RZNJ

1. I think there’s a history between the player and team that’s means something to both sides. 2. A pitcher who had TJ surgery, came back, got shut down again, needed all winter off, was a month behind everyone else, and has now thrown a total of 7.1 innings in 4 rehab starts doesn’t scream INNINGS EATER to me but maybe some ML team does think so. 3. I’m curious. Can the Orioles even circumvent the MLB rules for service time by guaranteeing his minor league time won’t affect his FA status?

The Orioles are the one team that has an investment in him, both monetary and emotional. They are the one team incentivized to have him pitch in the majors this year. What ML team, rebuilding or not, wants to take a pitcher who’s given up 14 hits, including 5 home runs, in 7 AAA innings, stick him in their bullpen, so he can keep accumulating FA service time? What’s their incentive? That he’s going to magically turn into the 2021 John Means and they can flip him at the deadline? While it’s possible that he regains form, I don’t think there’s a ML team willing to take the lumps on a longshot.

Sure, but would they add him to their 26 man roster and let him stink/rehab in the majors? I doubt it.

The guy had an intestinal virus or whatever and lost 10 pounds about a month ago. It’s a non factor. 1. Hays has been really bad but he’s not close to Chris Davis territory. 2. He’s going to get starts once or twice a week as Cowser cools off and to get Mullins and Santander a day off. 3. The Orioles are 12-6 and the offense has been mostly good and that’s been with getting zilch from Holliday. I’d hardly call them desperate to get Hays bat going against LHP. I handicap Hays getting sent down at 0%.

Fun fact (I know, nothing like Holliday) Rich Dauer was a 1st round pick (24th) from USC 1976 - up for a cup of coffee 4 for 39 . All singles 1977 - Rookie 2B makes the team. Thru May. 1 for 41 with 1 RBI and 1 run scored. June - 21 games. .357 average .958 OPS The moral of this story. Baseball is a very funny game. Earl Weaver stuck with a kid with 1/10 of the talent of Jackson Holliday.

Then he can become a FA but he’s going to wind up in the minors with another team. He’s smarter than that, I think.

Yohan Ramírez is low man on the totem pole but in a true meritocracy Mike Baumann would be vulnerable. Jacob Webb has done a nice job so far but I saw a 90 mph and nothing higher than 93 mph yesterday. I’d put him in that group of not totally secure. Suarez seems like he could be a high leverage nugget if he can’t last in the rotation. All things being equal, if Bradish comes back, prefer to see Wells in the rotation and Suarez in the 7th and 8th inning role unless Suarez can consistently do a 5 and dive like yesterday. P.S. Jacob Webb’s fastball is down from 94.9 last year to 91.7 this year. That’s concerning to say the least.

Ranked #259 prospect in 2020 draft Gibson popped onto the national radar last fall in Jupiter, when he struck out 12 batters and walked two while showing a four-pitch mix over six innings. The Liberty commit has a physical, 6-foot-4, 225-pound frame and a below-average operation, but he showed an ability to repeat it consistently and threw solid strikes in that outing. What will challenge scouts given the shortened 2020 season is Gibson’s limited track record. He was close to an unknown before his performance in Jupiter, and teams probably don’t feel great about the information they were able to add to his file this spring. In Jupiter, Gibson threw a 90-93 mph fastball and showed good feel for a slider, curveball and changeup. The slider sat in the mid-80s and was a firm breaking ball, the curve flashed two-plane break and his changeup was in the 82-85 mph range with good depth and sink. His curveball and changeup both looked like above-average offerings. With some stiffness and crossfiring action in his delivery, scouts wonder about Gibson’s reliever risk and without significant looks to clarify that question this spring teams might opt to let him get to campus in Lynchburg.

Baseball America 4YR Commit/Drafted: Never Drafted Age At Draft: 21.2 Gibson made a strong early impression at Liberty by putting up a 3.32 ERA with 70 strikeouts and 21 walks in 65 innings as a freshman in 2021. His second season wasn’t as strong. With 72 strikeouts in 56 innings, his strikeout rate was actually up year over year, but otherwise, the numbers paint a grimmer picture. His ERA ballooned to 6.75, his hits allowed per nine innings went from 7.1 to 10.1 and his walks allowed per nine innings went from 2.9 to 4.8. Gibson didn’t pitch at all for Liberty in the 2023 season, but threw in the Cape Cod League during the summer. He struggled through his first four appearances, posting a 13.50 ERA in 10 innings, with 12 strikeouts and eight walks. Gibson pitched around 89 and got his fastball up to 92, but he struggled to land his secondaries, which include a downer curveball in the mid 70s, a low-80s slider and a mid-80s changeup. There’s arm talent here, but his inconsistencies, lack of playing time and history with arm injuries in 2022 could make him a complicated draft target.

Good job on the Carlos Tavera mention. He finished with 4 perfect innings an 7 strikeouts. Easily his best performance since 2022 in Aberdeen and perhaps in his pro career. If he follows this one up with something similar he gets his own page.

Rumor is that he consistently skipped Bible study.

Oh, how the Tides have turned.

Unless Baumann gets it in gear, I would dump him before anyone. Can’t trust guys who can’t throw strikes.

I thought his FIP was in the 4’s last year. Yeah, it was pretty bad.

Yeah, but he made it out of the first inning in every start and even his FIP wasn’t terrible. He’s now getting owned down in AAA.