2 replies to this topic

[Mike in STL]

Royals DFA Peter O'Brien. If your not familiar, I've followed him for a couple years now. (Fantasy baseball) and who doesn't love monster dingers. Spring training 2016 he hit the hardest ball statcast ever recorded at 119.5 mph exit velocity. 

http://m.mlb.com/vid...a-462foot-homer

 

LaRussa says the only other guy he has seen with this type of raw power is Mark McGwire (maybe he's never heard of Giancarlo Stanton...but still).

http://www.kansascit...e135576573.html

 

In 79 PAs with the D-Backs in 2015-2016  he slashed .176/.228/.446 with 6 homers, 5 walks, and 32 Ks.

 

His numbers got tremendously worse in 2017 at AAA leading to his DFA. But his BB% went up and the K% went down. Maybe he's working on something.

http://www.fangraphs...288&position=OF

 

I think the comp here is Trey Mancini with more muscle. Worth noting O'Brien's BB% and K% at AAA are both better than Trey Mancini in MLB right now. If he were to see the BB% go down and K% go up at the MLB level, naturally, he could be on par with a Mancini, but hit the ball harder than Mancini which is saying something given what we've seen the kid do, slugging .648 right now. 

 

Former second round pick of the Yankees. Came up as a catcher, moved to the OF to make it to MLB quicker, but isn't good defensively. Has two option years left. Big, big, big power, but will K a lot. 26 years old. Sounds like a DD "Dumpster dive" move that I would love to see for once. 

 

That kind of power, you got to give him a shot, at least let him toil in Norfolk and see what comes of his defense and his approach at the plate. See what a change of scenery and different coaches can do for him. 

 

Thoughts? Besides if I have a man crush on the guy?

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Intriguing Mike, but what would you do with him? My major complaint with the O's for the last handful of years is the over dumpster diving. Nothing wrong with those kinds of moves and DD is pretty good at them (but I guess if you swing at a lot of them you will hit on some). But at the end of the day do we really need another slugging no defense slow dude with no position to play? Certainly taking a flyer on him at Norfolk would't hurt but I just question if he is the type of player we really need. To me his is more of the same and I think we need something different than more of the same.

[Mike in STL]

Intriguing Mike, but what would you do with him? My major complaint with the O's for the last handful of years is the over dumpster diving. Nothing wrong with those kinds of moves and DD is pretty good at them (but I guess if you swing at a lot of them you will hit on some). But at the end of the day do we really need another slugging no defense slow dude with no position to play? Certainly taking a flyer on him at Norfolk would't hurt but I just question if he is the type of player we really need. To me his is more of the same and I think we need something different than more of the same.

I get that point of view for sure. 

 

If he didn't have options I'd say no way. But since he can sit down there for a couple years, he can learn a position. I'm confident the team won't shit the bed in 2017, looks like a contender. We don't know how 2018 will play out though, and maybe a guy like Trumbo is a trade deadline deal. By Summer 2018, maybe O'Brien is ready to DH/OF in the bigs. Or if shows well in AAA he's becomes a tradeable piece if the O's are in a buying position. He's got a high ceiling, IMO, so maybe he turns things around.

 

O's have an empty farm system, so a high ceiling, albeit low floor guy, is worth the risk to me.