Jammer7

What is his 4S spin rate? And, do you see a mechanical adjustment/tweak that can get a better spin rate? Is that something that as a reliever could increase where he could just rear back and let it eat?

I thought Taylor Grover was too, but he’s no bueno.

Very interesting stuff all around. Thanks for all of your hard work! i was wondering what you may think about a comp of Buddy Reed and Cameron Maybin? For me, that may be Reed’s realistic ceiling.

I doubt the Orioles would select a pitcher with no shot at competing this year though, so Valdez and all the other single A pitchers are likely not going to be selected by Baltimore. They’d likely go with a guy like Barlow, or perhaps the lefty that Luke brought up On another thread. Name escapes me right now.

I just thought we pretty much added a rule 5 type with Marcos Diplan. And we added Isaac Mattson from the Angels. My two picks for position player would be Wander Javier and Buddy Reed. Each would fill a bench role with a lot of development to do. Both are premium athletes and Reed is an excellent CF. Javier has all the tools, but a long way to go developmentally. I looked at Esteury Ruiz of the Padres, but I would want a better defensive player. Though his offensive upside seems considerable. That said, Luke has been dissecting video on the pitchers, and I will defer to him. There is a few interesting names out there. But Dauris Valdez has huge upside.

And I would be great with that, personally. He’s a talented kid that had some injuries, mostly a non-throwing shoulder labrum tear. He was a $4 million signing bonus. And the Orioles can steal him for $100,000. I want him, Buddy Reed and Jose Fermin.

I lean to position players as well. But with Chris Holt's impact on the system, I am more open to a polished power college pitcher. If Torkelson can play a solid 3B, or even corner OF, I would say the decision is easier. I am curious to see if a legit HS player enters the picture. I know we expect Elias to favor college players, but we'll see who pops up in his evaluation.

Ok, cool. Thank you. Clay's HR rate really jumps at you, and the sink would explain that. I did see a bit of Zack Britton there, just not the velo. Did he scrap the CB, and just go sinker/slider? Would you take Clay over Burrows?

I am torn on the Villar waiver, and perhaps non-tender. I hardly think Elias is a buffoon as one poster said, but I understand the emotion. I find it very hard to believe that he had any market for him at all in July, and the same now. If no team claims him on waivers, are all GM's buffoons? They all have the same decision to make, is Villar worth $10.5 million for 2020? If he clears waivers, and perhaps we re-sign him to a reasonable amount. Maybe we trade him in July 2020. It's a big gamble either way. Sign him through arbitration and he flops, or non-tender and he has another great year elsewhere. Who knows at this point, but it may just be an outstanding move. He was exciting last year, more so in the second half, and we still lost 108 games. Without him, do we lose 112? He has had 2 very good seasons in seven years, 2016 (3.9 WAR) and 2019 (4.0). The defense can be good at times, and it can be lackadaisical. The 20 errors do not tell the story, but there were many balls he mishandled and mental mistakes. The defensive metrics do not favor him either, but not sure they have much merit. The Orioles are his third team. There are reasons why guys with lots of tools move around like he has, and sometimes it's things that aren't always public. We do not know what all goes into this decision, but to say it is simply 'tanking" or cost cutting seems simplistic to me. There is a reason why no one has taken him off our hands for any moderate return. If they sign Adeiny Hechevarria to play SS, maybe for $1-2 million. Or Jose Iglesias for a maybe twice that. We lose the offense Villar provided last year, but no guarantee we would get anything close to that output again for the arbitration figure he wants. I will wait to judge the move until after things settle. These are very intelligent people running the show. And yes, I will give Mr. Elias the benefit of the doubt that he and his team know what they are doing.

Bueno - seems like a good bit of effort in delivery. TJ surgery at Arizona State. Was their Friday starter though. Lots of injuries have led to very little experience. Some recoil and I don't love the finish at all. Topped out in SAL last year. Pass for me. Clay - I just watched some video, the slider flashes promise, and the hook is the get me over type and can get slurvey. Change has no depth and the FB was straight. Looks like there is more there, and seems to not get as much extension as he could. Stat wise, walk rate is 5.1 and H/9 is 8.7, 1.53 career WHIP, but K rate is 9.6 and does not give up many HR's (only 6 in 405 innings). Interesting under the radar guy.

Alemias seems interesting, maybe as a second pick. The shoulder would be concerning, but I like the profile. Here is a useful article on him. https://rumbunter.com/2018/01/24/pirate-prospect-watch-2018-stephen-alemais/

@Luke-OH What are your thoughts on Buddy Reed CF (Padres AA) and Jose Fermin SS (Indians A-)? For me, Reed fills the back up CF role and is a switch hitter with some offensive upside left due to his relative inexperience and constant swing changes in his 3.5 professional years. Every report I have read says he plays an excellent CF. I saw him play a lot at UF with Richie Martin. Premium athleticism, size and attitude. He may be a guy that just needs an organization change, and he is from Baltimore originally (not that it really has any bearing). Fermin is the son of Felix Fermin. Solid defensively according to one report I read in BA. Low A player with solid idea of the strike zone, but does not drive the ball much. Certainly should be over matched in a large role, but is he capable of filling a bench role? I would only consider him as a second round pick, but perhaps worth a flyer?

I think re-signing Mason Williams is a solid minor league depth move. I just hope he gets serious about his workouts this off-season, and comes into Spring in much better shape than he appeared to be a few months ago. Not too many major league center fielders with a belly. He's a local kid from West Orange HS here in Orlando, which has produced many pro players. I remember watching him play as a senior. He was quick twitch and could really run.

That’s fair, and I agree he would be overmatched for the most part. But there is a good amount of upside here. He is still raw, but he may just be on the verge of things. He may be a guy that at age 27 ends up a late bloomer like Aaron Hicks. If you have not yet done so, read the article above shared by @7Mo. The Orioles are looking for a back up CF, and he could fill that void. As far as being able to hit enough, no one knows long term. Would you take the production of what Martin did last year, but from a guy who will not need to start much? For $100,000, I think I would do so on a rebuilding team. I’ll take him over Dwight Smith Jr. and Stevie Wilkerson, and probably over DJ Stewart for now. If Santander and Mancini are in the corners, with Hays roaming CF, he seems like a pretty good fit for a bench OF. There may be other players out there who are better picks. But at first glance, for me, Buddy really stands out.

Some interesting talent this year. To me, at first glance, I like Buddy Reed. Excellent CF out of SD Padres organization, 2016 2nd round pick out of University of Florida. Played with Richie Martin. Super athletic, strong arm and 70 grade runner. He’s a switch hitter, and he’s had some ups and downs, but I think he just need a little more time. He grew up just outside Baltimore, and was supposedly an incredible hockey player, and a very talented soccer player. He went to an elite private school in Rhode Island for high school. He really could be an impact late bloomer as he did not play much baseball growing up. I watched him play a good bit here in Florida and I remember how impressed I was with his athleticism. I also remember moments where he was raw and inexperienced. He could be a steal, if our development minded staff can click with him. If nothing else, he would provide a great defensive CF to back up Hays while they work on his hitting. https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2016/05/buddy-reed-interview-florida-mlb-draft.html

I will not write off Torkelson, but Martin is my favorite position guy. I’m interested to see if Elias sticks with college guys at the top of the draft, or is willing to go with a HS player.

Is there? No matter where you’ve been for the past 4-5 years, it’s where you are headed from here. No? I get what you’re saying, but does that really matter in the grand scheme? I mean if he takes off, prospect wise, from here, does anyone care that he has been in professional baseball for 5 years before getting to Delmarva? Does he somehow become less of a prospect? Or is he a success story of perseverance and good coaching? He seems to be another existing talent that Chris Holt and staff have helped turn a corner.

Ok, my misunderstanding. I saw a tweet from Jon Shepherd with that figure. Thanks.

I believe I read a recent comment from Elias that quoted him as saying the O’s would spend nearly all of the International Signing Bonus $ in this year. Makes me wonder what he and Koby have up their sleeve. A bigger name Cuban defector, perhaps? They have about 4 million left.

Definitely a nice play. Where was the runner? Was that the VMart play? Part of the impressive nature of Richie’s play for me yesterday was the fact he threw out a speedy runner hustling down the line. Swaggy T still made a nice play there though. Great memory.

I almost spit my coffee all over my phone. ?

Good for Yaz. I wish him well. Significant injuries cost him in Baltimore. I think he was a better player than Rickard, offensively and defensively. I don’t think he’s the hitter that Dwight Smith Jr. has been, but Yaz is a better defender. He probably should have gotten an opportunity at some point last year. 40 man spots were a bit scarce due to the pitching woes, but they should have found a way. Good to see him doing well, but then Yaz won’t be facing the Yankees, Red Sox and Rays 57 games a season. The AL East is a different arena than the NL West.

A fantastic article! Thank you for sharing that. Heard the name many times, but never knew the story. It sounds as though I would have loved to have seen him play.

Exactly. God has blessed me in many ways, Part of that is a love for the game of baseball. I’m just trying to find things to be upbeat about. It’s difficult to do that this year. This board has been a lot of doom and gloom. Too many snarky and/or angry people. I enjoy the game. I enjoy watching men play this kids’ game, especially when they play with passion and energy. I love the College World Series for the same reasons. I love coaching youth baseball of all levels for the same reasons. I love seeing many of the kids I know and/or have coached get to play ball in college, and in several cases get drafted and sign. I have loved meeting people like Bob Boone, Dave Tremblay, Joe Oliver and John Hart, to name a few. Talking baseball with these guys who truly love the game, and to see how down to earth and grateful they are to have played or coached or been an executive. It was just humbling. Baseball is a lifestyle for those guys, not just a job or just a game. I get the feeling, watching Pedro, that he is the same type of individual. Adam Jones had a similar passion and energy for many years in an Oriole uniform. Brian Roberts too, before he cracked his noggin with his bat. Ed Murray was similar with his playfulness and the way he had a flair for the dramatic. These guys were fun to watch.

LOL! Ok. I’ve been a fan of the Orioles since 1977, when I was 8. So, no, not that young. All of those catchers you named in Orioles’ history certainly had their merits. I enjoyed watching all of them. It’s subjective on my part, and I don’t need a big sample size for what I like about the game of Pedro. As I said, it’s his flair, passion, athleticism and the way he has fun out there. The way he plays the game. He plays like an energetic kid out there. I truly enjoy watching him play. Before Severino, Dipper was my favorite. And for similar reasons. The time he filmed a fishing trip and dove into the water, coming out with a fish in his mouth. Or the rain delay antics...that is entertainment to me. Baseball isn’t all about statistics or wins/losses for me. Wieters was an above average catcher in many ways, and he got beat down being the workhorse. He may have not reached the potential tauter by most, but he was very productive. Hoiles had some dramatic moments and a solid offensive resume. Fruit Loops was a solid offensive catcher. A switch hitter with power. I appreciated all of the things they brought to the team each night. But none of them were dynamic athletes behind the plate. When I see Severino throw behind a runner, or block balls in the dirt, or just in the way he sets up or relates to his pitcher or other teammates. He’s the guy that I would have wanted to pitch to, or play with, out of all of the catchers in O’s history. I never said he was the greatest Oriole catcher of all time. Just that he is my personal favorite. He’s the closest we have come to some of my favorite catchers that I’ve seen in any uniform, such as: Yadier Molina, Benito Santiago, Pudge Rodriguez, Tony Pena and others. Posey and Varitek are in there somewhere, but for different reasons. You disagree, cool. Who is your favorite Oriole catcher? And why?