Is Pie the LF solution?

[JTrea81]

Most people including myself are ready to pencil in Pie at LF next year but his September has been one to forget as he's posted a .250/.307/.338/.645 line.

His hottest month was August when he managed to put up only a .779 OPS and his total value this year has been 0.4 WAR which would make him the worst LFer in the AL East in terms of value. And the Orioles already have the division's worst performance from 3B, SS and 1B.

It seems that perhaps the Orioles do need to look at a LF upgrade and put Pie in that 4th OFer role.

[MurphDogg]

His hottest month was August when he managed to put up only a .779 OPS and his total value this year has been 0.4 WAR which would make him the worst LFer in the AL East in terms of value. And the Orioles already have the division's worst performance from 3B, SS and 1B.

You know WAR is a counting stat, right?

[wildcard]

Pie did not step up and claim LF from an offensive standpoint. He still has a lot to prove. However, his potential is there.

If the O's could get Werth, I would be for it. I am skeptical that it will happen though. He will be expensive.

[MurphDogg]

Pie did not step up and claim LF from an offensive standpoint. He still has a lot to prove. However, his potential is there.

I agree with this, the O's have bigger needs than LF and Pie is only 25 with just about a full season of ABs with the Orioles. I hoped Pie would do better than he did coming off the injury, but for a team that doesn't look to be in the playoff hunt next year it is worth penciling him in to see whether he can be a plus player when the O's are looking to make a playoff push.

[wildcard]

I agree with this, the O's have bigger needs than LF and Pie is only 25 with just about a full season of ABs with the Orioles. I hoped Pie would do better than he did coming off the injury, but for a team that doesn't look to be in the playoff hunt next year it is worth penciling him in to see whether he can be a plus player when the O's are looking to make a playoff push.

We agree on the first part but I think Buck believes this team will be ready to contend next year. So Pie will step up next spring or the O's will find someone else who can.

[Arthur_Bryant]

You know WAR is a counting stat, right?

Bear in mind that this comes from a consistent fan and believer of Pie and his potential.

WAR is a counting stat, but Pie does have nearly the equivalent of a half season, and .3 WAR after 300 PA is pretty bad. He also isn't making progress. He's taking fewer walks than last year, while hitting with less power. Even in the context of diminished offenses around MLB, and even considering his terrible first half last year, he hasn't been as good a hitter in 2010 as he was in 2009.

His overall value has been hurt in part by his defense, which (statistically) hasn't been as good this year as it was last year. I think that's somewhat an anomaly, so his value may be somewhat better than it looks. But not that much better.

I expected better once he got regular playing time. I can see the point of starting him in LF next year, and I don't think that improving LF is near the top of the to-do list. But if a better long-term alternative can be produced or acquired at a reasonable price, I won't be outraged.

Expectations shape perceptions. After his horrible start last season, expectations for Pie were so low that basic everyday competence seems acceptable. Expectations for Adam Jones were so high when he arrived that he would almost have to be a perennial All-Star to fulfill them. Yet this team would clearly be much better with nine of Adam Jones in the lineup than nine of Pie.

[LookitsPuck]

~700 plate appearances for a regular.

Felix Pie has about 284 (nearly 300). That's ~40% of a season.

[Frobby]

As I just posted in the Patterson thread, CPat has almost the same batting line as Pie, but has added value due to his basestealing. So, on offense CPat has been a little better than Pie. Defensively (I am not looking at numbers here), I think they both struggled for the first 20 games or so that they played LF (CPat's 1st 20 games he played for us this year, Pie his first 20 games after coming off the DL), and played pretty well after that.

[Ruzious]

He's probably not the answer in LF. He can be the answer in CF.

[Jagwar]

He's probably not the answer in LF. He can be the answer in CF.

I would package Jones with a young starter for a power hitter, and make Pie the CF solution.

But that's just me.

[byrdz]

He's probably not the answer in LF. He can be the answer in CF.

Or the answer on the bench with Werth or Crawford being the answer in LF. I like that answer better.

[JTrea81]

Or the answer on the bench with Werth or Crawford being the answer in LF. I like that answer better.

This is what I think would be best.

I think Pie is a good 4th OFer but not a starter on a playoff team.

[ADZ23]

There's more pressing areas to upgrade right now so imo it's not the biggest deal if he starts in LF although him and Jones really need to be switched.

[Frobby]

Or the answer on the bench with Werth or Crawford being the answer in LF. I like that answer better.

This is what I think would be best.

I think Pie is a good 4th OFer but not a starter on a playoff team.

Last time I checked, Tampa won the AL East and went to the World Series in 2008 with a left fielder who hit .273/.319/.400. Oh, did I mention that his name was Carl Crawford?

I am not pointing this out to argue that Felix Pie is likely to become as good as Carl Crawford in a typical year. I'm just pointing out that you don't necessarily have to have a great offensive performance in LF to be a playoff team, even in the AL East. Like everything else in baseball, there's no one magic formula for winning, other than outscoring your opponent.

[Art Wing]

This is what I think would be best.

I think Pie is a good 4th OFer but not a starter on a playoff team.

I disagree but I think you have a good point about him in left. He should be our starting CFer and we should look to trade Jones-- for adequate value of course.