Interesting FAs

[wildcard]

30 minutes ago, foxfield said:

Yeah, but your making a chicken and egg argument on this.  The Orioles can't keep em all down and then have 12 rookies in 2022 and expect to be competitive.  Some of the guys might need to prove they can actually be part of the next winning Orioles team.  I didn't hear any can't miss projections from anyone on the Orioles guys.

A little too dramatic for me.  Mountcastle, Hays, Akin, Kremer, Diaz will be in the major sometime in 2020.  McKenna not too soon there after if they all have good seasons.

[Can_of_corn]

4 minutes ago, wildcard said:

A little too dramatic for me.  Mountcastle, Hays, Akin, Kremer, Diaz will be in the major sometime in 2020.  McKenna not too soon there after if they all have good seasons.

They are not stashing everyone at Norfolk all year.

[jabba72]

9 minutes ago, wildcard said:

A little too dramatic for me.  Mountcastle, Hays, Akin, Kremer, Diaz will be in the major sometime in 2020.  McKenna not too soon there after if they all have good seasons.

 

5 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

They are not stashing everyone at Norfolk all year.

Have any of those guys even played at Norfolk? I would hope they show something substantial before any rushed promotion to a 100 loss team. 

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, jabba72 said:

 

Have any of those guys even played at Norfolk? I would hope they show something substantial before any rushed promotion to a 100 loss team. 

AAA is a holding pen of depth for the ML team.  It is not someplace that actual prospects have to spend a full season.

[wildcard]

3 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

AAA is a holding pen of depth for the ML team.  It is not someplace that actual prospects have to spend a full season.

Hays, Diaz and Kremer may start the season at AA.

[Can_of_corn]

31 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Hays, Diaz and Kremer may start the season at AA.

Why would you have Diaz repeat AA?

As for pitchers go ahead and slow roll them.  I am much more confident will position players moving more quickly.

[wildcard]

3 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Why would you have Diaz repeat AA?

As for pitchers go ahead and slow roll them.  I am much more confident will position players moving more quickly.

The Texas League is a hitters  league..  When he  moved to the Eastern league he didn't do well.  Plus the O's were trying to change his swing path.  If he goes immediately to Norfolk he has to play his home games in a pitcher park.   

Maybe they will want Diaz and Hays to start at Bowie.  Do well and then move up.

[Luke-OH]

30 minutes ago, wildcard said:

The Texas League is a hitters  league..  When he  moved to the Eastern league he didn't do well.  Plus the O's were trying to change his swing path.  If he goes immediately to Norfolk he has to play his home games in a pitcher park.   

Maybe they will want Diaz and Hays to start at Bowie.  Do well and then move up.

By didn't do well, you mean a 106 wRC+ (6% better than league average) while being young for the level and weighted down by a .267 BABIP. You could argue that the BABIP probably reflects contact quality somewhat, but he's no where near a true talent .267 BABIP guy, he's .334 in his MiLB career (including his time in Bowie) and his batted ball profile didn't change significantly in Bowie. 

Plus, probably more importantly, it's a tiny 38 game sample size.

Finally, is the Texas League actually a hitter's league?

https://www.milb.com/milb/news/toolshed-stats-double-a-ballpark-factors/c-209338440

 

[wildcard]

3 hours ago, Luke-OH said:

By didn't do well, you mean a 106 wRC+ (6% better than league average) while being young for the level and weighted down by a .267 BABIP. You could argue that the BABIP probably reflects contact quality somewhat, but he's no where near a true talent .267 BABIP guy, he's .334 in his MiLB career (including his time in Bowie) and his batted ball profile didn't change significantly in Bowie. 

Plus, probably more importantly, it's a tiny 38 game sample size.

Finally, is the Texas League actually a hitter's league?

https://www.milb.com/milb/news/toolshed-stats-double-a-ballpark-factors/c-209338440

 

Diaz had a 732 OPS at Bowie after having a 905 OPS in the Texas League (which has been a hitters league for as long as I can remember).  I will not be a bit surprised if the O's start him for a month at Bowie before going to that pitchers park in Norfolk.

[Luke-OH]

8 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Diaz had a 732 OPS at Bowie after having a 905 OPS in the Texas League (which has been a hitters league for as long as I can remember).  I will not be a bit surprised if the O's start him for a month at Bowie before going to that pitchers park in Norfolk.

It's not a hitter's league any more than the Eastern League is a hitter's league. The link I added shows that. If you don't believe that evidence, then look at his wRC+ in the Texas league (a stat that is calibrated to league average), it was 152 which is 52% better than league average. His production was not at all a product of a hitters league.

Why should someone with an .841 OPS and a 135 wRC+ over a full season in AA repeat the league? 

[wildcard]

11 minutes ago, Luke-OH said:

It's not a hitter's league any more than the Eastern League is a hitter's league. The link I added shows that. If you don't believe that evidence, then look at his wRC+ in the Texas league (a stat that is calibrated to league average), it was 152 which is 52% better than league average. His production was not at all a product of a hitters league.

Why should someone with an .841 OPS and a 135 wRC+ over a full season in AA repeat the league? 

You make some good points.  ST may be important to where Diaz is placed.   Where is he with changing his swing?    What was going on that he had a 732 OPS after the O's got him?

[Luke-OH]

1 minute ago, wildcard said:

You make some good points.  ST may be important to where Diaz is placed.   Where is he with changing his swing?    What was going on that he had a 732 OPS after the O's got him?

I think its the combination of them having him try new things, a new environment, but mostly the normal variations in batted balls falling for hits or not that can easily affect a batting line over small samples. 

Regarding the swing changes, I would bet a hefty amount that the swing changes they were encouraging are not exactly what the new regime would suggest. But either way, Diaz has messed around with his swing a good bit and I'm sure he'll be fine. He's going to hit, the question is will he hit for enough power to be more than just a solid starter.

[wildcard]

10 minutes ago, Luke-OH said:

I think its the combination of them having him try new things, a new environment, but mostly the normal variations in batted balls falling for hits or not that can easily affect a batting line over small samples. 

Regarding the swing changes, I would bet a hefty amount that the swing changes they were encouraging are not exactly what the new regime would suggest. But either way, Diaz has messed around with his swing a good bit and I'm sure he'll be fine. He's going to hit, the question is will he hit for enough power to be more than just a solid starter.

That is what I understand the swing change to be all about.   More backspin to make the ball carry and a swing that elevates the ball more.   If he still needs to work on that probably better to do it in the Eastern  League rather than sending him to Harbor Park.  I would think they would want him to have confidence in his swing  before Harbor Park messes with him.

[Luke-OH]

32 minutes ago, wildcard said:

That is what I understand the swing change to be all about.   More backspin to make the ball carry and a swing that elevates the ball more.   If he still needs to work on that probably better to do it in the Eastern  League rather than sending him to Harbor Park.  I would think they would want him to have confidence in his swing  before Harbor Park messes with him.

Yes, the swing change was about producing power. Backspin helps a ball carry. But when I hear gearing a swing for backspin, I think this type of swing. Trumbo is a huge backspin guy who often catches the ball on the lower half while the bat is still traveling downward. I don't see Elias's team teaching that type of swing.  If I see anything in Diaz's swing is that it's very north and south, not rotational enough and he could probably load his hands more consistently. I wouldn't be surprised if the new leadership just says Yusniel, do what makes you comfortable and we'll go from there. 

Regarding Harbor Park, I don't think it'll hurt him as much as others, he's an all-fields guy who relies on consistent hard contact and BB rate rather than over the fence power. 

[sportsfan8703]

I still think Hechavarria and Gentry make sense. We could at least throw a decent defense out there and try to help the value of potential trade chip pitchers, and the development of our young pitchers. I think there is room for Hechavarria, Martin, and Jackson all on the 25 man. Especially with Jackson being able to play the OF. 

Let’s assume Trumbo on the DL to start the season. 

1B- Davis

2B - Villar

SS- Hechavarria 

3B- Nunez

LF- Stewart

CF- Mullins

RF- Rickard

Catcher - Sisco

DH - Mancini

Bench: Martin, Jackson, Wynns, Gentry