353 replies to this topic

[DJ MC]

I guess we now know why he got the start in right field

[JTrea81]

I get the guy has been better there defensively, and Buck doesn't trust him at 3B, but right now, he should be our 3B man because he's making the lineup weaker than it needs to be and he's the best we've got in terms of a well rounded player at the position.

Tolleson and Andino can't hit enough to play there. Betemit is clearly worse than Reynolds there defensively.

And by keeping Reynolds at 1B, Buck is keeping Nick Johnson on the bench full time because Chris Davis also has to play. And in interleague play at the NL parks, now there is no DH so both Davis and Johnson have to sit or Davis has to play a position he's not familiar with and his offense suffers as a result.

And for 3B you now either have to play Betemit at 3B and/or bench Betemit and Johnson to play the likes of Andino or Tolleson who can't hit.

The solution without any trades is sending Reynolds back to 3B and just living with his below average defense, or if you absolutely can't you move Reynolds to the OF so that 1B can be freed up to play the 1B/DH guys we have and keep them in the lineup.

Reynolds' bat isn't good enough by itself, nor is his defense at 1B to justify weakening the entire lineup just to avoid him playing 3B or the OF, and if Buck doesn't move him around, the Orioles are going to find it harder and harder to score runs.

[SportsGuy]

Totally agree. Of course, once we got out of interleague play, things will be less of an issue.

But I dont get Bucks thinking. You do not trust Reynolds at third but you trust Betimet there and Davis in the OF? It's just not a consistent thought process.

[JTrea81]

Also as no conicidence, the Orioles have also been shutout 4 times with Reynolds playing 1B and were not shutout once with him at 3B.

[RichardZ]

Also as no conicidence, the Orioles have also been shutout 4 times with Reynolds playing 1B and were not shutout once with him at 3B.

No coincidence. Without a doubt, we would not have gotten shut out in those games if Reynolds was at 3B and Nick Johnson was at 1B, except we might have gotten no hit against Dickey.

[bnickle]

You can stop this thread now. Buck clearly is done with Reynolds at 3b. Some of you are going to have to deal with it. The obvious solution is making a move for another 3b, something I think we all can agree on.

[mweb08]

I'm with Trea, but Branden is very likely right that Buck won't put Reynolds at third.

[bnickle]

When Buck moves Davis to the OF, a position he had never played in the bigs and only a handful of times in his pro career to keep Reynolds on 1st it's completely obvious that Reynolds isn't touching 3b again. We can debate who's worse between Betemit and Reynolds at 3b but it's clear A.both are horrendous and B. Buck prefers Betemit..

[Mackus]

I think Reynolds has looked better at 1B than Davis this season, although Davis had a much better defensive reputation coming into the year.

Davis should be in the lineup nearly every day. Reynolds should be in it most days, occasionally taking off for Betemit or Johnson or somebody else to have a day as the DH.

Also, Reynolds has a .277/.385/.492 slash line since coming off the DL, and that includes the 1-15 (w/ 2 BB) slump he's been in on this road trip. Anyone who thinks he's hurting the Orioles offense hasn't been paying close enough attention. You can't bench productive players after a tiny slump.

[Mackus]

Also as no conicidence, the Orioles have also been shutout 4 times with Reynolds playing 1B and were not shutout once with him at 3B.

Actually, that is pretty much the definition of the word "coincidence".

[Can_of_corn]

What proof do you have that playing the outfield is hurting Davis' offense?

You go ahead and provide some actual proof and I will pay attention to the rest of your post.

[Mackus]

When Buck moves Davis to the OF, a position he had never played in the bigs and only a handful of times in his pro career to keep Reynolds on 1st it's completely obvious that Reynolds isn't touching 3b again.

I think this is a true statement. Maybe later in the season they'll try Reynolds back at 3B, or if they get into a pinch (though with Andino, Betemit, and Tolleson on the roster, I can't imagine many scenarios where we need to go to our 4th string 3B), but for the time being we're only going to see Reynolds at 1B.

I thought that Reynolds in RF may be a workable option while Markakis was out. It looks like they are doing a variation on that, with Davis in RF. I'm ok with that for the very few games we need to play in National League parks.

I definitely don't support the argument that Reynolds should not be playing right now. We need his bat in the lineup.

[Oriole85]

And by keeping Reynolds at 1B, Buck is keeping Nick Johnson on the bench full time because Chris Davis also has to play. And in interleague play at the NL parks, now there is no DH so both Davis and Johnson have to sit or Davis has to play a position he's not familiar with and his offense suffers as a result.

I don't think Davis' offense has declined much if at all, when he plays the OF. I don't think he forgot to hit all the sudden.

O's have had two bad games in a row, it's baseball it happens. And Dickey&Santana are pretty good, in case you haven't noticed, good chance we would've lost both even with our team 100% healthy and scored a few runs if that total.

[RShack]

Note to Trea: This thread includes several opportunities for you to *not* be the guy you were at the foxhole.

People have made *actual good points* in response to some of the goofier things you have said.

If you want folks to take you seriously, you cannot just ignore them and either just repeat yourself or disappear...

ps: I am not just giving you a hard time. I am actually trying to help you not be a cartoon of yourself...

[SportsGuy]

Note to Trea: This thread includes several opportunities for you to *not* be the guy you were at the foxhole.

People have made *actual good points* in response to some of the goofier things you have said.

If you want folks to take you seriously, you cannot just ignore them and either just repeat yourself or disappear...

ps: I am not just giving you a hard time. I am actually trying to help you not be a cartoon of yourself...

And you don't have to troll him everytime he makes a point either.

It goes both ways, so let's just see what he has to say instead of calling him out for no reason.

His general point is correct. We are a better offensive team with Reynolds at third and I doubt the defense is worse off either.

[Mackus]

I don't think Davis' offense has declined much if at all, when he plays the OF.

He's only played 4 games in RF. He hasn't gotten a hit during that time, but under no circumstance is that even an shred of evidence, yet alone proof, that he struggles on offense when he is in RF.

There simply isn't nearly enough of a sample size to have formulated that type of thesis. Doing so is irresponsible.

[NewMarketSean]

Reynolds = DH.

The O's playing him the field, even though defensively he's not as bad at 1B, is like the Orioles insisting that 2+2=5.

[SportsGuy]

Reynolds = DH.

The O's playing him the field, even though defensively he's not as bad at 1B, is like the Orioles insisting that 2+2=5.

The problem is, the same can be said about Betimet, who is worse than Reynolds.

[Mackus]

His general point is correct. We are a better offensive team with Reynolds at third and I doubt the defense is worse off either.

I agree we're better offensively with Reynolds at 3B, and that Reynolds isn't much, if any, of a downgrade from Betemit defensively. I do think that both Reynolds and Betemit are so bad at 3B that neither should be counted on to play there for more than an occasional start.

I was very much on board with giving Reynolds some time this year to show that last year was a fluke and that he can play defense at an adequate, if still below average, level at 3B. He didn't get a ton of time at 3B to start the year, but he was so bad in those few weeks that it pretty much required aborting the plan. He was far worse, IMO, than he was even last year when he was incredibly bad.

I think this is likely a mental issue with Reynolds that eventually may be able to be fixed, but with the team actually competing and each win mattering a lot, we can't really afford to keep running him out there if he's going to be the Adam Dunn of 3B.

[Mackus]

Reynolds = DH.

The O's playing him the field, even though defensively he's not as bad at 1B, is like the Orioles insisting that 2+2=5.

I think he's fine at 1B, and actually has been better than Davis has been this year. Davis had a very good reputation coming over from Texas, but has really struggled just catching the ball this year.