Healthy Bats
Outside of Matt Wieters, the Orioles only have basically two hitting prospects worth their salt. We’ve been over the frustration of Billy Rowell, but even if he can turn it around he’d only make it three hitters. This is, of course, the huge gaping hole in the system, and neither of the two guys currently in it are exactly slam dunks.
Nolan Reimold, potential Orioles left-fielder, made one huge accomplishment last year for the Baysox: he didn’t get hurt. He played in his most games ever (139) and put up excellent numbers: .367 OBP and .501 slugging. If he could have stayed healthy and put up those numbers in 2007, we’d all be talking up a storm about Reimold. But we really aren’t, and I can only figure two reasons why not.
One is Felix Pie, who is younger and has put up better numbers at higher levels (for the Iowa Cubs). If Pie turns out to be great, then Reimold is excess trade bait. Fair enough. Two is age – Reimold was 24 last year. He’s getting old for a prospect. He’s not out of time, especially for someone with his power and plate discipline (albeit with poor defense), but he’s getting there. Personally, I’m not a Pie fan, and Reimold’s power would look Brady Anderson-esque…
Brandon Snyder has had his share of health and defense problems. He was drafted as a catcher, but couldn’t stay healthy (and was totally
blocked by Wieters anyway). He moved to third and was awful there. Now he’s a first baseman and he’s pretty terrible there, too. The 22 year old just sucks at defense. He’s a DH in training.
Luckily, the other half of that is that his bat rocks. In the last year, he improved his swing and took a leap forward in becoming a high average hitter, enjoying his most success at the plate for Frederick, Surprise, and in Hawaii before that. His power and plate discipline are still developing, and he really needs them to develop if he is going to be a long term DH/corner infielder, but he’s a young guy with plenty of development to go. If he can improve his defense at all (which is probably unlikely to be honest) he’ll turn into a real good prospect.
The biggest thing for both of these guys is that they need to stay healthy. They can both improve their game and get to Baltimore a lot faster if they can stay healthy.
Baez cut from the rotation race (thank god), leaving us with:
Guthrie
Uehara
Eaton
Hendrickson
Penn
Bass
Simon
I’m guessing Bass and Simon get optioned because they can (I believe).
I grew up in ohio following the indians, and try to keep up from out of town at least a little bit. That in mind, i saw this headline today on a cleveland sports blog “Indians Rotation Finalized: Its Lewis” and i thought to myself…sheesh. They thought it was a big deal to have an open competition for 1 slot (and have it complete now) and here we are still trying to figure out 3…with no clear winners even coming out…and a lot of our discussion of possible winner of said holes will probably make it by default because of either no options being left (penn) or being paid a lot (baez).
Anyways, just thought it was an interesting comparison…lets hope next year we’re a bit closer to the tribe.
update: baez out.
phhhhew
http://masnsports.com/2009/03/while-i-was-gone.html
sorry andrew, guess i should have read your first comment.
I got all excited when I read about Baez being removed from consideration, but then I remembered that Hendrickson was still in the mix. That thought will bring anybody down to earth.
And O’s fans everywhere breathe a sigh of relief.
Gotta agree with Andrew here – I think unless Simon puts together another couple of dominant outings, he’s going to get sent down. And even some dominant outings might not save him.
Alright, so let’s taking a look at the whole pitching roster, assuming there are 12 pitchers:
Guthrie, Uehara, Eaton, Hendrickson, and Penn in the rotation to start the year. That leaves 7 for the bullpen. Sherrill, Ray, Johnson, Walker, Sarfate, Albers, and either Bass or Baez for long relief. Would the O’s count on Baez for long relief to start the season, though? Who’s our long guy if Penn makes the rotation, Bass gets sent down, and Baez gets cut?
Regarding Andrew’s article… I see Reimold as sort of a super Matt Murton. A guy who, by the time he’s really playing in the majors , is already going to be 25 and is not a perfect player, but a solid major leaguer. A constant trade rumor name in the offseason. A versatile, if not gifted, outfielder with a plus bat. He should be better than Luke Scott, I would think, as an all around player. I think Reimold will be a fast fan favorite around here if he ever gets the shot.
I’ll admit I’m souring on Pie, but I feel like spring training just sort of messes with players. I want to see him start every day for awhile in real baseball games. But it is sort of looking like Andy’s two low-risk/high-reward acquisitions in Pie and Hill aren’t exactly going as planned. But it’s still way too early yet.
@dan the man – The only things about Luke Scott that keep him from being the everyday left fielder are his age (he’s an old dude who developed similarly to Murton or Reimold) and his total inability to hit left handed pitching. He’s damn good at everything else. That’s a shame, because I like Scott’s personality, I just don’t see how he can fit into the plan here. He’s a platoon guy.
As for Pie, I didn’t like the trade then, and I don’t like it now – but Pie hasn’t done anything one way or the other. I put zero reliance on spring training stats for guys we already know are on the team. So I’m keeping an open mind, but I have a negative bias.
No doubt it will be a drag to start the season with Eaton, Hendrickson and Hill in the rotation.
I am still glad that they’re not rushing anyone. They’re using options when they’ve got them use.
It sucks, but they’re doing it right. They are building a Farm System.
Even though for 2009 it looks like all we’ll get is a cyst.
Joe, it’s easy to just bemoan the rotation, but look at last year’s disaster:
Guthrie
Cabrera
Loewen
Burres
Trachsel
And your backups: Liz, Olson, Waters
We’re in a better spot this year in every category:
Guthrie = Guthrie
Uehara > Cabrera
Hendrickson >= Burres
Penn > Loewen
Eaton >= Trachsel
Bergesen >= Olson
Simon >= Liz
Hill ??? Waters
I mean, this is a shameful rotation, but it’s definitely better than last year’s bedwetters, isn’t it?
neal…i literally thought the same exact thing. sweet…then i made it down to the hendrickson listing.
oof. here’s to our BP being as strong! hopefully.
@dan the man – I really wouldn’t sour on the Pie trade just yet. Olson and Pie were the same player essentially. Both were great in AAA and just struggled to really put it together at the major league level. A change of scenery may help one, both or neither.
When you really break it down, it provides the Orioles an opportunity for Reimold to hit his way through AAA and work on his defense in 2009, something Pie already did. If at the end of the 2009 season and the front office doesn’t think Pie is going to put it together, Reimold hasn’t gone far; with the Orioles rotation the way it is right now, niether have the Orioles.
You can argue till you’re blue in the face about how Reimold has always been a better hitter than Pie, which may be true… but Pie is a year younger and a year further along. He put his time in, where Reimold has not. Any way you look at it, it would be a 2009 with either Scott or Pie in left, and Reimold would be in AAA anyway.
I’d say it would take one of two things for Pie to stay an Oriole starter in 2010:
1) Reimold struggles at Norfolk. I doubt it. He’s got a good swing and above average plate disciple/pitch recognition skills. He’s a good hitter, he shouldn’t have trouble with most AAA pitching.
2) Pie turns into a productive left fielder for the Orioles. Certainly possible. I’m not holding my breath, but Pie (along with Uehara and Wieters) will be the most interesting thing about the Orioles this summer. Sad but true.
I think Adam Jones turning into a 20-20 OFer will be fun to watch
Good first inning for Penn today in his big big big start. 2 strikeouts and a weak pop up from slumping Hanley Ramirez surrounded a hard hit line drive double.
Uh-oh, you spoke too soon. Rough second inning, 4-0 Marlins.
Not a good second inning so far. 3 walks, plus a single and a triple, 5 runs so far. And only one out. And a wild pitch. Way to go Hayden, really making a statement.
You have to feel bad for this kid, and yet I’m not sure there’s any “bad luck” to blame this outing on. He’s just pitching extremely poorly.
Can’t someone save us?
Well, if Penn goes to the pen, it would only be if Baez gets cut or they carry 13 pitchers. And I would probably stick Brian Bass in the rotation. He’s had a good spring, if not a good career.
Not that I’m advocating anything either way. But Penn seems to wilt under any pressure at all, you know?
Cutting Baez = OK by me, and I don’t even think you need Penn to the ‘pen as a reason. He’s Gibbons-esque dead weight in my eyes.
@neal s – I don’t know. He was terrible, sure, but he was also hurt. I think he can be useful if he’s healthy. I don’t think it’s comparable to Jay Gibbons.
Good bounce-back inning so far from Penn, 2 batters, 2 strikeouts.
Ugh. It feels like Pie is short changing Penn with some bad routes. Of course, I’m no expert on FIP – it just feels like Pie’s bad routes and discomfort in left is hurting the pitching.
Penn’s done, after a generally bad outing with some bright spots.
So…8-0 Marlins in the third, Penn’s final line is officially 7 runs in 2 2/3 innings. Yikes.
As far as Baez, I suppose he’s a slight cut above Gibbons but not by much. I really don’t like the guy. Then again, the bullpen looks like will need all the help we can find.
Ok, so.
What the fuck?
1)Penn is pitching himself out of a job not just with us, but with ANY team. What’s the problem, kid?
2)It’s 1 week until real baseball and Felix Pie still can’t play left field. Dude! Opening Day in like a week! WTF!
3)George Sherrill has been TERRIBLE this spring.
4)Guthrie has been TERRIBLE this spring.
5)Everyone else fighting for a spot in the rotation except for Uehara and Bergesen has been TERRIBLE this spring.
I want to believe it’s “just spring training”, but it’s the Orioles. You know? Shit is officially hitting the fan, there’s no two ways about it. Our closer can’t close and our rotation is a ER machine. Our defensive left fielder can’t play defense.
Stay with us Dan…it’s still March
Hahahahaha…yeah, come back from the ledge. Wait until any of those things are happening in Baltimore before you freak out.
I really like Felix Pie’s chances for production in 2009. Click on my name if you’d like to read more about the Baltimore hidden values (for fantasy or real life)!
That being said, I wish he could field well…but for every prospect who runs out of options, there always seems to be a catch.
hahahahaha FUCK DUKE
and thank god for schadenfreude