O's Moves that need to be made

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

2 hours ago, Ballmer Bruce said:

Do what you will. Play the young guys. This team is going to win 58 games no matter what. 

58 games? So you're the half glass full type.

[NCRaven]

4 hours ago, Frobby said:

I am not sure I agree with the last sentence.    The O’s are in the process of developing players and testing what they can do.   Sometimes that means putting a player in a tough situation, even one where they might be in a little over their head, and seeing how they handle it, both during that situation and afterwards.    

I expect Hyde to test a lot of his players this way, and sometimes that will be inconsistent with maximizing the chances to win that day’s game.   I particularly think that’s going to be true in the opening weeks of the season.    

I agree with this in regards to players like Mullins (24), Martin (24), Ruiz (24), Jackson (25) and even Severino (25) or pitchers like Hess (25), Castro (24), Fry (26), Means (25);  all young players will the possibility of playing a role on future Orioles teams.

But, Mike Wright (29) and Chris Davis (33) have shown us who they are and they aren't good.  Not good enough to get someone to take them - at least in Davis' case - and not good enough to be part of a future Orioles winning team.

[Camden_yardbird]

3 hours ago, Beef Supreme said:

I doubt Jackson is any worse than Mullins.

Mullins is not a player.

Care to explain your reasoning?

There is not a lot to go on at the major league level, certainly not enough to provide normalized stats.  And you dont have much to go on based on minor league levels because those stats look pretty good.

[UpstateNYfan]

45 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I feel like Davis had a number of hits taken away by the shift last year.   Look at all the grey spots beyond the infield on this chart:  https://www.fangraphs.com/spraycharts.aspx?playerid=9272&position=1B&type=battedball&pid2=9272&ss1=2019&se1=2019&ss2=2018&se2=2019&cht1=hangtime&cht2=hittype&vs1=ALL&vs2=ALL

Meanwhile, I believe he did not execute a successful bunt, so no reason to stop shifting.   

As to not having lost a hit to the shift this year — he’s only put 6 balls in play.    

Yes, I saw a few hard hit balls taken away by the shift last year. SSS, but he's not the player he was last year, scary thought...not even fouling off pitches. He's gotten up 3-0 and seen 3 straight fastballs and doesn't touch any of them. I kind of hope they find some physical and/or psychological thing wrong with him.

[LookinUp]

Not that I disagree re: Davis, but Paxton really did throw some excellent pitches against him yesterday. Just saying.

[mdbdotcom]

2 hours ago, wildcard said:

Alberto over 100 plate appearances at AAA  with a 309 average and a 768 OPS.   Martin has never played above AA before this past week.  So who is the starter and who the replacement?

Martin is the starter because that's what Hyde and Elias decided. 10 days ago you didn't even want him on the team. Amazing.

[wildcard]

4 hours ago, LookinUp said:

I think a couple of things need to be said:

1. Game results are not the only way players are evaluated. Coaches have a good sense of what guys like Alberto and Jackson can do with the bat from BP, previous stats, spring training, etc. Giving them a chance isn't going to suddenly change who they are. You might catch lightning in a bottle with a hot hitter, but more likely than not you're taking chances away from a player who has better overall odds of success if given a real chance.

2. If we demote/DFA all of the guys who really don't belong, we will be replacing them with guys who also don't belong. See point #1 about knowing what we have in house. The only alternative is to promote the top prospects.

3. We do not want to promote top prospects yet for many reasons. We can churn the other guys all we want, but ultimately the truth is that the answer is either not in the organization or Elias doesn't want them in Baltimore yet. 

4. That means you go back to what you have now. Give them all the rope you can stomach. 

Get used to this, wildcard. Even if we churn, it's going to be ugly. 

1. I doubt that is true.  Until you give a player a chance to thrive or fail you really don't know what he will do with the bat.  I agree they probably know about a players defense.

2.  I am not saying any one should be sent down or DFA'd.   I even said I was not ready to DFA Wright just yet.

3.  I don't see it as churning players.  I see if as give players a chance.  I agree that the top prospects are staying in the minors.

4. I think Alberto and Jackson are deserving of a chance as much as Martin and Mullins, especially when the latter two are not hitting well.

[wildcard]

4 hours ago, WalkWithElias said:

Alberto is 26 years old and has nearly 200 plate appearances in the majors with a .469 OPS. Martin is a 24 year old former first round pick who has played 1 week in the bigs. We know what Alberto is. Martin we need to see. I don't think swapping Alberto in for Martin is the difference in winning even 1 game this season. 

I doubt this is true.   I don't think Alberto is the same player he was in 2015.  He has one month back then where he got 57 at bats.  Other then that he as never had a month with more than 19 at bats.  I  agree every bat has to earn his at bats but I don't think we know what the 2019 version on of Alberto will be.    He has grown a lot with the bat since 2015.

[wildcard]

3 hours ago, ChuckS said:

What are you saying this based on? Spring training and a weeks worth of games? 

Mullins hit considerably better in Double A while being two years younger than Jackson and Mullins is a more viable CF. Their minor league credentials don’t even compare and neither has had enough time in Baltimore to come to any conclusions there. 

Have you ever seen Jackson play CF?

[wildcard]

1 hour ago, mdbdotcom said:

Martin is the starter because that's what Hyde and Elias decided. 10 days ago you didn't even want him on the team. Amazing.

Read the OP.  I said I want to try Alberto at 2B, Villar at SS and have Martin as defensive replacement.   If you are going to try to make an argument at least get the facts right.  Amazing.

[mdbdotcom]

7 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Read the OP.  I said I want to try Alberto at 2B, Villar at SS and have Martin as defensive replacement.   If you are going to try to make an argument at least get the facts right.  Amazing.

Oops, I meant to say that 10 days ago you didn't even want Alberto on the team, and that's a fact.

[TheOtherRipken]

20 hours ago, wildcard said:

1)   Mancini to 1B, Davis to defensive replacement

2) Jackson to CF, Mullins to 4th OF and defensive replacement

3) Villar to SS, Alberto to 2B, Martin to defensive replacement

The move for Wright is coming but the O's are not quite there yet.

JMO.  What do you think will happen and when.

1 - agree Mancini at 1st is ideal, but we either cut Davis or play him, defensive replacement is a nonsense place for him. Just because he made some good plays early doesnt count out his abysmal defensive performance in 2018. Dont see any point in carrying him as a bench player.

2- this team is awful let the young guys play. Mullins should start or be in AAA getting reps. Nothing from Jackson indicates he is ready to be a full time center fielder

3- stop, you want Alberto to be a full time player for us? Why? Giving up on Martin that fast? 

 

 

[LookinUp]

47 minutes ago, wildcard said:

1. I doubt that is true.  Until you give a player a chance to thrive or fail you really don't know what he will do with the bat.  I agree they probably know about a players defense.

I think they know more about the players than you realize. These guys swing the bat thousands of times in front of the eyes of coaches, but outside of the eyes of fans. 

To change the subject slightly, I wonder how well Davis would hit in batting practice if he knew the pitcher would simply throw 92-94 mph four seem fastballs down the middle every time. I bet he'd be good.

[mdbdotcom]

21 hours ago, wildcard said:

1)   Mancini to 1B, Davis to defensive replacement

2) Jackson to CF, Mullins to 4th OF and defensive replacement

3) Villar to SS, Alberto to 2B, Martin to defensive replacement

The move for Wright is coming but the O's are not quite there yet.

JMO.  What do you think will happen and when.

Scratch #2

[FlipTheBird]

1 hour ago, TheOtherRipken said:

1 - agree Mancini at 1st is ideal, but we either cut Davis or play him, defensive replacement is a nonsense place for him. Just because he made some good plays early doesnt count out his abysmal defensive performance in 2018. Dont see any point in carrying him as a bench player.

2- this team is awful let the young guys play. Mullins should start or be in AAA getting reps. Nothing from Jackson indicates he is ready to be a full time center fielder

3- stop, you want Alberto to be a full time player for us? Why? Giving up on Martin that fast? 

 

 

Same can be said about Mullins. Except he CAN be sent down to get reps, whereas Jackson has to stay here or be sent back from whence he came. I'd put Cedric in Norfolk.