Snyder - "I WANT to be the every day first baseman"

[Lucky Jim]

LOL...Oh, just a 3 year blip? Who is the one manufacturing arguments now?

In his career, his UZR/150 is 5.3..He was very good in 2004, 2008 and 2009...The other years, below average. So yes, that is inconsistency but hey, why should a lawyer let facts get in the way of things..Twist that argument any which way you can.

I mean, you are ok with projecting out how good he would have been this year had he played all season but yet you didn't use that injury and coming back from injury excuse for this year..but why would you?

In his entire career, he has been worth 5.1 wins....Not that great.

As I said, there is enough talent available at SS where this should be an area where this team makes a big improvement.

Unless traded, Izzy can stay on the team as our UTI IFer and get 1 or 2 starts a week...That would be fine.

You realize that a 5.1 UZR/150 as an average for a career is pretty fantastic, right? I mean, Jack Wilson's is 5.8.

Such a nutty argument.

[Enjoy Terror]

The Orioles have particularly good batting at both 2B and C, something which few teams can claim they do. Yankees and Sox are the only ones that come to mind.

It seems to me that the argument to get a free agent 1B instead of stopgapping for Brandon Snyder's eventual ascent into the position is really counteracted by the argument that guys like Markakis and Jones each share a 1.9 WAR in their outfield positions AKA not all that great. Wouldn't the logic against Snyder more or less imply that Jones and Markakis should be replaced by Bay and Holliday (3.4, 5.6 WAR)?

[Lucky Jim]

His defense isn't LIKELY to be a concern but you can't ignore the possibility that if his defense slips even a little bit, that he will not be worth a damn for us...No reason not to look for an imeediate replacement for him but I agree that it should be an upgrade, not another no hit, good field guy.

Well, the good news is that he also doesn't cost us anything. And his contract expires at the end of the year.

[tvz1997]

I will say if we do want to go with an Izturis type at SS, then we'll need to do better than Snyder at 1B IMO.

If SS is going to be that weak offensively, the offense has to be made up at other positions.

JTrea, you are dependable!

You should go into politics. You would be exactly the sort of candidate I would vote for if you had no chance of winning. (Perfectly aware that this may only make sense to me.)

[Mackus]

So? There have been hundreds of playoff teams. I guarantee many of them didn't have premium talent or established players or whatever your criteria for success is at first and third. The 2005 Angels won 95 games with a terrible first baseman and no regular at third. The 2003 Cubs went to the playoffs and didn't really have a regular at first or third. The '03 Giants had aging, mediocre platoon players at each infield corner. The '06 Padres had Adrian Gonzalez in essentially his rookie year, and Vinny Castilla who was essentially dead.

Also, James Loney is a "good established player"? OPS of 772 and 756 the past two years at 1B?

Funny how other teams' promising young players are "established" meaning guaranteed to produce and our promising young players are "unproven" meaning guaranteed to fail.

[Lucky Jim]

Also, James Loney is a "good established player"? OPS of 772 and 756 the past two years at 1B?

Funny how other teams' promising young players are "established" meaning guaranteed to produce and our promising young players are "unproven" meaning guaranteed to fail.

Frankly, I think we should harken back to 1983 and try to find some Todd Cruz/Aurelio Rodriguez combination for 3B. You know, something like a combined OPS of .625.

[Mackus]

Frankly, I think we should harken back to 1983 and try to find some Todd Cruz/Aurelio Rodriguez combination for 3B. You know, something like a combined OPS of .625.

The most recent Orioles World Series team included a 625 OPS from 3B. It is therefore a fact that we must get a 625 OPS, no more and no less, from 3B to have any chance of competing for another World Series.

[Frobby]

I will say if we do want to go with an Izturis type at SS, then we'll need to do better than Snyder at 1B IMO.

If SS is going to be that weak offensively, the offense has to be made up at other positions.

What time frame are we talking about now? 2010?

I think in 2010 we need to get a good look at Snyder and Bell so we can judge what they are, and what they are likely to become. Your assumption is that Snyder isnt going to be very good. I'm not convinced of that at all. I'd like to spend a good chunk of 2010 finding out.

For sake of argument, let's say Snyder gets called up some time in May and puts up a .280/.340/.440 line in 400 PA. What would you make of that? Personally, I'd say "good rookie year" and plan on him being my starting 1B for the foreseeable future. Obviously I don't want a .780 OPS 1B out there every year, but if I got that from Snyder at 23 I'd be projecting him as an .850 guy in the near future.

[Lucky Jim]

The most recent Orioles World Series team included a 625 OPS from 3B. It is therefore a fact that we must get a 625 OPS, no more and no less, from 3B to have any chance of competing for another World Series.

Sorry. I was wrong. The 1983 Orioles had Todd Crus and Aurelio Rodriguez.

Cruz put up a .558 OPS.

Rodriguez put up a .250 OPS.

Leo Hernandez put up a .661 OPS.

Glenn Gulliver put up a .610 OPS.

I think they average out to something like .590.

[Enjoy Terror]

What about this team says "playoffs"? It sure wasn't the "power-corners".

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BAL/1974.shtml

[JTrea81]

What about this team says "playoffs"? It sure wasn't the "power-corners".

http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/BAL/1974.shtml

Well it's not exactly 1974 any longer and baseball's changed a bit.

For example, it's pretty rare to have 2 starters under a 3.50 let alone 4.

[JTrea81]

What time frame are we talking about now? 2010?

I think in 2010 we need to get a good look at Snyder and Bell so we can judge what they are, and what they are likely to become. Your assumption is that Snyder isnt going to be very good. I'm not convinced of that at all. I'd like to spend a good chunk of 2010 finding out.

For sake of argument, let's say Snyder gets called up some time in May and puts up a .280/.340/.440 line in 400 PA. What would you make of that? Personally, I'd say "good rookie year" and plan on him being my starting 1B for the foreseeable future. Obviously I don't want a .780 OPS 1B out there every year, but if I got that from Snyder at 23 I'd be projecting him as an .850 guy in the near future.

And what happens if he has more of an Adam Jones like first year which is very probable given his struggles in AAA IMO:

.270/.311/.400/.711

Then what do you do? You want to compete in 2011 and that's not going to cut it at 1B obviously.

Frankly I think this AFL performance is a great development for Snyder's trade value. He's getting a lot of attention now and could be seen as a bigger part of a trade package for a premium bat because of his AFL performance.

[Lucky Jim]

And what happens if he has more of an Adam Jones like first year which is very probable given his struggles in AAA IMO:

.270/.311/.400/.711

Then what do you do? You want to compete in 2011 and that's not going to cut it at 1B obviously.

Frankly I think this AFL is a great opportunity to package Snyder. He's getting a lot of attention now and could be seen as a bigger part of a trade package for a premium bat because of his AFL performance.

First, we'll watch him play and see how that .711 looks. Unlike you, we (and more importantly, the team) actually watch the games.

It's wonderful how every slip is just proof that a guy's not good enough. But every success fails as proof of future success and exists only to boost value.

[Sports Guy]

Well it's not exactly 1974 any longer and baseball's changed a bit.

For example, it's pretty rare to have 2 starters under a 3.50 let alone 4.

You are right..I agree that those are bad examples.

I also agree that we need more talent and much better production out of the CI spots...But you where you are incorrect is saying that those needs to be addressed tomorrow...That's just not right.

The Orioles have to see what Snyder and Bell can do for them. You can't block them...Now, you can trade them and go from there but they shouldn't be dealt, especially Bell, for a 1-2 year option.

[DrungoHazewood]

Well it's not exactly 1974 any longer and baseball's changed a bit.

For example, it's pretty rare to have 2 starters under a 3.50 let alone 4.

So now that you've started down this slippery slope, you've opened the door to the fact that no team needs any particular production from any particular position to contend or win. Good, it's about time.