Zach Lowther

[wildcard]

1 hour ago, UMDTerrapins said:

I've been so happy with the infusion of talent in the organization, and the development side, and all of the other meaningful improvements, that I've been giving a pass to some warning signs. I think he's done a really solid job at the kinds of tasks that he's previously performed at Houston. He's terrific at the micro, but as the top dog, I wonder about his macro thinking. Why aren't we running these you guys out there? How are we going to protect all of these rotation guys as well as the rotation guys who are coming on the 40 man? You can't stuff them all in the bullpen. If we're ultimately going to have to deal some of these guys, shouldn't we get them as many starts as we can in this window to find out what we have, and possibly build some value in them? How frustrating is it to develop a starter in your system for years only to jettison them when the finally have matured to the majors, and watch them become solid regulars for someone else? We're going to find out. At this juncture, what possible reason is there to start Harvey over these guys? No we didn't develop Pop, but he is a guy who should be auditioning in the closer role for us at this point instead of a 36 year old soft tossing journeyman. Weird to be so committed to protecting a guy like Sceroler and not protect a guy like Pop. Roster management is a real concern to me, and it feels like Elias is learning on the job. My gut tells me we're headed towards more Pop-like decisions with the this first wave of starter prospects. 

Here is how I see the pitching next April:

Starters: Means, Grayson, DL, Baumann, Bradish

Pen:  Fry, Scott, Tate, Harvey, Kremer, Zimmermann, Akin, Lopez

AAA: Lowther, Smith, Wilson, Vespi. Peralta, Diplan, Tyler Wells, Blaine Knight

Everyone of them except Lopez has options. All are on the 40 man roster. Switch them around as you like.

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, wildcard said:

Here is how I see the pitching next April:

Starters: Means, Grayson, DL, Baumann, Bradish

Pen:  Fry, Scott, Tate, Harvey, Kremer, Zimmermann, Akin, Lopez

AAA: Lowther, Smith, Wilson, Vespi. Peralta, Diplan

Everyone of them except Lopez has options. All are on the 40 man roster. Switch them around as you like.

Barring some change in the CBA you actually think that Elias is not going to game the service clocks of Grayson and Hall?

[wildcard]

7 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Barring some change in the CBA you actually think that Elias is not going to game the service clocks of Grayson and Hall?

I don't we see Adley, Grayson or DL in the majors this year.

[eddie83]

12 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Here is how I see the pitching next April:

Starters: Means, Grayson, DL, Baumann, Bradish

Pen:  Fry, Scott, Tate, Harvey, Kremer, Zimmermann, Akin, Lopez

AAA: Lowther, Smith, Wilson, Vespi. Peralta, Diplan

Everyone of them except Lopez has options. All are on the 40 man roster. Switch them around as you like.

No way in the world Hall and GRod are on the Orioles next April. For a variety of reasons.  

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, eddie83 said:

No way in the world Hall and GRod are on the Orioles next April. For a variety of reasons.  

Naw, it's just the one.

Two if you count possible labor strife.

[wildcard]

3 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

No way in the world Hall and GRod are on the Orioles next April. For a variety of reasons.  

I didn't say April 1st. Depends on the new CBA.

[Aglets]

1 minute ago, wildcard said:

I didn't say April 1st. Depends on the new CBA.

Is there a meaningful difference service-time wise if we bring him up on April 1st vs April 20th?   If not, then I don't understand why you said this.

[UMDTerrapins]

22 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Here is how I see the pitching next April:

Starters: Means, Grayson, DL, Baumann, Bradish

Pen:  Fry, Scott, Tate, Harvey, Kremer, Zimmermann, Akin, Lopez

AAA: Lowther, Smith, Wilson, Vespi. Peralta, Diplan

Everyone of them except Lopez has options. All are on the 40 man roster. Switch them around as you like.

Don't forget Tyler Wells and Alex Wells. You just added four names to the 40 man, and you'll need to add Vavra as well. And Stauffer/Dorrian/Knight/others if you want to protect them. And you're stashing some good young starters in the pen because of the roster crunch, not because it will help form a winning roster. Some reasons why it's so important to get these guys starts now.....not Harvey and Lopez. 

[UMDTerrapins]

10 minutes ago, UMDTerrapins said:

Don't forget Tyler Wells and Alex Wells. You just added four names to the 40 man, and you'll need to add Vavra as well. And Stauffer/Dorrian/Knight/others if you want to protect them. And you're stashing some good young starters in the pen because of the roster crunch, not because it will help form a winning roster. Some reasons why it's so important to get these guys starts now.....not Harvey and Lopez. 

And what did we do with Plutko, Mattson, Armstrong, Sulser, etc on the 40 man?  The 40 is going to be a real challenge for Elias with so many young starters vying for four spots. 

[Sports Guy]

35 minutes ago, Aglets said:

Is there a meaningful difference service-time wise if we bring him up on April 1st vs April 20th?   If not, then I don't understand why you said this.

Yes there is.  You gain the extra year of service time at that point.

[eddie83]

42 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Naw, it's just the one.

Two if you count possible labor strife.

Two kids who aren’t averaging 5 IP/S are ready for Opening Day next year? Neither one of which has pitched 100 innings in a season yet.  
 

If you are interested in showing them off you could put them in the bullpen now. The goal should be to develop them as starters.  

[eddie83]

25 minutes ago, UMDTerrapins said:

Don't forget Tyler Wells and Alex Wells. You just added four names to the 40 man, and you'll need to add Vavra as well. And Stauffer/Dorrian/Knight/others if you want to protect them. And you're stashing some good young starters in the pen because of the roster crunch, not because it will help form a winning roster. Some reasons why it's so important to get these guys starts now.....not Harvey and Lopez. 

We will see these kids over the course of the season. I’m not worried about the young arms getting their shot. 
 

Your broader point about the 40 man is very relevant. 

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, eddie83 said:

Two kids who aren’t averaging 5 IP/S are ready for Opening Day next year? Neither one of which has pitched 100 innings in a season yet.  
 

If you are interested in showing them off you could put them in the bullpen now. The goal should be to develop them as starters.  

The only reason they aren't averaging 5 IP/S is because the team isn't letting them.  You pull a guy at 70 pitches what do you expect?  This isn't a case of a guy being at 100 pitches in the fourth because he can't throw strikes.

[wildcard]

41 minutes ago, UMDTerrapins said:

Don't forget Tyler Wells and Alex Wells. You just added four names to the 40 man, and you'll need to add Vavra as well. And Stauffer/Dorrian/Knight/others if you want to protect them. And you're stashing some good young starters in the pen because of the roster crunch, not because it will help form a winning roster. Some reasons why it's so important to get these guys starts now.....not Harvey and Lopez. 

Tyler Wells and Blaine Knight should be added.   Stauffer is still in Low A last I heard.  He is someone to watch as he moves up this season.  We were talking pitching, right?  So though Vavra and Dorrian need to be added I did not include them. Alex Wells is really going to have to show something at AAA to keep him spot on the 40 man roster.

[Ripken]

32 minutes ago, UMDTerrapins said:

And what did we do with Plutko, Mattson, Armstrong, Sulser, etc on the 40 man?  The 40 is going to be a real challenge for Elias with so many young starters vying for four spots. 

You dump them because they suck.  It's the same reason losing Pop was stupid.