Roch: Elias Returns From GM Meetings

[Redskins Rick]

1 minute ago, Moose Milligan said:

I wouldn't say we really "lost" him... 

 

Anyway, someone check on wildcard to see if he's still alive after losing Aaron Brooks, please.

his mini AED went off and restarted him back among us.

[atomic]

9 minutes ago, Redskins Rick said:

who the hell cares about looks.

What do you know, how do you plan to operate and build me a winning baseball team is way more important.

Bald, Grey, Punk Rocker Red, I dont care.

Just get the job done.

You say that but the last president elected below the national average in height was in 1896.   Rand Paul had less chance to be president than I did.  

[AceKing]

https://images.app.goo.gl/M6E4tv6zAxGqPT8ZA

 

Elias.

[weams]

 

[Frobby]

4 hours ago, Redskins Rick said:

Seam like a very slow off-season all around MLB.

 

Nothing really happens until the Winter Meetings.   

[interloper]

5 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Nothing really happens until the Winter Meetings.   

Indeed. If we're already thinking it's slow, it's gonna be a loooooong winter. 

[Frobby]

5 hours ago, atomic said:

Why is it goofy?  He is the youngest GM in Orioles history when he was hired when he was 35.  Weams posted a link with a new photo of him.  You don't think appearances play a role in whether someone gets hired for a job?   

 

There are 4-5 current GM’s who were as young as or younger than Elias when they were hired, and lots of GM’s hired in their late 30’s/very early 40’s.     So, I’m not inclined to think that grey hair had much to do with it.    

[mdbdotcom]

2 hours ago, weams said:

 

Trey'd him for Miguel Andujar and a prospect.

[Going Underground]

Did anyone see the article  from Jon Meoli in the Baltimore Sun? He had some names of minor leaguers the Orioles might go after .Getting on a plane so can't post it now 

[scOtt]

Quote

He did lose a pitcher, allowing Aaron Brooks to sign a contract with the Kia Tigers in the Korean Baseball Organization. The Orioles get a modest buyout in exchange, and a fifth opening on their 40-man roster that’s going to come in handy.

 

5 hours ago, Moose Milligan said:

I wouldn't say we really "lost" him... 

 

Anyway, someone check on wildcard to see if he's still alive after losing Aaron Brooks, please.

 

Looks like you've been missing a lot of work lately Peter...

 

Can't really say I've been missing it Bob.

[sportsfan8703]

3 hours ago, weams said:

 

All it takes is a team like the White Sox to decide they are ready to compete and offer us a deal. It only takes one. 

[wildcard]

5 hours ago, Frobby said:

Nothing really happens until the Winter Meetings.   

For me there is a lot going on right now.

The O's will probably add 11 players to the roster and several of them will happen soon.  

6 minor league from the O's system: Mountcastle, Akin, Kremer, Sedlock, Fenter and McKenna.  

Kyle Moore says Fenter  has 3 plus pitches right now.  And he will move fast next season.  How do the O's not protect him?    McKenna is considered by some as the O's fastest and best athlete.   With all the teams rebuilding how can the O's not protect him?

2 Rule 5 slots.

The O's may need  8 clear  spots  the next week.

Then 2 guys from the 6 year minor league or waiver wire.    The other 8 are players for the future.   These last two are  needed for 2020 to fill out he rotation and long relief.   Elias will also add other pitchers in the minors that can put up innings.

One for a defensive SS.  Sometime this off season.

So if the O's are at 35 players on the roster they need to clear 3 more spots this week and 2 more whenever the 6 year minor league or waiver wire are added.   Some of these pitchers  will be available soon or may be available in the next week as teams clear their rosters.

Guys that may be coming off the roster are Hanhold, Hess, Armstrong but then it gets harder to make room.  Some say Wynns but I see Perez is unsigned. So maybe Wynns will be kept.

That seems like a lot going on to me.

 

[Going Underground]

Some of the guys Meoli mentions the Orioles are looking at 

 

Carlos Asuaje, Arizona

A versatile infielder who spent parts of three seasons with the San Diego Padres, Asuaje is the kind of seasoned second baseman who can move all around and cover for the potential trade of Jonathan Villar on the Orioles’ infield. The bat isn’t much, but he makes contact and doesn’t strike out muc

 

Mitch Nay, Cincinnati

A minor league Rule 5 pick from the Blue Jays last year, Nay raked to the tune of a .304 average with a .927 OPS and 13 home runs at Double-A before struggling in his first taste at Triple-A. His moving from first base to third base means he might not be a fit, but there’s enough in the bat to be interesting 

 

Luis Marté, Atlanta

Though he’s only 25, Marte got to Double-A in the Rangers organization in 2015, and has 1,664 plate appearances in the high-minors that have solidified the fact that he’s light-hitting middle infield depth no matter where you play him. Those types of players get a shot here.

Phillip Evans, Cubs

Evans had a couple shots with the Mets in 2017 and 2018, but spent all of 2019 in Triple-A with Chicago. He’s a career .274 hitter with an .806 OPS over essentially three full seasons at that level, making him a prime candidate to have enough minors experience to play with the Orioles.

[Frobby]

2 hours ago, wildcard said:

For me there is a lot going on right now.

The O's will probably add 11 players to the roster and several of them will happen soon.  

6 minor league from the O's system: Mountcastle, Akin, Kremer, Sedlock, Fenter and McKenna.  

Kyle Moore says Fenter  has 3 plus pitches right now.  And he will move fast next season.  How do the O's not protect him?    McKenna is considered by some as the O's fastest and best athlete.   With all the teams rebuilding how can the O's not protect him?

2 Rule 5 slots.

The O's may need  8 clear  spots  the next week.

Then 2 guys from the 6 year minor league or waiver wire.    The other 8 are players for the future.   These last two are  needed for 2020 to fill out he rotation and long relief.   Elias will also add other pitchers in the minors that can put up innings.

One for a defensive SS.  Sometime this off season.

So if the O's are at 35 players on the roster they need to clear 3 more spots this week and 2 more whenever the 6 year minor league or waiver wire are added.   Some of these pitchers  will be available soon or may be available in the next week as teams clear their rosters.

Guys that may be coming off the roster are Hanhold, Hess, Armstrong but then it gets harder to make room.  Some say Wynns but I see Perez is unsigned. So maybe Wynns will be kept.

That seems like a lot going on to me.

 

I interpreted Redskins Rick’s comment to relate to trades and FA signings around MLB, rather than marginal decisions facing the O’s.     And when I say “marginal,” the close decisions on the 40-man roster probably won’t move the needle significantly with respect to the O’s long term or short term future, and the easy decisions are, well, easy.    It’s not that I’m not interested in who is the last guy on our 40 man roster, but it’s not exactly which team will sign Gerrit Cole, is it?

[wildcard]

Elias answers questions on the GM Meetings:

https://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2019/11/elias-provides-a-summary-of-the-gm-meetings-and-more.html

Interesting points:

1. “I think the amount of time that we have the player under control is a big factor. As you saw with Andrew Cashner, when it’s just a couple of months left of control and we clearly weren’t going to the playoffs, obviously the bar is very low to make a trade because you don’t want to hold a guy into free agency and get nothing in return. That’s a big factor for us as we kind of figure out where that threshold is.”

Sounds like Elias will take the best trade he can get for Villar IMO. But I don't think Villar is non tendered.

2. “I think that while we like our catching group right now - we like (Chance) Sisco and (Pedro) Severino and (Austin) Wynns - we’re probably going to look for a fourth catcher for that mix. You can’t have enough there. And four is the number that you want to go into spring training with. That’s something we’re working on. And I think anything else we’ll take a look at a little more opportunistically, but it’s those positions up the middle.

Sounds like Wynns will stay on the 40 man roster and Elias will add a catcher on a minor league contract to share time with him at AAA.

3.“I think in terms of center field we might like to add a minor league free agent type that can give us some center field depth with the hope that Austin Hays is healthy and has a good spring and is ready to seize the job on opening day. But you need a backup plan there and some competition in case he’s not.”

Sounds like Mason Williams or someone similar of a minor league contract.

4. “We need to make our Rule 5 additions prior to that deadline and I don’t necessarily see why that would go right to the 5 p.m. deadline on the 20th. We’re going to have some internal meetings and get squared away. I think we have some really easy decisions to make there, but then there’s a couple that probably warrant some more conversation.”

I see adding 5.  Mountcastle, Akin. Kremer,  Sedlock and Fenter.   I now think that McKenna will not be added but will be signed to a minor league contract and exposed to the draft.  Kyle Moore's comments on Fenter having 3 plus pitches makes me think he will be protected.