Obligatory DFA/Interest Thread: Bird & Cortes, Jr.

[ShaneDawg85]

It's become a right of passage to post about some other team's castoffs and whether we could or should be interested, so here's another one: https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/28125662/yankees-release-jacoby-ellsbury-dfa-greg-bird

Cortes is still only 25 but consistently inconsistent, Bird is 27 but constantly injured and never come close to matching his gangbusters debut four years ago.  Minor league deals, spring invites if anything, maybe?

[Frobby]

Cortes really finished the year poorly, 9.31 ERA over his final 13 appearances.    It seems like the league figured him out.    
 

Bird might be interesting if we weren’t overloaded at 1B/LF, but we are, so I’d pass.

[sportsfan8703]

Cortes can't pitch in the majors with the juiced ball. 

[Enjoy Terror]

This is the current list of players in DFA limbo at this moment (numbers are positions):

(1) T. Guerrieri
(1) J. Cotton
(1) D. Gagnon
(1) W. Chen
(1) D. Leone
(1) W. Jerez
(1) D. Agrazal
(1) M. DuRapau
(1) N. Cortes
(1) Arn. Hernandez
(1) C.D. Pelham
(1) L. Escobar
(1) N. Goody
(1) C. Greene
(1) J. Shafer

(2) N. Dini
(3) G. Bird
(5) M. Duffy
(79) N. Martini
(9) J. Bonifacio
(D9) D. Palka

[Moose Milligan]

What, no Wei Yin Chen clamoring?  For shame, OH.  For shame.

[Legend_Of_Joey]

If they sign Pelham for for 1.23 million...

Does that mean they took Pelham for 123?

[MurphDogg]

I am interested in giving Jharel Cotton a look, Tommy John recovery takes time, I am willing to throw out last year and add him to the Spring Training mix.

[backwardsk]

What do you think Bird could conceivably get around the league?  Could something like 1/4 get it done?  If so, I think that’s a really tempting flier for a competitive team.

[jamalshw]

I would take a shot on a number of these guys. If the Orioles would finally give up on Davis and if they're committed on Mountcastle in LF, then I think Bird would be an interesting gamble, but alas...

Would Matt Duffy be an option? I know he's primarily a 3B, but can he play some SS or 2B?

 

[weams]

1 hour ago, jamalshw said:

I would take a shot on a number of these guys. If the Orioles would finally give up on Davis and if they're committed on Mountcastle in LF, then I think Bird would be an interesting gamble, but alas...

Would Matt Duffy be an option? I know he's primarily a 3B, but can he play some SS or 2B?

 

In the famous words of Nancy Kerrigan. "Why!"

I am only interested in MLB minimum or MilB contract players for 2020.

[weams]

2 hours ago, backwardsk said:

What do you think Bird could conceivably get around the league?  Could something like 1/4 get it done?  If so, I think that’s a really tempting flier for a competitive team.

So right now it's a trade. These are not free agents;. A waiver claim would be next and the Orioles slot second on those. FA only after that. 

[7Mo]

1 minute ago, weams said:

In the famous words of Nancy Kerrigan. "Why!"

Nice!!

[weams]

3 minutes ago, 7Mo said:

Nice!!

 

[Luke-OH]

5 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Cortes can't pitch in the majors with the juiced ball. 

Yeah, there are a few guys on the DFA list who are hurt by the juiced ball.

Cortes Jr and also more established guys like Chen and Leone. Flyball guys who are seeing typical cans of corn going over the fence. 

[Luke-OH]

Here's some of my thoughts on the controllable DFA guys (so no Leone, Chen, Duffy, etc).  Explaination of Escobar as the top guy. He has a above average to plus curveball and changeup. He sits in the mid-90s and can run it up into the high 90s. His issue is fastball command, I think it's fixable, he's young and he turns over his fastball the way you would a changeup, imparting a similar spin axis as the change. By staying behind the fastball more, tweaking the release, he'd has less horizontal movement, making it easier to command and also giving it more hop so it'll be a swing and miss pitch up in the zone. Talented arm, the issues are fixable and the Pirates haven't done a great job at developing pitchers. 

20 hours ago, Luke-OH said:

Here's a series of brief notes on the DFAed players with significant team control remaining. In order of preference for the Orioles...(top 5 would be a clear back of the 40 man upgrade IMO, although Cotton and Greene are projects rather than immediate improvements)

Luis Escobar

23yo, mid 90s, overpronated fastball with big horizontal, makings of two quality but low spin offspeed pitches

Montana DuRapau

27yo super premium spin guy, 4 pitch 5'11" righty, needs to use curveball more, better.

Jharel Cotton

27yo 5 pitch former top prospect, led by a elite changeup, been injured, reclaimation project, maybe in the pen

Justin Shafer

27yo, solid pitch mix including above avg spin mid 90s FB, slider, hard cutter (90mph), rare change. Strikethrower, but lacks command

Conner Greene

24yo righty, big stuff, mid-rotation or late inning, has never been able to throw enough strikes

Nick Dini

26yo Bat first catcher, but not an everyday bat. fringe average catch and throw, questionable framing, better than Wynns maybe

Drew Gagnon

29yo super low spin 4S FB, uses it up when he shouldn't, good changeup. Could be useful, limited upside

Williams Jerez

27yo Mid-90s lefty, low spin FB, that he elevates and gets crushed, quality split, and a usable slider, poor command

Taylor Guerrieri

26yo with premium curveball spin and solid command who lost the zone in 2019.

Nestor Cortes Jr

24yo command and deception lefty, good k/bb, flyball pitcher hurt by juiced ball

CD Pelham

24yo hard throwing lefty reliever, has t100, couldn't throw strikes in 2019

Arnaldo Hernandez

23yo righty, good changeup, hasn't been used in relief, doesn't work as a starter

Dario Agrazal

24yo blah command based sinkerballer without a strikeout pitch

Jorge Bonifacio

26yo plus run, fringe average glove COF, hit a little, but not enough

Nick Martini

29yo LF with some bat control but without LF power