The third base situation
Melvin Mora sat out another game last night, his second in a row. He hasn't homered in his last 43 games, tying the longest drought of his career.
What's a team to do?
Manager Dave Trembley told reporters that Mora requested the night off. He's apparently trying to clear his head, though we're not sure what's cluttering it.
He'll likely find his way into tonight's lineup against Angels right-hander Ervin Santana, but what about the long-term picture?
Mora has a no-trade clause that complicates any attempts to trade him. So does this slump, which has limited him to two homers and 22 RBIs.
Trembley probably will continue to give Mora the bulk of the starts at third, but he also has a substitute, Ty Wigginton, who batted .405 last month and could inherit the position next season - one reason the Orioles were willing to give him a two-year deal over the winter.
I like Wigginton, but wouldn't it make sense to give Oscar Salazar some starts at third and evaluate him while there's still room for him on the roster?
Brought into last night's game as a pinch-hitter for Robert Andino, Salazar absolutely mashed another ball. Unfortunately, it didn't elude Torii Hunter, who made a nice running grab in left-center field.
The Orioles know what Wigginton can do at the plate and in the field. Salazar is the one who's still something of a mystery, and still out of options.
The reports say he can hit minor league pitching, but he doesn't have a true position to play. It certainly appears that he can hit major league pitching, at least in limited opportunities...but he doesn't have a true position to play.
Much to our surprise, third base was available again last night.
A scout from another organization told me recently that Mora looks like he's running on fumes. That doesn't mean the veteran won't ignite and go on a lengthy tear. He's done it before. That's why Trembley was so hesitant to lower him in the order. But you wonder how much longer the pending free agent is going to be in Baltimore, and whether this would be a good time to find out, once and for all, whether Salazar would be a viable option.
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Categories (click for archive)Roch Kubatko | Roch Kubatko Orioles |
Mora is 37. His contract ends at the end of the year. I say the O's should just eat his remaining contract and release him. That way they can evaluate both Salazar and Ty the rest of the year
Wow, tough loss, again. I think the wheels are coming off a bit early this year.
What's the plan now Andy? We're into year three and the progress on the field has been minimal at best.
I love Melvin, but would certainly be willing to trade him off if it kept Salazar in Baltimore.
Answer me this, though... Given his salary, career trajectory and current stats, name one team that would want him.
I love Salazar's bat, but I'm not too keen on his ability to play 3rd base. In the latest Red Sox massacare, there were three hot shots hit his way, and he didn't handle any of them; hence, prolonging the inning. They would have been tough plays, but plays Mora would have probably made. I don't know...I don't like his instincts/reflexes at third base (maybe he could learn that position better w/more time put in there). I still think defense is more important, but certainly an area we need to address this offseason.
If the O's wind up playing either Wiggy or Salazar at third next year,it'll be a huge failure by McPhail not to get something better at the deadline or off season. I wouldn't have a problem with Oscar at first but he's not good enough defensively to play 3rd every day. Wiggy is an out waiting to happen at the plate and do we want to suffer through April,May and June until he starts hitting? He has an uppercut swing on high fastballs which is a terrible plate approoach. The larger concern should be the decline of Adam Jones.I never though this guy was as good as the hype, he still has a ton of holes on his game. Somehow he's convinced himself that no matter where the ball's thrown he can turn it into a hit.
asking for this manager to do things that make sense is asking a lot. he likes to overmanage and is not very flexible in his ways. common sense is the exception not the rule. seems like a nice guy but not the sharpest manager.
Roch- Do you think the O's will get involved with Chapman? With a break in the Sano saga, who do you think is in the lead for him? These are the players that make you a contender. If the yanks and sox just buy these guys up and the rest of baseball doesn't at least try to grab them, then we all deserve the consequences. The O's have money, they should really look at these guys.
I mean, it is like getting another top 5 draft pick, it costs the same as signing one of them.
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Think there's some interest in Chapman, but if he's going to demand as much money as I'm hearing, the Orioles are likely to pass. But we'll see. Pirates and Twins reportedly are frontrunners for Sano, but Orioles are in the mix. - Roch
Roch
Again I couldnt agree with you more. Why not give Salazar a shot at third? Easy answer, because Andrew signed Wiggy and needs to make it look like he knew what he was doing.
Mora is way past his prime. He was running on fumes after August of last year. He is flat out....terrible. He is starting to enter the "Pie" of his career.
I dont think I saw a team play with such a lack of intensity as last night. This team is done. The fork is in them. Instead of it being a August meltdown, they melted down in April and never re-established themselves. I blame the meltdown on Andrew for keeping Eaton, Simon and Hendrickson in the rotation for so long. They shouldnt have been in there in the first place. But Mr. Electricity Andrew...had to try and catch lightning in a bottle....at the expense of losing the team. And he has succeeded doing that just wonderfully.
Where do we go...simple. After the All Star break, you have a rotation of Bergy, Tillman, Arrieta, Hendrickson and Guthrie if he is not traded. Each night you put Reimold, Weiters, Salazar, Scott Ituszu Markakis and Jones in there. Huff also if he is not traded. Is this year about transition or what Andrew.
The submarine is sinking to deeper and deeper depths. It has no power so when it goes too deep, you see what we have an IMPLOSION taking place.
Lets stop it before the season crushes itself!
Come on Andrew....you can make a decision!
Agreed. Frankly, with the way he's playing this year, if Salazar shows even a hint of possibly being able to handle playing third next year, the Birds have to give serious consideration to giving Mora the Jamie Walker tretment when Itzuris comes back. It's not about this year. Also, the thought of Wiggington playing everyday is terrifying. He's a good situational player / backup, but a bad starter. He won't continue this hot streak, although I sure hope he does for as long as possible.
THANKS ROCH FOR YOUR HARD WORK, I AM GETTING UPSET OVER GUTH PITCHING PERFORMANCE, IT IS TIME TO EITHER PUT HIM IN THE PEN, OR SEE IF WE CAN TRADE HIM TO A NL TEAM, HE IS NOT PITCHING LIKE AN ACE, YANKS, OR BOSOX WOULD OF BENCHED HIM BY NOW GOOD TEAMS WOULDN'T TOLERATE THIS. I HOPE AFTER THE BREAK WE CAN START SEEING THE CALVARY COME, I AM GLAD HERNANDEZ, BERKINS, AND BERGY ARE HERE HOPEFULLY THE OTHER YOUNG ARMS WILL FOLLOW. THIS IS A GOOD TIME WE ARE NOT GOING TO WIN THIS YEAR SO NO PRESSURE ON THE YOUNG ARMS LET THEM LEARN, AND HOPEFULLY WE WILL FIND OUT WHO IS MAJOR LEAGUE READY.ALSO ROCH QUESTION FOR YOU BAYSOX HAS A SS IN MIGGY ABREU, HE IS DOING GOOD DO YOU SEE HIM EVENTUALLY BEING AN ORIOLE. THANKS AGAIN SORRY I HAD TO VENT
I don't know how many other people feel the same way, but I don't consider Mora or Wigginton to be legit mlb starters at third. I never thought Mora was and Wigginton has played with so many clubs for a reason. He's really not that good. I mean he goes on tears and everything, but he's not the calibur player we need there when you compare him to the other starting third basemen especially in this division. Is there any chance of Turner or Snyder moving to third?
Why does that make a ton of sense? Because at best Mora has 1-2 serviceable years and Salazar could be that DH/PH guy for half a decade at least. There is no indication the guy is overmatched and you simply do not DFA your fourth or fifth most potent bat in the organization. Who to release may not be easy to answer, but not salazar should be the simple part. Here's to the O's not confusing us yet again.
Salazar should have been on the team right from the beginning rather than Montanez.
Mora was quoted as saying he isn't worrying about his hitting or lack of home runs butthe fact that the orioles were 14 games out of first place. I don't know about you but that sounds like the beginning of some upevil on this team. I have stated all along that you can't keep losing for 11 years and wake up 1 morning and everything be ok. I don't care how much money you make the grind in this game will eventualy wear you down.Just like it's doing to brian roberts. But nobody will listen because Andy has a plan in place and that will make everything better.
In addition to my previous post, brian robets is now down to batting 275 he struck out 2 more times last night and nobody but me in this town can see what's going on with him.It's just amazing.They need to fire davt t right after the all star break before this ship goes completely to the bottom.
Give the guy a break, he's got quintuplets at home!
He'll come around and finish out the year. If not we can plug in Wigginton. I'm more worried about 3B next year and beyond, which is why MacPhail needs to be doing everything he can to wrest Brandon Wood away from the Angels!
You said it Roch. I have to assume that the Orioles have plans for Oscar at the big league level. They have to assume he will be picked up by any number of teams. I think he has a lot of Value at the level.
I like Mora, but I'd sure like to see Salazar given an extended opportunity to show what he can do. The guy looks like he can hit, but we need to see him play more than once a week or just pinch hitting. Lord knows our offense, which has been very inconsistent(with the exception of Reimold), could use a good bat to help out right now.
I would agree that Mora is running on fumes and this year I'm not so sure he will re-ignite. Love Salazar and he did crush the ball last night, but not sure his glove will hold at 3rd base. Right now it looks like Wiggy could very well be the third baseman next year, although I'm sure he's going to be appealing to several teams this month. We are playing for 2010 though, so any time Mora sits IMO is a good thing.
i agree roch time to see what oscar can do .he seems he can hit major league pitching . i really do think mora is done .time with in with the new and out with the old.see what we have in our organization to.and what is up with guthrie? can anyone say time for some trades ?
Although Mora's lack of offense is unacceptable from a third baseman, the one thing not discussed in your entry Roch is defense. Mora plays a very solid third base and even makes spectacular plays on a fairly regular basis. I would not expect the same from Wiggy and certainly not from Salazar. I don't think any of these guys is the answer every day at third and we don't seem to have one in the organization. Waring seems to be the top prospect there in the minors and it seems unclear whether he is ML bound, and, even if he is, whether it is at third or at first. This spot seems to cry out for a free agent signing, but Figgins and Beltre are the top options in that regard. Figgins could bat first or second, with Roberts in the other slot, but he doesn't provide the missing pop. Beltre is a great fielder but has disappointed offensively. He would undoubtedly raise his home run totals, however, moving from Seattle to the yard. I guess I would prefer him.
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I was referencing Salazar's defensive shortcomings when I wrote that he doesn't have a position. Mora certainly is on another level with the glove. - Roch
If Mora is not part of the future (which he shouldnt) he should not be playing now. Why waste AB's on a guy who is not going to be here. This is just another example of how the O's dont know how to fully commit to rebuilding or a youth movement. Angelos negotiated the Mora extension, this is one of his guys.
West Coast --
"I just don't understand how you can give up a 3-run HR on a 0-2 pitch."
*******
Seriously man, end game right there.
I hate these wast coast road trips, the next few days really don't look very promising based on matchups. I'll watch em' but the recovery time from staying up until 2am is getting longer and longer heheh.
Rock- you're right- Melvin's a great guy, but he's not the future at 3B. I'd also give Salazar most of the innings there- it's the only way to see what he can do, and we don't have anything to lose.
Even if most of his power is gone, Melvin could help a contender with his glove and hitting with men in scoring position. With his ability to handle a bat and bunt, he could be an asset batting second.
Hopefully he would realize that this is the best opportunity to earn a contract somewhere next year- like Casey Blake- and waive the no trade.
AM should trade him for a PTBNL based on how he plays. If there is no market for him, I'd release him rather than lose Salazar on waviers.
Mora I have said since he came off the disabled list early in the year he doesnt look like the same hitter!! But Roberts, Jones, and Markakis are not any better!! This team in my opinion is still a long ways off to being a contender. They have too many team slumps! What is that all about?? Do the redsox and yankees have team slumps? Dont think so! Is it the coaches or the players?? Even when the so called calvary gets here they need consistant run support. I am so tired of seeing this team making every other pitcher look like cy young! No matter what is record is!! I would love to see this team contend lord knows I have waited long enough but .500 seems like a pipe dream!!! And then there is Wieters--maybe I expected a little too much too soon!!! BUT I AM TIRED OF WAITING MAYBE THAT IS BRIAN ROBERTS PROBLEM TOO!! Then everyone says trade sherrill and then what?? Who is the closer?? Chris Ray?? Why take 3 steps backwards?? THIS TEAM NEEDS TO GET BETTER!!!!!!!!!!!!
Roch.
I'd like to see Oscar get some DH duties against lefties. DT keeps running out Scott/Huff against lefties w/ Oscar sitting. Load up w/ Mora at 3b, T Wigg at 1b and Oscar at DH...leaving only Nick as the lone lefty. Isn't that more by the book? I'm not really impressed w/ Oscar's glove, and can see why he doesn't have a position.
I don't know the numbers specifically, but I don't see Huff and Scott tearing up the lefties.
Amarie...'Cradle'...funny.
Brummie a little harsh aren't you, it takes three to five years for the pitching to get here, only one of the key pitchers has arrived. You can't judge either MacPhail or Trembley until you have the horses to do so. It will take those guys getting here and a year of seasoning before we'll know anything, that is the plan and it hasn't changed; if you recall and he has said this on numerous occasion grow your own pitchers and buy the bats. I actually see a plan that is being executed for the first time in a long time; the problem is that we have to have patience which gets old but at least there is light at the end of the tunnel, didn't feel that way before. If you think these two losses are bad take a look at the schedule this month: the O's have 16 road games including west coast trip, Boston and New York and only nine home games of which the Boston game on Wednesday was one of them and they have three more against Boston and three against Toronto. Quite frankly they will be lucky to go 10-15 and so would most teams with that schedule. Lastly, Roch what do you think about returning Mora to his old role that he had when he was first acquired, kind of an all purpose utility guy who could play all inf and of positions in a pinch. He was a solid centerfielder when he first came over from the mets, didn't hurt you at short either. He loves the community, probably doesn't want to go anywhere and you can always use a Tony Phillips type (maybe not in the lineup everyday but three days a week giving someone a day off and still being a leader in the clubhouse and community.
About the only team that would emotely qualify for a Melmo movement would be Cincinnati as long as they hang in there. Looks about 600km close.
Salazar-- is a liability at 3rd--He has come off the bench and gotten some hits but what did he do last sunday when trembley put him in the line up?? He is not the answer either! Then again only orioles fans see him as a good player because didnt he clear waivers a month or so ago??? That tells me teams were not interested! The orioles need to spend money to compete in this division it all cant come from the minors. Go after Chapman-spend the money-show the fans the organization is serious about winning for once!! We know the yankees and redsox will!!
Jack says - "I blame the meltdown on Andrew for keeping Eaton, Simon and Hendrickson in the rotation too long." Yeah, no kidding you blame it on the GM. Come up with something new, Jack. BTW, Simon made two starts.
Jack's 2nd half rotation - Tillman, Arrieta, Bergesen, HENDRICKSON, and Guthrie. See this proves you have no idea when it comes to baseball. You want to take a guy(Hendrickson) who was horrible as a starter and has been efficient in the bullpen and put him back in the rotation.
Way TO GO Jack!
Roch, Little off subject but it seems to me that Guthrie has a lot of difficulty with 2 strike counts. Izturis' triple, Abreau's 2nd homer 2 strike counts. He seems to have very good stuff but can't finish off hitters. He is a quality pitcher and seems to have a good idea of what he wants to do on the mound, but continues to struggle when the count in his favor.
I'd take a bat over defense in some situations, I really like Wiggy but as a shortstop I think if he can hold his own there that just gives us another bat. I still do not understand why we dont give Oscar a good chance they did that with lesser players *cough*Pie*cough*Hill*cough*Eaton*cough*
And for Bill G. Scott has hit nearly .300 off lefties this year and Huff is a career .280 off Lefties.
why would it be so horrible to simply release Melvin? Solves the no trade clause issues. He's gotten a lot of money and given Baltimore many solid years but being in the final year of his contract--a deal that most likely would not be renewed in the off season--perhaps just releasing him and allowing him the opportunity to change scenery on his own terms would be the right thing to do. I'd love to give Salazar an opportunity. With his age, who knows what his shelf life is. The guy deserves a chance somewhere in the infield.
Geez has everyone forgotten Scott Moore will be back next year after he recovers from the same sugery Montanez had? He should have been the 3b out of ST...so much for rebuilding, Norfolk is carrying this team right now, not your multimillion dollar acquisitions!
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Moore has undergone the same surgery twice in the last two years, and he's a minor league free agent after the season, so no guarantee that he'll return. - Roch
Wigginton is a fine versatile player who will be a starter next year at either third or first. The reason he has been on so many teams is that people continue to trade for him. He is a valuable player who has even been able to play SS in the late innings for us. Those who knock him have zero idea what they are talking about.As to the fool who see's no progress with this team ,I imagine when you look down towards your shoes you don't see anything but stomach there. Try actually watching the games with someone who has played.
Hey Jack:
Do you think the fact Oscar Salazar has stone hands and is a defensive liability makes him a liability in the field. Well, do you? Really, do you comprehend that? Your incredible hatred of MacPhail almost reminds me of that loser Brummie. Wigginton is one of the most undervalued players in the league. Even I was criticizing his lack of offensive production earlier. It took Rob Dibble on XM to show me the error of my ways dealing with Wigginton.
Roch, It's interesting that we're hearing that Mora's running on fumes; maybe so, but that's what people said last season before he had an amazingly hot second half that I'm sure ranks with the best in Oriole history. (Sounds like it's about time that Melvin go in for his yearly cortisone shot. LOL)
Last year's first half was bad for Mora in a different way than this year. Right now he's only hit two home runs, whereas he had 11 at the break in 2008. Instead of it being a question of power numbers, the issue last season was whether he could still hit consistently for average, as he was only hitting .232 as compared to the (barely) respectable .266 he's at right now.
The talk about Melvin's power being down is probably being overblown. Yes, he hit 23 homers last year, but he really isn't that much of a power hitter as only two other times in his career to he hit more than 20. Generally speaking, 14-16 HR in a season is the norm for Mora, so even a modest upturn in production for the rest of the year should put him back on track.
More of a concern should be the lack of runs driven in. Last season before the All-Star break he had 48 RBI, but this year he's down to just 22. But, again, people largely are comparing this year's Mora with last year's, when he drove in 104. If you look at his career stats you'll see that '08 was only the second time he's surpassed 100 RBI; his tops other than that is only 88.
We all tend to judge Melvin by his great years, when we see just how good a player he can be when he puts it all together. This is a bit unfair to him, because while he's someone who can really impress at times, when he's evaluated by his entire body of work he's seen for what he really is: a solid, dependable, slightly above average player. (Yes, he hit a dazzling .340 in 2004--he really benefited from having Miguel Tejada in the lineup, even more than any other Oriole--but the reality check is his lifetime mark of .279.)
Mora probably would have done better this year had he been batting second or third in the lineup, like last year. While it's easy to see why Dave Trembley would want to have Adam Jones hitting high in the lineup, the move down to fifth in the order seems to have not worked well for Melvin (although it's kind of hard to see why with Luke Scott hitting behind him.
As for Wigginton and Salazar, I like Ty most as a super utility guy, which of course is what Melvin used to be. I think he could handle playing third, perhaps not as well as Mora, but respectably. Really, I think Wiggy's glove is a bit underestimated; he's even looked decent in a pinch as a middle infielder, though you'd certainly not want to run him out there every day. If Mora doesn't find himself in a big way between now and October or the O's don't go out and get someone, I think you're right that Ty would be heir apparent for the position. (Scott Moore is still waiting in Norfolk, but I with all his injuries I just wonder if he's ever going to have a chance with the big club.)
Salazar continues to impress with the bat. I think he's a late bloomer who is now ready to be playing in the majors. The question is, given his lack of a position, whether he can stick with the club as a pich hitter deluxe, righthanded DH platoon with Luke (though opportunities there may be limited, too, as Scott's been hitting lefties pretty well this season), and occasional starts in the field.
Whether with the O's or elsewhere, I think Oscar's earned the right to show what he a can do in an extended big league audition. I agree with you that he should be given more looks at third, because unless he has an absolute meat cleaver for a glove, his bat would cancel out an defensive deficiencies and warrant a spot in the starting lineup. Personally, I'd like to see him find a home with the Orioles; who knows, he could be their equivalent of Edgar Martinez, and that wouldn't be too shabby.
Right now I can't see Peter Angelos releasing Melvin and losing the $5M left on Mora's contract through the end of the season, unless the third baseman gets really worse from here on out(plus, he's a real fan favorite, who has a good community profile). It's possible that Melvin is poised to finally break out; a week ago he had a four-RBI game. Right now the O's have some time for things to shake out before Cesar Izturis comes off the DL.
They've been going with a 12-man pitching staff, which I suspect is due to their uncertainty as to the Mora situation. Suppose Izturis returns and they're still not settled on what they want to do, because Salazar has still not come out of his zone. So unless they can get decent return for Oscar, which is probably unlikely, they're not going to want to expose him to the waiver wire. Yet they can't send him down, and won't cut Ty or Melvin, so the logjam continues.
Then what?
As I see it they'd have two options: Release Felix Pie or send Robert Andino down to Norfolk (an undeserved demotion, but could be made aware that it doesn't reflect on anything he's done and will only be brief). Pie could be the one to go; he's certainly been hitting well of late, but has made a slew of mental errors that may just indicate that he's pressing a little. Still, there's a tremendous potential upside and no one wants to be the one to guess badly, projecting him to be the next Corey Patterson, only to have him turn out to be the next Torii Hunter.
What a dilemma, huh?
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I've also thought about the cortisone injection. Heck, it worked once before. Even if nothing's hurting, might be worth a shot (pun intended) anyway. Players tend to be superstitious. Couple of points: Moore is a minor league free agent after this season, so he might not return to the organization. And Andino is out of options, so he'd have to clear waivers to be sent down. That's why the Marlins traded him (and why the Orioles gave them Penn in return). Definitely a log jam. - Roch
Jack said:
I blame the meltdown on Andrew
Now there's a shocker, stop the presses! Jack blames Andy for something. What's new chump? Your a broken record.
Mora is the only everyday 3rd baseman on this team right now. I certainly don't think Salazar can play there everyday. Maybe wiggy could. Maybe move Huff back over there and try Oscar at 1st, but thats a lot of moving around.
I don't think you would get much for Mora, and we would have to eat a large chunk of his salary. The Red Suxx may have a need, but would he be will to go there? I don't see Cincinnati giving us much for Melmo, but if we could clear some of his salary, that may be enough. Then maybe they would use what they saved on signing Chapman or Sano. The next 3 weeks should be interesting. Who stays, who get traded?
Roch, Worth a shot, indeed! You wrote: "Manager Dave Trembley told reporters that Mora requested the night off. He's apparently trying to clear his head, though we're not sure what's cluttering it."
That got me thinking that maybe Melvin has a personal problem that's cluttering him mind; you never know.
Another thought: Mora has an odd split this season, batting .283 in night games, but only .195 during the day. Arguing against conventional wisdom a bit, I'm wondering if he might need corrective lens.
Moore definely has potential, but he may not get a chance with the O's. Still, there's nothing stopping the Orioles from inviting him to spring training should he not latch on to a team. (Of course, he always hits well in the spring, doesn't he?)
Surprisingly that someone Andino's age is already out of options, but I guess with his talent the Marlins brought him up early. I just can't see the O's letting him go, because: a) He's proven himself to be an able backup to Izturis, and that said, b) He provides the team with potential depth at short should the O's want to deal Izturis and feel Andino is ready for the job.
At least the Orioles are faced with the happy dilemma of having a number of talented players vying for spots, which hasn't always been the case in recent years.
How long is Chone Figgens under Angels control for?
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Free agent after this season. - Roch
I am under the unfortunate impression that this is far from the last time we are going to read the title 'The Third Base Situation.' This is going to be heavily discussed until next April.
Roch,
I agree that Oscar looks like he can hit MLB pitching and I would love for him to find a spot. I think the only legitimate option for him is 1B. Huff's reaction time/range in the field at 1B seem well below MLB average. Many times Huff is caught flat-footed and doesn't even get out of his stance before the ball is past him. It may be true that Oscar is not as good as Huff at 1B. It is also true that Huff isn't great. Oscar did not look comfortable or competent at 3B on Sunday. Had the game broke a bit differently he easily could have been the reason for the loss. Obviously that did not happen and the O's lost anyway. Oscar spent most of his time at Norfolk playing 1B. Having him try to learn 3B on the job at the Major League level when he wasn't given that same opportunity at the Minor League level seems a recipe for failure. Can the O's afford an experiment like that when they are trying to develop young pitching? Could a 3B project hinder that development?
1B will be as much a question as 3B if Huff is traded as many expect. What is the answer at 1B? Salazar? Scott? Reimold? Snyder?
I expect the answer at 3B to be Wigginton or a free agent although we hear rumblings that Snyder would like another shot at 3B.
Thanks for the excellent work that you do.
I like Salazar's bat, but not his glove. I'm not sure he can even be an adequate 3B, let alone a good one (defensively). Some people seem to be under the assumption that if you can play 1B, you can play 3B, and vice versa, but it doesn't work that way.
He's a 1B or a DH.
Mora isn't going anywhere. He's probably playing just as good as Roberts if not better. Deal with it. If you put Wiggy AND Salazar at third at the same time Mora would still get to more balls.
Bat Mora higher in the line up where he has a better average. Batting fifth behind a struggling Roberts Jones Nicky and Huff didn't get him any RBI.. really. Captain Obvious wants his cape and cowl back.