4. Matt Wieters

I like Troy Glaus if he’s healthy and willing to take a 1 year contract,

I hope the O’s dont bring up Bell. Theres no reason to rush him when the team isnt going to seriously compete for another year or two, mine as well let him wait and force his way up than give him the starting job so early in his career.

If the O’s make a move for a third baseman, it will most likely be Atkins. Hes not going to demand the big, long term salary of Figgins or Beltre, and would be a solid upgrade for a year or two until Bell is ready

posted on the other thread (uhh, who’s out there), I am all for Blalock holding down the fort until Bell is ready. Then Blalock can fill in at 1B and DH.

I’d like Beltre…his numbers away from Safeco are decent, especially considering his glove. Plus he’d prolly sign for a 2 year deal, which is as much as I’d want to go with Bell waiting in the wings.

kevin kouzmanoff has been a huge disappointment for SD hasn’t he?

seems rather clear cut to me. We are going to play Wiggi until Josh Bell shows that he is ready. There is no real reason to go out and sign any of these players mentioned in this post.

If something terrible happens and Bell proves unworthy following the 2010 campaign, then we make a move. For now, it just isn’t necessary considering each of the FA options are relatively high risk…

but I can’t seem to reply…

just everything I’ve read on Bell I don’t think he has the ability to be THE answer at 3B. I also think he’ll get bigger and have to be a 1B. If he can’t hit lefties he can’t play everyday at 1B either.

Plus, just the principle of the trade…I mean…does it really happen all that often that you trade a LOOGY for a starting 3B a year and a half later AND an organizational filler SP?

shit. the format is all f-d up again. no, i don’t think i was blocked. i think it has more to do with these internet hating network nazis at work.

But it’s the one I like the least. Dude is sub-average at all aspects of baseball. Bell is uncertain to succeed at AAA, much less at MLB, and I hear he’s no Beltre with the glove.

Given that the line at Figgins’ door is growing long, I would like to see a cheap 1-2 year defensive specialist like Beltre or Crede, one that will probably have an injury about the time Bell could conceivably be ready for a shot at the bigs.

Defense is key behind our young pitching staff.

I’m not convinced that Bell is going to be ready sometime in 2010. It would be nice if he will be starting by 2011, but let’s not get too excited. He’s not Evan Longoria biding his time in the minors, just waiting to be an All-Star.

We’re supposed to be contending in 2 seasons. The time for stopgap measures is nearly over. If we can get a decent 3B on the market now, I say let’s go for it. The economy will continue to depress the free agent market this offseason, allowing us to get more for our money. Who knows what it will be like next year? Anyway, who would be available at a corner position next year? Does anyone know?

If Bell pans out, all the better. We shouldn’t count on it though.

That said, my vote is for Beltre and then Figgins. Beltre is a bit younger, we could use his glove, and he’ll likely hit more HRs in Camden than in Safeco.

I suspect we can get Beltre at fair value before Figgins, but I might be tempted to pull the trigger on Chone if Beltre slips away. Hell, it’s not my money, but our payroll is heading way down and—again—I’m not sure that we’re going to have a better answer for our window of contention (2011-2013 or so).

Wiggy is a utility player—not an everyday 3B. If there are some good 3B free agents going on the market after next season, maybe it’s worth trying to get through a season with him and Bell. But I’m not thrilled by the idea.

but I’d like to say, in response to Jose Reyes being the answer, I disagree. I don’t think he’ll ever get over these hamstring issues and will struggle to stay healthy. This problem goes back with him through the minors. Plus he’s kind of a hack on defense. I think it would be a disaster if the Os got him for more than one year. Would end up being on the hook for salary for a player not in the game anymore….hmmm…sound familiar?

There has been a lot of talk about bringing up a minor leaguer, or going after a free agent. Remember when Izturis got Appendicitis? Robert Andino did a great job for his lack of experience. So, what if they gave this a shot, at least in spring training, to see if it works:
Convert Izturis to 3B, and move Andino to SS. They could interchange Aubrey/Wiggy at 1B, Roberts/Andino at 2B, Andino/Izturis at SS, and Izturis/Wiggy at 3B for the day off rotation.

I think it would make an interesting experiment, at least in spring training, and give the minor leaguers more time to develop.

I was going to say Pedro Feliz as a stopgap, but a look at the numbers looks like he’s as much of an offensive improvement over this year’s Mora as I thought he was. Good glove guy, though.

But, I guess hope Wiggy doesn’t embarrass himself (more than just being an Oriole is embarrassing, anyway) and that Bell’s legit.