Reordering the O's minor league players

[wildcard]

2 hours ago, Gentile4 said:

I'd like to see some of the older AA pitchers moved up. 

Bishop 25

Knight 25

Lebron 27 (unless he's just considered roster filler)

Sedlock 26 (he's either healthy or he's not)

These guys have all had good seasons. Let's see what they can do in AAA and whether they actually have a future.

Knight maybe in spite of the terrible outing he just had.  Bishop, Maybe.   LeBron has a 1.52 WHIP with too many walks.  Sedlock 1.48 WHIP with too many walks.   

 

 

[CHIP]

On 7/15/2021 at 11:42 AM, wildcard said:

Today is the mid point of the minor league season.    Hyde mentioned a few days ago a resets in the minors. 

https://www.masnsports.com/school-of-roch/2021/07/orioles-enter-full-squad-reset-before-second-half.html  

What I think that means is now that the draft is over Elias will focus on promotions and demotions in the minors.  Matt Blood has talked about the elements that go into promotions as performance, age, and is there an opening at the next level.  Taking those things into account here is who I think will move up on July 19th, which is the next open day on the schedule.

O's roster

Means activated and Alex Wells called up:   Eshelman and Anderson optioned to the Tides is my guess.

Tides roster

Rutschman, Dorrian, Neustrom, Rodriguez and Vespi  promoted from Bowie. Ciuffo, Ripken, Armstrong, Carroll, Greene, Jannis and Phillips could be demoted to Bowie or released.

Baysox

Rom, Westburg and Mundy promoted from Aberdeen.  Fenter, Klimek, Naughton and Hayes could be demoted to Aberdeen or released.   Cullen demoted to Aberdeen because that is where he is needed.

Aberdeen

Brandon Young, Ryan Watson, Ignacio Felix, Adam Stauffer, and  TT Bowen promoted from Delmarva.   Pendergast, Nick Roth, Strowd, Megee, and Lucas demoted to  Delmarva.  These are all pitchers that were promoted from the NYPENN league to A+ ball at the beginning for the season and have not done well in the first half.   Some may say promote Haskin to Aberdeen but they have Watson, Harris, Kehe and Fontana.  So I question if Elias will do that at this point.

All this is JMG.

 

 

 

With the reduction of Minor League teams MLB lost the short season team that tends to get filled with the better/older College draftees and the Rookie league that are ready to move to make room for the late college rounds or early high school draftees.   

Your logic takes into account moving players up and down but not cutting loose.

I like catchers so lets start there...  Look at who is getting the most playing time and who isn't.  Look at who is being moved to scout teams and up and down a lot...

We have the Tennessee catcher (7th Rd), HS Kid Creed Willems (8th Rd) and NDFA Virginia Catcher.  Tennessee and Virginia both played is CWS so experience with talent and high level play is there.  College to Pro... even Low A is a step.  I see HS and Virginia starting in FL and Virginia moving to Delmarva if he can.  Tennessee has to start in Delmarva so other players can fill holes of players moving up. 

AAA:  CUMBERLAND's stats are getting worse and worse month to month.  A catcher can't make a living on HBP.  His HR power early was impressive but July stats are killing him.  AVG numbers dropped 60 pts from May to June and another 73 from June to May (Month to Month).  Down to .205 which is not as impressive as the .254 after May when people were pushing to make a move for his bat.  Again... 23 HBP's leads all of Minor's.  This throws off his OBP and OPS.  OPS is down to just .659.

AAA:  CIUFFO is getting bounced around a lot.  Only 12 games and 38 AB so small sample size.  June he hit .200 and in may he is only .154  OPS is only .624.   The O's keep bouncing him up to the Scout/shuttle team for road trips...  no time to play or get reps there.  That isn't a compliment... it is a hole filler in emergencies.  He may be kept just thru this year and reassessed next season. VULNERABLE

AA: RUTSCHMAN.  He is in a slow streak for July, but he isn't striking out... just hitting it at somebody.  Great character and there is always the argument they are holding him back.  At $8,000,000 he is going to get every chance to hit and will be moved up.  He is not getting any younger.  The most interesting thing I saw was a Tweet by Paul Fritschner on July 15th with Rutschman's splits hitting based on his position.  Seemed to be a reply. Catcher (168 PA): .227 AVG, 7 doubles, 8 HR, 23 RBI, 23 BB, 30 K, .314 OBP, .788 OPS First base (64 PA): .353 AVG, 3 doubles, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 11 BB, 9 K, .484 OBP, 1.073 OPS DH (31 PA): .400 AVG, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 10 BB, 0 K, .581 OBP, 1.131 OPS.  I haven't seen this information provided or even discussed by any of the main beat writers or Baseball America, etc.  If he is 50% more productive in front of the dish rather than behind it... Handley may be the best option to get the benefit of the bat from Adley and the benefit of the Glove from Handley.

AA:  HUDGINS was a rule 5 pick up.  Before AA with Bowie, he was only low A for KC.  He is actually slowly getting better from May to July.  .135 to .208 to .211.  But his OBP numbers are going down and so are his power numbers.  VULNERABLE.

A+: HANDLEY.  I have a friend who knows the Rep1 Agency that reps Handley so I pester him a bit because I liked Handley at Stanford.  Apparently, Handley leads the Minors in Framing Efficiency and the word is it is ALL of the minors... not just Orioles.  Again, no reports from O's on this because it doesn't fit the 1:1 narrative.  Handley's knock has been his bat.  I know he got beat up and some early HBP on his hands didn't help.  His numbers from 2019 to 2021 are nice to see.  41 games played as of today each year.  Only 4 doubles in 2019.  10 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR in 2021.  More walks and less K's.  Went from 2 SB in 2019 to 11 in 2021.  He was garbage in June but leading all of the Ironbirds in July and only playing 4 games a week.  So... maybe something triggered after his July 3rd walk off hit.  His defense is as good as advertised.  Still throwing out 45% of the runners (20-44) but a lot of those are off the newer pitchers that moved from A- to A+.  Also has something like 6 pick offs?  I try to keep track but not posted.  If he can keep hitting, he should move as Adley moves.  Again... I like Handley's skills and character.  He had to develop himself in 2020 and seems to have done a lot of work.  Now with 100% focus on Baseball and no more school (graduated in June) should be fun.  Handley also speaks Spanish.

A+/AA/AAA:  ROBERTS  He was catching the 2 games Handley wasn't until they started bouncing him around between AA and AAA to be that emergency catcher.  Again... no real development when not playing regularly.  He hit well enough in Aberdeen, had 1 good game at AAA at end of a long week.  But....  watching him catch vs Handley isn't close.  His bat isn't good enough to carry him. 

A+: BURGESS  Didn't even play until Roberts was moved to cover.  41 AB and hitting 0.098.  24 years old... he is a bull pen catcher getting to play for now.  Likely to stay that way.

A-:  CANNON  Hasn't played but 1 game in July.  Got hit by a pitch and broke his hand I think.  But had a great May that got people excite.  July was poo-poo.  His bat went away and he was never a defender...  in 2021 threw out 5 of 54 base stealers.  He is 24 and there may be younger better options coming in.  VULNERABLE

A-:  WILKIN GRULLON   Looks like he was added to roster today from ROK league.

 

ADLEY moves to AAA to catch 4 games and DH 2 games.  CUMBERLAND stays to catch 2 games and DH 3 GAMES.  CIUFFO is the wild card... He has already been released once and was a 1st round pick that gets hurt and just doesn't get it done.  But do O's keep him for Spring Training next year.

HANDLEY moves to AA to catch 4 games.  Hudgins continues with 2 games and gets re-evaluated after season.  It will be interesting to see the pitchers throw to HANDLEY instead of RUTSCHMAN

ROBERTS takes over HANDLEY role at A+  BURGESS stays for back up/bullpen this season.

WILD WEST is going to be DELMARVA  I have NO IDEA or OPINION here.

 

 

 

[CHIP]

14 hours ago, wildcard said:

Means may need another start at AAA.   Eshelman may stay for now.

I have Adley and Rodriguez  both moving to AAA.  I don't think Adley's slump matters.  Its more about getting him half a season at AAA.

I agree Dusten Knight is ready for a move but I don't know if the O's are ready to DFA anyone on the major league roster.  Lot of candidates but Elias has been slow to act on Matt Harvey or Valdez.

I did the Orioles, Tides, Baysox and Ironbirds rosters for this post.   I looked at Delmarva but didn't complete the roster.  I can't even find the O's FCL individual stats.

Its all just my guess.  Rosters are after my proposed moves.

Means

Zimmermann  IL

Watkins

Lopez

Alex Wells

Akin

 

Scott

Sulser

Fry

Tyler Wells

H Harvey -IL

Tate

Plutko

Valdez

M Harvey

 

Waiting

Dusten Knight

 

Option Anderson, Eshellman,  (Lowther already down)

 

IL Lakins

 

 

1B Mountcastle

2B  Valaika

SS  Urias

3B  Gutierrez

LF  Hays

CF Mullins

RF Santander

C Severino

DH Mancini

4th OF   Stewart

5th OF   McKenna

UIF Leyba

BUC Wynns

 

 

Galvis  IL

Franco IL

 

 

AAA

GRod

Bradish

Lowther

Smith

Kremer

 

Dustin Knight

Blaine Knight

Vespi

Diplan

Barreda

Wade

Hanhold

Custodio

Abad

Anderson

Eshelmann

Mattson

Demoted:  Armstrong. Carroll, Greene, Jannis, Phillips

 

C Adley

1B/OF  Nevin

2B  Jones

SS  McCoy

3B Dorrian

LF Neustrom

CF  Jarrett

RF  Diaz

DH/C  Cumberland

1B/DH  Escarra

Utility   Wilkerson

UIF   Bannon

UIF/SS  Mejias-Brean

 

Ripken, Ciuffo demoted

Shaw IL

 

 

AA

 

DL Hall  - IL

Bishop

Baumann

Brnovich

Peralta

Rom

 

Sedlock

Bautista

LeBron

Erwin

Jannis

Phillips

Armstrong

Carroll

Joyner

Almengo

 

Klimek

Naughton

Hayes

 

Hanifee - IL

 

 

1B Mundy

2B Grenier

SS Westburg

3B Welk

LF  Stowers

CF  Rizer

RF  Turchin

C Hudgins

C  Cuiffo

UIF Torres

UIF Canelo

1B/OF/ DH  Ripken

2B  Vavra - IL

UIF Ortiz - IL

 

A+

 

1B/DH  Dashbash

2B Graffanino

SS Adem Hall

3B Henderson

LF  Harris

CF Watson

RF Kehe

C  Handley

DH /1B Bowen

4th OF  Fontana

C Roberts

C Burgess

IF Cullen

 

Prizina

Stalling

Gillispie

Fenter

Young

 

McGinness

Perkins

Moore

Farmer

Conroy

McSweeney

Gillaspie

Ryan Watson

Ignacio Felix

Adam Stauffer

 

Wilson - IL

Ramirez - IL

Litscher - IL

Loeprich -IL

Blach - IL

If you move RUTSCHMAN to AAA  with the idea of moving a 26 year old 1st Rd catcher that has been release 1 time already... to AA?  What is the logic?  To hand onto him at the slowing of other players?  If you want to hang onto him... I could see HANDLEY moving up and CIUFFO moving down and they release Hudgins.  ROBERTS then goes to A+ to get more playing time.  Right now... CIUFFO hardly plays and is stuck on the Taxi squad for road games.  That will likely continue to be his role.

 

[wildcard]

I am hoping today is a big day for  promotions in the O's minors.  Here is what I am hoping to see:

 

O's roster

Means activated  on Tuesday and Alex Wells called up on Wednesday:   Eshelman and Anderson optioned to the Tides.

Tides roster

Rutschman, Neustrom, Rodriguez, Baumann and Vespi  promoted from Bowie. 

Baysox

Rom, Westburg and Mundy promoted from Aberdeen.  

Aberdeen

Brandon Young, Ryan Watson, Ignacio Felix, Adam Stauffer, and  TT Bowen promoted from Delmarva.   

[Frobby]

3 minutes ago, wildcard said:

I am hoping today is a big day for  promotions in the O's minors.  Here is what I am hoping to see:

 

O's roster

Means activated  on Tuesday and Alex Wells called up on Wednesday:   Eshelman and Anderson optioned to the Tides.

Tides roster

Rutschman, Neustrom, Rodriguez and Vespi  promoted from Bowie. 

Baysox

Rom, Westburg and Mundy promoted from Aberdeen.  

Aberdeen

Brandon Young, Ryan Watson, Ignacio Felix, Adam Stauffer, and  TT Bowen promoted from Delmarva.   

We will see, but I think these won’t come this quickly.   

[Hazmat]

On 7/16/2021 at 6:14 PM, CHIP said:

With the reduction of Minor League teams MLB lost the short season team that tends to get filled with the better/older College draftees and the Rookie league that are ready to move to make room for the late college rounds or early high school draftees.   

Your logic takes into account moving players up and down but not cutting loose.

I like catchers so lets start there...  Look at who is getting the most playing time and who isn't.  Look at who is being moved to scout teams and up and down a lot...

We have the Tennessee catcher (7th Rd), HS Kid Creed Willems (8th Rd) and NDFA Virginia Catcher.  Tennessee and Virginia both played is CWS so experience with talent and high level play is there.  College to Pro... even Low A is a step.  I see HS and Virginia starting in FL and Virginia moving to Delmarva if he can.  Tennessee has to start in Delmarva so other players can fill holes of players moving up. 

AAA:  CUMBERLAND's stats are getting worse and worse month to month.  A catcher can't make a living on HBP.  His HR power early was impressive but July stats are killing him.  AVG numbers dropped 60 pts from May to June and another 73 from June to May (Month to Month).  Down to .205 which is not as impressive as the .254 after May when people were pushing to make a move for his bat.  Again... 23 HBP's leads all of Minor's.  This throws off his OBP and OPS.  OPS is down to just .659.

AAA:  CIUFFO is getting bounced around a lot.  Only 12 games and 38 AB so small sample size.  June he hit .200 and in may he is only .154  OPS is only .624.   The O's keep bouncing him up to the Scout/shuttle team for road trips...  no time to play or get reps there.  That isn't a compliment... it is a hole filler in emergencies.  He may be kept just thru this year and reassessed next season. VULNERABLE

AA: RUTSCHMAN.  He is in a slow streak for July, but he isn't striking out... just hitting it at somebody.  Great character and there is always the argument they are holding him back.  At $8,000,000 he is going to get every chance to hit and will be moved up.  He is not getting any younger.  The most interesting thing I saw was a Tweet by Paul Fritschner on July 15th with Rutschman's splits hitting based on his position.  Seemed to be a reply. Catcher (168 PA): .227 AVG, 7 doubles, 8 HR, 23 RBI, 23 BB, 30 K, .314 OBP, .788 OPS First base (64 PA): .353 AVG, 3 doubles, 3 HR, 9 RBI, 11 BB, 9 K, .484 OBP, 1.073 OPS DH (31 PA): .400 AVG, 1 HR, 5 RBI, 10 BB, 0 K, .581 OBP, 1.131 OPS.  I haven't seen this information provided or even discussed by any of the main beat writers or Baseball America, etc.  If he is 50% more productive in front of the dish rather than behind it... Handley may be the best option to get the benefit of the bat from Adley and the benefit of the Glove from Handley.

AA:  HUDGINS was a rule 5 pick up.  Before AA with Bowie, he was only low A for KC.  He is actually slowly getting better from May to July.  .135 to .208 to .211.  But his OBP numbers are going down and so are his power numbers.  VULNERABLE.

A+: HANDLEY.  I have a friend who knows the Rep1 Agency that reps Handley so I pester him a bit because I liked Handley at Stanford.  Apparently, Handley leads the Minors in Framing Efficiency and the word is it is ALL of the minors... not just Orioles.  Again, no reports from O's on this because it doesn't fit the 1:1 narrative.  Handley's knock has been his bat.  I know he got beat up and some early HBP on his hands didn't help.  His numbers from 2019 to 2021 are nice to see.  41 games played as of today each year.  Only 4 doubles in 2019.  10 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR in 2021.  More walks and less K's.  Went from 2 SB in 2019 to 11 in 2021.  He was garbage in June but leading all of the Ironbirds in July and only playing 4 games a week.  So... maybe something triggered after his July 3rd walk off hit.  His defense is as good as advertised.  Still throwing out 45% of the runners (20-44) but a lot of those are off the newer pitchers that moved from A- to A+.  Also has something like 6 pick offs?  I try to keep track but not posted.  If he can keep hitting, he should move as Adley moves.  Again... I like Handley's skills and character.  He had to develop himself in 2020 and seems to have done a lot of work.  Now with 100% focus on Baseball and no more school (graduated in June) should be fun.  Handley also speaks Spanish.

A+/AA/AAA:  ROBERTS  He was catching the 2 games Handley wasn't until they started bouncing him around between AA and AAA to be that emergency catcher.  Again... no real development when not playing regularly.  He hit well enough in Aberdeen, had 1 good game at AAA at end of a long week.  But....  watching him catch vs Handley isn't close.  His bat isn't good enough to carry him. 

A+: BURGESS  Didn't even play until Roberts was moved to cover.  41 AB and hitting 0.098.  24 years old... he is a bull pen catcher getting to play for now.  Likely to stay that way.

A-:  CANNON  Hasn't played but 1 game in July.  Got hit by a pitch and broke his hand I think.  But had a great May that got people excite.  July was poo-poo.  His bat went away and he was never a defender...  in 2021 threw out 5 of 54 base stealers.  He is 24 and there may be younger better options coming in.  VULNERABLE

A-:  WILKIN GRULLON   Looks like he was added to roster today from ROK league.

 

ADLEY moves to AAA to catch 4 games and DH 2 games.  CUMBERLAND stays to catch 2 games and DH 3 GAMES.  CIUFFO is the wild card... He has already been released once and was a 1st round pick that gets hurt and just doesn't get it done.  But do O's keep him for Spring Training next year.

HANDLEY moves to AA to catch 4 games.  Hudgins continues with 2 games and gets re-evaluated after season.  It will be interesting to see the pitchers throw to HANDLEY instead of RUTSCHMAN

ROBERTS takes over HANDLEY role at A+  BURGESS stays for back up/bullpen this season.

WILD WEST is going to be DELMARVA  I have NO IDEA or OPINION here.

 

 

 

Is Wilkin Grullon the younger brother of Deivy Grullon?  Deivy, also a C, has been passed around multiple teams this year and the O's have passed on him each time.  He has a pretty decent track record with the bat in the minors.

[Just Regular]

On 7/16/2021 at 6:14 PM, CHIP said:

We have the Tennessee catcher (7th Rd), HS Kid Creed Willems (8th Rd) and NDFA Virginia Catcher.  Tennessee and Virginia both played is CWS so experience with talent and high level play is there.  College to Pro... even Low A is a step.  I see HS and Virginia starting in FL and Virginia moving to Delmarva if he can.  Tennessee has to start in Delmarva so other players can fill holes of players moving up. 

Nice post.   I particularly enjoyed the Tennessee/Virginia UDFA/HS Kid characterizations for shorthand - the onus is on them to make us learn their names! 

Batting splits by position, at draft time there was certainly kicking of the can is Adley's bat simply too good to tax with catching and do you maximize by parking him at 1B/DH and going for 700 PA Eddie Murray-style?    I believe if that was the path chosen, they wouldn't be catching him this year, so I don't know that Handley here will ever have the path to a job he perhaps can earn if the robo umps don't screw him, but perhaps like Zaun behind Wieters for awhile, he can make a run at Practically Perfect Backup Catcher type things.