Is it time to consider demoting Mountcastle?

[Sports Guy]

Just now, MurphDogg said:

I am not ready to close the book on him as an outfielder.

Oh..well you should.  Other than the occasional spot start, he is a first baseman or DH going forward. 

[MurphDogg]

3 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Oh..well you should.  Other than the occasional spot start, he is a first baseman or DH going forward. 

Wow, crazy how fast that changed. He was a starting left fielder until April 15th, made a couple lousy plays and now it is all over. Good to know.

Odd how he can hit at a sub-replacement level for two months and a demotion shouldn't be considered but only gets two weeks in the outfield before the die is cast.

[Sports Guy]

13 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

Wow, crazy how fast that changed. He was a starting left fielder until April 15th, made a couple lousy plays and now it is all over. Good to know.

Odd how he can hit at a sub-replacement level for two months and a demotion shouldn't be considered but only gets two weeks in the outfield before the die is cast.

He was never part of the long term Plan out there.  Just someone who was playing there for the time being. (Hays and Stewart started the season on the IL, right?)

I think he can be good enough out there but I don’t really want him out there and I doubt the team does either.

Besides, it’s not like he can’t play LF up here and get the at bats.  You don’t need to see him to the minors for him to accomplish that.

[Camden_yardbird]

No.  His overall numbers don't look good but in his last week of games he went

2, 0, 2, 0, 2, 1, 1 hits

8-28, .285 average

Before that he had a bad stretch of four games but before that had put together a string of:

1, 1, 1, 1, 2, 1, 2, 0, 2, 0, 3, 0, 2, 2 hits

That stretch was 18-53 or a .339 average, with a week long hit streak. Thats a hitter thats getting more consistency into his game.  Sending him down is just going to hurt his progress.

[jamalshw]

As others have said, to me, he needs to figure it out at the Major League level. He had success last year and now is getting the adjustments, he has to learn to adjust at this level if he's ever going to be anything and given this team is a dumpster fire anyway, it's not like losing games as a result is that big of a deal. I'd like to leave him here, get him in the lineup as much as possible at 1B and DH with Mancini, let Hays (when healthy), Mullins, and Santander hold down the OF and see if the Mets (or someone else with major injury issues and some desire to win) would give you something for a warm body and a bat that seems to be going well right now in Stewart. Maybe he's worth a lottery ticket. I have no illusions he can be an everyday player and his defense is too poor to be a useful bench piece on a winning team...but that's a whole different conversation.  

Back on topic: Let Mountcastle figure it out here. Keep him in the lineup and lets see what it looks like around the break. If he's completely lost, then I'd entertain sending him down. 

[DrinkinWithFermi]

Ryan is finally showing some small signs of life now and no one else is really beating down the door AFAIK, plus we're going to be pretty darn terrible either way, so I would personally give him another few weeks and reevaluate the situation then. If he's still struggling to get on base, and Mullins, Santander, Hays, and Stewart are all more or less healthy, I might send him down at that point.

[Redskins Rick]

50 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

He was never part of the long term Plan out there.  Just someone who was playing there for the time being. (Hays and Stewart started the season on the IL, right?)

I think he can be good enough out there but I don’t really want him out there and I doubt the team does either.

Besides, it’s not like he can’t play LF up here and get the at bats.  You don’t need to see him to the minors for him to accomplish that.

I hate to say it, not even sure there is a long term plan out there.

[jabba72]

30 minutes ago, Redskins Rick said:

I hate to say it, not even sure there is a long term plan out there.

Sure there is, its lose and cut payroll. I just hope the plan changes dramatically this offseason. Mountcastle is really going to have to increase his walks going forward because his current ratio IMO, is probably not that of a MLB regular. Maybe at SS he could get away with it, but not as a DH/1B. 

[Ripken]

For Who?  For What?  No.  Let him learn.  I don't care if he's hitting .205 in August, he still needs ABs and time at 1B in Baltimore.

[Aristotelian]

I think it may just be who he is, kind of like a poor man's Adam Jones. It is incredibly frustrating to watch but I'm not sure sending him down accomplishes anything. 

[eddie83]

The quality of his at bats are terrible. Hacks at everything. Other night hacks at first pitch fastball a foot inside. Why throw him a strike if you don’t have to. It’s one thing to be aggressive. 
 

I know it was a SSS but last year he was different. Makes me wonder if he is tying to get 3 hits per at bat. 

[GuidoSarducci]

5 hours ago, Yossarian said:

If you send Mountcastle down, who replaces him?  The cupboard is pretty bare, especially with Hays' injury.  McKenna is going to give you anything.  

It's time to blow the dust of Chris Davis and see what he can do. 

CD had season ending hip surgery

At this point I’d be surprised if CD ever comes to bat in the MLB again.

 

[Three Run Homer]

Mountcastle has already proven he can hit AAA pitching.  Nothing for him to learn there.  He's struggling at the plate but the O's have the luxury of letting him figure it out, since they aren't playing to win this season.  

I can understand that sometimes he will have to sit for Hays or Stewart.  No way should he sit for Stevie Wilkerson, though.  

 

[HowAboutThat]

7 hours ago, Redskins Rick said:

Dang for years, it was, we need Mountcastle up here and playing.

Didnt take too long, now the tide as turned. The dude sucks and needs to be sent down tot he mil.

Aint nobody at AAA to bring up. All the talent playing well, is at Bowie or below and not ready lol

 

I don’t know who is at Bowie, but what’s wrong with promoting someone from there? I haven’t checked the roster, so I don’t know whether they’re all 19 or they’re all terrible

Edited May 27, 2021 by Philip
Typo

[HowAboutThat]

7 hours ago, MurphDogg said:

I am not ready to close the book on him as an outfielder.

God bless you, brother, you should be.