The year was 2009.
A certain hyped catching prospect had just put together the best minor league season in the modern era of baseball – a line of .355/.454/.600/1.053 with 27 HR and 91 RBI in 437 at-bats. He didn’t slow down during Spring Training either, posting a .333/.395/.513/.908 line.
So what did the Orioles do? Surely this player would start the season after putting up those type of numbers. After all, what was left for him in AAA?
Well, that player was of course was Matt Wieters, and once the Orioles sent him back down to AAA, they never saw that player again…the one who had those other-worldly numbers in 2008.
The Orioles had their reasons for sending him down: Scott Boras was and still is Wieters’ agent, and the Orioles figured they wanted him for more than just the six years they would have him before free agency. Andy MacPhail decided it was better to have that control than to see what Wieters could do at the MLB level immediately. Also, the team wasn’t going to win anything that year, so it made sense to them at that time to give him some more seasoning at AAA.
However the fact remains that sending Wieters to AAA to start the season derailed his track to the majors and he’s still not the same player. The Orioles do have the service time for next season, but I think they’d trade it to get anything close to the Matt Wieters that tore up AA in 2008 for this upcoming season (or for the previous several, for that matter).
Fast forward to 2014 and the Orioles have another decision to make with another one of their prize prospects. This player didn’t have the season than Wieters had, not even close; however, he was playing through an injury and he played at AAA where he held his own at age 21.
The player this time around is Jonathan Schoop, and he’s having a monster spring – with a .400/.436/.686/1.122 line – far better than Wieters’ 2009 Spring Training and he’s had some ABs where he’s kept games alive with key hits.
There’s no reason to think he’s not ready for Major League Baseball. Unlike Wieters in 2009, Schoop had 70 games in AAA last season. Yet just like those 2009 Orioles, they have acquired a player ready to block him –a no-hit utility player in Steve Lombardozzi, who is three years older and owns a paltry career line of .264/.297/.342/.639 and has a terrible .231/.244/.231/.475 line this spring. Those are Brandon Fahey -like numbers, not those of a World Series contending team’s second baseman. I’m also pretty sure Schoop would be able to at least equal those numbers, if not exceed them.
The Orioles are already starting a fourth outfielder in left field with David Lough, so they don’t need to have a utility player be their starting second and third baseman as well if they want to actually compete for the chance to win the World Series. It makes no sense to do that when they have somebody like Schoop who is ready and deserves the chance to start.
Looking back at Wieters’ 2009 season, he also had a hard time adjusting to MLB pitching after spending those two months in the minors. He had a line of .259/.316/.407/.724 in his first 31 games and didn’t really break out until the last month of the season. Schoop will also need to adjust to MLB pitching, and the sooner he faces it, the sooner he can adjust. Delaying him until May or June just pushes that adjustment period further into the season and instead of making those adjustments and being ready to help the Orioles push for the playoffs in the second half, just like Wieters, Schoop would have to make those adjustments in the second half and likely would hurt the team as a result.
I know the Orioles want to control service time and keep players under control as long as possible for as little cost as possible, but does anybody really know what the team will look like in six years? Do we know that Schoop won’t have a career season in 2014 or 2015 and not be worth keeping in 2021 anyway (just like Wieters is not worth keeping after this season)? The point is we know that this team can win now and has a shot at the World Series, but to do that the Orioles need to have their best 25 players on that roster when they take the field on Opening Day, and Schoop clearly is one of those 25.
The Orioles made the mistake of not riding the hot hand in Wieters to begin the 2009 season, and while it didn’t cost them that season, Wieters still isn’t the same player he was during 2008 and that Spring Training of 2009. Now the stakes are even higher, because you aren’t only worried about Schoop not reaching his potential, as now the playoffs are also on the line and every game counts.
The Orioles no longer have the luxury of making that mistake because the future is now, and if the Orioles’ future at second base is Jonathan Schoop, he needs to be running down the orange carpet next Monday.
photo: Craig Landefeld
4 Responses
Pretty sure Wieters disappointment as a hitter has absolutely nothing to do with the O’s keeping him down two extra months in 2009. Hitting AA and Spring Training pitching doesn’t guarantee major league success for anyone no matter how well they do it. Also, I’m pretty happy about having Wieters around another year after this.
However, I do agree with you on Schoop. This team is a contender now, unlike in 2009, and Schoop appears to be our best option to start at second base.
There is some comparison between Schoop in 2014 and Wieters in 2009…….they were both highly touted prospects with high expectations. The Orioles decided to delay Wieters’ debut to acrue his services for the 2015 season, and I see absolutely 0 evidence that he would be any kind of different player had he played for another month or so in April 2009. And I’m sure the O’s would make that decision again every time…..years of team control matter.
The more compelling argument is that the O’s are in it to win it in 2014 so they should break camp with their best 25. To use fear mongering to scare the O’s front office into being worried about stunting Schoop’s development is intellectually dishonest at best.
I read this piece because it was linked to something that was sent to me. The topic is the very nice problem the Orioles have regarding Schoop. It seems to many that Schoop is ready and many think he is in fact the best option for the Orioles at 2b to start the season. Particularly so because of Machado’s knee. I was looking forward to salient points about winning now with the best 25, our thin margin for error in the first few weeks of the season vs long term benefits of guaranteeing a 7th year of control. There are strong cases to be made for both sides, however, saying the orioles should fear repeating a mistake they made by keeping Matt Weiters in the minors for two extra months, is well, weak.
Aside from the many, many differences between the situations of the Orioles then and now, this article boils down to the Orioles ruined Matt Weiters by leaving him in ML for two months too long. They overcooked the switch hitting Jesus and therefore Jonathan Schoop should start the season at second base. Schoop may well run down the orange carpet next Monday, but it will be much more deeply thought out than the argument here. It is a luxury that many intelligent front offices all over baseball share. Thankfully.
This is actually the single dumbest “article” I’ve ever read. About anything. Every single time I think that you couldn’t possibly say anything more stupid, you go and do this kind of thing. Awesome. I continue to underestimate you in that regard.