Trumbo sounds cautiously doubtful to be ready by Opening Day

[Aglets]

1 minute ago, Tx Oriole said:

Why do you keep bringing Rickard? Don't the O's have better OF than Rickard to platoon?

For center field?  I'm not sure if the answer to that question is yes.

[wildcard]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

For me, I’m not making any blanket statements.   Let’s see how they play, and also, where they are placed in the MiL system.    Do any of them start the year in AAA?

Depends on ST.   If Hays looks really good in ST he could begin the season at AAA.  Otherwise I think he begins at AA and if he has a good April could be in AAA in May.   I think the other two spend at least the 1st half in AA.

[El Gordo]

2 hours ago, DrungoHazewood said:

I'd take that!

A highlight of my baseball fandom was thousands of Japanese fans chanting "home-run home run Ba-tis-ta!" at a Fukuoka Hawks game.

A high point of my fandom was watching the 7th inning balloon release fall back to earth like used condoms at the Yokohama Baystars game. That and the back pack beer girls.

[FanSince88]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

Depends what’s meant by delaying their service clock.    If you mean none of those three are on the OD roster, I completely agree.    But let’s say one or all of those guys tear it up in the first half — would you keep them in the minors until May/June 2020?

Good question.  Personally I would be inclined to keep all three in the minors all of 2019 regardless.  I have no opinion on the 2020 season yet.  Would depend on lots of other factors, I guess, and a lot can happen between now and then.  

[wildcard]

11 minutes ago, Tx Oriole said:

Why do you keep bringing Rickard? Don't the O's have better OF than Rickard to platoon?

Same reason as before.   Mullins has not hit lefties in AAA or the majors.   Richard has a 766 career OPS vs lefties.

[FanSince88]

1 hour ago, wildcard said:

Hays will be 24 in July.  I would like to see  him sometime in the 2nd half.     Diaz and McKenna will both play 2019 at 22 years old.  I could see them staying in the minors all this season.

Good point, somehow I thought Hays was a year or two younger than that.  Then yeah, no later than April 2020 for Hays as long as he makes good progress this year and stays healthy.  

[El Gordo]

1 hour ago, Aristotelian said:

I am going to Japan in June. It's looking most likely that we will see one of the Tokyo teams but Fukuoka and Hiroshima are on the list. Major bucket list item.

Be sure to take in Sumo, Kabuki, and Kyoto as well.. I recommend the Tokyo Yakult Swallows in Shinjuku and the Robot Cafe in Kabuki-cho.

[LookinUp]

I hope the recovery timeline is a little more optimistic than this thread makes it sound. Like the signing or not, Trumbo has become a fan favorite. It would be nice if he could have 30-60 productive days before the trade deadline to get a curtain call, so to speak, and hopefully return something (at least $ savings) at the deadline.

[DrungoHazewood]

2 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

I am going to Japan in June. It's looking most likely that we will see one of the Tokyo teams but Fukuoka and Hiroshima are on the list. Major bucket list item.

I've only been to the Sasebo/Fukuoka/Nagasaki area a couple times, but I absolutely loved Japan.  Would definitely go back if the opportunity presented itself. 

The baseball was great, a random regular season game in July in the Fukuoka Yahoo! Dome, but the crowd was like college football.  Weird observation: I don't think they announced the players (or I couldn't hear from the outfield bleachers) and all the scoreboards were in Japanese characters.  I literally had no idea who was pitching or batting until Tony Batista came up.  You never mistake Tony Batista for anyone else.

[DrungoHazewood]

2 hours ago, interloper said:

I thought it was downright weird that he didn't get a look last ST.

27-year-old with 45 hit, 40 power, 50 glove, 55 arm, 45 speed, and no growth potential.  Or thereabouts.  His AAA stats are .243/.331/.408.  Let's give him a big benefit of the doubt and assume Harbor Park cancels out most of the AAA-Majors translation.  That still puts him 30 or 40 OPS points shy of an average MLB RFer.

[wildcard]

21 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

27-year-old with 45 hit, 40 power, 50 glove, 55 arm, 45 speed, and no growth potential.  Or thereabouts.  His AAA stats are .243/.331/.408.  Let's give him a big benefit of the doubt and assume Harbor Park cancels out most of the AAA-Majors translation.  That still puts him 30 or 40 OPS points shy of an average MLB RFer.

He is a placeholder until Hays is ready.  He has the arm to play right which I can't say about Stewart and Mancini.   Posters say all the time that baseball people know how to adjust for the park effect of Harbor Park.  So make the adjustment for Yaz.   The easiest thing for me to do is just take Harbor Park out for the equation.

I'd put Yaz speed at 50.  He has played a fair amount of centerfield.  I would say at this point his hit is also 50.   I agree with the power at 40 and there being no growth potential.

[Ohfan67]

Yaz turned 28 in August. No thanks. I would rather watch Stewart out there.

 

I suspect that there will be other, low-cost possibilities for RF signed before or during the early part of spring training. 

[Frobby]

12 minutes ago, wildcard said:

He is a placeholder until Hays is ready.  He has the arm to play right which I can't say about Stewart and Mancini.   Posters say all the time that baseball people know how to adjust for the park effect of Harbor Park.  So make the adjustment for Yaz.   The easiest thing for me to do is just take Harbor Park out for the equation.

The easiest thing for me is to do what Drungo is suggesting, i.e. assume that the effect of playing half your games in Harbor Park is roughly equivalent to the effect of playing 100% of your games in the major leagues instead of AAA.    For example, Mancini had a .775 OPS in Norfolk and now after two years he has a .777 OPS in the majors.   But the truth is, different players are impacted differently.   

Yaz had a bizarre year last year, .801 in AA but .603 in AAA.   The two previous seasons he hit much better in AA.   I’m kind of guessing, but I think Yaz would struggle to match his career .739 stat line in AAA as a major leaguer.    I’d peg him for .700ish.

[Aristotelian]

39 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

I've only been to the Sasebo/Fukuoka/Nagasaki area a couple times, but I absolutely loved Japan.  Would definitely go back if the opportunity presented itself. 

The baseball was great, a random regular season game in July in the Fukuoka Yahoo! Dome, but the crowd was like college football.  Weird observation: I don't think they announced the players (or I couldn't hear from the outfield bleachers) and all the scoreboards were in Japanese characters.  I literally had no idea who was pitching or batting until Tony Batista came up.  You never mistake Tony Batista for anyone else.

Too bad Tony Batista won't be playing when I'm there but the rest sounds absolutely perfect.

[wildcard]

7 minutes ago, Ohfan67 said:

Yaz turned 28 in August. No thanks. I would rather watch Stewart out there.

 

I suspect that there will be other, low-cost possibilities for RF signed before or during the early part of spring training. 

Looks like Stewart could begin the season in left with Trumbo on the DL and Mancini at DH/1B.