. 

I’m not going there.    There are a lot of factors that go in to the Orioles’ downfall.   It’s not fair to blame it on one guy.    

[wildbillhiccup]

16 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I’m not going there.    There are a lot of factors that go in to the Orioles’ downfall.   It’s not fair to blame it on one guy.    

I agree. This team has made A LOT of bad decisions and didn't have a plan in place for long term success. The Davis contract is just the low hanging fruit. 

[clapdiddy]

Entering this thread very, very late.   Davis looked like last year's version yesterday at the plate.  I know it's spring training, but I think this guy is toast.

[interloper]

I've decided I no longer want to Davis to think about working a walk. Ever. He should never go to an AB looking to work the count. Because he will only get one hittable pitch per AB, and he mostly watches that pitch pour in for a strike, almost without fail. Then he's left trying to hit breaking stuff. 

Just go up there hacking. I'd much rather he go out swinging than not. Other guys can have the good patient ABs. JUST HACK. 

[Moose Milligan]

1 minute ago, interloper said:

I've decided I no longer want to Davis to think about working a walk. Ever. He should never go to an AB looking to work the count. Because he will only get one hittable pitch per AB, and he mostly watches that pitch pour in for a strike, almost without fail. Then he's left trying to hit breaking stuff. 

Just go up there hacking. I'd much rather he go out swinging than not. Other guys can have the good patient ABs. JUST HACK. 

Yeah, it doesn't matter.

[interloper]

Just now, Moose Milligan said:

Yeah, it doesn't matter.

Exactly! Might as well have quick ABs and dull our collective pain. Get in there, swing a bunch, you either hit something or you strike out on 3-4 pitches. 

[Bubble Buddy]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

Because he got hold of one pitch for a homer.    His OPS isn’t worse, but when the OBP component is that low (.214) and you’ve struck out in 50% of plate appearances, I consider that substantially worse.   

I’m trying, trying, trying not to get too down on Davis based on 14 plate appearances.   But it’s hard, because he looks terrible up there, quite apart from the statistical results.   

And what's hard is ST results this early don't mean much. BUT, for a guy in his situation, you want anything positive you can get. Just adds fuel to the fire of his destroyed psyche until you can get some positive results. 

Edited March 4, 2019 by Bubble Buddy

[Moose Milligan]

Just now, interloper said:

Exactly! Might as well have quick ABs and dull our collective pain. Get in there, swing a bunch, you either hit something or you strike out on 3-4 pitches. 

I'm with you, but I think there's no saving him.  

[interloper]

2 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

I'm with you, but I think there's no saving him.  

Yeah naw.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

45 minutes ago, wildbillhiccup said:

I agree. This team has made A LOT of bad decisions and didn't have a plan in place for long term success. The Davis contract is just the low hanging fruit. 

Ignoring international talent for instance.

[PaulFolk]

13 hours ago, atomic said:

Not comparing him to Chris Davis at all.  I figure he will get 5 or 6 seasons of being an above average ball player.  Problem is his contract is 13 years long.   7 bad years is worse than 6 bad years.  

Not if Harper's "bad years" are better than Davis's bad years, which I think they will be. I don't think Harper -- or anyone, really -- will ever put up a season as bad as Davis' 2018.

[PaulFolk]

2 hours ago, Mayor McCheese said:

His defense is pretty solid. He did hit one HR already.  I am not saying that he does not have any issues but we got to just stop jumping the gun saying he is done and going to be released based on a very small sample size of ST ABs... and again he had 2 K's against a decent lefty with a really nasty slider.  Let's see how he does once the starters start playing on a daily basis...... jeeeessssh 

 

Chris Davis and that contract is here for at least 1-2 more seasons.

I don't think his defense is solid anymore. Davis had -4 Defensive Runs Saved in 2018 and -5 the year before. And that backs up what I've seen with the eye test, where he's looked noticeably worse with the glove than he used to. He botched a fairly easy play in the ninth inning on Opening Day last year that led to a blown O's lead.

As for his offense, yes, his spring training is a small sample size. But the 2018 season wasn't, and he looks exactly the same this spring as he did last year. As Jim Palmer said on the broadcast, if Davis has made any adjustments, it's hard to see what they are.

I don't think Davis will be cut at the end of spring training (especially if Trumbo starts the season on the DL, opening up the DH spot for Mancini). But I also don't think he'll be here for 1-2 more seasons if he continues to look like this.

[wildbillhiccup]

11 minutes ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

Ignoring international talent for instance.

...and signing other one-dimensional players (like Trumbo) to multi-year deals. 

[wildbillhiccup]

15 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

I'm with you, but I think there's no saving him.  

The only hope would be an exorcism, but I fear he's too far gone. Those demons aren't coming out of his bats. 

[Aristotelian]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

I’m not going there.    There are a lot of factors that go in to the Orioles’ downfall.   It’s not fair to blame it on one guy.    

How about "single biggest reason"? He put up -3 WAR himself last year (underperforming his contract by about 6 WAR). Then you add the financial constraints that the contract puts on the rest of the organization, and the ripple effect of having to play Mancini in OF, it's hard not to point the finger at Davis. Of course there were other factors.