Bundy is closer to ready than Machado is.  This is a really stupid call-up.  The dude's hitting .266 in AA.  I think he'll be fine at the ML level - maybe hit .250/.320/.400 or so, with pretty good 3B defense - but that's really not much of an improvement over what Andino could do, and if he turns into the .290/.360/.460 type hitter many scouts are projecting we're basically starting his clock early and wasting a year of the latter stats for a year of the former stats at the same total price.

Ummm if you put Andino at 3B who plays 2B? Quintanilla is not a full time player. Machado is replacing Betemit and it's a huge improvement. This is a great call up. A lot of knowledgable people have said he's ready, regardless of stats. Have a look back at how Ripkens career started.

Machado says "eff you, dahs" with two homers in the first 6 innings of tonight's game.

Wow, that sample size is meaningful...

A lot of people like to bring up examples of guys who were brought up young when the system of organizational control was not the same as it is now.  Ripken at least is closer to the modern system.

But what exactly am I looking at?  Ripken was also brought up at 20 and had an OPS south of .300.  How would that help us in a playoff chase?  How would something similar to that justify wasting a year of team control?

And who are these people who think he's ready?  Orioles-specific reporters and front office obviously don't count because of inherent bias.  I've seen one MLB.com opinion writer who liked the move and about 3 dozen guys on MLB.com, ESPN, SI, bleacherreport, etc who thought it didn't make sense.  Sure people right now after 2 good games are going to say "wow, what a brilliant move."  And if he winds up hitting .280/.320/.400 or better with solid defense it's justifiable, regardless of what happens with the team.  But in spite of all the heat he takes from O's fans, Betemit is hitting .264/.325/.429, so you have to at least approach that with better defense to legitimately improve the team.  You called it a "huge improvement."  We'll see.

And by the way, congratulations on not responding to any of my actual points in the post.

I did respond. You lost credibility when you didn't even know who played 3B for the O's. He's not replacing Andino, he's replacing Betemit. And if you were an O's fan, you'd know Betemit's stats do not reflect current performance. He's been brutal lately on offense, and his glove isn't great either.

Will this move help them? Only time will tell. But there's zero ways it can hurt them.

Except 7 seasons from now when we won't have Machado under organizational control.  It could hurt then.  The reality is that with the Baltimore media market it's probably not going to be possible to pay both Machado and Bundy long-term along with Jones, Markakis, and Wieters (assuming both pan out).  To say nothing about Strop, who's looking more and more like a potential $10 million/yr reliever.

Calling me not an O's fan is just stupid.  I think I've missed about 4 games all year.  I'm even watching to the end of this painful loss.  I'm just a little more rational and capable of long-term thought processes than your average fan.  But definitely a fan.  As such, I know that your "not an everyday player" Quintanilla has started every game since July 21, or something close to that.  Anyway, it's about 3 weeks' worth of games he's picked up at least 2 ABs.  So Betemit is playing 3rd, but Andino is pretty much available for everyday service at that position.

One last thing.  "His glove isn't great" is probably a VERY generous analysis of Betemit's defense...  This is why I originally said we should consider potential benefits above Andino, who I think could provide more value down the stretch...

Machado belts his 3rd HR in 4 games...ya, you're right, he won't be any better than what they already had.

As for Quintanilla, I know he's playing everyday. That doesn't make him an everyday player. He's a utility guy/backup who's hot with the bat and thus has stayed in the lineup. He's back down in the .280 range already. Andino is slowly taking his job back.

If the O's aren't in a playoff race, they likely don't make this move. But Machado brings excitement and I'd argue he's a drastic improvement over what they have, so you don't hold off on this move to avoid starting his clock "early".

So just to clarify...  Quintanilla's month+ of good hitting stats are irrelevant because he's a utility guy/backup who's hot with the bat.

But...

Machado's 4 hot games with the bat are a meaningful sample size from which to determine his Major League readiness?

Are you slow?

My argument had nothing to do with stats - it was about player quality. Playing everyday for an extended period of time because your team has no one better doesn't make one an everyday player. Quintanilla has performed well, but he is not an everyday guy. If you can find me 3 people that think Machado is a part-time player, I'd be very shocked.

Another move not getting much attention but has been working well so far is Nate McLouth. The guy still has a great glove, brings some much needed speed, and he's swinging the bat respectably. I don't think Ford will last long, so if they get McLouth as a mainstay in LF, they'll be improved there as well.

"My argument had nothing to do with stats - it was about player quality."  How do you determine player quality if you're ignoring stats?  What makes Quintanilla NOT an everyday player but Machado an everyday player?  That you say that?  That somebody else says so?  Based on what?  Quintanilla's career Minor League OPS is .817, including .801 at AAA, where Machado has never even shown his face.  Machado's career Minor League OPS is .776.  So clearly it's not the Minor League pedigree telling you that Machado is an every-day guy and Quintanilla is not.  So what is it?  His high school stats?  The eye test?  Daniel Cabrera got an A+++ on the eye test, and that's why we gave him years worth of regular starts that were beyond painful to watch on balance.  I'll take numbers over the eye test any day.

Of course, I'm not saying that Machado is a lesser player than Omar Quintanilla.  That would be ridiculous.  I think to some extent that he's been overrated as a prospect, but I think he's got a very good chance to be a top 5 SS in baseball, or a top 10 3B, if not better.  The reality is that I'm trying to lead you to what should be the obvious counter-argument.  Quintanilla accumulated some of those minor league stats as recently as this year at age 30.  Machado accumulated his as recently as this year when he was the youngest player in his league in AA.  You're right.  Machado's youth absolutely contributed to his lack of success.  That's exactly what I want you to think.  Because Machado has never been younger for his level than he is right now.  He needed months to adapt to AA pitching, and as soon as he's started to catch up with it we bump up through AAA the whole way to The Show.  If he holds his own, great.  But there's not a lot of evidence that he'll be able to do so sustainably on his Minor League track record.  He hasn't show the uncanny, ridiculous ability to hit guys who are much older and more seasoned than himself in the minors the way that a guy like Mike Trout has.  For most of the season he looked very much like the youngest guy in the Eastern League.  And now we put him in the Major Leagues?  I don't see it.

Ya...ask the Royals how overmatched he is.

Reynolds with a 2 HR game. It only took 3/4 of a season, but looks like he's finally looking for the breaking ball now.

If he gets hot and hits another 10 or 12 - which really isn't all that hard to imagine, that's about on his career-average pace - it could go a long way towards helping carry this team into the playoffs.  Of course a 1-game playoff shot isn't exactly your dream as a team that's been out of it since 1997, but it's still a huge improvement over what we have been getting...

Posted by Jtpsops on 8/13/2012 7:51:00 PM (view original):
Ya...ask the Royals how overmatched he is.

And what do the Red Sox say?