Orioles sign Chris Owings

[Sports Guy]

4 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Diaz needs to show he can hit AAA pitching and in the cold before making a team. 

Why?  The hitting in the cold thing doesn’t really matter.  
 

All that matters is his health and performance.  The team sucks and are designed to suck.  So let’s start seeing the kids.  Who is going to make the team over that is some travesty?  
 

To me, the reason he shouldn’t make the team is that you want him getting at bats.  If he’s going to come up here and never play, then I want him in AAA.

If he’s going to be able to move around and play 2-3 times a week, I want him up here now.

 

[maybenxtyr]

It's not like dropping Stewart from the team is going to cost a playoff spot. He's had numerous chances to show everyone that he is who he is. 

[wildcard]

I wonder if Owings has an opt out if he does not make the OD roster?

[Tony-OH]

3 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

Why?  The hitting in the cold thing doesn’t really matter.  
 

All that matters is his health and performance.  The team sucks and are designed to suck.  So let’s start seeing the kids.  Who is going to make the team over that is some travesty?  
 

To me, the reason he shouldn’t make the team is that you want him getting at bats.  If he’s going to come up here and never play, then I want him in AAA.

If he’s going to be able to move around and play 2-3 times a week, I want him up here now.

 

Because he hasn't been good in AAA, he can be optioned, and he hits right-handed. Diaz has hit in spring training before and then gotten up into the cold weather and sucked. 

19 early spring training PAs does not over come the .157/.225/.251/.476 he hit in 209 AAA PAs last year. Let him go down to AAA and prove he really belongs up here. There is no way he starts 2-3 times a week right now with the Orioles unless they trade Mancini. 

Let him go down, play everyday and force his way to the big leagues.

[Frobby]

4 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

Because he hasn't been good in AAA, he can be optioned, and he hits right-handed. Diaz has hit in spring training before and then gotten up into the cold weather and sucked. 

19 early spring training PAs does not over come the .157/.225/.251/.476 he hit in 209 AAA PAs last year. Let him go down to AAA and prove he really belongs up here. There is no way he starts 2-3 times a week right now with the Orioles unless they trade Mancini. 

Let him go down, play everyday and force his way to the big leagues.

Stewart also can be optioned.   I agree Diaz hasn’t earned a call-up with his play the last two years, but if he continues to have a hot spring I might be tempted to put him on the OD roster and see if that gives him a kick-start.   Especially since Stewart is a bit behind schedule with the bruised hand.

[wildcard]

Tony is right IMO.  If they are going to  option Jones with a 945 OPS this spring  what chance does Diaz have to stick?     Jones didn't hit in a few at bats in the majors last season.  He had a 768 OPS at AAA in 2021.  He started fast and faded.  

So if the O's aren't really valuing ST play then there is very little competition actually happening this spring. They have:

Infield: (6) Mountcastle, Mancini, Urias, Mateo, Gutierrez and Odor

Outfield:  (4) Mullins, Hays, Santander, McKenna

Catcher:   (1) Chirinos

That is 11 and they keep 13.

There is a competition for backup catcher between Nottingham, Bemboon and Taylor.

The question between Owings and Stewart is really does Owings have an opt out.   If he does he makes the team and Stewart is optioned.  If Owings does not have an opt out he probably begins the season at AAA because they do not have to remove someone from the  40 man to make room for him.  In that case Stewart makes the team if healthy.

Diaz and Martin can knock the cover off the ball this spring and  it will only matter to get them attention.   They will go to AAA because they  have not done well at that level yet.

I suppose that Odor could be on the bubble.   The O's are going to need two  40 man roster spots if Owings has an opt out.  One for the backup catcher and one for Owings.  Krehbiel may be DFA'd and Odor could go for Owings.  But that decision will be made  right before Opening Day.

I don't see Stewart being DFA'd because Hays, Santander and Diaz are all injury prone.   Stewart could be optioned but they need to keep him in the organization until Stowers is ready.

JMO

[Sports Guy]

6 hours ago, Frobby said:

Stewart also can be optioned.   I agree Diaz hasn’t earned a call-up with his play the last two years, but if he continues to have a hot spring I might be tempted to put him on the OD roster and see if that gives him a kick-start.   Especially since Stewart is a bit behind schedule with the bruised hand.

Yea that would be my hope for Diaz too.  Just get him out of the minors and a change of scenery.  Hope it gives him a jolt.

But he has to have at bats up here to bring him up.

[eddie83]

2 hours ago, wildcard said:

Tony is right IMO.  If they are going to  option Jones with a 945 OPS this spring  what chance does Diaz have to stick?     Jones didn't hit in a few at bats in the majors last season.  He had a 768 OPS at AAA in 2021.  He started fast and faded.  

So if the O's aren't really valuing ST play then there is very little competition actually happening this spring. They have:

Infield: (6) Mountcastle, Mancini, Urias, Mateo, Gutierrez and Odor

Outfield:  (4) Mullins, Hays, Santander, McKenna

Catcher:   (1) Chirinos

That is 11 and they keep 13.

There is a competition for backup catcher between Nottingham, Bemboon and Taylor.

The question between Owings and Stewart is really does Owings have an opt out.   If he does he makes the team and Stewart is optioned.  If Owings does not have an opt out he probably begins the season at AAA because they do not have to remove someone from the  40 man to make room for him.  In that case Stewart makes the team if healthy.

Diaz and Martin can knock the cover off the ball this spring and  it will only matter to get them attention.   They will go to AAA because they  have not done well at that level yet.

I suppose that Odor could be on the bubble.   The O's are going to need two  40 man roster spots if Owings has an opt out.  One for the backup catcher and one for Owings.  Krehbiel may be DFA'd and Odor could go for Owings.  But that decision will be made  right before Opening Day.

I don't see Stewart being DFA'd because Hays, Santander and Diaz are all injury prone.   Stewart could be optioned but they need to keep him in the organization until Stowers is ready.

JMO

Odor is a lock to make the team. 

[wildcard]

1 hour ago, eddie83 said:

Odor is a lock to make the team. 

Why?

[Tony-OH]

9 hours ago, Frobby said:

Stewart also can be optioned.   I agree Diaz hasn’t earned a call-up with his play the last two years, but if he continues to have a hot spring I might be tempted to put him on the OD roster and see if that gives him a kick-start.   Especially since Stewart is a bit behind schedule with the bruised hand.

There's always been a prevailing thought that Diaz is a "bright lights" player in that he performs better on the bigger stage of the major leagues, but I think that has come from his good spring trainings. Diaz had an awful year last year and sure, part of it was injuries, but he really does not make good swing decisions and has yet to show he has a plan at the plate. 

Elias has never been much to be influenced by a few spring training PAs. Now with the expanded roster, could they keep him perhaps, but as right-handed batter he's redundant to Hays and McKenna in the outfield and the fact is that Mateo also can play the outfield so that limits the need for Diaz.

I think Owings is making the team and most likely Stewart if he's healthy just because he was give the Orioles a matchup option late in games against a good right-hander.

[Tony-OH]

2 hours ago, eddie83 said:

Odor is a lock to make the team. 

We thought the same thing about Yolmer Sanchez last year, so Elias has surprised us before. Odor has looked really bad so far. Now, he very well may still make the team, but Mateo and Urias need to play everyday and Gutierrez and Owings can hold down 3B so really, besides his left-handed stick, he seems redundant right now.

[Jammer7]

55 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

There's always been a prevailing thought that Diaz is a "bright lights" player in that he performs better on the bigger stage of the major leagues, but I think that has come from his good spring trainings. Diaz had an awful year last year and sure, part of it was injuries, but he really does not make good swing decisions and has yet to show he has a plan at the plate. 

Elias has never been much to be influenced by a few spring training PAs. Now with the expanded roster, could they keep him perhaps, but as right-handed batter he's redundant to Hays and McKenna in the outfield and the fact is that Mateo also can play the outfield so that limits the need for Diaz.

I think Owings is making the team and most likely Stewart if he's healthy just because he was give the Orioles a matchup option late in games against a good right-hander.

I agree with most everything you have said about Diaz. I only see Diaz with a shot if Mancini is traded. The approach has been very good this spring, driving several balls to deep RF. I would say that spring results mean very little, but his process is what intrigues me right now. It might be a case of challenging a guy that has been reported upset and bored with being in the minors. Perhaps they see it as a last audition, now or never. Make a decision and move forward, either way. Diaz has one option remaining, so perhaps it is time to see what he can do. 

[Tony-OH]

46 minutes ago, Jammer7 said:

I agree with most everything you have said about Diaz. I only see Diaz with a shot if Mancini is traded. The approach has been very good this spring, driving several balls to deep RF. I would say that spring results mean very little, but his process is what intrigues me right now. It might be a case of challenging a guy that has been reported upset and bored with being in the minors. Perhaps they see it as a last audition, now or never. Make a decision and move forward, either way. Diaz has one option remaining, so perhaps it is time to see what he can do. 

It's not his approach to hitting balls to all fields that's the problem, it's having a plan at the plate against the pitcher. It's knowing what the pitcher is tryin to do to you and adjusting that's not a strength for him. Spring training is spring training. Pitchers are working on things vs working on how to get a batter out some of the time. 

Let me see Diaz go to AAA and put up numbers when it matters. Spring training numbers are nothing but a mirage. Anyone think Mullins and Hays are going be .500 or less OPS guys this year? It's small sample size and until I see Diaz due it over hundred PAs or so when it matters, I don't think he's a guy you take North. Same thing goes for Bannon. Go back to AAA and prove you belong.

[Jammer7]

1 hour ago, Tony-OH said:

It's not his approach to hitting balls to all fields that's the problem, it's having a plan at the plate against the pitcher. It's knowing what the pitcher is tryin to do to you and adjusting that's not a strength for him. Spring training is spring training. Pitchers are working on things vs working on how to get a batter out some of the time. 

Let me see Diaz go to AAA and put up numbers when it matters. Spring training numbers are nothing but a mirage. Anyone think Mullins and Hays are going be .500 or less OPS guys this year? It's small sample size and until I see Diaz due it over hundred PAs or so when it matters, I don't think he's a guy you take North. Same thing goes for Bannon. Go back to AAA and prove you belong.

We are pretty much in agreement. 

[interloper]

6 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

We thought the same thing about Yolmer Sanchez last year, so Elias has surprised us before. Odor has looked really bad so far. Now, he very well may still make the team, but Mateo and Urias need to play everyday and Gutierrez and Owings can hold down 3B so really, besides his left-handed stick, he seems redundant right now.

Odor has looked predictably like the player that he is, which is a bad one lol. Much rather Owings make this team because he can play SS and 3B and stands to do no worse than Odor at the plate. 

Or even Martin who is at least tearing the cover off the ball this spring.