Austin Hays called up

[foxfield]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

The OF should be an interesting story to follow next year.   Frankly, I expected it to be more of a story this year, but various injuries to Hays, Diaz and Stewart, plus Mullins’ offensive woes, made it more slow-developing than I thought.    Santander, though, was a definite bright spot.    If you’d told me before the year started that he’d get about twice as many PA this year as Mullins, Stewart, Hays and Diaz combined, I would have been astounded.    

I think this is right.  We THOUGHT it was this year, but it's coming next year.  There is some jockeying around as to who will be frontrunners going in, but the good news is the cast of folks is showing signs of coming around some...even Mullins.

[jtschrei]

1 hour ago, foxfield said:

I think this is right.  We THOUGHT it was this year, but it's coming next year.  There is some jockeying around as to who will be frontrunners going in, but the good news is the cast of folks is showing signs of coming around some...even Mullins.

Santander has changed everything. If he was struggling, we'd would be much more pessimistic. Now, all of a sudden, we have a switch-hitting RF with power, which allows us to play Stewart in LF. 

Hays sure looked good last night. He looks the part -- fast, strong. 

I don't think Mullins will be anything, but I actually wonder if Mason Williams might be a 4th OF. And productive 4th OF that can play in a platoon are not that hard to find. Santander has changed everything in the OF. Just hope it isn't a 1-year wonder. 

[MurphDogg]

9 minutes ago, jtschrei said:

I don't think Mullins will be anything, but I actually wonder if Mason Williams might be a 4th OF. And productive 4th OF that can play in a platoon are not that hard to find. Santander has changed everything in the OF. Just hope it isn't a 1-year wonder. 

Mason Williams is 3+ years older than Mullins and finally hit in AAA for the first time last year. Williams is fine as a place holder and I would be happy if they brought him back on a minor league deal with the chance to compete for a fourth outfielder spot in Spring Trainings, but I wouldn't use a 40-man roster spot over the winter on a 28 year-old with a negative WAR.

[wildcard]

27 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

Mason Williams is 3+ years older than Mullins and finally hit in AAA for the first time last year. Williams is fine as a place holder and I would be happy if they brought him back on a minor league deal with the chance to compete for a fourth outfielder spot in Spring Trainings, but I wouldn't use a 40-man roster spot over the winter on a 28 year-old with a negative WAR.

I am pretty negative about WAR to begin with.   I am waiting until the end of the month to assess Williams hitting.  I think he may be the 2nd best O's CF that is ready for the majors (if he is).  Mullins does not fit in that equation to begin 2020 IMO.

[Philip]

22 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

Mason Williams is 3+ years older than Mullins and finally hit in AAA for the first time last year. Williams is fine as a place holder and I would be happy if they brought him back on a minor league deal with the chance to compete for a fourth outfielder spot in Spring Trainings, but I wouldn't use a 40-man roster spot over the winter on a 28 year-old with a negative WAR.

I do not disagree about Williams, although I haven’t really seen enough of him to have a firm idea either way. However, I think Mullins has shown himself to be less than we hoped. I think it is highly doubtful that a player who doesn’t hit, doesn’t throw well and has been demoted all the way to AA is at risk of being claimed, So I have no problem with removing him from the 40 man.

So far, I’m not too keen on Stewart either. Tony has said that Stewart’s defense might be as bad as Smith’s over the course of the season, And he sure hasn’t looked good so far.

[MurphDogg]

1 minute ago, wildcard said:

I am pretty negative about WAR to begin with.   I am waiting until the end of the month to assess Williams hitting.  I think he may be the 2nd best O's CF that is ready for the majors (if he is).  Mullins does not fit in that equation to being 2020 IMO.

I was just using WAR as a shorthand for "he hasn't accomplished anything at the Major League level" by the age of 28. Sure, invite him to spring training, but with Mullins and McKenna probably getting the bulk of the time in centerfield at Norfolk, he may find a team willing to pencil him in as the AAA centerfielder AND give him a shot to make the Majors as a fourth outfielder. 

I think Williams is just a guy, and I wouldn't use a 40-man roster spot on him over the winter.

[wildcard]

12 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

I was just using WAR as a shorthand for "he hasn't accomplished anything at the Major League level" by the age of 28. Sure, invite him to spring training, but with Mullins and McKenna probably getting the bulk of the time in centerfield at Norfolk, he may find a team willing to pencil him in as the AAA centerfielder AND give him a shot to make the Majors as a fourth outfielder. 

I think Williams is just a guy, and I wouldn't use a 40-man roster spot on him over the winter.

What makes you think that McKenna will be promoted to AAA?

I have not made the determination whether Williams should get a 40 man roster slot.    But with Hays injury history a 4th OFer could play a lot of CF.    Right now I would say that Williams looks like the best to back up CF and I might not want to lose him.

[LookinUp]

Diaz is on the come too. They'll give Santander, Hays and Stewart more time to prove (or re-prove) themselves early next year, but I fully expect Diaz to be a fixture by the end of next season.

[wildcard]

13 minutes ago, LookinUp said:

Diaz is on the come too. They'll give Santander, Hays and Stewart more time to prove (or re-prove) themselves early next year, but I fully expect Diaz to be a fixture by the end of next season.

I think it will be Mountcastle, Hays and Santander in the OF to begin 2020.  Maybe Diaz in the 2nd half.

[MurphDogg]

24 minutes ago, wildcard said:

What makes you think that McKenna will be promoted to AAA?

I think he should be based on his performance.

Over the last 90 days (including the 5 playoff games) he has hit to a .259/.350/.412 line in a league with a .677 average OPS, at the age of 22 (2.0 years younger than league average) with 70 speed and and while playing a solid defensive centerfield.

[MurphDogg]

2 minutes ago, wildcard said:

I think it will be Mountcastle, Hays and Santander in the OF to begin 2020.  Maybe Diaz in the 2nd half.

If by begin 2020, you mean 2-4 weeks into 2020, then I agree.

Norfolk should be fun to follow next year as well.

[interloper]

2 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

I think he should be based on his performance.

Over the last 90 days (including the 5 playoff games) he has hit to a .259/.350/.412 line in a league with a .677 league OPS, at the age of 22 (2.0 years younger than league average) with 70 speed and and while playing a solid defensive centerfield.

He also got called out publicly by Buck Britton for continuing (key word here) to make dumb outs on the base paths. Couple of critical ones in this playoff series alone. Said he's been told all year about it and it hasn't stuck. Yikes. 

[wildcard]

8 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

I think he should be based on his performance.

Over the last 90 days (including the 5 playoff games) he has hit to a .259/.350/.412 line in a league with a .677 average OPS, at the age of 22 (2.0 years younger than league average) with 70 speed and and while playing a solid defensive centerfield.

So what you are saying is that his playoff stats should carry him to AAA.  Interesting.   His post  All Star stats were not that good.   

You could be right.

[wildcard]

8 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

If by begin 2020, you mean 2-4 weeks into 2020, then I agree.

Norfolk should be fun to follow next year as well.

Starting April 10th.

[SteveA]

1 hour ago, interloper said:

He also got called out publicly by Buck Britton for continuing (key word here) to make dumb outs on the base paths. Couple of critical ones in this playoff series alone. Said he's been told all year about it and it hasn't stuck. Yikes. 

Sounds like he's a perfect fit for the Orioles then.