Reynolds needs to go

[OriolesRedskins28]

Another reason to try to find some ABs for Mahoney. Between that and sending him to the AFL we can get a chance to see what we've got.

Agreed. I was hoping he would have good numbers against RHP so he could be part of a platoon, but this year his splits are very even.

[Matt P]

Really? Overbay? Wow.

[OriolesRedskins28]

Really? Overbay? Wow.

Excellent rebuttal.

[ofahn]

Excellent rebuttal.

It's a skill.

[ofahn]

Posted today on MLB Trade Rumors.

Non-Tender Candidate: Mark Reynolds
By Mike Axisa [August 18 at 10:16pm CST]

Four years ago, Mark Reynolds appeared to be on his way towards establishing himself as one of the very best power hitters in the game by slugging 44 homers for the 2009 Diamondbacks. That effort earned him a three-year, $14.5MM contract the following Spring Training despite his record-setting 223 strikeouts. A 25-year-old third baseman with that kind of power is worth locking up.

Uspw_6489748Reynolds, now 29, has since been traded to the Orioles because new D'Backs GM Kevin Towers made an effort to cut down on his offense's swings and misses. He can still hit for power (37 homers just last season), but his performance has otherwise declined and coming into Saturday he was a .218/.332/.409 hitter (101 OPS+) for manager Buck Showalter this year. Reynolds' glovework has forced him across the diamond to first base on a nearly full-time basis.

This season is the final guaranteed year of that three-year pact, which covered Reynolds' final pre-arbitration season and his first two years of arbitration-eligibility. That deal includes an $11MM club option ($500K buyout) for 2013, but because he won't have six full seasons of service time, Reynolds will not be eligible for free agency should Baltimore decide to decline the option. He'll remain under team control as an arbitration-eligible player. The O's could try to sign Reynolds to a cheaper deal - he's earning $7.5MM this season, a reasonably low base salary - or cut ties all together and non-tender him.

Power, especially right-handed power, is becoming increasingly hard to find these days. Reynolds is a one-dimensional player though, someone who will hit in the low-.200s and thus keep his on-base percentage relatively low. He's led the league in strikeouts in each of the last four seasons and has shown no signs of improving his contact skills with decreased playing time this summer. The Orioles are on the cusp of contention this season and $11MM is not chump change. They could decide to bolster their chances next year by saving cash, finding a more well-rounded player, and cutting the man with the eighth-most homers since 2008 loose.

http://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2012/08/n ... nolds.html

[Matt P]

Excellent rebuttal.

He's going to be 36, he isn't much better defensively, and he does not have nearly the same potential as Reynolds at the plate. Not really a point in debating Overbay vs Reynolds.

[OriolesRedskins28]

He's going to be 36, he isn't much better defensively, and he does not have nearly the same potential as Reynolds at the plate. Not really a point in debating Overbay vs Reynolds.

Reynolds' 2011 slash line: .223/.337/.411

Overbay's 2011 slash line: .292/.367/.448

Reynolds vs. righties career: .233/.317/.466

Overbay vs. righties career: .275/.370.455

Those numbers would indicate that Overbay has the potential to be a better option than Reynolds...

Sure Reynolds has plenty of potential at the plate but he's going to be 30 next year. I think it's pretty safe to say he is what he is at this point in his career.

Overbay may be 6 years older but he proved he can still hit this year and could play against righties on a cheap one year deal. Low risk, medium reward. I'm not saying he's a dynamite option especially because the team will already have 2 first baseman/DHs who hit better against righties in Betemit and Davis, but he certainly is an option that would be cheaper and has the potential to provide better value than Reynolds would overall.

I would much rather not go after Overbay but he is an option. To state that his production is not even comparable to Reynolds' production is ridiculous.

[TuckerBlair89]

Overbay has lost a ton of batspeed in the past couple years. I don't see him as an option honestly. He has been exposed very deeply the past few years when playing full time with Toronto and Pittsburgh. It doesn't bode well that Arizona let him loose either.

[Oriole85]

I mentioned this to Jordan last night, that I don't want to bring him back at all. One of those proverbial, let's go in a "different direction" type deals. I have nothing against the guy, don't think he's a bad clubhouse guy, just feel like I'd get some new blood in here. I wouldn't be opposed to bringing him back on a very team-friendly deal which would allow us to DFA him if he struggled early. But I'd like to see someone else play first or DH and not Reynolds.

[ofahn]

I mentioned this to Jordan last night, that I don't want to bring him back at all. One of those proverbial, let's go in a "different direction" type deals. I have nothing against the guy, don't think he's a bad clubhouse guy, just feel like I'd get some new blood in here. I wouldn't be opposed to bringing him back on a very team-friendly deal which would allow us to DFA him if he struggled early. But I'd like to see someone else play first or DH and not Reynolds.

Earlier in this line I had mentioned that I would consider him as the RH side of a platoon at 1B. That would limit his ABs but; more importantly to me, his time at 1B. Someone suggested a 3M one year contract. That sounds about right; however, I have serious doubts that he would accept that, and I really doubt he would accept that from us after we declined his 11M option. I could see him signing for that same 3M somewhere else before he would take it here.

[OriolesRedskins28]

I mentioned this to Jordan last night, that I don't want to bring him back at all. One of those proverbial, let's go in a "different direction" type deals. I have nothing against the guy, don't think he's a bad clubhouse guy, just feel like I'd get some new blood in here. I wouldn't be opposed to bringing him back on a very team-friendly deal which would allow us to DFA him if he struggled early. But I'd like to see someone else play first or DH and not Reynolds.

Agreed.

[ofahn]

Agreed.

I just wonder if the FO feels the same way.

[Matt P]

Reynolds' 2011 slash line: .223/.337/.411

Overbay's 2011 slash line: .292/.367/.448

Reynolds vs. righties career: .233/.317/.466

Overbay vs. righties career: .275/.370.455

Those numbers would indicate that Overbay has the potential to be a better option than Reynolds...

Sure Reynolds has plenty of potential at the plate but he's going to be 30 next year. I think it's pretty safe to say he is what he is at this point in his career.

Overbay may be 6 years older but he proved he can still hit this year and could play against righties on a cheap one year deal. Low risk, medium reward. I'm not saying he's a dynamite option especially because the team will already have 2 first baseman/DHs who hit better against righties in Betemit and Davis, but he certainly is an option that would be cheaper and has the potential to provide better value than Reynolds would overall.

I would much rather not go after Overbay but he is an option. To state that his production is not even comparable to Reynolds' production is ridiculous.

Again, you don't sign some one for what they have done. You sign someone for what you think they will do. It's the same reason Derrek Lee couldn't find a team this year. He won't be a defensive upgrade and while he does get on base more than Reynolds against righties I don't see how one can think he would be a better option going forward.

[Adam Wolff]

If you think Reynolds is just having a down year and his prior few seasons were more indicative of what he can do, then I think you try to bring him back on a cheaper deal. If you think this is just the player he's become, then I think you go in another direction.

This poor season was terrible timing for Mark. I wouldn't be surprised to see him sign a 1 year deal, perhaps with us, to try to re-establish some value before signing a larger, long term deal.

[jonas winslo]

Overbay is spent out. He's about to have his final break-down hill.