LookinUp

If Cowser goes back to AAA, it's not because he has to prove anything. It's because he needs to work on something. Like Bradish last year. Rodriguez this year. No reason a hitter can't do that too.

Some day in the future, with a different family owning this team, they might have him back for an appreciation day. It'll be kind of like the OH appreciation thread, but done in May when there's 15,000 people at the ball park. Play some video from him as an Oriole, give him an enthusiastic golf clap and move on.

A combination of their strengths is a first ballot hall of famer. A combination of their weaknesses is a 4th outfielder type. Basically Billy Hamilton. There's a very wide range of potential outcomes for Bradfield. I'm kind of skeptical.

I'd think by the end of 2024 we'll start to have a decent sense of how it's going. Last year's draft had Holliday, Fabian, Wagner and Beavers. Holliday's an outlier, but we're at least starting to get a sense of what others are capable of, working on, etc. But then you look at guys like Bright, Beck and Carter Young and again we have a sense, but there's more that needs to happen for sure. But there's little doubt that most of them will fizzle out along the way, and we won't know that for another couple of year's I'd imagine. So 3 years is my answer for being able to draw conclusions.

It's time to let him go. You lose some speed in a late inning pinch running scenario, but not much else. I think he's more flashy than consistent with the glove. Definitely a baller, but still prone to mistakes. Maybe they're preparing Ortize as the headliner in a big trade. I guess we'll find out within a week, but if not, Mateo needs to be off this team.

I honestly think that we have every reason to think Hall would have either been a starter in the majors, or in long relief, if he was healthy with velocity this year. It's not even a question of whether a healthy Hall is good enough, it's a question of when we'll get a healthy Hall so we can evaluate the best place to pitch him.

I'd say he's half way between Povich and #30. So #21ish. But we didn't draft him for what he's done. We drafted him for his traits. It's all about the potential upside, so his initial ranking isn't all that meaningful.

I gave it a B, but agree that I have no idea. This org drafts for traits, so they get some benefit of the doubt. I like that they added some good arms and expect that they'll have a fair chance to develop them. I don't love Bradfield because I'm not sure about the hit tool/hard contact and I'm not confident it can be taught THAT well. We'll see. I don't actually have Fabian as high as many here do for that reason. I know they're different types of hitters, but it's just not that easy to teach them how to hit after they've already been through high school and a couple of years of college. So I guess the proof will be in the pudding.

The O's don't spend that 5% though, right?

Nobody talks about Boston, but their lineup is good, pitching is pretty good and they have a better run differential than NY or Toronto. They'll be a spoiler, and could be a wild card.

It's a theory.

I liked his swings in the indoor cage video that's out there much more than the swings he took at Camden Yards this week. I'm sure they'll be reworking him just like these other two.

I think it's a fair concern. Just look at Joey Ortiz right now. That said, after watching this org for 20+ years before Elias, I personally value going to a better org than just looking for a clear path.

If I were a high school infielder and I wasn't hell-bent on going to college, there's not another organization I'd want to go to right now. They will develop him as well as any other org. You worry about your ML status once you're good enough to make it there, and the O's are the team to go to for that.

I know Tyler Wells wasn't sharp his last 1.1 innings yesterday, but he gave up 1 hit. The O's just need to be careful with him and Gibson. That means they probably need to get another arm, leverage Irvin some more and hope John Means comes back healthy by September.

He had some type of injury pre-season, and I don’t think we have ever gotten the real story about it.

Showalter is there too, right?

The best part, to me, is the expectation that the best is yet to come, both this year and in the future. This year, there's every reason to think that we'll add 1-2 more very good arms, even after Fujinami. There's every reason to think that Mateo, Frazier and Hicks won't be getting as many ABs. There's reason to think that the guys replacing them will get on base even when they're struggling (see Cowser). There's reason to think the defense will only improve. Let's get Mullins healthy. Let's get these starters to the end of the season. Let's add a few arms. Let's let Cowser continue to work through his adjustment. Let's maybe add a late season minor league bat for a shot of life. Let's go to the playoffs with a great defensive team, lineup that's strong from 1-9 and a reinforced pitching staff. it's going to be fun. And next year will be even better.

The improved talent has to punch him in the mouth at some point, right? I'm actually weirdly concerned that he's been so successful that he's not had the occasion to go through a real slump that he has to adjust to.

I suspect the timing of this deal wasn't a mistake. They think he's worth a flyer, but want to see what they have in him in advance of the deadline. Could be a steal. Could be unreliable.

Yeah, that's very possible. I haven't looked at the numbers. It's just a gut feeling.

Add a high end starter with either Ortiz or Westburg as the headliner and not including Mayo, Kjerstad or Basallo. Would be achieved with 3-4 additional high-end quantity like Hall, Norby, Prieto, Povich, Beavers, Wagner, Rhodes, Willems and Fabian. Probably Rom as a 4th/5th (maybe even 6th?) piece too. Add one more very capable BP arm in addition to the above.

It feels like Aberdeen isn't the hitter's graveyard this year that it was last year. Maybe they fixed the lighting, or whatever the issue was there.

I definitely look forward to seeing his development, and actual critical assessments of his abilities (rather than just fanboy stuff). I agree on the "good rise" comment. Fastball looks hoppy.

Good to see. I think sometimes we forget that not all prospects are prodigies. Some (most) just have a lot of talent but need to develop. I know this...if the choice is between a high k rate and a low era, I'm taking the k rate. Povich can miss bats. He can learn to miss hard contact, or fall back to the bullpen. But if he wasn't missing bats in AA, I'd be much more worried.