Tony-OH

It will be really interesting to see how Elias handles players after missing an entire year of games like they did. He has yet to show a willingness to aggressively promote players so I don't see Bannon up here until at least a half season of AAA time next year, but due to the missed season, who really knows how Elias will handle things. As for Alberto, I agree, he's fine as a stop gap 2B as long as he's cheap.

Alberto is a decent stop gap option for now, but if Bannon got off to a hot start next year I would not be against seeing what he looks like at 2B or 3B. 3B is a bigger hole for me than 2B as Ruiz is a well below average MLB 3B both offensively and defensively.

I'm not sure pitching 7.2 IP in 8 appearances in about 26 days time is going to convince anyone that they don't need to be worried about Harvey's health next year and beyond. Give me a full season of a regular relief work load with no DL stints or shutdowns and I'll believe it might behind him, but the only constant in Hunter Harvey's health since he was drafted was that he's not been healthy over a full season. We all see the talent, and we all are rooting for him to get it behind him, but he needs to prove it for much longer.

Because he's not very good overall? Honestly I'm not totally down on Bannon, I just don't think he's shown enough consistency at the plate or in the field at 2B to merit anyone counting on him to be part of the future here. But, we've seen players improve this year who have come back up so I haven't given up on him totally. He does have some tools to work from and at the end of the day, I'd probably like to see a full season at AAA before giving him consideration for the 2B job.

This is where I'm at. My first wish is for Trey to live and love and happy life that is cancer free. Obviously second to this is his return to his previous form as a baseball player, but there is an inherent risk that won't happen. AS Moose pointed out, many athletes have returned to form and we can hope and pray that he does, but more importantly, that Trey will be well long term.

With Hays and Mancini as two of the options? Not a good chance.

Smiley Face = sarcasm...

Do your own research, I'm not your errand boy.

I do think Mancini will be offered and will accept the same salary he was due to make this year before going to arbitration as long as the Orioles reasonably thinks Mancini will be play most of 2020. the good news here is the Orioles are not going to be contenders in 2021, so they can afford to run Mancini out there if he's healthy enough and able to play at that major league level once again. As for at bats, that's where it gets tricky and I'm assuming Davis will not be on the team next year (retire/release/DL'd all year with pothole injuries). The Orioles will need to find just about every day at bats for: Mancini 1B/RF/DH Nunez DH/1B Mountcastle 1B/LF Stewart DH/RF/LF Hays CF/LF Santander RF/LF That's six guys for 5 positions/DH. Mullins is a 4th outfielder and will need some at bats as well. That's not including Yusniel Diaz who should be in consideration for everyday at bats at some point in 2021. If you add him in that's seven guys for five positions plus a 4th/5th outfielder in Mullins. One thing to remember here the defense improves if you go with a Diaz (LF), Hay (CF, Santander (RF) Lineup at some point, but that means Mountcastle/Mancini/Nunez has to share 1B unless you are willing to watch the disaster of nunez trying to play 3B again. The Orioles need to find a decent defensive 3Bman of the future though Jordan Westburg could be that guy, he's at least 2-3 years away most likely. I'd try to move one of Stewart or Nunez for a 3B if possible, but few teams have extra 3Bman's laying around if they do, they aren't trading them for DH types like Nunez or Stewart unless they are significant upgrade to their DH position. I'd also float trading Pedro Severino if he has gained any value from this year's offensive output if he could bring back a 3B. Either way, unless it's certain Mancini will not be back in 2021, I see the orioles agreeing to the same salary he woud make this year and hopefully he'll be back playing. If not, he'll be placed on the 60-day DL and the Orioles would be able to recoup some of his contract back with insurance if he can't play at the major league level again. Knowing how hard a worker and his heart, I wouldn't bet against Mancini coming back and being the player he was.

There is little doubt in my mind that Syd was in the beginning stages of dementia while the GM wit the Orioles. While he could be arrogant, he was a great baseball mind at one point.

This is weird. According Roch's article, Hyde said this about Fulmer. Asked about Fulmer on Sept. 8, manager Brandon Hyde said, “Carson threw yesterday and our pitching guys are ecstatic about the kind of stuff and what they saw from him in his bullpen session yesterday. It’s a top of the first round college guy that got to the big leagues really fast. I saw that early in Chicago. They used him in a variety of roles, never really got comfortable at the big league level. So it’s a big arm that we want to take a look at and hope we can find some opportunities to get him in and show what he can do.” I wonder what changed? Makes you wonder if there is a something going on here behind the scenes because there are at least four pitchers (Kline, Hess, Stewart, Lakins) on the current 40-man roster I would have DFA'd over Fulmer. I mean, the guy has an absolutely violent delivery but also seemed like a guy with a decent cutter an change and a fastball that plays up due to deception. He's a weird DFA unless there is something behind the scenes.

Still one of the most head-scratchingly dumb decision this organization has done over the last 20 years.

Yikes, I'm really surprised it wasn't a hybrid between 2019 and 2020. Seems a bit unfair that a 60 game schedule with 7-inning no headers and severely uneven schedules should decide the draft order completely. I guess the only good news is this isn't official yet. The article states, ESPN.com’s Jeff Passan reports that teams’ 2020 records are “highly likely” to be used to determine the order of selection.

This.. Anyone talking anything from those ZIP projections are setting themselves up for a lot of grief for no reason. It's ridiculous to think players stay so even over a 4 year stretch. I've never been a ZIPs guy so I'll admit that upfront, and I also take a lot more out of the statcast info then I do the Fangraph projections. His evaluations are pretty solid overall on the players though there is absolutely no way Mountcastle should ever see 3B again on any kind of regular basis. His arm action and lack of overall arm strength would make him a game changingly (new word lol) bad 3B at the major league level. He's fine at 1B but I'd like to see him get everyday work in LF to see if he can improve on his poor stat cast numbers that suggest he's a well below average defender when it comes to range. I think Santander's OBP is low on the ZIp projections. It improved this year and at 25-years old, I expect that number to continue to rise.

After watching Valaika this year and then looking at his statcast numbers, I think it's fair to say we have a solid read on him by now. Valaika has a little pop in the bat and is versatile guy in that he can play a lot of positions, but he doesn't play any them well. He got pretty regular at bats this year and his WOBA was .306 (.317 MLB AVG) so it was slightly below average. His hard hit% is about major league average 34% vs 34.8 MLB avg. So the bat to me is slightly below average overall at best, but the problem comes is that he's below average at every position you play him at due to his 45 infield arm and below average first step quickness (my observations). The thing is, he's not awful any where so you can kinda get away with him as a utility player because although he's below average, he's not "will kill you awful" anywhere. At the end of the day, I could see Valaika as a starter on lower Division team that will ultimately give you below average numbers across the board, but he's more suited as a bat first utility guy. Do I think he can be serviceable utility guy in the major leagues? Sure, if you are looking more bat heavy than fielding heavy. Is he any part of the future as a regular, no, I don't think he brings enough of anything to be a first Division starter.

Makes sense to me.

The timing does seem weird. I'm assuming DSL players don;t count against the rule of being able to be moved during the season if not on the 60-man?? Not sure.

This is kinda where I am on this. Basically they are two extra young guys that I'm guessing that Koby Perez liked at some point. Givens is a free agent at the end of the year and Bleier is a 33-year old reliever. It's hard to gauge them off their DSL stats, but they seem to have some body upside and were given decent bonuses that suggest they both have some upside.

Not sure you can say that at 17-years of age. Are you basing that off his DSL numbers? I'm not saying it's better, but he did have a decent amount of doubles.

Let's just say, if the 3rd base coach Flores pays better attention and Stewart catches a very catchable ball in RF, the Orioles win 2-1 instead of lose 2-1. It doesn't matter this year, but these are losses that can't happen when the team starts to compete.

And that my friends is why Rio Ruiz is not an everyday major league third baseman. Well, actually reason number 15... Such an awful decision once he bobbled that ball.

Haha. that was about the only thing he did not do wrong. Just an awful play all around.

Good Lord, I can't wait until the #Orioles will actually have a good defensive outfield. But that's not going to include Stewart or Mountcastle if you are going for defense.

Yeah, it was just a poor read by Flores. Sisco is slow is heck, but he got be sending him until he sees him come up with the ball cleanly.

Yeah, it was just a poor rad by Flores. Sisco is slow is heck, but he got be sending him until he sees him come up with the ball cleanly.