Orioles Lose Zach Pop and Grey Fenter in Rule Five

[Tony-OH]

I wouldn't get too worked up over who we selected and who we lost just because of the history of these Rule 5 drafts.

I said earlier that Pop would be a guy I would have protected IF I knew he was healthy so it's hard to know right now where he is in his rehab. If he's healthy and back to where he was, I could see him as a guy where a team could use him in a bullpen in some middle relief. But, the chances are with all the layoff it's hard to say right now where he's at.

Fenter is a guy who has always been in our end of the top 30 or just off the top 30 lists the last few years. I like his fastball curveball mixture and could see him as a power reliever one day, but he is an awful long way away so I think it will be very hard to stash him for year. 

If Pop is healthy and pitching well next spring, I think the team will lose him, but I see Fenter getting returned.

I've only done video scouting of Sceroler so far and think he has more of a starter's mix, but I need to watch more starts of his. the curveball was his K pitch in the start I saw, the fastball was ok (89-92), change was ok at times but the slider was pretty bad except for one that was a nice hard late breaker at 82 MPH.

[interloper]

Bummed to lose Pop (for now). I liked the idea of him slotting into the bullpen somewhere eventually. He may still, we shall see. 

[Frobby]

It seems to me easier to hide a hard throwing bullpen guy for a year than it is to hide a four pitch mix starter.     I’m worried we could end up -2 here.   

[weams]

6 minutes ago, Frobby said:

It seems to me easier to hide a hard throwing bullpen guy for a year than it is to hide a four pitch mix starter.     I’m worried we could end up -2 here.   

Sure. Could be.

[Sports Guy]

Pop was traded to the Marlins..making it even more unlikely we get him back imo.

The idea that we kept Valdez and Lakins and had 2 extra 40 man spots and used those 2 spots for players with lower ceilings is really maddening.

[ChuckS]

1 hour ago, Frobby said:

It seems to me easier to hide a hard throwing bullpen guy for a year than it is to hide a four pitch mix starter.     I’m worried we could end up -2 here.   

I'd be surprised if either of the guys we took cracks the rotation, at least to start the season.  We could use one as a long reliever.  They will likely be in competition with each other in Spring Training and whoever looks better will stick with the team, the other sent back. 

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, RZNJ said:

RH relievers. The most replaceable asset in baseball UNLESS they are elite.

Utility infielders and corner outfielders are up there.  Can pick them up off the waiver wire all day.

[MCO'sFan]

I was pretty certain that we would lose Pop and I am equally certain that he is gone! Very disappointed. I like Fenter but he hasn't really developed. I was looking forward to see if the new PD guys could help this year now that he is healthy. Oh well. 

[Just Regular]

38 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

RH relievers. The most replaceable asset in baseball UNLESS they are elite.

Plus except Mariano the ELITE list turns itself over just about completely every 36 months, if not every 18.

Who's excited to lock up Liam Hendriks for 3-4 years?

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, OrioleDog said:

Plus except Mariano the ELITE list turns itself over just about completely every 36 months, if not every 18.

Who's excited to lock up Liam Hendriks for 3-4 years?

I'd be happy enough with a Givens, Brach or O'Day for three years at the league minimum.

[Just Regular]

1 minute ago, Can_of_corn said:

I'd be happy enough with a Givens, Brach or O'Day for three years at the league minimum.

It's fair Pop could maybe be that, but so could almost anybody.   Until injury takes one of Means, Baumann, Rodriguez, Hall or Pick 1-5 to "nothing" (that will probably happen), I've already got Akin, Kremer, Smith and Harvey for the middle innings of the early Rutschman teams.

[LookinUp]

1 hour ago, Sports Guy said:

Pop was traded to the Marlins..making it even more unlikely we get him back imo.

The idea that we kept Valdez and Lakins and had 2 extra 40 man spots and used those 2 spots for players with lower ceilings is really maddening.

One way of looking at this is your way, to look at it and say it's maddening.

The other way to look at it is to ask why the O's would do this. Why keep those two over Pop? The answer is some combination of they needed to confidently fill out the ML roster plus they don't think Pop is that guy because of some reason (health, talent, fitness, dedication, attitude, advanced metrics, whatever). 

There's a reason. It's not like they made this decision with their eyes closed. You just don't know the rationale so it's maddening.

[Sports Guy]

3 minutes ago, LookinUp said:

One way of looking at this is your way, to look at it and say it's maddening.

The other way to look at it is to ask why the O's would do this. Why keep those two over Pop? The answer is some combination of they needed to confidently fill out the ML roster plus they don't think Pop is that guy because of some reason (health, talent, fitness, dedication, attitude, advanced metrics, whatever). 

There's a reason. It's not like they made this decision with their eyes closed. You just don't know the rationale so it's maddening.

Maybe they don’t think Pop is that guy but him being on the 40 man does nothing to effect what you do for the ML roster, at least not until well in the season and since they don’t care about winning this year, what difference does it make anyway?

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, LookinUp said:

One way of looking at this is your way, to look at it and say it's maddening.

The other way to look at it is to ask why the O's would do this. Why keep those two over Pop?

When they made their decision about Pop, they didn’t know exactly who other teams would protect or who would be selected in the first 4 picks.   So it’s not like they made a calculated decision to drop Pop in favor of this guy.    But as it worked out, of the players available when they picked the O’s liked these two the best.  We’ll see how it works out.

[Roll Tide]

Quote

As for the Rule 5 draft, the Diamondbacks did participate — though they did so on someone else’s behalf, selecting right-hander Zach Pop from the Baltimore Orioles and immediately trading him to the Miami Marlins for a player to be named later or cash. Hazen said the clubs have agreed on a list of four players and the Diamondbacks will decide in six months who or what they want in return.

Wow....So 4 players to chose for a player the Marlins might have to send back?

 

https://www.azcentral.com/story/sports/mlb/diamondbacks/2020/12/10/mlb-virtual-winter-meetings-conclude-offseason-activity-ramps-up/3888771001/