154 replies to this topic

[BobPhelan]

Alright guys you're the experts on this: Will Jonathan Schoop be ready to be the everyday guy at 2B in 2014? Obviously he's the future at the position. But if Flaherty can keep this up, he could be good trade bait.

I think we could see him emerge in the middle of next season and establish himself to plan him starting to open 2015. Am I wrong to think Rickie Weeks? Without seeing him play that's the kind of hitter I picture him as.

[bnickle]

Maybe power wise. Weeks had more speed in his prime. Plus Weeks was a good OBP guy. High K and BB guy. Stchoop will K but not walk as much.  I would think Schoop could carry a solid average.260-.280 range but will still likely have an OBP in the low 300s

[bnickle]

In his first 13 games this month, he was 8-43(.186 BA) with 2 walks, 2 doubles and no homers.

In his last 8 games, he is 14-29, with 4 homers, 1 walk and zero doubles...he has 4 straight multi hit games and 6 out of 8.

It's a very nice hot stretch but it has been 8 games. His OPS was still below 500 as of June 19.

I think we need to throttle back on the enthusiasm a bit until he can show anything over a longer period of time.

He has been awful for most of the year. That being said, I have no issue with DHing BRob and playing him at second base right now, since his bat is hot.

This, I have no expectations to plan on Flaherty being a reg from this point on but I'm willing to ride the hot streak for now.

[hallas]

I'm not sure I get your last paragraph.  In 2003 Roberts posted a 16.9 UZR/150 in 112 games.

[LanceRinker]

I'm not sure I get your last paragraph.  In 2003 Roberts posted a 16.9 UZR/150 in 112 games.

What do you mean? 

 

I'm inferring that Flaherty is the better overall player between the two today. 

[Cisc-O's]

In his first 13 games this month, he was 8-43(.186 BA) with 2 walks, 2 doubles and no homers.

In his last 8 games, he is 14-29, with 4 homers, 1 walk and zero doubles...he has 4 straight multi hit games and 6 out of 8.

It's a very nice hot stretch but it has been 8 games. His OPS was still below 500 as of June 19.

I think we need to throttle back on the enthusiasm a bit until he can show anything over a longer period of time.

He has been awful for most of the year. That being said, I have no issue with DHing BRob and playing him at second base right now, since his bat is hot.

 

I agree with everything stated here.  It took a hot streak to get Flaherty's numbers from, is this guy blind at the plate to still below respectable numbers.  I will say that diving play on the ball up the whole yesterday was a great play.

[Mackus]

For now, until Flaherty cools off, I think we definitely should have Roberts at DH and Flaherty at 2B against RHP.  Against lefties, Roberts at 2B and Valencia at DH.

 

If that combination continues to work well, we won't have any issues until Betemit is back and he'll need to be batting against righties.  That sounds like one of them good problems, as Marlo would say.

[BSLChrisStoner]

Season: 198 ab's, .212 baa, 7 hr's, 18 rbi, 7 doubles, 13 bb's, 48 k's, .625 OPS

 

24 ab's since July 1st.

[Matt]

I think they should put him in Norfolk so he can get everyday at bats until the end of the season and then bring him back up in September.

[FlavaDave10]

Ryan Flaherty's stats against right handed pitchers after May 31st: (Note: I know he was recalled on May 29th, but I'm too lazy to look up his stats from May 29th to May 31st)
 

.272/.336/.500/.836

7 home runs

5 doubles

16 RBIs

31 hits

 

I know 114 at bats is a small sample size, but still, good to see him finish strong. Wouldn't be opposed to the Orioles having a 2B platoon to start 2014.

[mweb08]

Ryan Flaherty's stats against right handed pitchers after May 31st: (Note: I know he was recalled on May 29th, but I'm too lazy to look up his stats from May 29th to May 31st)

 
.272/.336/.500/.836
7 home runs
5 doubles
16 RBIs
31 hits
 
I know 114 at bats is a small sample size, but still, good to see him finish strong. Wouldn't be opposed to the Orioles having a 2B platoon to start 2014.

Yeah, the O's are going to need cheap players at some positions so why not keep it cheap at second? Flaherty is a good option IMO.

[FlavaDave10]

Yeah, the O's are going to need cheap players at some positions so why not keep it cheap at second? Flaherty is a good option IMO.

 

Wouldn't be opposed to him and Ryan Roberts (I have to assume he's getting non-tendered with his $3M salary in 2013) starting off the year as a second base platoon until we can keep Schoop for an extra year. No sense in spending trying to answer a question when a cheap and potentially very good answer could be right in front of you. 

[PatrickDougherty]

BSL: The Summer of Flaherty
http://baltimorespor...ummer-flaherty/

 

This may be Flaherty's one and only full season as the primary 2B. Here's what we're looking at in the Summer of Flaherty and why he might be better than expected.

[BSLMattJergensen]

I like Flaherty as a utility player. I don't care for him as the everyday second baseman.

 

His defense is fine but offensively I don't like his approach at the plate. Tries to pull too much and as you noted he must improve line drives to the opposite field.

 

The lineup has enough "boom-bust" types and I'd love for the O's to find a player that can get on base and set the table.

[Mike in STL]

Pretty generous to say Flaherty could hit 20 homers. I still see a guy who is going to flirt with a .200/.250/.350 slash line and isnt an every day major leaguer.

[Matt_P]

Flaherty had 10 HRs in 270 PAs (1 in every 27 PAs) last year. He had 6 HRs in 167 PAs (1 in every 28 PAs) two years ago. Hitting home runs isn't his weakness. It's doing pretty much anything else offensively. The thing is that he could hit 20 HRs AND still put up a .200/.250/.350 slash line.

 

If he can put up a .230/.300/.400 than he'll be ok.

[JeffLong]

I've wanted this for so long now.

 

I think he'll end up posting a line similar to the one Matt P listed above (.230/.300/.400) with well above average defense. That would make him a pretty darn good player, especially if that SLG is driven by 20 HRs or so.

[SportsGuy]

Flaherty had 10 HRs in 270 PAs (1 in every 27 PAs) last year. He had 6 HRs in 167 PAs (1 in every 28 PAs) two years ago. Hitting home runs isn't his weakness. It's doing pretty much anything else offensively. The thing is that he could hit 20 HRs AND still put up a .200/.250/.350 slash line.

 

If he can put up a .230/.300/.400 than he'll be ok.

He doesn't even need to do that.

 

A 650 OPS with above average defense probably makes him a 2ish WAR player.

 

Anything above that is gravy.

[Mike in STL]

He doesn't even need to do that.
 
A 650 OPS with above average defense probably makes him a 2ish WAR player.
 
Anything above that is gravy.

That's what I don't get. I don't know how they calculate WAR. But a .650 OPS is a pile of hot garbage. That would be the sixth worst OPS among qualifying hitters. Or 134th ranked OPS. It would be the 2nd worst OPS among secong basemen last year, ahead of Darwin Barney. Second worst 2B in baseball is about where Flaherty ranks, IMO. Above average defense...Unless you play defense like Machado, people don't notice. Flaherty saved three runs last year, I think, according to the article. I'd rather have a guy give those three runs back defensively and make 33 runs by actually getting on base, or driving in runs when the meat of the order hits in front of him. But there's nothing we can do about that with our Angelos salary cap and reluctantcy to trade core guys right now. Markakis had a .685 OPS and is an above average defender, his WAR is -0.1. Can't see Flaherty being any better than that.

[SportsGuy]

That's what I don't get. I don't know how they calculate WAR. But a .650 OPS is a pile of hot garbage. That would be the sixth worst OPS among qualifying hitters. Or 134th ranked OPS. It would be the 2nd worst OPS among secong basemen last year, ahead of Darwin Barney. Second worst 2B in baseball is about where Flaherty ranks, IMO. Above average defense...Unless you play defense like Machado, people don't notice. Flaherty saved three runs last year, I think, according to the article. I'd rather have a guy give those three runs back defensively and make 33 runs by actually getting on base, or driving in runs when the meat of the order hits in front of him. But there's nothing we can do about that with our Angelos salary cap and reluctantcy to trade core guys right now. Markakis had a .685 OPS and is an above average defender, his WAR is -0.1. Can't see Flaherty being any better than that.

And do you know how much those guys will cost?