Other First Base Options
by ItsBenFeldman on Dec 14, 2008 2:58 PM EST
39 comments
If we can't be with the one we love...
What are some other first base options out there. Certainly we could promote Reimold to full time LF, move Luuuke to DH and start Huff at 1st. But I feel it would be borderline criminal of the front office NOT to move Aubrey after his phenomenal 2008. I've heard rumblings about us trading for Hank Blalock - which makes sense given the ascension of Chris Davis, the Rangers don't really need him.
In fact, a platoon at 1st of Blalock and the recently non-tendered Ty Wigginton, could be a pretty solid placeholder until something better comes around (probably not until the free agent market of 2010-2011).
Last year they combined, in 644 at bats, for the following line:
184 H, 41 2B, 35 HR, 87 R, 96 RBI, 51 BB, 109 K, .286/.348/.519 and 6.3 WARP
Not bad for a first baseman that probably wouldn't cost us much that we'd miss, either by way of prospects or money.
Any thoughts?
FanPosts are user-created content and do not necessarily reflect the views of the editors of Camden Chat or SB Nation. They might, though.
0 recs |
39 comments
Email
Print
Comments
Hmmm
Wigginton won’t come to Baltimore to be in a platoon. Blalock is garbage, an if he moves out of Arlington, he will be even worse. He makes far too much money and will put up an OPS in the low .700s, I would guarentee that.
Worst comes to worst, Huff moves to 1B full time and DH is a revolving door. Huff hasn’t generated the slightest bit of interest last year, so I don’t imagine he has any now. GMs arent that stupid, they know his 2008 year was a fluke. If he gets traded, it won’t be until July.
by UMterp08 on Dec 14, 2008 3:42 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
platoon
vs RHP in his career, Blalock his .292/.356/.502, vs LHP he hits .231/.285/.371
vs LHP in his career Wigginton hits .288/.364/.514
Blalock is only garbage if you expect him to be a full time player, and hit lefties.
Research indicates that Huff’s 2008 was not a total fluke, I would expect, certainly that he will come back to earth, but I see it more of a….280/.345/.480 come down, not a .270/.330/.450.
Also, I think some GMs are that stupid, otherwise Jose Guillen wouldn’t have a job.
by ItsBenFeldman on Dec 14, 2008 6:05 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Blalock is making $6 million.
That’s hardly “far too much” money.
meet me at the mawwl... it's goin dowwn...
by oc on Dec 15, 2008 1:46 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I would have to do a search
but a cheap option is Laroche in Pittsburgh, you might be able to get the kid from Texas for a pitching prospect, you can have Konerko pretty much for free, Richie Sexson is available and you can probably have the Prince for Jake Arrieta, Garrett Olsen and George Sherrill (off the top of my head), would Lance Berkman be available?
by sanders833 on Dec 14, 2008 5:44 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Are you having a laugh?
Is he having a laugh?
by Dr Orpheus on Dec 14, 2008 11:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Which part
I just answered the question…didnt say they were good options…until we need one in mid year 2009.
by sanders833 on Dec 15, 2008 2:21 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
+1
great Extras reference
"This world extends way beyond this little field of dreams we're dancing in and I want to see that world"
by exitfare on Dec 15, 2008 2:41 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
yeah...
i love throwing that catchphrase out there and always dismayed by how few people are hip to it. oh, well.
"When people ask me what my motivation is, I have a simple answer: Money."
--Jerry Reed, on acting
by j.q. higgins on Dec 15, 2008 9:11 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
are YOU 'avin a laugh?
is he ’avin a laugh?
"When people ask me what my motivation is, I have a simple answer: Money."
--Jerry Reed, on acting
by j.q. higgins on Dec 15, 2008 12:03 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I'm fudding myself and bloody loving it.
"This world extends way beyond this little field of dreams we're dancing in and I want to see that world"
by exitfare on Dec 15, 2008 2:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Aubrey Huff
Huff represents an interesting case study to me. His trade value will never be higher than it is today, and keeping him would be so old-Orioles. I just don’t understand the point in keeping him. You’d figure one of the losers in the Teixeira chase (Angels?) would be all over him…
Librarians are hiding something
by dfa on Dec 14, 2008 7:35 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
Believe me
he is available. Still if you take Huff out of this lineup the 2009 offense will be pretty bad.
I guess you can argue he has to bring back more then a possible draft pick unless you want to look at the financial aspect as well. The Giants strike me as a suitor, Tampa (history though), and that is really about it. I mean where else does he fit and that is even considering if the O’s eat salary? The Angels have Kendry Morales to play first. I guess they could DH him and use him occasionally at first or third but I doubt they would offer much and they really dont have much although again you could probably get some top 20 guys for organizational depth.
Boston and NY, no. Nats. No. Not really anywhere for him to go.
Probably best to hold him, hope he plays well and try to move him in July or hold for a draft pick if he is playing well.
by sanders833 on Dec 14, 2008 8:02 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Two quick things
Re: Aubrey being available…I would think so, but I’m not so sure. There is a part of me that believes MacPhail thinks he needs to have Roberts and Huff to have a chance at signing Teixeira, so therefore Huff isn’t on the market. Of course, it could also just as easily be that Huff is on the market and that MacPhail is asking for the moon as always.
Re: the Angels…I’m not so sure that they have a lot of faith in Morales…I would think that they wouldn’t be going after Teixeira if they had a lot of faith in Morales. I also think their DH hole is reserved for Vladdy once they overpay for their new centerfielder…of course, I don’t think the Orioles and the Angels will ever consummate a trade anyway. There have been rumors now for what, three years???
It is a good point that we should consider draft picks, but I worry that he’s going to fall off a cliff this year and thusly we wouldn’t be wise to even offer him arbitration. But that is obviously pure speculation…his career arc is so unusual…
Librarians are hiding something
by dfa on Dec 15, 2008 12:05 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
no-one even asked about him at the deadline last year
The same reason you want to trade him so badly may be the same reason no-one wants to trade for him. It’s a tough situation. Because of the draft picks, we don’t want to trade Aubrey for beans. Of course, it’s a long offseason, and working out a trade doesn’t take too long. Razor certainly was gone in a hurry.
As for draft picks, if the Phillies sign Raul Ibanez, then anything is possible. Huff is not an old player.
by math_geek on Dec 15, 2008 12:11 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
nobody asked about him on 7/31?
I don’t think that can be proven either way. I figure that given that Aubrey had a phenomenal year, so he is a commodity especially given the commitment is only one year. How much of a commodity obviously remains to be seen. But it would help I’m sure if the Orioles threw in some cash. And of course, if nobody wants him, is it smart to offer him arbitration any way?
Given how long the Bedard trade took last year, I have no reason to believe that a trade shouldn’t take too long, especially in MacPhail’s world :)
Librarians are hiding something
by dfa on Dec 15, 2008 1:34 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Why would the O's eat salary
for a .304/.360/.552 line at $8M? Maybe that was a fluke year, but it was only his 3rd best season, and he’ll be 32 next year, so there may be plenty of life yet in him. I say keep him.
The Yankees get Sabathia, the Mets get K-rod, and the Orioles get Ryan Freel.
by CoachOfEarl on Dec 15, 2008 12:35 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Why eat salary?
To get a better prospect?
Librarians are hiding something
by dfa on Dec 15, 2008 1:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I guess
He just seems undervalued right now, and I’m sure that AM agrees.
If he keeps producing next year at the same rate, he’d be a perfect rental to a team close to the playoffs, for the price of prospects. Renting team gets a boost at the end of the season, plus possibly draft picks if Huff leaves (as he’ll be at least a type B in this scenario)
The Yankees get Sabathia, the Mets get K-rod, and the Orioles get Ryan Freel.
by CoachOfEarl on Dec 15, 2008 2:24 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I am sure someone asked about him
but MacPhail is proven to be patient until he can get as much as possible out of a team
"This world extends way beyond this little field of dreams we're dancing in and I want to see that world"
by exitfare on Dec 15, 2008 2:43 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
you can find a lot of Aubrey Huffs right now
without giving a prospect-Dunn, Burrell, Giambi. Dunn is basically a specialist and the price has been coming down down down.
I still think the Giants would have to love Huff and cant believe we coudnt work something out there. I was really hoping to move him for Sanchez and throw in some cash. But I think I read they werent interested in him or Luke. Darn.
by sanders833 on Dec 15, 2008 7:30 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
huff first base, scott dh and freel in left.. gives us hustle at all three outfield positions and luke stays in the line up.. and huff was nasty last year maybe he’s comfortable now?
What up?
by snakethejake on Dec 14, 2008 9:07 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I just don't know about Luke's consistency.
At times, when he is hot, Luke can rake with the best of ‘em. However, having watched probably too many O’s games last year, he has no consistency. As good as he is when he is hot is as terrible as he is when he is cold. Also, the average and RBI’s don’t seem to match up with the power production. Could we do worse at DH than Luke Scott…certainly. But I just don’t like it for some reason.
by sickuvitall on Dec 15, 2008 1:34 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Inconsistency now quantified
The Yankees get Sabathia, the Mets get K-rod, and the Orioles get Ryan Freel.
by CoachOfEarl on Dec 15, 2008 2:26 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Thanks Coach
Although it is way more about Luke Scott than I ever wanted to know, it certainly illustrates the point…
by sickuvitall on Dec 15, 2008 4:01 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Interesting...
Check out his BABIP for his off months (every other month, at least he’s consistent in his inconsistency)…In May he hit 212/312/470, BABIP of 196, In July he hit 185/295/383, BABIP of 190, In Sept he hit 181/192/319, BABIP of 208
Hmm…
by milkman41 on Dec 15, 2008 6:49 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I'll put it here
But after reading your tag line, I can’t believe we didn’t think of this sooner…
Orioles Magic – Freel It Happen!
Duck Around - a progressive blog about the Eastern Shore of Maryland. And getting off my lawn.
by duck on Dec 15, 2008 8:10 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
problem 1
Caring about his batting average.
Problem two is giving a rootin’ tootin’ pootin’ how many RBIs he had.
"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum
by SC on Dec 16, 2008 5:13 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
wondering if anybody else saw that
his numbers are low for rbis even from a lead off spot although I suspect being in the NL hurts it more but its bad for multiple years
and Freel’s health is a big concern. Still he is most likely a one and done anyway.
by sanders833 on Dec 16, 2008 12:43 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
"and freel in left"
ugh god.
You realize Freel isn’t good, right?
"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum
by SC on Dec 16, 2008 5:12 AM EST up reply actions 0 recs
are you sure
it’s not more than a freelin’?
Always trust your cape. -Guy Clark
by BPinOK on Dec 16, 2008 12:59 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I would rather just platoon Freel if everyone is ok with that.
by sickuvitall on Dec 16, 2008 12:55 PM EST reply actions 0 recs
I'd rather park his butt in Norfolk
and have someone better than him on the MLB bench, but that isn’t really an option.
Duck Around - a progressive blog about the Eastern Shore of Maryland. And getting off my lawn.
by duck on Dec 16, 2008 2:17 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
I’d rather he serve as extra wheels and a versatile glove and stay the crap out of the batter’s box.
"Yesterday I was lying, today I am telling the truth." -- Bob Arum
by SC on Dec 16, 2008 2:52 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Fair enough...
It is rough when the guy taking Jay Payton’s spot is even more useless than the Jay himself. Hopefully Dave can plug him in successfully as a pinch runner and we can get some results that way.
by sickuvitall on Dec 16, 2008 11:18 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Probably
But (if) Freel plays he will be a fan favorite. For a year enjoy it. Big risk is he overstays the visit.
by sanders833 on Dec 17, 2008 12:22 PM EST up reply actions 0 recs
Comments For This Post Are Closed
Secondary Sidebar
User Tools
FanPosts
Community blog posts and discussion.
Recent FanPosts
SBNation.com Recent Stories
GAMETHREAD SPONSOR
Certain photos copyright © 2009 by Associated Press or Getty Images. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of Associated Press and Getty Images is strictly prohibited.
