sportsfan8703

I’m going with Burnes. Pitching can shut down hitting. We have multiple bat options in the mlb/minors that can carry a lineup 1-9. We don’t have anywhere near a Burnes replacement.

Nope. From this point in the season going forward, I’d rather have our guys except for Seager, Ramirez, Bregman, Altuve, and Witt. I’m glad @Moose Milliganstarted this thread, but I don’t think anyone did the yearly thread where they rank our players position by position versus every other player in the AL East. It’s an easy exercise. I guess the only other players in the AL East that I’d rather have over any of our position players would be Judge, Soto, Devers(at 1B/DH), Arozerena, Vlad, and Bichette(at 1B/DH). That’s not me being a homer. That’s realizing that we have a Braves type of lineup before the rest of the MLB fans catch on. But… good pitching can shut us down. That’s why Burnes is priority #1 over Gunnar to extend.

Burnes extension is priority #1. Even over Gunnar. We have other bats in our system to carry a lineup 1-9. We have some SP in the minors, but it’s more backend guys. It’s not like Basallo, Mayo, Kjerstad and EBJ.

A lot can happen in two starts. Worst case scenario is that Means is essentially a rule 5 player while he gets things figured out at the MLB level. That would just mean we’d have to option one of Tate/Akin for him or DFA Ramirez.

We’re going to be favored in everyone of Burnes’ starts this year. Probably GR too. Extend Burnes ASAP. Witt is one of only a handful of IF in the AL that would even start for us at 3B, SS, 2B. Witt, Jose Ramirez, Altuve, Bregman, Seager?

@Moose Milligan thanks for starting this thread. Marsh and Ragans both shut us down but that was in the cold and rain. Our bats have come alive since then and now we get a 2nd look with them fresh in our minds. We took 2/3 from KC last year in KC at a similar time. A very high scoring series. Only Grienke baffled us. Probably because it was early in the season and he still had a fresh enough arm to do so. Tough Matchups but our hitters like hitting at this ballpark, and have been on fire.

He looks like a man amongst boys, but he’s the youngest on the field.

Agreed, but on the flip side, SS is much deeper offensively than second base. Once you get past the top 5 you get in into guys like Andres Giménez, Nico Hoerner, and Gavin Lux. 2.9 is a pretty sharp number considering only 5-7 guys at 2B put that up last year. His tool that’s going to carry him over the 2.9 is his base running. Not just steals, but he’s going to be a machine on the bases in front of Gunnar. Holliday just has to start dropping some hits in. The numbers will come. I think the off day, and going on the road, will help him. Basically, it gets a chance to breathe.

Holliday will be a WAR rack once he gets going. He plays 2B and will steal bases. Just like how Mateo has been able to be a WAR rack in the past. The added positional value and base stealing will carry his slow start.

Stephenson - Injured Brasier - 4.50 ERA Robertson and Ottavino are killing though. Fuji - 9 ERA in AAA Uwasawa - 6.30 in AAA These are the names from the offseason that I remember.

@Sports Guy you could’ve just really simplified this and made the poll “Will Holliday be ‘ok’ this year? Yes? No? The Betting sites have him at the same odds to win ROY as they do to have Burnes win the CYA. As a degen, I’d blind bet the over on any Holliday prop right now. So my answer is, OVER

Zippy chance Hays goes anywhere. One, it’s SSS. You just can’t cut guys during slumps. You’re never going to have all 9 guys tearing it up at the same time. Everyone is over Urias because Holliday is up. Holliday is struggling. What’s next move onto whatever player is in a slump? Mountcastle has cooled off. He better get it together

Who would’ve thought that the bullpen would’ve been this stable in terms of moves since OD? We’re not seeing the up/down Norfolk shuttle. Vespi was up just because Webb was on Paternity Leave. Heasley and Ramirez have been just because Perez got injured. The early consistency allowed us to take a chance on a live arm like Ramirez because a team like the Mets is locked into a bunch of relievers that are out of options and making guaranteed money. Knock on wood, but I don’t think the bullpen has “cost” us a game. Maybe one of the 50/50 games in Pittsburgh. Everyone hates the small moves, but look at the arms Elias has added via that route since the end of ST 2022. Coloumbe, Webb, Suarez, Ramirez, Krook, and Ort. Building a bullpen isn’t sexy. Unless you sign Robert Stephenson.

It’s called resting players. The last game Hays had he hit two balls in play with exit velos over 100 mph. We’re like 1/9th of the way through the season. Hays is essentially a platoon OF now while struggling. How many people in this thread wanted to send Gunnar down last April?

I was thinking the same thing. Chris Tillman. Also, with Means is it’s not just the injury he’s having to overcome, it’s the spider tack ban as well. He’s making 3.35 million this year. What team would even claim him if he’s DFA’d?