Avery to Baltimore...

[OriolesRedskins28]

From Roch Kubatko at MASN.com:

"Also, outfielder Xavier Avery will have his contract purchased from Norfolk and report to Camden Yards in time for tomorrow's game. No move will be announced tonight.

Multiple sources have confirmed that Avery will join the team after his agency tweeted it.

Avery, taken in the second round of the 2008 First-Year Player Draft, is batting .273/.373/.469 with six doubles, two triples, five homers and 16 RBIs in 33 games with Norfolk. He's 8-for-8 in stolen base attempts.

The addition of Avery will give the Orioles a four-man bench, so a pitcher will come off the 25-man roster. The Orioles also must clear another spot on the 40-man."

I am furious with this move. Avery is in a groove at AAA the LAST thing in the world I want to see is the organization disrupt the rhythm he is in for ANY reason at all. I know it's early but it's not hard to see the progress Avery has made at the plate this season. Increased power production, a fantastic walk rate, and improved SB success rate to name a few. I can't think of any justifiable reason that the O's would call him up. I want him to continue to learn and succeed at AAA before he is called up. Let him solidify the improvements he's made and maybe he's ready later on in the year. I am NOT happy.

[Matt P]

I just hope they play him and it's not a Ryan Adams type situation. Let him be the main LF until Reimold comes back IMO.

[dan72]

Wow I didn't see this coming??? I agree, it's only a good move if he gets to play. If he's going to ride the pine it's a waste. I am very happy to see him having a good year so far, lets hope this doesn't get him off track.
He does provide us with a legitimate base stealing threat.... currently we are station to station, waiting for the homerun or the double play.

[Shorebirdfan]

I'd prefer we were in a position to be calling up a player like Matt Angle. In the long run Avery is likely a better player, but not yet.

[OriolesRedskins28]

I'd prefer we were in a position to be calling up a player like Matt Angle. In the long run Avery is likely a better player, but not yet.

Exactly. And why potentially stunt his development just to provide some OF depth? Why not just bring up a player like Jai Miller? Unless they think Reimold will be gone for a significant period of time, but even then I would prefer a stop gap like Miller rather than disrupt the development of a fairly legit prospect who has shown improvement this year.

[TuckerBlair89]

Yea, I agree with you guys.

Thought this was a little premature. He has been productive, but remember going into the season some people (like myself) still figured he would have to get much better at the plate before a call-up was in line. He has absolutely done that, but its only been about 35 games down there. Would have liked to see him not "rushed".

If he plays up here, I don't think it hurts too much though. Playing time is playing time. Although its tough to learn on the fly going against the Rays, Yankees, etc.

[ofahn]

Thought this was a little premature. He has been productive, but remember going into the season some people (like myself) still figured he would have to get much better at the plate before a call-up was in line. He has absolutely done that, but its only been about 35 games down there. Would have liked to see him not "rushed".

Please accept this as an alternative POV.

I, too, thought he would not be ready for the ML until next year at the earliest, but I began to rethink that we he went nuts against some very good pitching at the AFL. He held his own against ML pitching in Spring Training and then made some adjustments at AAA and took off. As long as they play him almost every day, I don't see his promotion as a potential problem. In fact, I think it gives the team the opportunity to see whether or not he is a potential replacement for Adam Jones if the FO decides to move him.

Avery has struggled before and made the adjustments. If he struggles here then we'll see if is capable of making the ultimate adjustments.

[TuckerBlair89]

Thought this was a little premature. He has been productive, but remember going into the season some people (like myself) still figured he would have to get much better at the plate before a call-up was in line. He has absolutely done that, but its only been about 35 games down there. Would have liked to see him not "rushed".

Please accept this as an alternative POV.

I, too, thought he would not be ready for the ML until next year at the earliest, but I began to rethink that we he went nuts against some very good pitching at the AFL. He held his own against ML pitching in Spring Training and then made some adjustments at AAA and took off. As long as they play him almost every day, I don't see his promotion as a potential problem. In fact, I think it gives the team the opportunity to see whether or not he is a potential replacement for Adam Jones if the FO decides to move him.

Avery has struggled before and made the adjustments. If he struggles here then we'll see if is capable of making the ultimate adjustments.

That is the good thing about him. Adjustments have been made at every level.
As long as he plays, I don't mind him up that much.

[osforlife]

Don't like it. Maybe in a year.

[birdwatcher55]

I'm not unhappy. With his hot start, I think the Orioles were rolling the dice and hoping to catch some lightning in a bottle today and get some production from LF. Obviously it didn't happen but Avery didn't cost us the game. It wasn't like he struck out 5 times.

[CSPitt17130]

I hope this is a similar situation to Machado getting a lot of playing time with the big league club in spring training. Expose Avery to major league pitching for a few weeks when Reimold and Chavez are on the DL and then send him back down when Nolan is healthy again. Show Avery what he needs to learn and let him continue to develop in AAA. Avery, while he may be close to good enough now as a 4th outfielder, his ceiling is much, much higher but he's still a ways away from reaching it. When you're that far from you're ceiling, playing every day in an environment where you can work on those improvements is the best way to improve. Playing left field for the Orioles most likely isn't that situation for Avery. He can certainly improve while playing in Baltimore, but I think he'd get much better, much faster in Norfolk once the Orioles have their other LF options back.

[Rising O's]

I thought he did okay yesterday. He took some pitches, tried to put the ball in play against a very good pitcher. Shields is not your typical pitcher, throwing mostly change-ups, so it was a tough match-up in his first start. I hope he gets another start tonight, just maybe not at the top of the order. But then again, our leadoff options have been terrible this year anyway.

[Matt P]

Starting again tonight and batting lead off. Hopefully they will continue to start him in LF until Reimold is back.

[Rising O's]

I really like Avery at the plate. He's got a quiet stance, doesn't seem to get flustered, will take pitches. His first hit 1-2 and drives it for a double. On the triple he gets to 3-0, takes a strike, then drives a down and in fastball into the right field corner.
And boy he's fast. I have not seen him defensively, but he cannot be worse than Reimold in left.

[osforlife]

We will probably see some flashes of brilliance while he's up here. But I bet he's going to stuggle. Hopefully, this ML stint doesn't effect his growth.