Not so fast, Nolan Reimold fans
by Stacey on Apr 22, 2011 2:05 PM EDT
in Commentary & Analysis
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PrintThere has been a lot of talk around Birdland regarding Nolan Reimold's "unfair" placement at AAA Norfolk after he had such a fantastic rookie campaign two seasons ago and a very good spring training this year. Dempsey's Army gives a near daily Twitter update of how long Reimold has been "in exile." Our own Andrew_G currently has the signature, "Free Nolan Reimold!" The examples go on, but has Reimold lived up to the justification of such outrage so far?
(Before I go any further, I know it's been only thirteen games. Don't even say small sample size to me. If I have to wait until whenever the time passes that something isn't a small sample size this blog will be dead for half the year. I'm just talking about how he's done to this point.)
In thirteen games this season, Reimold has exactly one multi-hit game. He has no doubles and two home runs. He has only taken a walk in three games (twice he walked twice, giving him a total of 5). His hitting line is .200/.308/.333.
During the off-season, my thoughts on the matter were that he did have a terrible 2010 and it wouldn't hurt for him to prove himself at the minor league level before being handed a major league job. With Felix Pie being the only player standing in his way, it made sense. If Reimold really was tearing up the league in AAA, the Orioles wouldn't allow Felix Pie to be the one to block him (unless Pie was doing an outstanding job at the big league level, in which case I'd be happy to have such problems).
But things changed when the Orioles signed Vladimir Guerrero. Now, nothing short of an injury or a mid-season trade is going to give Reimold a chance to get promoted. I understand that's where the indignation comes from, and to an extent I understand. Vlad won't help the team long term, Reimold might, and whenever he's ready, he'll be stuck at AAA.
The truth is, Nolan Reimold hasn't done anything to deserve a major league job. He had a good 2009? That was two years ago. He had a good Spring Training? So did Jake Fox, does anyone think he deserves to be the starting catcher?
I like Reimold a lot, and I really want him to succeed. Hopefully as the AAA season continues he picks up the pace and begins to play the like Reimold we all want him to be. Because there WILL be injuries, and there could be trades. Reimold will get his chance, and hopefully when the time comes he's done something to earn it.
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Agreed
If he falls apart in Triple-A, than he might not have the wherewithal to be in the majors anyway. If a player takes a demotion as anything but a learning experience, that player probably won’t succeed. Hell, Ryan Howard stayed in the minors both because he was blocked and because he wasn’t ready. He was 27, he had an opportunity, and he was finally ready. If Reimold does the same, great. If not, moving on…
I thought Howard was 24 when he was called up? he definitely wasn’t 27, he’s 31 now and made the ASG in 05
"I have fear, but I am not afraid."
Music City Miracles Hall Of Fame, Class of 2010
by danielreese05 on Apr 22, 2011 8:15 PM EDT up reply actions
He was 24, but he was also blocked by Jim Thome at the time
Jimmy Jam was then traded to the White Sox in order to make room for Howard at 1st.
Why the Buck not?!?
by PBR me ASAP! on Apr 22, 2011 8:42 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm not convinced Vlad helps the team in the short term
and THAT is where the indignation comes from
Free Nolan Reimold!
I can agree with that
But even without Vlad he’d probably still be in AAA right now. Would you be so indignant in that case? And if not, what does it even have to do with Reimold?
Yeah, and without Vlady, we'd have that schmuch LaRoche...
REALLY glad we didn’t end up with him.
by Wieters Wieners on Apr 22, 2011 2:18 PM EDT up reply actions
I wanted Adam Dunn.
Then again, I want Comcast to actually offer me service. About as much of a chance of happening.
"Complacency is your demise." - Kerry King
yeah still wish we had ponied up for Dunn
I am eating you, motherfucker. You cannot hurt me. - PhilR8
I wish we had pursued him three years ago when he signed with the nats
Instead of wasting our time on that asshole Teixeira
Without Lee...
….we’d have LaRoche. Vlad came later.
I've got nothing against the bunt...in its place. But most of the time that place is the bottom of a long-forgotten closet. - Earl Weaver
http://dempseysarmy.blogspot.com
by DempseysArmy on Apr 22, 2011 3:20 PM EDT up reply actions
I think you're missing the point...
…the point is not whether or not Reimold “deserves” a shot on the major league club. It’s whether he will ever be a major league caliber player. Hard to figure that out when he’s in AAA.
It’s a bad philosophy when you have a guy who may be able to be a major league regular but you sign Vlad and Lee instead. If you don’t think he’s going to be that for you, trade him while he still has value.
And small sample size is exactly what it is. I’ve seen Reimold three times this season and watched him K on 3-2 counts looking. His approach hasn’t changed, he’s just having trouble judging the strike zone early on.
I've got nothing against the bunt...in its place. But most of the time that place is the bottom of a long-forgotten closet. - Earl Weaver
http://dempseysarmy.blogspot.com
by DempseysArmy on Apr 22, 2011 2:21 PM EDT up reply actions
Why spend $8 mil...
…to lose when you could find out about Reimold, in the majors, right now? Why wait?
This is about 2012 and beyond, not this year’s debacle. Poor philosophy. Like Kevin Gregg and Mike Gonzalez signings.
I've got nothing against the bunt...in its place. But most of the time that place is the bottom of a long-forgotten closet. - Earl Weaver
http://dempseysarmy.blogspot.com
by DempseysArmy on Apr 22, 2011 2:25 PM EDT up reply actions
I understand the 2012 and beyond argument
But I think the Orioles should still do what they can to put the best field on the team, and they believe that Vlad does that. I’m not a fan of the “if you can’t get to the playoffs you shouldn’t even try.” school of thought. I’m not saying that’s what you said, and I do think they should resource their money differently. But I don’t think Nolan Reimold has proven himself at AAA (at least, not since the first few weeks of 2009) so maybe we should let him do that first.
Indeed
If Reimold was hitting .350 and on-basing .400 and slugging .500 in the minors, sure, we need to see what he does in the majors. But he hasn’t been. He’s been getting on base, but not doing anything else.
If they believe Vlad and his ilk is the answer...
….trade Reimold away and let’s move in. It’s one or the other. And if (when?) he starts tearing it up in AAA, there’s nowhere for him to play. Injury sminjury…right now there’s no opportunity if he WAS destroying the IL.
I've got nothing against the bunt...in its place. But most of the time that place is the bottom of a long-forgotten closet. - Earl Weaver
http://dempseysarmy.blogspot.com
by DempseysArmy on Apr 22, 2011 2:43 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm pretty sure...
…he’ll get no fewer hits than Vlad for the O’s in 2012.
I've got nothing against the bunt...in its place. But most of the time that place is the bottom of a long-forgotten closet. - Earl Weaver
http://dempseysarmy.blogspot.com
by DempseysArmy on Apr 22, 2011 2:50 PM EDT up reply actions
By the way...
…we do understand that Vlad isn’t hitting well yet either, right? Zippy walks. .707 OPS. I mean, picking on Reimold for “only” walking 5 times over three games seems odd by juxtaposition.
I've got nothing against the bunt...in its place. But most of the time that place is the bottom of a long-forgotten closet. - Earl Weaver
http://dempseysarmy.blogspot.com
by DempseysArmy on Apr 22, 2011 2:55 PM EDT up reply actions
But that's minor league numbers
I would wager any amount of money that if Vlad was in AAA, he’d be hitting way better than Reimold is right now.
So...
…when/if Reimold is OPSing .850 in May, all the arguments change?
I've got nothing against the bunt...in its place. But most of the time that place is the bottom of a long-forgotten closet. - Earl Weaver
http://dempseysarmy.blogspot.com
by DempseysArmy on Apr 22, 2011 3:12 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah
If he’s doing that well in May (and I don’t necessarily think he will be), then it could be worth it to promote him.
Keeping in mind, of course, that he’s a 27 year old in AAA and should be expected to kill pitching there, assuming he’s even a halfway decent player.
When you are betting 8 million on Vlad
You have to be taking into account the possibility if him having value to be flipped at the deadline.
reimold does have a history at AAA beyond 2011
.838 OPS in fact across 3 seasons. Not too shabby.
Folksy literate type.
Nah...
…let’s just look at thes last 15 games.
I've got nothing against the bunt...in its place. But most of the time that place is the bottom of a long-forgotten closet. - Earl Weaver
http://dempseysarmy.blogspot.com
by DempseysArmy on Apr 22, 2011 3:11 PM EDT up reply actions
And,..
…everyone forgets he wasn’t completely healthy in ’10. His injury history is a legitimate concern but he gets a mild pass for 2010. Achilles is no joke.
I've got nothing against the bunt...in its place. But most of the time that place is the bottom of a long-forgotten closet. - Earl Weaver
http://dempseysarmy.blogspot.com
by DempseysArmy on Apr 22, 2011 3:13 PM EDT up reply actions
Yeah, I said since the first week in 2009
I don’t think Reimold is as bad as he’s playing now, not even a little bit. But 2009 was, at this point, two years ago. I know he wasn’t healthy, but he still didn’t perform.
And I wasn't happy about the Vlad signing
But totally independent from that, I’m not sure what is so outrageous about asking a guy to prove he can hit at AAA in a way that he hasn’t in two years before you give him a big league job.
you could translate his 2010 numbers into AAA numbers
so i would say he’s only been a year since he’s proved he could hit AAA pitching or better.
Folksy literate type.
I guess the shirts should be
Out with the Reimold, in with the new
Back on the Sweed train. Choo Choo!
"It’s easy to lie with statistics, but it’s easier to lie without them." -Fred Mosteller
We're never going to get to write that Nolan Reimold movie at this rate. :(
"What the hell is a Baltimore knot?" "I don't know, but it's never the same thing twice." - The Wire
by Eat More Esskay on Apr 22, 2011 2:15 PM EDT reply actions
It would be better if we had swing data from AAA
…but of course we do not. But Reimold could very easily be the Markakis of the Tides.
Free Nolan Reimold!
I won't go that far....
…but I have seen him go down looking on strikes three times in three games…
I've got nothing against the bunt...in its place. But most of the time that place is the bottom of a long-forgotten closet. - Earl Weaver
http://dempseysarmy.blogspot.com
by DempseysArmy on Apr 22, 2011 2:26 PM EDT up reply actions
I'm just saying
we don’t know. That’s the exact point: I personally have NO idea how Reimold is playing, because his numbers are meaningless, and I don’t have access to the only numbers of his that could be important.
Free Nolan Reimold!
Man...
….swing this.
Swing data. Jesus H. Christ. Markakis and Reimold are both stinking it up so far. There’s no magicallly delicious excuse swing data. They aren’t hitting the ball or getting on base the way they should.
Fan-dabby-dozy.....tastic.....
No...
…but let’s not act like there’s some excuse for poor performance here either.
Fan-dabby-dozy.....tastic.....
Bad use of money
I was against the signings of Lee and Vlad. If one combines their salaries for this year, we could have signed Adam Dunn and had money left over for beer. Also, money for the Lee and Vlad signings was likely redirected from some other, more effective use, such as international signings. Whenever Robbie Cano kills us, I irritably remember that Koji is the only international player signed by the Os whom I can name.
Because our team is bad, I take most of my pleasure from watching the development of young players who might be good in the future. Even if he were hitting .285 and on course for 25 HRS, I would get no joy in watching Vlad lumber around.
If I were king, I would strip down the Os and trade for prospects. When AM took over, the major league team was so bad that there were few players whom he could trade for a decent return, meaning he could not re-stock the farm system. He essentially traded Tejada for Luke Scott and Bedard for Jones, Tillman, and Bell. The major league team is now somewhat better, but not good, and the farm system remains largely barren. I would trade every player, including Wieters, Matusz, Markakis, Jones, and Tillman, who would produce two blue chip prospects in return. I don’t see any other way. Restocking through the draft and player development is a mirage. We will produce the occasional Markakis and Roberts, but never enough good players to compete. Our International efort remains non-existent. I don’t see any other way.
WTF?
Restocking through the draft and player development is a mirage.
Uhhhh….isn’t that exactly what the O’s have managed to do w/ some of those who you would trade? Namely, Wieters, Matusz, and Markakis? Not to mention, the rest of our current rotation: Guts, Arrieta, Britton, & Bergesen. These (excepting Guts) are all valuable pieces who are under team control at a cheap price for a number of years going forward.
Can the team do a better job on this front? Certainly. But every team suffers it’s share of misses in the draft. The Rays don’t bat 1.000 on their draft picks. Neither do the Yanks or Saux. The Warehouse has made some terrible moves (Billy Rowell) and some confusing moves (Matt Hobgood), but on the whole the draft has been a relatively successful venture the past few years. And there is currently a fair amount of talent in the lower levels of the system that just needs time to develop.
And, Jones or Tillman (and likely Markakis as well) ain’t bringing back 2 ‘blue chip prospects’. We’d be selling low on either player. Has their development been frustrating? Yes. Is that a reason to panic and tear down all that AM has managed to build up over the past few years? No.
Also, there is no way to know if the money spent on Vlad or Lee would have been redirected towards the draft, or international scouting, or lowering ticket prices, etc….It would be nice if it worked this way, but until you can demonstrate proof, it’s merely a pipe dream.
Final gripe, say we did sign Dunn…what then? Do you suggest we keep Wiet, Matusz, ’Kakes, et al, and hope that Dunn is the one to lead us to the promised land? Or would you still advocate a scorched-earth policy of trading everyone away? In which case, why bother signing Dunn at all?
Why the Buck not?!?
by PBR me ASAP! on Apr 23, 2011 5:20 PM EDT up reply actions
here’s one: stick with what we’ve got and see how far it carries us. we’re looking at a team of (potentially) Mahoney at first, Roberts at second, Machado at short, Reynolds at third, Markakis in right, Jones in left, Avery in center and Wieters at catcher and a rotation of Matusz, Britton, and Arrieta.
that’s not half bad.
"I have fear, but I am not afraid."
Music City Miracles Hall Of Fame, Class of 2010
by danielreese05 on Apr 23, 2011 6:08 PM EDT up reply actions
My fondest memory of Reimold will always be...
him sitting on the bench in Norfolk while fans at Camden Yards showed up and received his bobbleheads.
As soon as that happened, I lost all hope in him ever succeeding at anything. Ever.
"'And worse I may be yet. The worst is not so long as we can say 'This is the worst.'"
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