Jammer7
-
Posts
2611 -
Joined
-
Last visited
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Events
Posts posted by Jammer7
-
-
55 minutes ago, RZNJ said:
Sorry, but we must be looking at two different Kyle Stowers. The dude creates plenty of power and exit velocity. He's lanky and long limbed but he's pretty solidly built.
He does create a lot of exit velo and has barreled a lot of balls well, so far. Those numbers were against selected competition at the major league level. Max effort swings can hamper barrel accuracy, in general. Once the book gets out in him, I expect his barrel percentage and other numbers to dip. We’ll see what adjustments he makes then.
He’s improved since being drafted, absolutely. Just my opinion, more strength would help him in various ways. More functional strength would help him at times when maybe he doesn’t barrel it optimally. Not just upper body, but lower body as well. OF over 162 games is a long season.
I’m not talking about a huge increase, and I’m not sure how much he can really add anyway. All of these guys have to get stronger as they come up to stay stronger and healthier through the long season.
I am not down on him, and maybe I’m picking nits. I think there is a chance he ends up like a Corey Dickerson type. Not meant to be a true comp, but that’s what I see sometimes when I watch him.
Out of curiosity, what kind of “loose” comp would you throw out there on him?
-
A lot of good things in this thread. With Vavra, the defense kills it for me. I like the OBP and his swing, in general. I wonder how much the back issues have sapped his athleticism. From what I have seen in 2022, I don’t see much future in Baltimore for Vavra.
Stowers is a guy who I expected to play much more. They seemingly protected him, playing him mostly in matchups they felt he would have the best chance to succeed. The defense is average to me, at best. The routes and way he tracks does not inspire confidence, but it’s passable if he rakes. Stowers needs to get bigger and stronger, which will likely slow him down a bit. Is there a lack of confidence in him from the major league staff? I don’t think so. I think they protected him, but we’ll see. I don’t see an star caliber RF, but a solid role player on a good team.
-
On 10/17/2022 at 9:31 AM, justcompete said:
This echoes a lot of what you see in the baseball development world at the you/high school/ collegiate levels.
Pitching side- everyone has a velocity program and velocity in prep/collegiate baseball is higher then ever. Command of multiple pitches is the hardest component.
Every one wants the barrel to ball skill as the exit velocity can be attacked in the kitchen, weight room and rotational training, especially with over weight/under weight training.
As a point of reference- Gunnar Henderson's exit velocity topped out at 93 mph 12 months before he has drafted.
https://www.perfectgame.org/players/playerprofile.aspx?ID=460812
Good stuff. Incidentally, my son was a 2018 grad. PG had his exit velo posted off a tee. Not sure that is the case here or not, but it used to be that way. Obviously, off a pitched ball, hitters will have higher EV.
-
1
-
-
Thanks for sharing that. And thanks to @justD for the transcripts. She seems remarkably heavily involved in the day-to-day operations of the team. Had me wondering what Elias does nowadays.
-
21 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:
Here's what I don't understand in this line of thinking, how do they "take a look" at them in October when the year is out?
I'm not bashing Elias, I'm questioning his evaluations for major league talent. I've honestly never seen a team ever protect a 33-year AAA back up catcher after the season was done. Evah!!! lol
Look, I'll give him credit for finding guys like Mateo and Urias off the scrap heap, but those were no doubter 1st on the waiver wire queue claims.
They have done a good job in finding some good pitchers off the waiver wire and I'm a fan of their scouting and development so far for the most part.
I'm not an Elias basher, but I'm also not giving him passes for bad moves or moves that make me question his sanity. Collecting backup catchers in October after the season standpoint just seems very weird to me and the Bemboom and Cave moves are borderline crazy as neither are valuable pieces of any winning team in the future.
I'm going to call them as I see them. If it's a good move, I'll be the first to say it, but he doesn't get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to evaluating borderline major league talent because he's failed more than he's found success and he's also given up on talent that found great success elsewhere (Evan Phillips and of course Yaz comes to mind).
We're all on the same sheet of music when it comes to saying we doubt these moves mean a lot overall, other than the need to do them. Makes me wonder what other things are they wasting their time on instead of quickly saving a 33-year old back up catcher from potentially becoming a minor league free agent.
If they are on the roster of another team, you cannot have them work out, obviously. Free agents can come, or not. If you have their rights, have them in for an informal workout. Call it a mini-camp, or an instructional seminar, whatever. They do that a lot without any fanfare. You add that to whatever the scouting reports and analysis tell you. If that is some kind of union issue, then call all it a voluntary workout where these guys are motivated to show up by invitation. They want to show up to these things as they see it as an opportunity to impress a team. They do these things all of the time. There are always players working out in Sarasota.
Yeah, we are all in agreement with the amount of importance these moves likely have. Bemboom is puzzling, for sure. With regard to Garcia, in particular, he is still a long shot, but there is potential upside there in a limited role. He has had a lot of injuries, this past season it was a finger and an elbow that kept him out most of the year. He had a hip labrum before that. COVID messed with his rehabilitation and so on. Bad luck, but he has stuck with it and improved his defense in many ways.
I don’t think Urias was a no-brainer at all. Barely anyone on this board thought much of anything about him until he debuted in 2020. Even then, most here thought he was a waste of a roster spot. Every team fails in these minor acquisitions mostly. The successful waiver claims he had on this year’s team were certainly remarkable, as you stated. Then, you say he hasn’t shown he can evaluate major league talent? Which is it?
Cionel Perez, Bryan Baker, and even Joey Krehbiel were outstanding. These guys had a flawed history and were largely criticized here. And then, we saw them in Spring Training and suddenly, the doubters were hushed. They even became fans. But, here we are again. That is why I give them the benefit of the doubt. They have a bit of a track record now of finding something they can improve and making a player better.
He has not made many trades yet. Bradish was worthwhile for one year of a largely washed up Iglesias, no? And we’ll see about Brnovich and Peek after TJ surgery. Both had an upward trajectory before being shut down.
And the vaunted Rays let Phillips go too, so meh, whatever. Good for Phillips to find his niche. He needed a fresh start. And the same reasoning goes into taking a shot at talent you believe is under-valued by others. Perhaps Elias may think the Orioles have a way of unlocking what others saw in Garcia, or a guy like Cave, all along. Perhaps they have a back up role on a good team if used properly, like Phillips for the Dodgers. No matter how good the coaching and analytics are, guys are still not going to gel or fit. The trick, to me, is to bring in certain guys with certain traits and it’s still a roll of the dice. Albeit, a more calculated one than it used to be. You have to know what you like and what you develop best. Work to your strengths as often as you can to build value.
He may envision an opportunity to find a back-up catcher for Adley in Garcia. If you look at his career, injuries have been held him back. Catchers sometimes take a while and bloom in a back-up role late in their careers. Or Garcia might be among the many DFA as @Frobby suggested just before the rosters are set for the Winter Meetings. Bemboom and Gallagher seem awfully redundant to me for the moment, but we’ll see how long they last on the 40 man.
If we lose Handley in rule 5, I will be a little disappointed. Especially if it is when we keep one of the aforementioned journeyman types instead. I think it is an interesting case what happens at back up catcher. What are the Orioles looking for in a back up catcher? Do they need a more-veteran defender, or would an up-and-coming athletic intelligent, albeit inexperienced, kid from Stanford be the right move? IDK.
All of that said, maybe none of these moves work out. So be it. If you do nothing, you don’t have success at all. That’s the only guaranteed outcome. We still need to find under-valued talent in a small to mid-market team. Sorry about the long rambling post.
-
3
-
-
It could be several things. The article in the link below talks about some of the mental issues he may have had earlier this season.
The biggest thing for young guys is confidence, and realizing who they are and how they can fit in MLB. The PCL creates false expectations, and confidence can wane quickly if the player can’t replicate those results.
I would doubt they are looking to move him at just 23 years of age. Maybe in the right deal that makes sense for both teams, but I think he just needs time and a redefined expectation of success from himself.
https://www.mlb.com/news/jarred-kelenic-a-key-part-to-mariners-offense
-
1
-
-
17 hours ago, Tony-OH said:
You guys crack me up with "The orioles want to take a look" at journeyman AAA catchers by putting them on the 40-man."
I get it, many of you are so happy after a great season that Elias can now do no wrong. He can make ridiculous moves and people will just be like, eh, he's a genius so of course this must be right. I mean, what team doesn't have 3 journeyman catchers including a 33 year old who was a back up catcher in AAA on their 40-man roster?
Look, I agree with those that say ultimately none of this matters right now and the guys they are removing are guys that can be easily found again, but I'm not going to just accept that this makes sense because Elias is doing it.
But hey, why should we challenge a GM that played Odor and Aguilar down the stretch while his team was still in contention for a wild car spot? Elias is clearly infallible here to some and I get it after the nice year, but the historic losing was under Elias as well.
I will leave you guys with this, while this really doesn't stop the team from doing anything and any of these spare part catchers can be jettisoned at will, I question the analytical evaluations of a team that believes protecting a 33-year old back up AAA catcher is so valuable that they see a need to protect him on the 40-man.
Considering this team felt Aguilar would help down the stretch despite being terrible all year with Miami, and their analysis that Odor was the best player to play a bunch during a stretch run, make me question this organization when it comes to evaluating major league ready talent.
Maybe this is some weird way to get guys under contract as cheaply as possible into the system, but there is no magic evaluation system going on that they send these guys through.
We just don’t know why they do things sometimes. Every team makes moves that the fans don’t understand. With what they have accomplished in Baltimore so far, some of us are inclined to wait and see. Maybe give them the benefit of the doubt.
Criticizing the GM/manager or whatever, of course that’s fair game. It’s part of being a fan, and it goes with being the GM. Three journeymen catchers added is absolutely puzzling.
But why is it a crazy idea to take a look at low cost options for a possible AAA depth or back up job with the big club? They can still jettison them in a month if it isn’t a good fit. They know all about Bemboom, so that one is the oddest for me. But for the other two, get them to Sarasota and some informal workouts. Talk with them about analytics and pitch selections and sequencing. When they are on your roster, you can do that. Garcia is supposed to be an excellent framer, and that would be a tremendous upgrade to Chirinos.
Is Cave a better bench player than Stowers? IDK, but maybe they want Stowers to play everyday if he doesn’t make the opening day roster in a meaningful role. Can Cave buy some time and provide some limited value in a limited role? Maybe.
Perhaps I’m way off on my speculation. I’m just trying to figure it out like the rest of you, minus the Elias bashing. Trying to find a legitimate reason. I know, that’s crazy talk. Maybe he just does silly things to entertain us message board types in the offseason.
-
An interesting story from February 2021 from an A’s site on Garcia.
https://www.athleticsnation.com/2021/2/19/22288426/aramis-garcia-scouting-report-oakland-as-prospect
-
1
-
1
-
-
16 hours ago, SilverRocket said:
I'm imagining maybe they want to put these players on an offseason regimen and battle for a backup spot. The 40-man roster is just a way to get them into the system and there's otherwise no downside to using these spots right now.
15 hours ago, foxfield said:1) In October? No not at all. Like you, I don't see the reason, but that doesn't mean there isn't one...even a good one. But unless they are here in Nov, I fail to see why it even registers unless you think the person they exchanged wasn't expendable. Then I would be more concerned.
This is where I am. I do not know why these moves were made. There has to be some reason, and I don’t know it. I do think Aramis Garcia and Jake Cave have some limited upside. Yes, they will both be 30 soon. Maybe this gives the team’s coaches an opportunity to meet with them, evaluate in person, perhaps send them to a Driveline type environment to see what they can improve on. They have a little over a month to evaluate them fully.
We’ll see if any of these moves stick, and I doubt it. Elias is no fool. He saw an opportunity to look at some guys they might like to play a limited role. So be it.
-
Aramis Garcia was once a highly rated prospect in the Giants system. A second round pick out of FIU. He has had some injuries, including a hip labrum that required surgery, and missed significant time. There is some power there, and a lot of swing and miss. Reportedly has worked hard to become an above average defender.
-
2
-
-
51/58
Travis Lakins Sr
Marcos Diplan
Denyi Reyes
Alex Wells
Logan Allen
Chris Ellis
Cody Sedlock
I got hung up on Spenser Watkins for some reason. Kept thinking he had a C, not an S. I remember the Aussie LHP Wells, could not remember his first name. Chris Owings came to me just before the end, along with Rico Garcia and Louis Head. Thanks, those are always fun.
-
On 10/11/2022 at 9:15 AM, Tony-OH said:
Nottingham's receiving and blocking skills makes Severino look like Rutschman. He has a nice bat if he could catch effectively, but he should be a 1B at this point because he truly was terrible back there during the games I watched him catch AAA pitchers this year.
His athleticism brings back memories of Sal Fasano. Yeah, his rep was a solid defender, maybe even above average. I wonder where the disconnect was. I know he was banged up a lot this season, but it wasn’t good.
-
I’m not a fan of the lottery system they adopted, but so be it. It will be interesting how it shakes out. If we end up in the middle picks, we can see what the “scouting apparatus” does with that pick. See how their philosophy changes, if at all. If Elias gets a top 6 pick, Buster Olney will lose his mind. lol
-
Very interesting that with a big improvement, the Orioles are still at such a deficit. With a balanced schedule next season, it will be interesting to see what impact that has in this discussion. Will there be a wider disparity between the AL East teams (and Houston) and the rest of the league?
-
Well, the other teams in the AL East are pretty good, probably a little better/more talented than we are just yet. I think it made me appreciate just what they accomplished as an under-talented or less-experienced bunch.
Overall, it has been a season of great progress. We’ve seen a lot of young players and pitchers take major steps forward. The pen has been incredible, but they are running on fumes. The starters have been very good in stretches, but they have been inconsistent of late, at a critical time. The hitters have been transitional. Very good at times, and completely lost at others. Is it the humidors? is it the ball? Is it the new hitting coaches’ philosophies and practices? IDK, maybe all three.
When the calendar changed to August, the intensity turned up. These guys learned a few valuable lessons, but they weren’t ready to compete at the top level yet. They are tired and pretty beat up at this point. Many have never played a full 162 game season. Several pitchers, since COVID, really needed to stretch out more. Not making excuses, but there is a learning curve.
I’m proud of these guys. This group has over-achieved and come a long way. Young talent has come up, a lot more on the way. We are starting to make the other teams nervous. They know the Orioles are on the road to being legitimate now. Now, they can prepare in the off season for 162 games. Elias and staff can add spend for some FA’s and make some trades. We are finally ready to compete. Perhaps we take these series in 2023.
-
I think Santander is not a “core” player, but a solid 2nd tier guy for a good team. I think the swing decisions have helped him tremendously this season. I don’t think he improves greatly from here because of the following:
1. He has gotten bulkier, more muscular, before 2022. His swing is not one of bat speed, but strength. He has never been an elite bat speed guy. Hit the link and see that he only has two of the top 50 HR exit velocities since 2015 for the Orioles. We can point to a very difficult offensive environment this past season, and say that the exit velos are affected by the humidor, or whatever else, but this is not his first year. To me, it points to his lack of bat speed and length of swing. That matches my personal observations that his swing is long and slower than ideal for a core sort of guy.
2. Unless he goes the PED route, as some others have obviously done, his bat speed and quickness are not elite. Ortiz’ bat speed increased significantly at 39 years of age, but that’s for another discussion. His OF play has suffered because of it. He is more of a lumbering corner guy these days. Personally, I do not want a full time DH, since I would rather have that spot open to rest Adley and others, while maintaining their bat in the lineup.
3. For me, he’s a great guy that I route for, but I can see him being traded. As much as I want him to stay as a switch-hitting force in the middle of the lineup, I just do not see him fitting in the grand scheme more than one more year. By then, Stowers, Cowser and whomever else, Mayo and Norby maybe, can be ready to man a corner OF slot.
There is no disputing his excellent improvement. It isn’t a small sample size anymore. I just think this is about as good as he gets, short of some huge boost in bat speed. His exit velocity isn’t poor, per se, but it isn’t elite among MLB standards.
-
1 hour ago, Gurgi said:
Dont forget women....he used women as a energy source for years.
Yes, he was very…giving. A generous, amorous fellow.
-
25 minutes ago, Frobby said:
Remind me what illegal substance Ruth was rumored to have used?
Bourbon, cigars and poor decisions in the early morning hours.
-
1
-
-
Well deserved. MLB Pipeline doesn’t like him quite as much as BA. Callis and Mayo talk about the Reds SS Elly De La Cruz, Arizona OF Corbin Carrol, the Mets C Francisco Alvarez and the Brewers OF Jackson Chourio in the same breath as Gunnar. All are fine players, but BA loves Gunnar.
-
It’s one way to go, for sure an interesting one. Henderson has acclimated quickly. To assume that Ortiz and Westburg can adjust quickly is certainly a gamble. I believe they both should become everyday players, but I think easing them in at first to be a better strategy if we want to make a playoff run in 2023.
If Henderson is the everyday SS, I believe he’ll wear down some at SS and hurt his production. Less wear and tear at 3B, which will keep his bat in the lineup more. A great athlete, and he’ll get bigger, I wonder if he’ll slow down some as he fills out. Maybe a concern when it comes and he plays SS until then.
I had read of concern about his consistency at SS, but I don’t see much of an issue so far. The two errors at 2B notwithstanding. He’s a stud. If you want to put him at SS and trade Mateo, fine, assuming there’s a suitor with a good return. It has to be a very good return.
I am good with then having Ortiz at 2B over Urias, who is much better at 3B. We’ll see how committed to winning Elias is in 2023, and which prospects he prefers to stay and play which positions.
-
16 hours ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:
I agree Bundy’s work ethic may have been a bit too much and played a part in all his injury troubles.
Bundy was able to make himself the best high school prospect in the country, but he threw too much at a young age causing long term arm problems.
This is what I believe. I’ve seen it a bunch over the years. I saw Shane Baz at 13, and he was all arms and legs, a baby deer. But you could see him growing into a stud. He was protected and handled correctly. He just went down with TJ surgery, but he was developed very well as a young arm.
As far as long toss, it has to be done correctly, but I think it is huge in developing arms. It is actually thought to be a stretching routine, but it strengthens the muscles too. Some of these guys take it to an extreme, obviously. I have seen various studs over the years throw from foul pole to foul pole. And do so with ease in MLB spring training stadiums.
-
1
-
-
9 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:
Akin, yes, Hall, no. I don't trust him enough right now. I think Hall, at the moment, is a mop up guy.
I can see the blame for Hyde but I think it's a bit over the top. I also think it's natural for an autopsy after a game like that and it's also natural for people want to look for one person to blame.
IMO, it's not all on Hyde. Hays missing that cutoff man was terrible. Now, we'll never know if Mateo would have nailed Alvarez at the plate but I liked his chances. Mateo has a great arm and Alvarez isn't a burner. Even if the throw was a bit off target, I think there'd have been plenty of time for Rutschman to recover and make a tag.
Bautista going to the split that wasn't working for practically his entire appearance when he had two strikes on Tucker was unforgivable. I'm not sure who called that pitch but it was a terrible idea, Tucker was having trouble handling 100 mph heat, a well placed fastball at 100 or 101 gets him swinging.
Like I said, there's a lot of blame to go around. I don't think Hyde should have pulled Baumann at that particular instant and I don't know why he went to short relievers first.
That said, there were some guys that didn't execute on things they've been executing on all year. It sucks, but it happens.
Agree with you, Moose. Particularly the part about pitch selection to Tucker. It was likely a call by Adley, bad call there. Tucker has a hole up and in, and a hundo there gets him.
Ah well, tough loss to the best team in the AL. The pen was not sharp after three “off days,” basically. The pen is tired overall. I did not like extending Bautista from the 8th, and I think it best to keep him as a one inning guy.
-
1
-
-
It is too early for Stowers, Mayo, Kjerstad or Westburg to move there. All of the talk of Westburg, and not one good reason to do it has been listed. So, we want to take a guy, who is thought to be at least an average major league SS and move him to 1B? What a waste of his value. Kjerstad is the only one listed who makes even a lick of sense to me, but not yet. Way too soon.
Mountcastle is just fine there for a few years. His defense is greatly improved. I don’t expect him to have some kind of epiphany and suddenly have a .380 OBP. The Wall has really affected him, IMO. Give him some time to adjust.
-
I still want that TOR. I want the the guy that everyone knows gives us a leg up against the TOR in a playoff game.
I suppose it depends on whether or not you believe that Kremer and Bradish are who they appear to be the past six weeks or so. And can Lyles continue to compete with his mediocre stuff? None of those three are what I consider potentially TOR kind of guys. Means can be a 2-3 type when he comes back, but Grayson is the only guy I see who can be a legit #1.
My problem is not winning games as much in the regulars season. I want to go in and dominate game 1 and 4 of a series in the post season. Set the tone with seven strong innings and keep the pen fresh. A reliable arm like that makes up for other mediocrities and youthful inexperience. Spend the money.
"Moves that completely befuddle us" 2022-23 offseason edition
in Orioles Talk
Posted
Makes a lot of sense. When some of the details came out about the contract, this seemed like a likely scenario. Bemboom wanted to know where he was going to be and that he was going to be appreciated/paid. The split contract makes sense.