Darell Hernaiz 2022

[baltfan]

Hernaiz is the Athletic’s MILB Player of the Year.  He would still be far back on our depth chart though 

https://www.baseballamerica.com/stories/darell-hernaiz-athletics-2023-minor-league-player-of-the-year/
 

He wants to be in the big leagues right now. He wanted to be there three weeks ago,” Double-A Midland manager Bobby Crosby said. “He knows he’s ready. He knows he can get there. He knows not to be scared to be a good big leaguer. 

“He has that sixth tool where he believes in himself and knows he’s going to be good.” 

And Hernaiz has been very, very good this year. He began the season playing for Crosby in Midland, where he hit .338 with an .879 OPS. He spent 71 games there before moving up to Triple-A Las Vegas.

Through 126 games at two levels, Hernaiz hit .324/.386/.463 with nine home runs and 13 stolen bases.

He has really good contact skills,” Athletics farm director Ed Spraguesaid. “He hasn’t slowed down since April. He’s a very aggressive hitter. He sees the ball very well and he’s able to put the bat on it.” 

The A’s acquired Hernaiz in a February trade with the Orioles that sent big league southpaw Cole Irvin to Baltimore. The Puerto Rico native had been a fifth-round pick of the Orioles out of Americas High in El Paso in 2019. 

The big question Hernaiz faces had been whether he could stay at shortstop. Crosby, a former shortstop, believes he can thrive and called defensive development his “main focus.”

Crosby and Hernaiz would sit in the manager’s office, watch big league games and see how top shortstops would handle the position. Hernaiz would then take the lessons onto the field. 

Both Sprague and Crosby are confident that Hernaiz could easily transfer his skills to either third base or second base, if that is where the A’s need him. 

The 5-foot-11 righthanded hitter turned 22 in August. 

“He’s still very young,” Sprague said. “He’s very competitive, very confident in his ability. He wants to be that best he can be, and he’s willing to do what it takes.” 

 

[Gurgi]

This trade really did not work out for us much but we got Irvin for next year as well and maybe he is more useful.   

[sportsfan8703]

1 hour ago, Gurgi said:

This trade really did not work out for us much but we got Irvin for next year as well and maybe he is more useful.   

SP is expensive. Take out Irvin’s April and he gave us a 3.73 ERA the rest of the season. Rubber arm. Healthy. Lefty. Lefties play up in OPACY because of the wall in LF. We have three more years of cheap control. Can start or relieve. Was up to 94/95 out of the pen. Can go multiple innings out of the pen or LOOGY. He’s an ideal #6 SP for us the next three years. 

Look at what Flaherty cost for half a season. If you like Hernaiz’s offensive numbers at 2B, then you’ll really like Cesar Prieto. 

Sometimes trades can be win/wins. We traded 3rd tier IF for us, for a back of rotation lefty. Hernaiz wouldn’t have even been able to be promoted to AAA this season because of the depth, and would’ve lost SS playing time in AA when Holliday was there. Hernaiz for us was only going to ever going to be a 2B and was behind Westburg, Ortiz, and Prieto. 

[Tony-OH]

4 hours ago, Gurgi said:

This trade really did not work out for us much but we got Irvin for next year as well and maybe he is more useful.   

I don't agree. Hernaiz would have a hard time being a top 15 prospect in our system. He put up a high average in hitter environment, but a lack of pop and a lack of arm doesn't make him a SS prospect no matter how much he "wants it."

I've always heard Hernaiz has plus makeup so nothing in that report from his manager is surprising, but he would be behind Henderson, Ortiz, and Holliday at SS and Holliday, Urias (who he may be similar too overall), Ortiz, Westburg, and Norby (if you are willing to live with his defense) at 2B at the major league level. 

He was the exact kind of depth prospect (Just like Prieto) that you move for a chance to better your major league team. Now Irvin did not become that 5th starter that they thought they were getting, but he was pitching very well out of the pen as a bulk reliever and if you take away his first three starts of the year that got him demoted, he's put up these numbers:

This was part of the reason I was very surprised when he was demoted when the team was looking at a 17 games stretch without a day off.

[Just Regular]

A pitcher like Cole Irvin is a responsible insurance policy to have, but on September 26th you might have had a good year if you didn't have to use it much.

If the Club asks both Tyler Wells and DL Hall to prepare for 2024 as relievers, it could be a set rotation next spring.     McDermott-Povich a bit less buzzy than Grayson for "OMG will he make the team?" all March long.

[RZNJ]

Cole Irvin was acquired to be a 5th starter who could eat innings.  He has some value and the book on him isn’t complete.  At the time of the trade, I liked it but we haven’t gotten what we paid for so far.   The fact that Hernaiz likely had no future here doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be disappointed in the return up to this point.

 

[Tony-OH]

15 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Cole Irvin was acquired to be a 5th starter who could eat innings.  He has some value and the book on him isn’t complete.  At the time of the trade, I liked it but we haven’t gotten what we paid for so far.   The fact that Hernaiz likely had no future here doesn’t mean I shouldn’t be disappointed in the return up to this point.

 

Well no one can decide what disappoints you besides you, but again, moving a depth prospect like Hernaiz for a guy who can help your major league ballclub, even in support role as Irvin has done so far, is a good move in my mind. 

I did not go watch video of Hernaiz, but the stats suggest he's the same guy as he was here. A tweener prospect who will probably settle in as a utility guy or second division starting 2B. I can very easily see him playing in Oakland next year, but there are about 8 position players alone who were at Norfolk this year that you could make the case they were better than players the A's were running out there.

I think Hernaiz will end up a major league player in some role, and he was a great 5th round high school pick. But he is the exact kind of depth prospect the Orioles should move for major league talent because he's not the kind of guy that brings back impact major league talent and he's buried on the depth chart in this organization.

 

[RZNJ]

10 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Well no one can decide what disappoints you besides you, but again, moving a depth prospect like Hernaiz for a guy who can help your major league ballclub, even in support role as Irvin has done so far, is a good move in my mind. 

I did not go watch video of Hernaiz, but the stats suggest he's the same guy as he was here. A tweener prospect who will probably settle in as a utility guy or second division starting 2B. I can very easily see him playing in Oakland next year, but there are about 8 position players alone who were at Norfolk this year that you could make the case they were better than players the A's were running out there.

I think Hernaiz will end up a major league player in some role, and he was a great 5th round high school pick. But he is the exact kind of depth prospect the Orioles should move for major league talent because he's not the kind of guy that brings back impact major league talent and he's buried on the depth chart in this organization.

 

We got major league talent in O’Hearn, Coulombe, Webb,  etc.  for nothing.   If Cole Irvin is the 25th or 26th man on the roster and is on the Norfolk shuttle then yes I consider that a disappointment whether Hernaiz was way down our depth chart or not.   Again, I supported the trade at the time but it hasn’t worked out so far as far as I’m concerned.  

[btdart20]

44 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

We got major league talent in O’Hearn, Coulombe, Webb,  etc.  for nothing.   If Cole Irvin is the 25th or 26th man on the roster and is on the Norfolk shuttle then yes I consider that a disappointment whether Hernaiz was way down our depth chart or not.   Again, I supported the trade at the time but it hasn’t worked out so far as far as I’m concerned.  

I'm fine with process even if the results were less than Happy Path.  No, Irvin hasn't been the Steady Eddie #4 Gibson-on-a-budget I hoped for out of the gate.  But he scratches the pitching itch with the ability to throw 180+ IP of MLB level quality.  That's a value-add for sure.  Irvin has a 0.5 fWAR and 0.1 bWAR in 2023.  2022 he had a 1.4 fWAR and 2.1 bWAR.  2021 was 2.0 fWAR and 1.4 bWAR.

Hernaiz wasn't going to see the light of day and was another mouth to feed developmental reps to.  The flip side of not trading him is that various players get less PAs and years later a player like Hernaiz gets no return because he's a Rule 5 claim.  To quote some O's staffer (don't recall who) "Time is the enemy" for prospects.  Maybe Hernaiz is a 1-2 WAR guy with an opportunity.  But trifecta of rookie risk and opportunity and developmental time just didn't play in Hernaiz' favor with the O's.

[scarey1999]

6 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Look at what Flaherty cost for half a season. If you like Hernaiz’s offensive numbers at 2B, then you’ll really like Cesar Prieto. 

FWIW and somewhat SSS, but Prieto really tailed off after he was traded. Prieto may have the better hit tool, but you could easily argue after his performance this season, Hernaiz has the better overall tools and higher ceiling, especially when considering age. 

 

[Frobby]

I wish Hernaiz nothing but the best.  In an organization like Oakland’s, he could very well see some significant major league time in 2024.   They have a .575 OPS at SS, .562 at 3B.   Not bad at 2B at .703, which is probably Hernaiz’s best spot defensively.  He’s played mostly SS this year, though.  

I feel we underutilized Cole this year.  He can still be a valuable major leaguer IMO.
 

[linedrive]

Who knows, maybe Hernaiz will be battling Holliday for the ROY award next season...

[Tony-OH]

18 hours ago, linedrive said:

Who knows, maybe Hernaiz will be battling Holliday for the ROY award next season...

He didn't even battle him for minor league player of the year this year. 

Either way, I have a hard time seeing that for two reasons.

1) Holliday will most likely be in AAA for most of next year unless there's a need
2) Hernaiz is not the kind of talent that comes up and battles for ROY honors.

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, Tony-OH said:

He didn't even battle him for minor league player of the year this year. 

Either way, I have a hard time seeing that for two reasons.

1) Holliday will most likely be in AAA for most of next year unless there's a need
2) Hernaiz is not the kind of talent that comes up and battles for ROY honors.

Especially point 2.   

[Three Run Homer]

I wish him the best, and I'm happy that he's going to get a shot in the majors soon.   Even if he carves out a good MLB career I doubt we will ever miss him.