Jammer7

Perhaps Felix Hernandez, Matt Harvey and Fernando Abad make the team out of Spring Training. Or maybe one or two go to Norfolk for a few weeks, keep working on things and see what happens before potentially opting out. It isn't likely, but maybe Felix, in particular, agrees to see if the velo comes back some with a little more time working into game shape. I admit that Felix is not looking even mediocre at the moment. But the Orioles will give him every opportunity to earn a spot. A lot can happen in two weeks. Matt Harvey and his new 2-seam may have elevated his chances today from the radio account of today's game. Count me in the group that thinks Matt Harvey has looked better than Felix, so far. The Orioles want M. Harvey and Felix to mentor the young guys and re-establish their value for trades, best case scenario. I still think LeBlanc is on the outside looking in, and he is strictly a fall back option right now. I think Zimmermann is still in the pen to start, unless they move Akin to the pen, which may be his best place long term.

There was some conjecture by unknown people replying to some of Heyman's tweets that said it was 1 year/$1.2 million. Take that for what it's worth, of course. But I could see that as a base salary with more incentives.

Back injuries work in mysterious ways...see you in September, CD.

I posted about this on page 8, with a link. Basically, the Orioles can put CD on the 60 day IL during Spring Training or during the regular season. However, the player has to stay on the 60 day IL for at least 60 days of the regular season. So, cannot back date it. Like you, I had the same thought and recollection.

I was wrong on some of this. The rule says you can put a player on the 60 day during Spring Training and throughout the season, just not the post season or off season. When someone is put in the 60 day IL, they must spend 60 days of the major league regular season on the 60 day IL. Minor league players have to wait to be put on the list when the season actually begins. I think it usually happens right before Spring Training ends and the 26 man would be set. But if they need the space they could put CD on the 60 day IL as long as they replace his spot on the reserve list, aka 40 man roster. The 40 man has to be full. https://www.thecubreporter.com/book/export/html/3538

The single greatest moment in sports in that year.

You cannot put anyone on the 60 day until the final opening day roster is set a few days before OD. I presume the clock starts then.

I do not disagree, but there is some drop off defensively. At 3B, you can live with that for better production.

We have plenty of fallback options. We do not need a back up 3B. Valaika would be just fine, or Urias. Wilkerson will do in a pinch beyond that. If Ruiz passes through waivers, outright him. Bannon is supposed to play 3B since Jahmai Jones is playing 2B with Richie Martin at SS. So, not sure where he could play everyday.

No one said Ruiz is a GG 3B. But he is a much better defender. I will be happy if Franco can just turn outs into outs. Make the routine play, but he struggles with that at times.

Why keep him on the 40 man? We need the roster space. I know he has options, but if you are going to make this move to sign Franco, then you have admitted Ruiz is not going to make it. Ruiz is not a prospect anymore, and he has no other position.

If Franco does sign, I would think Ruiz is DFA'd. If he clears, and he may well, you could send him to AAA.

This is where I am on this. Perhaps they see some things they can improve, but his defense is going to make people wish Ruiz was still here.

I think they will give Felix every opportunity to go North, but his velo is troublesome to me. 85 just won’t do it. He needs to 88-89 at least, I think. Matt Harvey might even be behind LeBlanc right now, but I think Zimmermann is making both of them expendable. Zimmermann looks great today, so far. Harvey really needs to show some hope of command to go North. It’s a fair question on the Reds taking him back or not. Probably do take him back, I think. $50K is not much and they may be able to work a deal for him that is worth more than $50K in value. Sceroler might be a guy we make a trade for after we waive and return him, that is if no one takes him on a waiver claim. Wells has a chance to stick, but another guy we consider trading for. Depends on what the Reds and Twins want. I read the tweet by Heyman. Interesting potential add of Franco. I would have been ok with Ruiz for now, but maybe Franco’s price point and production was at the level Elias sees a return value in July or so.

I understand completely. Look forward to it.

Interesting to see what the terms of the deal are, and if it is a split deal majors vs. minors like the other vets they signed. Is this a sign they are ready to move up in the standings and begin to compete? Or is this just a guy we sign and hope to move?

Good stuff. The pen is very interesting after the Harvey injury. Could open a door for R5 Tyler Wells to stick around a bit longer. They cannot option Wells, Valdez or Armstrong. And they likely would not option Tanner Scott or Paul Fry. So does the remaining 3-4 members give Hyde enough flexibility will be the question. I think they can make that work. Maybe Wells can stick around, at least until Hunter Harvey comes back and then we’ll see. Green and Hanhold are big interesting guys for sure. They would need roster spots though, and that might be tough if they keep Felix Hernandez and Matt Harvey. For me, the vulnerable guys looked to be Goudeau, Lopez, and the R5 guys, along with the anticipated CD 60 day IL move. But, Goudeau looked good yesterday and Lopez looked really good a few days ago. Matt Harvey might get squeezed out if he doesn’t show something soon. Zimmermann deserves to be a starter anyway. It is going to b interesting.

LOL...The bad news is coming in the next, likely much longer, post.

When I think of a breakout season, it would be hard for me to put one of our top 10 prospects in this. If I may, I’ll make Jordan Westburg the exception. So many people really bashed this guy when we drafted him. He is really going to blossom this year and he’ll move fairly quickly. He just missed a no doubt opposite field home run a few days ago late in the game. It would have been a three run bomb, just foul. Joey Ortiz is my true breakout dark horse pick. I think he will surprise many as well with a line drive gap to gap approach and excellent steady defense. The added muscle for Adam Hall is great news as well. So much to like about his game. Someone wrote Stowers down earlier in this thread and I have the same thoughts. I hope he starts out hot and takes off from there. Same with Handley and Daschbach, his Stanford teammates. We’ve been told some encouraging things about the latter two, but heard nothing about Stowers. I can go on and on with many more names.

Thank you! I am with you on Zimm. I just think they'll want the vets to work every fifth day in their comfort zone, at least initially, to see where it takes them in May or June. And I think Matt Harvey could eventually have success as late inning reliever, while focusing on two or three pitches. Perhaps a velo bump and his competitive nature would make him pretty tough in short stints. Would he embrace it?

It is still way too early to be definitive about nearly half of the pitcher spots. We just do not know what will happen in the next month. I do care, maybe a moderate amount, about the OD roster, but I am certainly more concerned about how it looks in August. I had nothing to do, so I'll take a shot at it. The following seem solid bets: 1B - Trey Mancini 2B - #Yolmer Sanchez SS - #Freddy Galvis 3B - *Rio Ruiz UT - Pat Valaika C - Pedro Severino, *Chance Sisco OF - Austin Hays, *Cedric Mullins, Ryan Mountcastle, #Anthony Santander SP - John Means, Dean Kremer, Keegan Akin Pen - Cesar Valdez, Hunter Harvey, Tanner Scott, Paul Fry, Shawn Armstrong (Harvey, Fry and Scott all have at least one option remaining) That accounts for 11 position players and 8 pitchers so far, 19 total. It seems pretty solid that if Chris Davis is on the IL to begin the season, DJ Stewart makes the team and gets a lot of DH at bats. Ramon Urias gets my vote to be the 13th position player as a UT if we keep only 13 pitchers. Urias can really hit gap to gap, but his glove work at SS is suspect. I think they keep him for now and keep working him next to Galvis and Sanchez every day to see if he can grow. His hands are suspect to me sometimes, and then he makes a very slick play to make me scratch my head. Jahmai Jones, Rylan Bannon and Tyler Nevin all go down with Richie Martin to AAA. They all have things to work on and there is no need for any of them to sit on the bench in Baltimore right now. The other starting pitcher candidates are: (Need 2, maybe 3) Felix Hernandez - (NRI) Matt Harvey - (NRI) *Wade LeBlanc - (NRI) Jorge Lopez - Out of Options *Bruce Zimmermann - 3 options remaining The other pen candidates are: (Need 3, maybe 4) Travis Lakins Sr. (2 options) Dillon Tate (2 options) Cole Sulser (3 options) Isaac Mattson (3 options) Mac Sceroler (R5) Tyler Wells (R5) (Jorge Lopez) (*Bruce Zimmermann) Ashton Goudeau - (2 options) *Fernando Abad (NRI) Eric Hanhold (2 options) Cody Carroll (1 option) We all know it is early and a lot can happen. (The bolded names are my 26 picks.) Right now, I have Felix Hernandez and Matt Harvey filling out the rotation. Hernandez' health concerns me with his year of inactivity and velo drop, but he is crafty enough to get by for now and see what his velo does in the next month or two. Harvey will likely get a chance to go North so Holt can see what he can do to turn him into an asset. If any starter is injured or falters completely, LeBlanc would likely get a shot. But I see him on the outside, looking in, for now. I would rather have Zimmermann get an opportunity to start over one of them, but keeping him as a long man will get him a chance to break through and get a spot start here and there. Hyde seems to like Lakins and Sulser, so I give them the nod over Tate for now. Tate should be on the shuttle this year since he, Mattson, Lakins, Sulser and Zimmermann have option flexibility. The wildcard here is Abad. If Abad throws really well, do they keep four lefties in the pen? IDK. And he certainly has no roster flexibility, but he may be a commodity in June/July. Hunter Harvey, Fry and Scott all have options too, but I do not expect any of them to be sent down I think Lopez will be cut. He will still tantalize, at times, and he'll aggravate with his ability to find the middle of the plate at other times. I think he is soft. No options, no room for his lack of command. The Rule 5 guys will get a solid look, I think, but they will be returned. I think they are both intriguing profiles, particularly Tyler Wells. But unless they trade for them, they are gone. We will need the two roster spots as well for Hernandez and Matt Harvey. There is a good likelihood that Elias picks up a waiver claim between now and the end of Spring. Secretly, that is what we are all waiting for. Wild prediction...The first catcher called up from AAA? Nick Sciuffo comes up when the Orioles need him to replace Sisco. Either for injury, or they just grow tired of his lack of energy and ability to be a major league catcher.

I think that characterization is a little misleading. What does that mean, really? Is it that he projects to an average major league CF with speed? I would take that.

Absolutely, and I really like Hyde. I felt bad for him in this. It is what it is, but it’s a tired act. I have watched all of the zoom interviews until today. I watched Hyde, and that was it. I have lost all respect for Davis since his last interview. That was my final straw.

The look on Hyde’s face and the pain with which he answered the questions is all you need to know. Hyde is done with Davis’ tired act. I want to play Hyde in poker.

Absent a major collapse by Valaika, probably. But that was always the goal, and to get Martin a half season or more in AAA.