Q&A: O’s Blogger on Aubrey Huff

The Mets begin a three-game, inter-league series against the Orioles tonight in Baltimore.

There has been some buzz of late, at least among fans and opinion columnists, linking the Mets to the O’s and Aubrey Huff, who is batting .261 with eight HR and 41 RBI this season.

I think a lot of people are intrigued by Huff because a) there is no way the O’s make the post season this year, and so he’s probably available now, b) he hit 32 home runs last season, and c) he could play first base now, but is capable of playing left field when Carlos Delgado returns from the disabled list.

So, I asked Matt Sadler, O’s fan, and writer of Right off Russell, to help fill me on Huff, who I am not very familiar with, outside of what I see in the boxscore.

Matthew Cerrone: Do you think the O’s will trade Huff?  If so, what type of talent are they typically looking for?
Matt Sadler:  I do think the O’s will trade Huff away at the right price. Huff is in the last year of his deal, and I don’t see him signing with the team.  They have serviceable players that can cover for him at first base and DH with some prospects on the way… Andy McPhail is a reasonable baseball man.  I think his recent MO is taking younger, underachieving players with huge upside.

Matthew Cerrone: How is Huff’s defense? Can he still play both first and outfield?
Matt Sadler: Honestly his defense is very non-descript. I am trying to remember him making any serious blunders at first, and I can’t. His stats seem to back my theory up. He is also doesn’t end up on the highlight reel for Teixeira-like grabs. He seems to cover well for some poor throws, but his range is not remarkable. As for playing the OF, he has not played there as an Oriole. He has covered first, third and the DH role. The O’s have too much depth in the outfield and are very thin in the infield.

Matthew Cerrone: What are best and worst parts of his game?
Matt Sadler: The best part of his game is that he can provide instant results from the plate. He is a career hitter who is not a liability on the basepaths. While his power is generated pulling the ball, he can hit well enough to the opposite field to avoid teams using the shift on him.  The worst part of his game is that he is a slow starter. His best months usually are in July, August and September… for a team, looking to fill a a gap mid-season, he would be perfect.



(metsblog.com)