What 5 players on our major league roster do you want to see improve in 2019?

[higgybaby]

1) Hays. A top 50 prospect Hays kicking down the door. 

2) McKenna. Takes the next step to show who the true future for our CF is. 

3) Bundy. Shows that he is the true TOR ace that we knew he could be. 

4) Diaz. Locks down his status as being the hands down best option for LF and anther top 60 prospect. 

5) Davis.  Retools and rediscovers his swing. 

[foxfield]

On 12/12/2018 at 12:18 PM, Frobby said:

The obvious answer is, we want all our players to improve.    But if you had to choose 5, who would they be and why?    Here’s my list:

1.   Dylan Bundy - I still can’t escape the feeling that there’s a TOR starter in there somewhere.   

2.   Chance Sisco - I think it’s a make or break year for him.   He either gets better or has almost no value, a big hit for a guy ranked in the top 100 last offseason.   

3.   Alex Cobb — best chance for trade bait if he pitches well.

4.   Cedric Mullins — could be a fixture in CF if he can match his Norfolk numbers in the majors.   

5.   Tanner Scott — hasn’t put it together, but he’s missing bats and could become a pretty dominant reliever if he can step it up a notch.

Honorable mention: Chris Davis, because it would be good for everyone’s sanity if he could at least play at replacement level.   

Man this is a tough question.  On one hand, the veterans remaining need to improve to have trade value.

Bundy, Cobb, Cashner, Trumbo, Givens.  Just like Aglets said above....well I have Bundy instead of Davis.  On the other hand, if it's an either or question, the answer really needs to be that the players in our system with the greatest potential value need to move towards that value.  If that is true then the five need to come from this group.....Hall (65), G Rodriguez, Mountcastle, Kremmer, Diaz and Harvey who are all rated (60).  

That's six names of course, but I count Harvey as a throw in...IF he is healthy and durable he is perhaps the best of the bunch.  But improving from last year towards his potential means staying heathy and being upright after what 70 innings?  We need a lot of areas of improvement.  The names with the greatest potential are the names I listed.  If those 5 plus Harvey all had strong improvements...well, let's just say the kool aid would begin flowing pretty heavy.

At least in my house.  

 

[Frobby]

20 hours ago, foxfield said:

Man this is a tough question.  On one hand, the veterans remaining need to improve to have trade value.

Bundy, Cobb, Cashner, Trumbo, Givens.  Just like Aglets said above....well I have Bundy instead of Davis.  On the other hand, if it's an either or question, the answer really needs to be that the players in our system with the greatest potential value need to move towards that value.  If that is true then the five need to come from this group.....Hall (65), G Rodriguez, Mountcastle, Kremmer, Diaz and Harvey who are all rated (60).  

That's six names of course, but I count Harvey as a throw in...IF he is healthy and durable he is perhaps the best of the bunch.  But improving from last year towards his potential means staying heathy and being upright after what 70 innings?  We need a lot of areas of improvement.  The names with the greatest potential are the names I listed.  If those 5 plus Harvey all had strong improvements...well, let's just say the kool aid would begin flowing pretty heavy.

At least in my house.  

 

Note that my question was limited to players on the major league roster.    I think the top MiL guys are all more important than the guys I was asking about. 

[foxfield]

8 hours ago, Frobby said:

Note that my question was limited to players on the major league roster.    I think the top MiL guys are all more important than the guys I was asking about. 

Thanks...my reading comprehension there was not the best...your post was pretty clear...lol.

[Jammer7]

For me, it’s about the guys that should have the biggest impact, both talent-wise and the role they will play. 

1. Dylan Bundy - agree with the OP completely. And certainly his rise back to prominence would elevate his trade stock tremendously.  

2. Austin Hays - the best chance we have on the roster for a middle of the order OF star. He can become the face of the franchise down the road. 

3. Hunter Harvey - for him to get healthy and maybe get 130-140 very good innings would be a huge win for the Orioles. For him to return to top prospect status as a starter would be huge for the organization. It may soften trading Cobb, Cashner and Bundy. 

4. Richie Martin - he is the best SS on the 40 man. He has the athletic tools; and if he can come into spring in shape and keep improving with the bat, then he’s a steal. He needs to stay healthy as he’s had knee issues since being drafted. Very good steady defense will help our soon to be younger staff develop better knowing they can trust the defense. And we have a foundation piece.

5. Chance Sisco - good teams are great up the middle. I think the bat will come around regardless. But we need him to become the best receiver he can be. He needs to be the leader of the young staff. If he can become the guy he is expected to be at C, then we have a foundation piece. I am asking a lot of him here.

 

Hard to leave off Tanner Scott and Cedric Mullins, but for me it came down to who is most important as building blocks going forward. And Alex Cobb and Andrew Cashner could certainly help their trade value and improve the team that way. 

Sleeper picks for me are David Hess, Luis Ortiz, Cody Carroll and Dillon Tate. There is no doubt they all have the ability to greatly enhance their performance. 

[Jagwar]

On 12/12/2018 at 2:55 PM, interloper said:

Anyone who says seeing a Davis rebirth wouldn't be the single most fun Orioles storyline to witness in 2019 is an actual reanimated corpse. 

Heck, if he hit .220 with a .700 OPS, he might win comeback player of the year. 

[mdbdotcom]

7 minutes ago, Jagwar said:

Heck, if he hit .220 with a .700 OPS, he might win comeback player of the year. 

Boras might insist on an extension.

[Cumberbundy]

On 12/12/2018 at 12:18 PM, Frobby said:

The obvious answer is, we want all our players to improve.    But if you had to choose 5, who would they be and why?    Here’s my list:

1.   Dylan Bundy - I still can’t escape the feeling that there’s a TOR starter in there somewhere.   

2.   Chance Sisco - I think it’s a make or break year for him.   He either gets better or has almost no value, a big hit for a guy ranked in the top 100 last offseason.   

3.   Alex Cobb — best chance for trade bait if he pitches well.

4.   Cedric Mullins — could be a fixture in CF if he can match his Norfolk numbers in the majors.   

5.   Tanner Scott — hasn’t put it together, but he’s missing bats and could become a pretty dominant reliever if he can step it up a notch.

Honorable mention: Chris Davis, because it would be good for everyone’s sanity if he could at least play at replacement level.   

That is the list.

I believe Tanner and Bundy can each be legitimate top 3 starters. There is a decent amount of Snell and a lot of Paxton in Tanner, I don’t see any point to leaving Scott in the pen, that is not the way to maximize an asset imo. Then again, I’ve also been bullshit on btc.  

Bundy needs a change up, he had one game last year with a change that sat around 10mph off his fastball and I changed my underwear thrice during that glorious outing, but he followed that performance up with his typical make a wish change up in the next start. I believe he has ace potential, but I’ve also invested my OH handle into him, so I’m not entirely unbiased. 

I would go Yefry with my honorable mention.

Bring us the secrets and unleash the greatness.

https://www.mlb.com/news/many-factors-aid-success-of-astros-rotation/c-276373838

 

 

Quote

 

By Richard Justice MLB.com @RichardJustice

May 12th, 2018

HOUSTON -- Charlie Morton telephoned his buddy even before the trade sending Gerrit Colefrom the Pirates to the Astros had been finalized in January.

"He kind of gave me the down low," Cole said.

How's that?

"He talked about the changes he'd made," Cole said.

What did he say?

"Well, without giving away any competitive advantage …" Cole said. "Let's just say this has been an unbelievable opportunity. It's helped a lot of things."

Here's where this story gets vague. ...

 

........there are places the Astros will not go in terms of discussing information. Catcher Brian McCann says he'll reveal everything when we get together for dinner someday a couple of decades down the road.

 

 

 

[Cumberbundy]

Tanner Scott, follow the lessons of a bum turned Ace, Patrick Corbin:

 

https://www.fangraphs.com/blogs/what-if-patrick-corbin-were-a-trendsetter/