Considering shortstop options
by Dr Orpheus on Oct 11, 2010 9:01 PM EDT
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PrintThe playoffs have begun, which means I'm thinking about what next year could bring. Showalter showed us the team we expected to see all season and with a promise of more experience, expectations are high for a .500 season and beyond. The problem being that there are some sizable question marks in the line-up. It's been blogged and reported ad nauseum that the Orioles need a "big bat" and a solution at third and/or first but questions remain at short where Cesar Izturis becomes a free agent.
Since I prefer a spectacular fielding shortstop to a third or first baseman, here's looking at the shortstop options:
First and foremost, our boy Cesar Izturis could easily be resigned in hopes that he can put together another solid defensive season with a sometimes surprising bat. We've all seen what he's done the last two years: rarely hurt, spectacular defense, and a bat that, while generally anemic, can surprise you in clutch at-bats. He seems to be the most likely to be signed, and probably with a 2- or 3-year contract as we all wait to see what becomes of Machado and Givens.
Of the birds waiting on the wire, Robert Andino could very easily take over as the everyday shortstop instead of as a utility player. His play in Triple-A was much improved as Andino showed off a powerful bat, solid average, yet frustrating defense at short and second. And when he made it back to the show he didn't seem as over matched as his full season in 2009. However impressed we were with his offensive numbers, we all recognize how overmatched he is defensively. Often looking lost, booting the ball or throwing it away. My guess is he'll remain as a utility guy.
The free agents are looking like an older bunch with Bobby Crosby, Adam Everett, Cristian Guzman, and Juan Uribe rounding off the under 35 options (without options); which is an underwhelming group. Sure, Juan Uribe put together a solid season at the plate with a .248/.310/.440/.749 line a surprisingly reasonable fielding percentage (.984) at short and (.957) third. I'm loathe to get in depth on Bobby Crosby and Cristian Guzman as they've been on the downslide for years now, but it should be noted that they did, at one time, show an ability to hit the ball consistently. And if Andy MacPhail is interested in a lighter hitter than Izturis, he could consider Everett.
For someone more unconventional, the Seibu Lions are prepared to post 28-year-old Hiroyuki Nakajima. I mentioned him after being impressed with his play and bat in the World Baseball Classic where he hit .364 with an .516 OBP behind Ichiro. Fangraphs says that Nakajima is the "second best hitter" in Japan, with "back-leg" power and speed, and solid fielding at short and third. In 2009 he hit .300/.368/.476/.845. Now, picking up a guy from Japan is always a crapshoot. Style of play differs, the ball is smaller, the competition is severely diminished, and the schedule is short, but there have been just as many successes as there have been failures. And with Koji Uehara a possibility to come back, it seems logical to go hard after Nakajima.
Lastly, there are players available in trades. Mets fans and talk radio have been clamoring that the new GM trade players to replenish their farm. The most important players of which being David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Ruben Tejada. Reyes is a free agent this offseason with a club option and buy out. That's to say, it's possible the Mets will pick up his option, it's possible they'll buy him out and he'll become a free agent. In either case, Reyes has it within him to be a stellar hitter and above average fielder at short or second. The problems have been with health. The man can't stay healthy for a season and there's no telling for certain if he'll ever hit .300/.354/.487/.841 again. It's possible, but then there's Ruben Tejada, a Top 10 Mets prospect the last two seasons. Though he was definitely rushed to The Show, he showed a good glove at both short and second and, with some seasoning, might develop the ability to be the hitter Izturis is...I'll let you debate whether that's a good or bad thing.
All those players aside, there are other trade possibilities that I have mentioned, and maybe some free agents that I ignored or essentially ignored that you think the world of. What are y'all thinking? ...of course, my vote is Nakajima.
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Nakajima
Would be an upgrade IMO. Would depend mostly on the cost i would think.
"If people don't want to come out to the ballpark, how are you going to stop them?" Yogi Berra
Well, I will go with the guy from the NPB...
…because I’m not certain he sucks, whereas I’m am with all the current free agents. I’d love Jose Reyes, but not a chance the Mets don’t pick up the option. (Well, actually, it is the Mets, so who knows?). It’ll be interesting to see if the Twins let JJ Hardy go or if he is dealt for a modest package.
I have to wonder how much it would cost to get Nakajima. If the costs are similar to the price tag for Iwamura, then I think it would be a deft move. Short of that, I don’t know if any of the options are appealing.
Next year’s free agent shortstops: Bartlett, Rollins, Reyes, JJ Hardy, Josh Wilson.
Librarians are hiding something
josh wilson is already in baltimore!
we traded for him from seattle before the season started, and last game…
wait. this isn’t the ravens, is it? never mind.
Great write-up!
… and rec’d.
I love the idea of Nakajima. Had no idea the Japanese ball is smaller. But then a larger one in the US would be easier to field, no?
"I put a pepper rub on the scallops so you have a little contrast. You have sweetness from the coconut oil and little acidity from the splash of lemon." – Luke Scott
my only knock on him
is that he doesn’t take many walks. he’s like, really aggressive at the plate.
FREE LAVELLE HAWKINS
I <3 Pat McAfee
by danielreese05 on Oct 12, 2010 2:59 PM EDT up reply actions
Eh?
Career average of .300 and OBP of .368… that’s a pretty good walk rate.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -- Earl Weaver
he's improved a lot lately in the BB department
he also gets hit by a ton of pitches apparently.
FREE LAVELLE HAWKINS
I <3 Pat McAfee
by danielreese05 on Oct 12, 2010 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Against bad pitching......
My knock with these Japanese players is that they don’t really have good stats there and the competition is about half of what it’ll be here.
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Oct 13, 2010 8:25 AM EDT up reply actions
One thing is for certain
there aren’t any upgrades from Cesar Izturis on this market…and we need to upgrade from Cesar Izturis: replacement level player. Nakajima intrigues me…but does he intrigue the Orioles? This is basically the first time I’ve heard him even mentioned with Bmore.
I have this sinking feeling of the Orioles resigning Izzy for two more years, and then hearing a million ridiculous comparisons to Mark Belanger while his production continues to spiral out of control.
"See, uh, people ski topless here while smoking dope, so irony's not really a, a high priority. We haven't had any irony here since about, uh, '83, when I was the only practitioner of it. And I stopped because I was tired of being stared at."
Mark Belanger had 20 game winners in front of him
who knew how to pitch to their defense. We’ve got kids who need run support. I’d say start Andino. He’s gonna produce more runs than his defense will allow when compared to Izzy’s production.
"Walk not down that road, I cannot tell you where it goes. Ask me no more questions - some things you're not meant to know." - The Sword
I don't think Andrew was saying it as a good thing
You never know when someone is gonna sneak up on ya at the dolphin show! -wrb1990
I know...
but those who would make such a comparison, and Andrew isn’t one of them, would be wrong.
"Walk not down that road, I cannot tell you where it goes. Ask me no more questions - some things you're not meant to know." - The Sword
they would be wrong times infinity
hey, Izturis was ranked dead last in fWAR (for starting shortstops), which I know doesn’t tell you everything you need to know, but dead last? And in the bottom tier in ‘09, and in ’09 his defensive value in the WAR calculations was second only to Elvis Andrus. Which means, basically, that his defense at its peak (which is high) really can’t support his bat at all.
So, I’d argue that not only do we need to do better, but we can do better especially easily. So why is the default, most likely answer basically the worst one?
"See, uh, people ski topless here while smoking dope, so irony's not really a, a high priority. We haven't had any irony here since about, uh, '83, when I was the only practitioner of it. And I stopped because I was tired of being stared at."
see...
maybe i’m wrong, but i think everett is a better glove and once you’re talking about hitting in the range of everett and izturis, what are you really talking about?
At all hazards, a man must keep up appearances. Dignity, I say. Dignity above all, Governor. Hear, hear!
-Det. William "Bunk" Moreland
by j.q. higgins on Oct 14, 2010 12:00 PM EDT up reply actions
I'd be fine with Mark Belanger 2.0.
He’s arguably the best defensive shortstop ever (going by a cursory look at TotalZone runs per year). Izzy is good defensively — but he’s no Belanger with the glove, while doing his best imitation with the bat. Can’t have that.
I agree, though… if I had to bet, I’d assume that we’ll just re-sign Izzy on a two-year (hopefully one w/ option) deal, because there really isn’t anything out there on the free agent market. I’d be okay with the one year w/ option idea, because then we can at least go after, say, J.J. Hardy next year.
Of course, Nakajima sounds like a much better plan than that, but I’m not getting my hopes up.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -- Earl Weaver
Please, no to re-signing Izzy.
He was a good, not a great fielder. He was a terrible, not just a bad hitter. Please let him go. There HAS to be a better SS out there. If it’s Nakajima for two years …. fine. Personally, I would wait til the World Series is over, then inquire as to what Tampa has planned. They are crying poor mouth due to poor attendance and have several shortstops. Bartlett is arbitration eligible, so they would likely listen to trade offers to save money. He would be a significant upgrade, in my opinion, and can bat second or lead off if Roberts isn’t available.
I still say first base is the biggest priority, but shortsop cannot be ignored. The pitching demands a good fielding shortstop, but it doesn’t have to be a black hole offensively. To do nothing and just re-sign Izzy is just plain lazy and dumb. Let’s do something to improve the situation!!!!!
Agreed, first is the priority
And if we could get David Wright, having Izzy at SS would be easier to justify.
I just can’t bear the thought of Andino starting. Do you know how many big innings he will prolong with his fielding? He is, frankly, horrible with the leather, so why put him in the most important defensive position on the field?
by Fred Sanford on Oct 12, 2010 10:01 AM EDT up reply actions
David Wright?
If we’re just throwing crazy out here, I say if we can get Tulowitczski then our problems are solved!
"See, uh, people ski topless here while smoking dope, so irony's not really a, a high priority. We haven't had any irony here since about, uh, '83, when I was the only practitioner of it. And I stopped because I was tired of being stared at."
If David Wright is available for the right trade
what is your problem with that?
If the Mets are looking to trade him, why not at least talk to them?
You seem to bad mouth any suggestions anyone makes.
by Fred Sanford on Oct 12, 2010 12:37 PM EDT up reply actions
And BTW, I am not campaigning for Izzy's resigning
I just think Andino is a spot starter, at best, and marginally better at 2B than SS.
by Fred Sanford on Oct 12, 2010 12:38 PM EDT up reply actions
Has there been any indication that the Mets are looking to move Wright?
If so, I haven’t heard it.
"Yeah, well, you know, that's just, like, your opinion, man." ~ The Dude
by PBR me ASAP! on Oct 12, 2010 12:57 PM EDT up reply actions
I don't have a problem with that
and if CC Sabathia is available for the right trade, we should totally make that, too!
Look, you can dream for the best players at every position, but it’s just not realistic. If you don’t want snark, say something realistic. David Wright being traded for Chris Tillman and Josh Bell? Not realistic.
"See, uh, people ski topless here while smoking dope, so irony's not really a, a high priority. We haven't had any irony here since about, uh, '83, when I was the only practitioner of it. And I stopped because I was tired of being stared at."
We should totally trade for CC
He’s got a really good win/loss record
by wishEYEhadCRABS on Oct 12, 2010 5:18 PM EDT up reply actions
I was responding to Dr. Orpheus above
Here’s what he said in his post:
Lastly, there are players available in trades. Mets fans and talk radio have been clamoring that the new GM trade players to replenish their farm. The most important players of which being David Wright, Jose Reyes, and Ruben Tejada. Reyes is a free agent this offseason with a club option and buy out. That’s to say, it’s possible the Mets will pick up his option, it’s possible they’ll buy him out and he’ll become a free agent. In either case, Reyes has it within him to be a stellar hitter and above average fielder at short or second. The problems have been with health. The man can’t stay healthy for a season and there’s no telling for certain if he’ll ever hit .300/.354/.487/.841 again. It’s possible, but then there’s Ruben Tejada, a Top 10 Mets prospect the last two seasons. Though he was definitely rushed to The Show, he showed a good glove at both short and second and, with some seasoning, might develop the ability to be the hitter Izturis is…I’ll let you debate whether that’s a good or bad thing.
About your idea of trading for CC Sabathia would be a monumentally stupid idea. We don’t need a fat pitcher with maybe two good seasons left in him. We need a first baseman. That’s what I was talking about.
If you don’t want snark, say something realistic.
by Fred Sanford on Oct 12, 2010 7:33 PM EDT up reply actions
Listen
I’m sorry I scratched you the wrong way, and I apologize. I’m grating sometimes. It happens. No offense intended at all.
My Sabathia example was satire of your David Wright example. I think making a huge splash like that at any position this winter is an unfortunate pipe dream. Let’s just let it be there.
"See, uh, people ski topless here while smoking dope, so irony's not really a, a high priority. We haven't had any irony here since about, uh, '83, when I was the only practitioner of it. And I stopped because I was tired of being stared at."
Is Andino really that bad on defense?
I know he never looks good when he’s playing once or twice a week as the backup SS, but when Izzy had that appendectomy in ’09, he clearly improved with the consistent playing time…
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -- Earl Weaver
He made 31 errors this year in 132 games.
that’s a lot of errors.
Rub some $100 bills on it, you sell-out. -duck
Ick.
I tried checking his fielding at minorleaguesplits.com, but they’re down, and didn’t look elsewhere.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -- Earl Weaver
I mean who knows
whether the fields are shitty enough to make a little bit of a difference, but every AAA field I’ve ever seen is in pretty good shape. It makes me nervous even though he’s always looked relatively competent in the field at the major league level.
Rub some $100 bills on it, you sell-out. -duck
Do baseball rules allow for the DH to take the place of someone other than the pitcher?
Maybe we could sign Izturis and send some of our pitchers out there to hit. Gotta think at least a couple of those guys might be an upgrade offensively.
But, yeah, I kind of like the idea of Nakajima. It would be nice to keep Maximum as a utility guy, but I feel some other team would be willing to have him be there starting shortstop. Awwww…who am I kidding? That team is the Orioles.
I'm all in favor of a Japanese invasion here.
Because I’d rather see anyone else than Izturis at this point.
It's as if every eccentric in the South decided to move north, ran out of gas in Baltimore, and decided to stay. - John Waters
by Eat More Esskay on Oct 12, 2010 11:43 AM EDT reply actions
Robert Andino
I've been playing baseball since I was six years old, so that's 40 years I've been on a baseball field and around a baseball field, and so our opinions are formulated through facts, not fiction, not their little chat room jargon.
Cliff Lee plays shortstop?
so I’m guessing Andino would play SS every fifth day while Lee pitches?
by wishEYEhadCRABS on Oct 12, 2010 5:20 PM EDT up reply actions
Nakajima would have
the ancillary value of showing the baseball world Koji wasn’t a one time PR move in response to pressure about our international operation sucking.
Has there ever been a cooler Oriole than Eddie Murray? I mean, just straight up cool. Like a bad, suave dude. You know what I'm sayin'. COOL. SC 7/24/08
I would like if this Nakajima also had some ridic sideburns
You never know when someone is gonna sneak up on ya at the dolphin show! -wrb1990
do we know he doesn't? i've no idea what the man look likes
what i’d like to see is one of those wall-climbing homerun-stealing acrobat outfielders they have over there. maybe just as a late defensive replacement for, say, AJ.
here's my top options
1.) Nakajima: totally love the Japanese players, we need someone to hit at the top of the order just in case B-Rob packs it in early due to injuries. Again, Japanese players are awesome.
2.) Jason Bartlett (trade): why not? if he can find a middle ground between this year and last year he should be good to go.
3.) Erick Aybar: similar situation as Bartlett; he needs to find a middle ground from when he hit over .300 and when he hit .250 (ARB eligible in 2011)
4.) Jose Reyes: steals a butt-load of bases and if he can find half the player we remember then he’ll be more than adaquete. That’s just the thing, if he can’t then we’ll be dealing with an aging SS who may not do anything next year. Also injury prone.
5.) Andino: only with no other options. I’d rather have him over Izzy next year.
FREE LAVELLE HAWKINS
I <3 Pat McAfee
Erick Aybar is a wife beater
You never know when someone is gonna sneak up on ya at the dolphin show! -wrb1990
My apologies!
That’s Willy Aybar.
Erick is A-OK.
You never know when someone is gonna sneak up on ya at the dolphin show! -wrb1990
i was gonna say
i haven’t heard anything about Erick lately. but a lot of that slips under my radar anyway.
FREE LAVELLE HAWKINS
I <3 Pat McAfee
by danielreese05 on Oct 12, 2010 2:51 PM EDT up reply actions
hasn't stopped the FO before
FREE LAVELLE HAWKINS
I <3 Pat McAfee
by danielreese05 on Oct 12, 2010 2:50 PM EDT up reply actions
that man has never been an Oriole
You never know when someone is gonna sneak up on ya at the dolphin show! -wrb1990
And with his looks, probably never married
Unless he lives in one of those states that allows a man to lay with a bovine.
2010 stats for Nakajima:
Nakajima, Hiroyuki (Lions) 0.314 AVG 20 HR 93 RBI 0.385 OBP
http://www.japanball.com/stats.phtml
ugh… this just makes me want him even more. really setting myself up for disappointment here.
Maybe if we stop talking about him, no other team will notice him and it'll be easier to get him.
It's as if every eccentric in the South decided to move north, ran out of gas in Baltimore, and decided to stay. - John Waters
by Eat More Esskay on Oct 12, 2010 4:35 PM EDT up reply actions
If that's the case...
perhaps I really underestimated Steve Melewski… all this time he’s just been trying to drive the market up on MaxIz so the O’s get priced out of resigning him…. BRILLIANT!
Kiroyoki doesn't have the same ring as KOJI!
"When you use those words, `mystique’ and `aura,’ those are dancers in a night club. Those are not things we concern ourselves on the ball field." - Curt Schilling on if the Yankees mystique and aura would affect the Diamondbacks in the 2001 World Series.
by BaltimoreSportsFan on Oct 12, 2010 5:49 PM EDT reply actions
Yuki
Statement stands.
"When you use those words, `mystique’ and `aura,’ those are dancers in a night club. Those are not things we concern ourselves on the ball field." - Curt Schilling on if the Yankees mystique and aura would affect the Diamondbacks in the 2001 World Series.
by BaltimoreSportsFan on Oct 12, 2010 5:50 PM EDT up reply actions
"KIRO! KIRO! KIRO!" That'd work.
Not Yuki though, that’s a girl’s name on its own.
It's as if every eccentric in the South decided to move north, ran out of gas in Baltimore, and decided to stay. - John Waters
by Eat More Esskay on Oct 12, 2010 10:48 PM EDT up reply actions
(It's Hiroyuki...)
“Hiro” would be a pretty good chant.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -- Earl Weaver
Hiro is also good.
FRYING MAN!
It's as if every eccentric in the South decided to move north, ran out of gas in Baltimore, and decided to stay. - John Waters
by Eat More Esskay on Oct 13, 2010 12:28 AM EDT up reply actions
When I see Hiro, this comes to mind
http://www.pollsb.com/photos/o/83726-hiro_nakamura.jpg
"When you use those words, `mystique’ and `aura,’ those are dancers in a night club. Those are not things we concern ourselves on the ball field." - Curt Schilling on if the Yankees mystique and aura would affect the Diamondbacks in the 2001 World Series.
by BaltimoreSportsFan on Oct 13, 2010 6:25 PM EDT up reply actions
That's why I said FRYING MAN!
It's as if every eccentric in the South decided to move north, ran out of gas in Baltimore, and decided to stay. - John Waters
by Eat More Esskay on Oct 13, 2010 8:05 PM EDT up reply actions
More on Nakajima:
http://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/index.php/some-thoughts-on-nakajima/
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -- Earl Weaver
MLBtraderumors mentioned some other trade options...
Because the free agent class is, at best, a kick to the soft tissue.
They’re saying trades could happen for: Jason Bartlett, JJ Hardy, Ryan Theriot(act), Reid Brignac, Sean Rodriquez, Stephen Drew, Jed Lowrie, Chris Nelson, Darwin Barney, Everth Cabera, Hu Chun-Lu, and Brandon Wood.
That’s to say, the Rays could trade one of Jason Bartlett, Reid Brignac, or Sean Rodriquez.
There are some interesting names there. Brignac could turn in to an everyday player, Chris Nelson has been to THE SHOW but hasn’t played short, Darwin Barney did well in 30 games for the Cubs and shows better hitting chops than Izturis, and Cabrera and Wood have intrigued any within these hallowed walls.
that's not exactly what they said
they said the Rays might look into trading Barlett since they have Brignac and Rodriguez to replace him. They also said Drew and Lowrie aren’t going to be moved.
I still think Izturis is the most likely (and incorrect) answer, and Nakajima is the most intriguing answer.
"See, uh, people ski topless here while smoking dope, so irony's not really a, a high priority. We haven't had any irony here since about, uh, '83, when I was the only practitioner of it. And I stopped because I was tired of being stared at."
Roch on Nakajima and the O's:
http://www.masnsports.com/school_of_roch/2010/10/orioles-are-interested-in-nakajima.html
The Orioles have interest in him, enough that John Stockstill returned to Japan to take another look at him. They’ve scouted him multiple times, along with a lot of other teams.
I don’t know how much the Orioles are willing to offer him. The Orioles really don’t know until the market is set. But he’s got their attention.
Good…
Manager Buck Showalter’s interest in re-signing Cesar Izturis is a bigger consideration. As I’ve written, Showalter kept raving about Izturis’ defense and intangibles over the last two months. If he pushes hard for the Orioles to retain Izturis, there’s less reason to pursue Nakajima.…Bah.
Showalter is pro-Izturis, so the guess here is he’ll want the Orioles to re-sign the veteran shortstop.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -- Earl Weaver
Eh...whatevs
If he wants Izturis, let him have Izturis.
I don’t have much tolerance for stupid. Or cheese on food that doesn’t need it. -duck
by twistedlogic on Oct 13, 2010 8:31 AM EDT up reply actions
Hiroyuki Nakajima
I've been playing baseball since I was six years old, so that's 40 years I've been on a baseball field and around a baseball field, and so our opinions are formulated through facts, not fiction, not their little chat room jargon.
by birdman on Oct 13, 2010 12:33 PM EDT up reply actions 1 recs
Funny that I never heard Nakajima's name until Orpheus posted this
And the next day Roch has some info on him…
You never know when someone is gonna sneak up on ya at the dolphin show! -wrb1990
Well,
that tweet he linked to seems to have caught a lot of attention.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -- Earl Weaver
eh...I think it's us
You never know when someone is gonna sneak up on ya at the dolphin show! -wrb1990
Haha, I'll go with that.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -- Earl Weaver
Camden Chat: Getting announcers fired and putting Japanese shortstops on the radar since 2010
It's as if every eccentric in the South decided to move north, ran out of gas in Baltimore, and decided to stay. - John Waters
by Eat More Esskay on Oct 13, 2010 5:54 PM EDT up reply actions
Oh, we've been important longer than that
Certain ex-Baltimore Sun writers were threatening to beat up our readers years ago.
"Walk not down that road, I cannot tell you where it goes. Ask me no more questions - some things you're not meant to know." - The Sword
There is another option
Pick up Nakajima, also retain Izturis or Andino as the Utility player, and when Machado comes up, move Nakajima over to 2nd when he has his annual trip to the DL
Yeah,
Having Nakajima (who reportedly can play second base just fine) might also be good in case B-Rob continues to have health issues…
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -- Earl Weaver
From a recent MLBTR chat:
[Comment From Hiroyuki Nakajima:]
What is my posting fee and salary?
Ben Nicholson-Smith:
Early guesses: Posting fee $4MM and Contract: $10MM
If this is roughly accurate, I absolutely want the O’s to give him a shot.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -- Earl Weaver
That's no fun.
"You can't sit on a lead and run a few plays into the line and just kill the clock. You've got to throw the ball over the damn plate and give the other man his chance. That's why baseball is the greatest game of them all." -- Earl Weaver
money talks
they are probably just trying to get a posting fee
"I have seen the future and his name is Matt Wieters." Keith Law
by Reddrummer9187 on Oct 21, 2010 8:46 AM EDT up reply actions
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