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Alasdaire

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Posts posted by Alasdaire

  1. Many are willing to concede that Frazier shouldn't start and is bad in the field, so his utility is recast as a platoon/pinch hitter (and some have even whispered he's "clutch") against righties. Well, we saw it today. Down by one run in the bottom of the ninth inning and Adam Frazier is called in as a pinch hitter against a RHP. Hard liner for the final out.

    He was put in for McCann, which fine. But McCann presumably isn't playing much in October. So how many guys are you pulling for Frazier in the playoffs? Is that a way you're comfortable going down?

  2. Gunnar made the kind of error today that would give any manager night terrors going into October. Tie game in the ninth inning, and Gunnar takes a ground ball that many shortstops turn into an out into a questionable spin move wild throw into the dugout to gift the Rockies the equivalent of a leadoff double. A couple more ground balls to advance and score the runner and the O's lose by one.

    I seriously wonder how comfortable Hyde is with Gunnar at short in the playoffs. Is it unfair to expect that a big league shortstop knows the pitcher on the mound (Yennier) is an extreme ground ball pitcher and so putting that ball in your pocket or at least sacrificing some mustard on the throw for the sake of accuracy are acceptable outcomes because it preserves the double play? Shortstop has far more responsibilities than third. That position is more than just physicality, and a rookie is prone to making mental mistakes. 10 errors on the year for Gunnar.

  3. 11 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

    I’d rather have someone who doesn’t have control issues coming out of the pen no matter how hard he throws, Al. 
     

    I mean, you kind of argued against yourself by bringing up Fuji. That guy is liable to throw gas on a situation because he has poor command. And yet you compared him to Hall? That’s not a ringing endorsement. 

    But multiple secondaries though! Exciting!

    I don't think we disagree on much here. I recognize the faults in DL, and it's fair to mention that I didn't point them out. And I've been critical of Fuji from his very first pitch as an Oriole when he telegraphed a meatball to Siri in Tampa.

    My point was just that I think some people were so laser focused on criticizing the front office for not having acquired a reliever from outside of the organization that they overlooked the options we have internally. If Elias had traded for a guy with DL's profile, people probably would have been excited. Maybe you wouldn't have if you would have preferred a more reliable reliever, but people have been tripping over themselves to praise Fuji since the day he was acquired, and DL is more talented than that.

    DL surprised a bit with his velo tonight, so hopefully he surprises with the command going forward too.

  4. I would rather not put Yennier in the closer role yet. MASN showed a graphic recently showing how dramatically he has changed his pitch selection/location since the beginning of the season. Which is understandable given that he's a rookie who experienced a ton of success early before the league adjusted. I don't think the ninth inning is an good spot to be tinkering with your approach. Ditto with Fuji. Put a finished product like Danny there for the time being.

  5. 1 minute ago, Can_of_corn said:

    I wonder what deals he turned down at the deadline?

    My thoughts exactly.

    Also I feel like Elias has had this grand plan with the bullpen that would come together toward the end of the season. Cano bounces back as the 8th inning guy, Fuji/Webb emerge for the 7th, Perez/Coulombe become dependable enough as lefties, and Hall/Means/Well come in as cavalry. Probably felt it crumbling when the anchor of it all got hurt.

  6. 4 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

    That's pretty disrespectful of Elias to just assume that Beat Writers have the wherewithal to Google something.

    Kind of interesting to see him testy for the first time I can remember. This could be reading too much into it, but he looked stressed last night after Felix was taken out too. Usually cool and collected.

  7. 1 minute ago, Can_of_corn said:

    Relievers just don't directly impact enough innings to be that important.

     

    I get that, and I understand I'm verging on woo-woo territory. But I think the innings they impact aren't fully accounted for in an analysis that purely compares the value of one player to another. The game literally ends and the result is directly transformed from a win to a loss if they don't perform. I haven't even fully convinced myself, just a thought experiment.

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