Vlad about to fall in the O's lap?

[Dipper9]

Last two years: .334 and .345.

Those are more relevant when discussing a 35 year old.

Still beats Nolan and Felix...

Pie: 2009 326

2010 305

Reimold: 2009 365

2010 282

[Babypowder]

Still beats Nolan and Felix...

Pie: 2009 326

2010 305

Reimold: 2009 365

2010 282

No argument there, merely defending why I prefer Thome.

[Bradysburns]

He has a career .386 OBP.

That's good for 16th best among all active players. He also has a career OPS of .954. Vlad gets on base. He also has about 8.1 at-bats per strikeout, which puts him 20th best among all active players. In other words, there are at least 10 - but likely more - MLB teams that have ZERO players who get on-base at a better clip.

[scOtt]

I wouldn't be over concerned, as long as we have solid representation from the left side when we needed it: Roberts, Wieters, Scott, Pie, etc.

I hate to even say this... but Hardy will need a day off now and then, and Izzy a few starts. Would probably be against a tough rightie.

[Babypowder]

Is Thome a full time player though? Why did he have less than 300ABs last year?

He started the year as a part time player but was later put in more full time duty due to injuries. That's why he only signed a 1.5 mil last year, he was meant to be a bench player. He got more ABs as the year went on because of injuries and he was mashing.

[Bradysburns]

I hate to even say this... but Hardy will need a day off now and then, and Izzy a few starts. Would probably be against a tough rightie.

Gulp. Oh yeah! Awesome...

But in all seriousness, that's cool. And good point. I forgot about ol' Izzy lurking there on the bench. He'll be a nice bench player.

[Babypowder]

That's good for 16th best among all active players. He also has a career OPS of .954. Vlad gets on base. He also has about 8.1 at-bats per strikeout, which puts him 20th best among all active players. In other words, there are at least 10 - but likely more - MLB teams that have ZERO players who get on-base at a better clip.

The guy has got on base plenty in his career, I'm not saying otherwise. I'm saying he hasn't gotten on base at great clips LATELY.

[jackprac]

Still beats Nolan and Felix...

Pie: 2009 326

2010 305

Reimold: 2009 365

2010 282

I hear you on this, but on purely emotional basis, I have a real hard time giving up (even for just this year ) on a guy that hit his first home run off of Mariano Rivera. He has to have enormous potential.

[scOtt]

I hear you on this, but on purely emotional basis, I have a real hard time giving up (even for just this year ) on a guy that hit his first home run off of Mariano Rivera. He has to have enormous potential.

Let's bring up Josh Bell then too! :laughlol:

[jackprac]

Let's bring up Josh Bell then too! :laughlol:

Eventually, we will. When? Who knows?

[Bradysburns]

The guy has got on base plenty in his career, I'm not saying otherwise. I'm saying he hasn't gotten on base at great clips LATELY.

Ah. Okay. Well, I don't find that very compelling, but that's why God made opinions. But to say he "got onbase plenty" kinda cracks me up. It's like saying "Willie Mays got onbase plenty." He's a friggin' lock for first-ballot HOF in my opinion, and he's 35, not 40. Really, I'd be pleased with him, and only slightly less pleased with Thome. Either would make 2011 a much more interesting year, and after all this losing, that would be a tremendous step up. So depressing to be thinking about the offseason BEFORE the All-Star break.

[Mark Carver]

He has a career .386 OBP.

Career numbers and what he has done lately are 2 things... for the last 3 years, a .350 OBP.

[clapdiddy]

Career numbers and what he has done lately are 2 things... for the last 3 years, a .350 OBP.

Agreed. His .345 OBP last season would have been third on our team last year.

He would still be a valuable pick up for this season and maybe one more. I wouldn't expect him to have a .380 OBP again, but I would certainly expect .335 - .345 while driving in a ton of runs.

[Babypowder]

Ah. Okay. Well, I don't find that very compelling, but that's why God made opinions. But to say he "got onbase plenty" kinda cracks me up. It's like saying "Willie Mays got onbase plenty." He's a friggin' lock for first-ballot HOF in my opinion, and he's 35, not 40. Really, I'd be pleased with him, and only slightly less pleased with Thome. Either would make 2011 a much more interesting year, and after all this losing, that would be a tremendous step up. So depressing to be thinking about the offseason BEFORE the All-Star break.

I'm not in any way denying the guy has been a great player. I'm saying if we are going the route of signing an aging DH I would rather the guy coming off of .366 and .412 OBPs to go along with .847 and 1.039 OPS instead of the guy coming off of .334/.345 and .794/.841 respectively.

[Mark Carver]

That's good for 16th best among all active players. He also has a career OPS of .954. Vlad gets on base. He also has about 8.1 at-bats per strikeout, which puts him 20th best among all active players. In other words, there are at least 10 - but likely more - MLB teams that have ZERO players who get on-base at a better clip.

How in the world can you base what a 15 year player is going to do based on his career numbers? He had a BAVG of .300 last year with an OBP of .345. Well, to me that is not very good. So I don't see this great get on base machine. The last 3 years he has had a .300 BAVG and a .350 OBP. Again no great get on base machine... throw out those career numbers as they need not apply to a 35 year old that has played in the league for 15 years.

#P/PA

2010 - 3.17

2009 - 3.27

2008 - 3.37

I see a pattern here...