Tony-OH

Bradish still needs work on his command and in case you didn't notice allowed four base runners and needed 52 pitches to get through 2 IP. So while I would have been fine seeing him piggybacked at the major league level to start the year, I'm ok if they want to work on something with him still. At 25 years old he may be what he's going to be though so I do think we'll see him sooner than later if he pitches well to start the year. As for Diaz, lol. The guy slashed .161/.233/.265/.498 last year in AAA with 18 BBs and 82 Ks' in 253 PAs but you think Elias wants to lose by sending him down due his 19 spring training PAs? Hall is another that very well may be up before the year is out but they are clearly going to monitor his work load and it's easier to just give him 3 inning starts in AA for a bit until they can build him up. We all see how special he can be but he's going to take a little time.

Perhaps, it just depends on how good he's pitching. If he's dominating and they have him for his his "7th" year then I think we see him up shortly there after. But Elias did keep Mountcastle down a few weeks longer, perhaps for optics.

I thought he was ready for a piggy back role so like I said, I was a little surprised. Saying that, he's going to be up and pitching in Baltimore sooner than later. i still have the same concerns I had when I saw him last year. Too many pitches to get batters out that will limit the amount of innings he'll get through and will eventually lead him to the pen where I think he's got a chance to be pretty darn good.

I'm a little surprised but today's outing is part of his problem. It took him 52 pitches to get through two innings of work. I though maybe he would be one of the piggy back guys but maybe the team wants to see him cut down his pitch count in AAA first.

Actually you don't. But it's ok, MLB economic process are not for everyone. Let's just call Elias a cheap sob. It's an easy concept to comprehend for some.

It may not change, but I'm just saying is that Sanchez was released after being terrible all spring so I could see the same thing happening to Odor. The thing is the Orioles need left-handed hitters.

Made his spring training debut pitching one scoreless inning with strike outs. Averaged 99.1 MPH on his fastball topping out at 100 MPH. The only batter that swung at his four sliders whiffed. He clearly would be the best reliever on the team with just on the fastball, slider combination, but he also has a curve and change that he will use as a starter in the minors this year. Interestingly only pitched one inning with the minor league season about a week out from opening day. He will most likely be limited to a 2-3 inning stints early on and it will be interesting to see when or if they take the kid gloves off him this season.

It's not his approach to hitting balls to all fields that's the problem, it's having a plan at the plate against the pitcher. It's knowing what the pitcher is tryin to do to you and adjusting that's not a strength for him. Spring training is spring training. Pitchers are working on things vs working on how to get a batter out some of the time. Let me see Diaz go to AAA and put up numbers when it matters. Spring training numbers are nothing but a mirage. Anyone think Mullins and Hays are going be .500 or less OPS guys this year? It's small sample size and until I see Diaz due it over hundred PAs or so when it matters, I don't think he's a guy you take North. Same thing goes for Bannon. Go back to AAA and prove you belong.

Apparently you are still the only person on this site that doesn't understand service time and player control issues. If you thought Rodriguez had any shot at making this team you are sadly mistaken. He'll be up though once they can get that 7th year.

We thought the same thing about Yolmer Sanchez last year, so Elias has surprised us before. Odor has looked really bad so far. Now, he very well may still make the team, but Mateo and Urias need to play everyday and Gutierrez and Owings can hold down 3B so really, besides his left-handed stick, he seems redundant right now.

There's always been a prevailing thought that Diaz is a "bright lights" player in that he performs better on the bigger stage of the major leagues, but I think that has come from his good spring trainings. Diaz had an awful year last year and sure, part of it was injuries, but he really does not make good swing decisions and has yet to show he has a plan at the plate. Elias has never been much to be influenced by a few spring training PAs. Now with the expanded roster, could they keep him perhaps, but as right-handed batter he's redundant to Hays and McKenna in the outfield and the fact is that Mateo also can play the outfield so that limits the need for Diaz. I think Owings is making the team and most likely Stewart if he's healthy just because he was give the Orioles a matchup option late in games against a good right-hander.

Pitching in the 9th inning of spring training is actually not a good thing because that means they are giving you innings against minor leaguers. The earlier you get into games the better competition they are trying to see you against. I actually thought Baker had a good chance of breaking with the team coming onto spring training but a little disappointed in how they've used him.

Because he hasn't been good in AAA, he can be optioned, and he hits right-handed. Diaz has hit in spring training before and then gotten up into the cold weather and sucked. 19 early spring training PAs does not over come the .157/.225/.251/.476 he hit in 209 AAA PAs last year. Let him go down to AAA and prove he really belongs up here. There is no way he starts 2-3 times a week right now with the Orioles unless they trade Mancini. Let him go down, play everyday and force his way to the big leagues.

Diaz needs to show he can hit AAA pitching and in the cold before making a team.

They really only matter to players that are really in competition. Urias was going to make the team and was going to most likely start at 2B or SS before spring training, but it's pretty clear he'll definitely be starting at one of them now.

It still amazes me that the Orioles choose to start 2021 with Rio Ruiz at 2B over Urias.

He may have it too, but I believe he's been slowed after getting hit by a pitch Wednesday in the hand.

Diaz needs to show me he can hit at AAA and stay healthy. He's hit in spring training before and then bombed in the colder Northern weather. I think it's going to be tough for Stewart to make the team. Owings and Mateo play the outfield and have more versatility. The only thing Stewart has going for him is he's a lefty swinger with some occasional pop. Right now this offense is pretty righty heavy and it would be nice to have that left-handed power bat when they want to rest Mountcastle and/or Mancini. Neustrom really could have made a bid with a good spring and Stowers needs more time in AAA. If Diaz was a lefty swinger he'd be interesting, but I think he goes back down. That means it's could come down to Odor and Stewart for the left power bench bat.

Updated thru 3/26...

Martin and Owings too.. Everyone but Odor.

Updated thru 3/25

Sure, will the contingent of fans that love the players be upset a bit, sure, but will an unprecedented backlash occur that cause fans to turn on Elias, I highly doubt that. Whatever fans that are left are diehards and honestly, giving Trey a chance to play for a contending team while he's still got a chance to be somewhat productive is a good thing. Right now, I'm not trading him unless we can get at least a decent prospect (preferably a starting pitching prospect) because we don't have any one that can replicate his potential offense at DH until Stowers or for some reason Diaz or Neustrom look ready. At that point, assuming there are no injuries (and we're talking about Hays and Santander in corner outfield positions) we will need his PAs and then it time to kinda move him to a contender for whatever we can get. The best case scenario is Mancini hits really well and a contender suddenly needs a bat. Universal DH opens up 15 more potential jobs for him so that's actually a good thing for his value. While I still think going to arbitration with him is silly, I'm assuming making him as cheap as possible makes him even more attractive on the trad market. At the end of the day, it's very doubtful Mancini is on this team past 2022. He's a team leader and has been a good Orioles on some bad teams, but he has no future role on this team with his skillset.

BTW, that value is why it's embarrassing for the Orioles to be going to arbitration with him over 400K. He has been a steal. I'd just like to see him put a full season together before giving him any kind of extension. By the time he's a free agent he'll be 32 and the Orioles could have his replacement ready. If not, they should be in position financially to resign him.

As good as he's supposedly been this spring, I think he starts at Aberdeen and could be in AA by July.

Diaz always looks good in spring training and warm weather. Let's see how that translates to AAA this year and of course, how long can he stay healthy?