I think the O's have to give him a shot. There is no guarantee that he will be any better than whomever he replaces on the roster. But he has earned the opportunity.
Believe me. I've been clear that I reached peak McKenna long ago. But you really do not know for sure if Cowser will be any better until he proves it.
And for the record, I want to see Cowser, and Westburg too. Let's see if they can hit ML pitching.
Elias began his tenure with an organization that was complete poop. He has turned it into a stronger organization for sure, primarily through drafting position players.
But I would suggest that he cannot be considered as a guru until he builds up pitching in the organization. There is really no pitcher in the minors that he acquired that I would consider a can't miss prospect.
Honestly, we have NO clue whether Cowser will hit ML pitching right away. His stats suggest that he could have success, but you just don't know until prospects arrive.