685 replies to this topic

[SportsGuy]

Aoki and Rasmus:

 

http://www.cbssports...d-friend-delmon

[bnickle]

Someone needs to explain the Aoki love to me. Seriously, just play Lough if the alternative is Aoki. You save yourself 14-16 million dollars over two years.  Lough had the better WAR in a good amount less games.  We need a middle of the order bat.

 

 

 

 

Im not a huge fan of Rasmus either but he gives you more pop and younger, higher upside. Also, better defensively.

[SportsGuy]

Someone needs to explain the Aoki love to me. Seriously, just play Lough if the alternative is Aoki. We need a middle of the order bat.

Well, he has a good hit tool, gets on base and has speed.

 

I do agree that Lough may be the same player with way less cost and a lot younger.

Aoki does hit lefties well though...thats a big difference.

 

He is probably more of an everyday player than Lough is.

 

I do want to see actual upgrades though.

[bnickle]

He's about to be 33 and has declined every year too. Both offensively and defensively. It's just not any kind of real option and I see people begging for him. Truly baffled.

[BaltBird 24]

I'm starting to warm to Rasmus, in fact I'm really, really, really hoping we can somehow sign him and make him our every day LF/RF. 

 

He's still relatively young and did post almost a 5 WAR in 2013. There's obviously talent there, and DD has been fairly lucky thus far striking lightning in a bottle. 

[BaltBird 24]

He's about to be 33 and has declined every year too. Both offensively and defensively. It's just not any kind of real option and I see people begging for him. Truly baffled.

 

Right? I'd much rather have Rasmus, though I don't know what the money difference will be between the two. 

[Mackus]

I don't know how, but I didn't realize Aoki was about to be 33.  I'd love to add his 285/355 AVG/OBP and his solid defense, but he's already started declining significantly in power.  His ISO has fallen from 145 to 84 to 75 in his 3 seasons.  The past two years basically indicated that he has as little power as is possible for a major league hitter (even in his shitty 2013 Nick's ISO was 85). 

 

I like Rasmus as a buy-low candidate, but he's basically the opposite of Aoki.  Young with no AVG, no OBP, but big time power.  Not sure I'd want to hand a spot to him, though.

 

I also don't want to platoon at both corners.  Aoki doesn't need to be platoon protected, while Rasmus does a bit but isn't so bad that he can't face lefites. 

[BaltBird 24]

I'd say Rasmus has a much higher chance of being a productive player over the next 2-3 years than Aoki, no question. 

 

If Rasmus can manage to put it all together, which may be a big if, he could be a solid AVG/OBP guy, too. He did have a .276/.361 in 2010 and a .276/.338 in 2013. 

[bnickle]

I agree that Id prefer to avoid two platoons. That said, Id platoon Rasmus before sign Aoki. Maybe that's why they are interested in Young. Let Young and Pearce both platoon. Flaherty as the super Inf uti and a backup catcher as the 4th spot. Of course, that's not including whoever we sign to DH.

 

I still think Pearce ends up being a reg. Just not sure if itll be in the OF or DH. And I actually think Pearce is fine in the OF. I know the metrics were kind to him last year.

[Mackus]

Yeah, I agree.  Rasmus clearly has massively higher upside.

 

But he's also pretty much Mark Reynolds but a decent outfielder.  230/290/440 is probably what you'll get from him.  Yeah, he managed to hit 276 in both 2010 and 2013, but he had a ~355 BABIP in both of those seasons.  Rest of his career, when he's hit just 230, his BABIP has been between 260 and 280 (except for 294 last year).

[Matt_P]

Rasmus will either sign only a one year deal or ask for Markakis money. You're not getting him for cheap. If he can put up a .350 BABIP like he did in 2010 and 2013 he can get on base. If he puts up a sub .300 BABIP like he did the other times then he can't. He's a homeless man's Adam Jones with issues.

 

Aoki gets on base considerably more than Lough or De Aza and doesn't need to be platooned. He has zero power but we don't need any more of that. We need guys who can get on base. Aoki is considerably better than Lough.

[bnickle]

I hate Lough and I don't think Aoki is considerably better than him. Nothing says he is considerably better than him. Not the scouting or the metrics.  He also is 33 and apparently in decline. This is a situation where apparently people are getting way way too caught up in OBP because there is nothing else he does well. You can say he has speed but with that stolen base % and Bucks reluctance to steal hes not going to be stealing many bases.

[BaltBird 24]

And it's not like Aoki is an amazing OBP guy, he'll more than likely be in the .350 range with a SLG in the mid to low .300's. 

 

Also, his SBs have already almost declined in half from his rookie year as he went from 30 to 17 this past year, and it's not like he has a great SB %, either getting caught almost 50% of the time. 

 

He's not a guy I'm throwing $10M+ a year at, for sure. 

[BaltBird 24]

I hate Lough and I don't think Aoki is considerably better than him. Nothing says he is considerably better than him. Not the scouting or the metrics.  He also is 33 and apparently in decline. This is a situation where apparently people are getting way way too caught up in OBP because there is nothing else he does well. You can say he has speed but with that stolen base % and Bucks reluctance to steal hes not going to be stealing many bases.

 

Lough is probably already better than Aoki, plus he's much cheaper and he's under our control for a bit while longer. I'd much rather have David Lough as an Oriole for the next 2-3-4 years than Nori Aoki. 

[RShack]

Lough is probably already better than Aoki, plus he's much cheaper and he's under our control for a bit while longer. I'd much rather have David Lough as an Oriole for the next 2-3-4 years than Nori Aoki. 

 

Me too.

[DJ MC]

Aoki gets on-base well, makes contact and rarely strikes out. So for a team that has been struggling with OBP for a long time it's easy to see why that is appealing. He also is an average-at-best outfielder and has no power (though at least some of that fall this season can be blamed on moving into Kauffman). I don't particularly want either Lough or Aoki starting in the outfield here next season, at whatever amount either will cost, but I think they both help the team a similar amount overall.

 

Rasmus is much more interesting in terms of age and talent.

[DJ MC]

Olney's reporting that Lester will decide tonight or tomorrow.

[fishteacher]

Olney's reporting that Lester will decide tonight or tomorrow.

Are we even IN ON HIM?!  

[Mike in STL]

Olney's reporting that Lester will decide tonight or tomorrow.

Are we even IN ON HIM?!  

Only if its opposite day.

[Matt_P]

Are we even IN ON HIM?!  

 

And block Bud Norris!!! Sometimes I just don't understand you!