Do you want Adam LaRoche?

My question of the day for Oriole fans, is do you want Adam LaRoche?

LaRoche turned 30 in November, and spent 2009 with Pittsburgh, Boston, and Atlanta. For the 5th consecutive season, he provided at-least 20 homers.

For his career, LaRoche has a .834 OPS, and has averaged 67 extra-base hits and 133 k’s per 162 games played.

During the past three-seasons, the lefty has an .856 OPS against right-handed pitching, and a .756 OPS against fellow south-paws. During that same three-year period, he has had a .770 OPS before the All-Star break, and a .908 OPS after.

This past-season, he made just over $7M. Buster Olney of ESPN reported yesterday that LaRoche turned down a 2 year $17M dollar deal with San Francisco.

While I could see Baltimore being interested in him, I would be surprised to see the Orioles offer match or exceed what the Giants put on the table.

Do you want the O’s to sign him? I guess I could go either way. If they were to sign LaRoche to a 2 year-deal, they would add another quality bat to lineup. Even if they were to ‘overpay’ per year, a 2 year deal is minimal risk. It would give Baltimore the ability to send Snyder to AAA to start the year, and have an everyday lineup that resembled:

Roberts 2nd
Jones CF
Markakis RF
Wieters C
LaRoche 1st
Reimold LF
Scott DH
Atkins 3rd
Izturis SS

With Wigginton, Pie, Moeller, and the 25th player on the roster on the bench.

With that lineup, the O’s gain the benefit of adding more of a known quantity to the middle of their lineup, and providing some likely solid production.

If Snyder was tearing up AAA, and forcing his way to the bigs, the Orioles would than be able to trade Scott to open up a position for Snyder in the everyday lineup.

Is that the best way to go though?

Is that everyday lineup a better use of time, than not signing LaRoche, and giving 1st to Scott, or even possibly Reimold to start the year?

If you were to give 1st to Scott, without signing LaRoche, the everyday lineup could look like:

Roberts 2nd
Jones CF
Markakis RF
Wieters C
Reimold DH
Scott 1st
Atkins 3rd
Pie LF
Izturis SS

Wigginton, Moeller, Montanez / Aubrey, 25th

Snyder would still go to AAA, and the team would still be able to move Scott to create room for him if so desired.

LaRoche is probably a better 1st baseman defensively than Scott, but they are likely within one standard-deviation of each other. More importantly, with Scott at 1st, it allows Reimold to take over DH, with Pie joining the everyday lineup. The overall athleticism of the lineup improves, and Pie’s defense in LF, means more than LaRoche’s defense at 1st.

It is fair to say that the first-lineup with LaRoche is probably more of a ‘sure thing’, and also gains the benefit of having both Wigginton, and Pie available off the bench.

So Baltimore, again I ask; do you want Adam LaRoche?