5 Players the O's Need to add to the Roster to Push for the Wild Card

[ScGO's]

The rosters are expanding, but overall, Elias needs to do some real roster management if this team is going to have enough gas to finish the season.  These are 5 players that need to be added to the roster to help with a playoff push.

 

1. Tyler Wells - He needs to return and I don't care if its in a Bullpen role or if he gets starts still. Either way, we get back one of our best pitchers to help give the bullpen more rest either bc he's added to it, or one of our starters is pushed into a long relief role.

2. DL Hall - Elias has the right idea about putting him in the bullpen. I think he should be used as a 1 inning guy and replace what Bautista was before Lopez was traded. I think Bautista closing with Tate, Perez, and Hall as potential high leverage guys.  Control doesn't have to be perfect, but he simplifies the approach in relief, I think his K rates show he could be dominate

3. Grayson Rodriguez - Even if he returns in a relief role, he could be an interesting opener, or someone to piggy back with Wells or Voth.  Even if he isn't off the IL yet, I think he can be on a playoff roster if he's added to the 40  man before the rosters expand. If he's fully healthy and can find what he had before the injury he could be shutdown in a back end role to give Felix some rest too.

4. Matt Harvey - I still try to remind people that he had a 4.60 FIP last year without the new Wall.  He also didn't have quite the defense behind him either. Matt Harvey has pitched and pitched well in the World Series. I really think if last year's Harvey pitched for this year's O's he would have been just like Jordan Lyles. His numbers are great at Norfolk, but he's had some great starts. I think he could help give us innings down the stretch if there is a need.

5. Gunnar Henderson - He's the best offensive weapon we could possibly add, and it sounds like his defense will give us a boost as well. It moves Odor into a pinch hitting roles, and it also appears that Gunnar can give everyone in the infield a rest if they need it by playing all 4 infield spots.

 

Honorable Mentions: Jordan Westburg, Michael Baumann, Bruce Zimmerman

I'm not sure where Westburg fits in yet unless Odor is DFAd. Baumann has great K rates, but I'm not quite sure he's but it together yet to be dependable in the back of our bullpen. Zimmerman could potentially find his stuff again, but he's not dominating at AAA at the moment

[LA2]

As much as those moves, some of which might work out very well, I would like a return to good form of Mountcastle, Hays, and Akin, and a more stable emergence of the new flame-throwing Baker. That would be simpler to manage and take a lot of pressure off both the clubhouse and the moves you've reasonably proposed.

Edited August 27, 2022 by LA2

[waroriole]

Hard to take this seriously when you have Harvey over Westburg

[rm5678]

1 hour ago, ScGO's said:

The rosters are expanding, but overall, Elias needs to do some real roster management if this team is going to have enough gas to finish the season.  These are 5 players that need to be added to the roster to help with a playoff push.

 

1. Tyler Wells - He needs to return and I don't care if its in a Bullpen role or if he gets starts still. Either way, we get back one of our best pitchers to help give the bullpen more rest either bc he's added to it, or one of our starters is pushed into a long relief role.

2. DL Hall - Elias has the right idea about putting him in the bullpen. I think he should be used as a 1 inning guy and replace what Bautista was before Lopez was traded. I think Bautista closing with Tate, Perez, and Hall as potential high leverage guys.  Control doesn't have to be perfect, but he simplifies the approach in relief, I think his K rates show he could be dominate

3. Grayson Rodriguez - Even if he returns in a relief role, he could be an interesting opener, or someone to piggy back with Wells or Voth.  Even if he isn't off the IL yet, I think he can be on a playoff roster if he's added to the 40  man before the rosters expand. If he's fully healthy and can find what he had before the injury he could be shutdown in a back end role to give Felix some rest too.

4. Matt Harvey - I still try to remind people that he had a 4.60 FIP last year without the new Wall.  He also didn't have quite the defense behind him either. Matt Harvey has pitched and pitched well in the World Series. I really think if last year's Harvey pitched for this year's O's he would have been just like Jordan Lyles. His numbers are great at Norfolk, but he's had some great starts. I think he could help give us innings down the stretch if there is a need.

5. Gunnar Henderson - He's the best offensive weapon we could possibly add, and it sounds like his defense will give us a boost as well. It moves Odor into a pinch hitting roles, and it also appears that Gunnar can give everyone in the infield a rest if they need it by playing all 4 infield spots.

 

Honorable Mentions: Jordan Westburg, Michael Baumann, Bruce Zimmerman

I'm not sure where Westburg fits in yet unless Odor is DFAd. Baumann has great K rates, but I'm not quite sure he's but it together yet to be dependable in the back of our bullpen. Zimmerman could potentially find his stuff again, but he's not dominating at AAA at the moment

I don't think Odor will be DFA'd. His clubhouse presence would be sorely missed.

[now]

40 minutes ago, waroriole said:

Hard to take this seriously when you have Harvey over Westburg

I think the OP isn't so much about ranking talent as addressing current needs into September, which call out for adding more pitching over yet another infield sub beyond Vavra and Henderson.

[yark14]

I'm with you on Harvey.  We're in a position to take risks, considering our need for arms.  Give him a shot if the right opportunity presents itself.  He had flashes last year where he wasn't too bad.

[jdwilde1]

50 minutes ago, waroriole said:

Hard to take this seriously when you have Harvey over Westburg

This is a bit over the top. Especially considering that over the last 40 games Westburg has posted a  219/333/384 .717. Harvey, in comparison, has posted a 4.06 ERA and a 1.26 WHIP since joining Norfolk in late June. That is, if  Westburg is called up he will be  coming off the bench because Urias is moving to 2B. Likewise, Harvey would be pitching in a secondary role.

If you want to argue that you would put Westburg above Harvey, that’s fine, make your argument. But to just take a dismissive swipe does nothing but discourage people from posting.

With that said, I’d probably rather see Westburg than Harvey, but we are talking about comparing a rookie position player who will be on the bench with a veteran pitcher who will probably be in long relief and may make a spot start. To say that you can’t take the post seriously because someone listed Harvey 4/5 and had Westburg as an honorable mention is weak.

ScGO’s, this is a good post. And I will add that the possibility of adding Wells, Henderson, and Grayson is a real game changer.  That doesn’t mean any of these guys will contribute  if they are added to the active roster, but their collective potential is immense.  

[LA2]

37 minutes ago, yark14 said:

I'm with you on Harvey.  We're in a position to take risks, considering our need for arms.  Give him a shot if the right opportunity presents itself.  He had flashes last year where he wasn't too bad.

Fans here shouldn't forget that Harvey gave us three excellent scoreless starts coming out of the All-Star break last season, followed by two decent starts. Then he got injured again and, typical of him, was probably pitching when should not have. If he can give us anything close to those first few games of the second half last year, it could be a huge boost to the pitching staff. If he's used only in middle relief, it's more likely he could pull it off, I would think.

[wildcard]

3 hours ago, ScGO's said:

The rosters are expanding, but overall, Elias needs to do some real roster management if this team is going to have enough gas to finish the season.  These are 5 players that need to be added to the roster to help with a playoff push.

 

1. Tyler Wells - He needs to return and I don't care if its in a Bullpen role or if he gets starts still. Either way, we get back one of our best pitchers to help give the bullpen more rest either bc he's added to it, or one of our starters is pushed into a long relief role.

2. DL Hall - Elias has the right idea about putting him in the bullpen. I think he should be used as a 1 inning guy and replace what Bautista was before Lopez was traded. I think Bautista closing with Tate, Perez, and Hall as potential high leverage guys.  Control doesn't have to be perfect, but he simplifies the approach in relief, I think his K rates show he could be dominate

3. Grayson Rodriguez - Even if he returns in a relief role, he could be an interesting opener, or someone to piggy back with Wells or Voth.  Even if he isn't off the IL yet, I think he can be on a playoff roster if he's added to the 40  man before the rosters expand. If he's fully healthy and can find what he had before the injury he could be shutdown in a back end role to give Felix some rest too.

4. Matt Harvey - I still try to remind people that he had a 4.60 FIP last year without the new Wall.  He also didn't have quite the defense behind him either. Matt Harvey has pitched and pitched well in the World Series. I really think if last year's Harvey pitched for this year's O's he would have been just like Jordan Lyles. His numbers are great at Norfolk, but he's had some great starts. I think he could help give us innings down the stretch if there is a need.

5. Gunnar Henderson - He's the best offensive weapon we could possibly add, and it sounds like his defense will give us a boost as well. It moves Odor into a pinch hitting roles, and it also appears that Gunnar can give everyone in the infield a rest if they need it by playing all 4 infield spots.

 

Honorable Mentions: Jordan Westburg, Michael Baumann, Bruce Zimmerman

I'm not sure where Westburg fits in yet unless Odor is DFAd. Baumann has great K rates, but I'm not quite sure he's but it together yet to be dependable in the back of our bullpen. Zimmerman could potentially find his stuff again, but he's not dominating at AAA at the moment

Roster expands by one position player and one pitcher.   Who goes to get the other three pitchers on the active roster

[emmett16]

DL Hall just came into 1-1 game in 8th and proceeded to walk lead-off batter, throw a ground ball, give up a double, and then throw two wild pitches to allow the 3rd run to score.  Not sure he helps out much this season at the MLB level.  He's got some demons to contend with before he should be exposed to MLB hitters.

[Can_of_corn]

Just now, emmett16 said:

DL Hall just came into 1-1 game in 8th and proceeded to walk lead-off batter, throw a ground ball, give up a double, and then throw two wild pitches to allow the 3rd run to score.  Not sure he helps out much this season at the MLB level.  He's got some demons to contend with before he should be exposed to MLB hitters.

Demons?

 

[emmett16]

2 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Demons?

 

His inability to throw strikes consistently.  

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, emmett16 said:

His inability to throw strikes consistently.  

That's a demon now?  Someone needs to tell Egg Shen.

[Orioles0615]

3 of them need to be on the 40 man in 3 days.  That's 3 of their "precious" 40 man spots that they would have to clear. Even though theres probably 10 guys the could easily yeet off. 

 

Also if Gunnar isn't added or is added and can't play in the postseason I will be upset. I really have no idea what the hell Elias is waiting for at this point

[now]

1 hour ago, emmett16 said:

DL Hall just came into 1-1 game in 8th and proceeded to walk lead-off batter, throw a ground ball, give up a double, and then throw two wild pitches to allow the 3rd run to score.  Not sure he helps out much this season at the MLB level.  He's got some demons to contend with before he should be exposed to MLB hitters.

All that being said, he recovered to strike out the next two batters to end the inning. So you could say, one bad pitch, and then a temporary loss of cool.