Half way through ST

[wildcard]

And the state of the Orioles is mixed.

Starting pitching

The starting pitching is a concern without any certainty  about Tillman's health.  Gausman, Bundy, Miley and Jimenez have been stretched out to 3 innings each.   Buck has stretched out 4 additional starters to 3 innings each  in Wright, Wilson, Lee, and Aquino. Ynoa has gone 2 innings several times and is not out of the starting picture.  The team has 18 spring games remaining counting the Norfolk game in 19 days.  Buck's selected starters will stretch out to 4, 5 and some may go 6 innings prior to opening day.  The minor league games will probably be used to find enough innings for these starters. A fifth starter is not needed until March 15th and could be longer depending on the weather.

Before freaking out about the loss of Tillman for some period of time realize that last year Wilson and Wright pitched in the rotation up until July 2 with ERAs well over 5.00 runs per game.  And the O's won 89 games and a playoff birth.   I think it is highly unlikely that Dan will be able to find additional starting pitching that is better then what the O's have any time soon.   Starting pitching is expensive and is a commodity that every team is looking to add.

Relievers

The unit looks ready to lead the league again this season.  Britton sounds like he is really to start pitching in games.  The O's have been very cautious with him.  O'Day, Brach, Givens and Hart are locks to make team. Nuno has the edge on winning the third lefty spot.  He should be returning from the WBC in the next few days as Mexico will not  make the second round of the tournament.  The last spot is probably between Zach Stewart, Oliver Drake, Logan Verrett and Tyler Wilson.  Stewart is out pitching the others.   Drake continues to not pitch well but he has time to recover. He is out of options. Jesus Liranzo has shown a high ceiling  but is a one inning pitcher at this point and  7th spot probably requires a pitcher to go multiple innings. Stewart is on a minor league contract and will need to added to the roster if he wins the job.

Infield

The infield is set with Manny, Hardy, Schoop, Davis and Flaherty.  Hardy is ready to begin playing games.  Trumbo is available to backup first base.

Catching

Castillo and Joesph are ready.   Joseph is having a good spring at the plate.

 

DH

Trumbo is set to play most of the games at DH.  Kim and Smith may see some action at DH along with other players that need a break from the field but that Buck does want out for the lineup. It is questionable if there is roster space for Mancini.

Outfield

Jones is the main stay in center.  Playing time at the corner outfielder spot is up for grabs.  Kim, Smith and Rickard are near sure things to get the most of the playing time.  Craig Gentry has had a good first half of ST with both the bat and glove.  Gentry is on a minor league contract and will need to be add to the roster if he make the team. Trumbo could see some playing time in right field especially in games at NL parks.   Both Anuery Tavarez and Anthony Santander are showing skills that the O's would love to keep but roster spots are at a premium.   Tavarez, Santander and Mancini may be competing to stay until the fifth starter is needed.  But the O's will run out of space for them without trades to open one or two roster spots. A roster spot for Santander on the  DL is questionable at this point.

The second half of ST is always more important and harder for players competing for spots.  The pitching and hitting gets better as major leaguers play more to get ready for the season.   

Summary

Overall this is a very solid team with some concern for the starting pitching.  Hopefully there will be clarity that comes to the starter's health and readiness over the second half of ST.   The leadoff spot in the lineup is also somewhat up in the air.    That competing will continue.   

This writeup is my take and I am sure others may see it differently.

[Spy Fox]

Props to the write up.

But my main thought reading this was, we're only halfway?!?

[wildcard]

42 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Rickard appears to be one of the best ST players if all time.  9 walks, 3 strikeouts, statcast saying he's good defensively.  There is one way Santander, Gentry, and Rickard are on the roster.  If Kim isn't.

You sound like me.  I guess that is your point.

[Frobby]

For me, today's game marks the end of the first half of spring training.   After today, the pitchers will be trying to last five innings.   (Note: none of them have made it successfully though four innings this time through, with Gausman having his shot today.)   There'll be a lot fewer innings thrown by pitchers who are destined for the minors from this point forward; I suspect a lot of guys will be sent over to minor league camp this week (around MLB, not just for the Orioles).

Of course, for us, we're playing without Machado, Jones, Schoop, Castillo, Davis or Smith at the moment.    Our fringe guys are getting a ton of opportunities.    

[wildcard]

47 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

If Kim is on the roster it won't be on the bench, IMO.  But, someone else mentioned the idea of  Kim being traded and I think that's a long shot but possible.

Depends on how much Buck hates Kim's defense, how much faith they have in Rickard, and just how much they like Santander 

It was interesting listening to former major league outfielder Dan Gladden yesterday on the Twins broadcast.  He didn't mince words.  He said Kim was a defensive liability.  He pointed out plays that he should have made and didn't.  Gladden is a completely independent analyst.

I really don't see the benefit of having Smith and Kim in the same outfield.  I'm with Jones on that.   Smith has a sore hamstring.   The O's have been playing down the injury.    Where that goes is TBD.

I suspect that neither Santander nor Taverez become elite players.   Santander played in 128 games last year.  He only played 84 in the field.  So he DHed a third of the time.  There is probably a reason for that.  His RF is on slightly better than Kim.  That may be a poor indicator to use but it is all I have.   I suspect at the major league level he is a DH.  I don't think the O's need another DH. 

Tavarez defensive numbers are better.  But early comments on his defense in ST where that its not great.  I suspect he is better than Trumbo, Kim and Smith but not as good a Jones, Gentry or Rickard.  I see Rickard as only an average defensive outfield.   Tavarez probably fits in that mold. But average is better than poor.

Both players would be nice to have in the O's farm system but are they good enough to push someone off the  25 man roster.   Probably not if Santander is a DH.  Tavarez may be a up grade defensively to Smith and Kim but he is probably a down grade offensively.   Tavarez and Santander's main appeal is that they could be long term players for the O's.  I see Kim and Smith as one year stop gaps.

I still think Rickard is showing enough to be an everyday player.  With Jones and Rickard taking two spots that leaves Kim, Smith, Gentry, Tavarez, and/or Santander to take the other three. In that case Kim and Smith are redundant. Gentry is a platoon player and Tavarez and Santander are gambles.

This is me sitting on the couch and looking at incomplete data.   Buck and company have to make the call.

 

 

[wildcard]

17 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

As far as Santander goes.  He is probably an average corner OF at best.  Scouting reports say he has the tools.  The lack of games in the OF last season could have something to do with the surgery after the season.

I do think Santander's offensive upside is considerable.

Good point about his surgery.  I overlooked it and shouldn't have. 

[Frobby]

36 minutes ago, wildcard said:

It was interesting listening to former major league outfielder Dan Gladden yesterday on the Twins broadcast.  He didn't mince words.  He said Kim was a defensive liability.  He pointed out plays that he should have made and didn't.  Gladden is a completely independent analyst.

I really don't see the benefit of having Smith and Kim in the same outfield.  I'm with Jones on that.   Smith has a sore hamstring.   The O's have been playing down the injury.    Where that goes is TBD.

I suspect that neither Santander nor Taverez become elite players.   Santander played in 128 games last year.  He only played 84 in the field.  So he DHed a third of the time.  There is probably a reason for that.  His RF is on slightly better than Kim.  That may be a poor indicator to use but it is all I have.   I suspect at the major league level he is a DH.  I don't think the O's need another DH. 

Tavarez defensive numbers are better.  But early comments on his defense in ST where that its not great.  I suspect he is better than Trumbo, Kim and Smith but not as good a Jones, Gentry or Rickard.  I see Rickard as only an average defensive outfield.   Tavarez probably fits in that mold. But average is better than poor.

Both players would be nice to have in the O's farm system but are they good enough to push someone off the  25 man roster.   Probably not if Santander is a DH.  Tavarez may be a up grade defensively to Smith and Kim but he is probably a down grade offensively.   Tavarez and Santander's main appeal is that they could be long term players for the O's.  I see Kim and Smith as one year stop gaps.

I still think Rickard is showing enough to be an everyday player.  With Jones and Rickard taking two spots that leaves Kim, Smith, Gentry, Tavarez, and/or Santander to take the other three. In that case Kim and Smith are redundant. Gentry is a platoon player and Tavarez and Santander are gambles.

This is me sitting on the couch and looking at incomplete data.   Buck and company have to make the call.

 

 

You certainly seem to have been watching/listening to almost every spring training game.   I'll be at the next three home games and will let you know what I see.   Joey's in CF today, Aneury's in LF, Mancini in RF(!).

[webbrick2010]

11 hours ago, wildcard said:

And the state of the Orioles is mixed.

Starting pitching

The starting pitching is a concern without any certainty  about Tillman's health.  Gausman, Bundy, Miley and Jimenez have been stretched out to 3 innings each.   Buck has stretched out 4 additional starters to 3 innings each  in Wright, Wilson, Lee, and Aquino. Ynoa has gone 2 innings several times and is not out of the starting picture.  The team has 18 spring games remaining counting the Norfolk game in 19 days.  Buck's selected starters will stretch out to 4, 5 and some may go 6 innings prior to opening day.  The minor league games will probably be used to find enough innings for these starters. A fifth starter is not needed until March 15th and could be longer depending on the weather.

Before freaking out about the loss of Tillman for some period of time realize that last year Wilson and Wright pitched in the rotation up until July 2 with ERAs well over 5.00 runs per game.  And the O's won 89 games and a playoff birth.   I think it is highly unlikely that Dan will be able to find additional starting pitching that is better then what the O's have any time soon.   Starting pitching is expensive and is a commodity that every team is looking to add.

Relievers

The unit looks ready to lead the league again this season.  Britton sounds like he is really to start pitching in games.  The O's have been very cautious with him.  O'Day, Brach, Givens and Hart are locks to make team. Nuno has the edge on winning the third lefty spot.  He should be returning from the WBC in the next few days as Mexico will not  make the second round of the tournament.  The last spot is probably between Zach Stewart, Oliver Drake, Logan Verrett and Tyler Wilson.  Stewart is out pitching the others.   Drake continues to not pitch well but he has time to recover. He is out of options. Jesus Liranzo has shown a high ceiling  but is a one inning pitcher at this point and  7th spot probably requires a pitcher to go multiple innings. Stewart is on a minor league contract and will need to added to the roster if he wins the job.

Infield

The infield is set with Manny, Hardy, Schoop, Davis and Flaherty.  Hardy is ready to begin playing games.  Trumbo is available to backup first base.

Catching

Castillo and Joesph are ready.   Joseph is having a good spring at the plate.

 

DH

Trumbo is set to play most of the games at DH.  Kim and Smith may see some action at DH along with other players that need a break from the field but that Buck does want out for the lineup. It is questionable if there is roster space for Mancini.

Outfield

Jones is the main stay in center.  Playing time at the corner outfielder spot is up for grabs.  Kim, Smith and Rickard are near sure things to get the most of the playing time.  Craig Gentry has had a good first half of ST with both the bat and glove.  Gentry is on a minor league contract and will need to be add to the roster if he make the team. Trumbo could see some playing time in right field especially in games at NL parks.   Both Anuery Tavarez and Anthony Santander are showing skills that the O's would love to keep but roster spots are at a premium.   Tavarez, Santander and Mancini may be competing to stay until the fifth starter is needed.  But the O's will run out of space for them without trades to open one or two roster spots. A roster spot for Santander on the  DL is questionable at this point.

The second half of ST is always more important and harder for players competing for spots.  The pitching and hitting gets better as major leaguers play more to get ready for the season.   

Summary

Overall this is a very solid team with some concern for the starting pitching.  Hopefully there will be clarity that comes to the starter's health and readiness over the second half of ST.   The leadoff spot in the lineup is also somewhat up in the air.    That competing will continue.   

This writeup is my take and I am sure others may see it differently.

"Starting pitching is a concern" is the understatement of the Spring

add in that there are no COF'ers who can catch and you can plan on watching a lot of opponents circling the bases

[MDtransplant757]

They are starting Mancini in left today. This should be interesting

[sportsfan8703]

2 hours ago, webbrick2010 said:

"Starting pitching is a concern" is the understatement of the Spring

add in that there are no COF'ers who can catch and you can plan on watching a lot of opponents circling the bases

Ynoa and Nuno seem like the logical picks to replace Tillman while he's out.  Wilson should take one for the team and consider PED's.  Hopefully a guy like Chris Lee can come out of nowhere and give us some innings.  It's always good to get some value before the scouting reports catch up to you like in 2015 with Mike Wright.