Austin Hays vs Ryan Mountcastle

[wildcard]

Its really about injuries and slumps.   Hays will probably be challenged if he slumps or is injured by Cowser.   Mountcastle has the same challenge from Westburg.   

Maybe it makes Hays and Mountcastle better.  And maybe it doesn't.

[waroriole]

4 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Its really about injuries and slumps.   Hays will probably be challenged if he slumps or is injured by Cowser.   Mountcastle has the same challenge from Westburg.   

Maybe it makes Hays and Mountcastle better.  And maybe it doesn't.

As much as it makes sense for Westburg to challenge Mountcastle at 1B if he continues to struggle, I’ve seen no indication the Orioles will move Westburg to 1B. 

[wildcard]

2 minutes ago, waroriole said:

As much as it makes sense for Westburg to challenge Mountcastle at 1B if he continues to struggle, I’ve seen no indication the Orioles will move Westburg to 1B. 

Where do you think they will play him?

[waroriole]

Just now, wildcard said:

Where do you think they will play him?

Norfolk. For as long as they can get away with it. If they don’t trade him. 
 

I think this is a huge mistake by Elias. I’m a big fan of Westburg and don’t understand why he didn’t get ABs at 1B at the end of last year. 

[wildcard]

4 minutes ago, waroriole said:

Norfolk. For as long as they can get away with it. If they don’t trade him. 
 

I think this is a huge mistake by Elias. I’m a big fan of Westburg and don’t understand why he didn’t get ABs at 1B at the end of last year. 

Westburg is a skilled infielder.  1B is a snap for him.  Give him 2 weeks in ST at 1B and he will be as good as Mountcastle defensively.  Give him a month and he will be better at 1B.

I agree he may begin in Norfolk.  But he will have something to say about that in ST.

[TopGunnar]

I like Mountcastle and am no where near ready to give up on him. However, I am nearly in love with Mayo. He’ll most likely end up at first. 

[TopGunnar]

9 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Westburg is a skilled infielder.  1B is a snap for him.  Give him 2 weeks in ST at 1B and he will be as good as Mountcastle defensively.  Give him a month and he will be better at 1B.

I agree he may begin in Norfolk.  But he will have something to say about that in ST.

The addition of Frazier might affect him, I see Westburg making the OD roster fairly easily. 

[RZNJ]

Where Westburg fits depends on where the other pieces of the puzzle are placed.   Westburg will not be the SS.   We pretty much know that.   He could be the future 3B or 2B and there's a chance he could be a 1B.    There certainly haven't been any hints that he's in the plans for 1B.   It seems as though the Orioles feel he is more valuable and useful at another spot.   As I've said repeatedly, all roads lead to Henderson.   Do they view him as the 3B or the SS.    If he's the SS, that certainly leaves two possibilities for Westburg.  If he's the 3B, that cuts down Westburg's options.     You can look at 2024 and see 3B) Westburg, SS) Henderson, 2B) Ortiz or you could see 3B) Henderson, SS) Ortiz, 2B) Westburg or you could see about 6 more scenarios including Mateo, Urias, and Norby.   I was one of the first who mentioned Westburg as a 1B option but there are no signs of it happening.   Hyde might be blowing smoke but he seems to be very high on Mountcastle.   Barring trades, I see a future infield of Ortiz, Westburg, and Henderson with Norby either being in LF/DH or traded.   1B ?.   Mountcastle seems to be one hitter who doesn't fit the mold but also one player who there is not a replacement for in the system.    Maybe they actually like him?

[waroriole]

10 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Westburg is a skilled infielder.  1B is a snap for him.  Give him 2 weeks in ST at 1B and he will be as good as Mountcastle defensively.  Give him a month and he will be better at 1B.

I agree he may begin in Norfolk.  But he will have something to say about that in ST.

I don’t disagree about 1B. He should be able to handle that easily, though I do wonder if that wastes his abilities. Hopefully, he gives them no reason to send him down after ST. 

[RZNJ]

1 minute ago, waroriole said:

I don’t disagree about 1B. He should be able to handle that easily, though I do wonder if that wastes his abilities. Hopefully, he gives them no reason to send him down after ST. 

I don't see Westburg making the team with Urias, Henderson, Frazier, and Mateo on the team.   It would take a trade.   Otherwise, they'll want him playing everyday at AAA.

[TopGunnar]

21 minutes ago, waroriole said:

Norfolk. For as long as they can get away with it. If they don’t trade him. 
 

I think this is a huge mistake by Elias. I’m a big fan of Westburg and don’t understand why he didn’t get ABs at 1B at the end of last year. 

Probably because he’s going to be our starting 2B 

[banks703]

5 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Where Westburg fits depends on where the other pieces of the puzzle are placed.   Westburg will not be the SS.   We pretty much know that.   He could be the future 3B or 2B and there's a chance he could be a 1B.    There certainly haven't been any hints that he's in the plans for 1B.   It seems as though the Orioles feel he is more valuable and useful at another spot.   As I've said repeatedly, all roads lead to Henderson.   Do they view him as the 3B or the SS.    If he's the SS, that certainly leaves two possibilities for Westburg.  If he's the 3B, that cuts down Westburg's options.     You can look at 2024 and see 3B) Westburg, SS) Henderson, 2B) Ortiz or you could see 3B) Henderson, SS) Ortiz, 2B) Westburg or you could see about 6 more scenarios including Mateo, Urias, and Norby.   I was one of the first who mentioned Westburg as a 1B option but there are no signs of it happening.   Hyde might be blowing smoke but he seems to be very high on Mountcastle.   Barring trades, I see a future infield of Ortiz, Westburg, and Henderson with Norby either being in LF/DH or traded.   1B ?.   Mountcastle seems to be one hitter who doesn't fit the mold but also one player who there is not a replacement for in the system.    Maybe they actually like him?

I don't think that there is any scenario in which the three of Henderson (SS), Westburg (3B) and Ortiz (2B) are aligned this way. Personally, I feel Gunnar is best suited for 3B. 

 

Frankly, I don't know that all three of Gunnar, Westburg and Ortiz will ever be on the 26 man at the same time. Across the roster there is positional flexibility, sure, but in large part these three are extremely redundant. This is especially true when considering both the current roster construction with Mateo, Urias and Frazier as well as down the road with Holliday. The current construction means far less than three or four years from now but there is an absurd number of MI/3B options in the system no matter how you slice it, which is a very good problem to have. 

 

I won't be shocked if four years from now we see Gunnar in the outfield. Should that happen, a lot of other things have gone very right for the Orioles. 

[RZNJ]

6 minutes ago, banks703 said:

I don't t think that there is any scenario in which the three of Henderson (SS), Westburg (3B) and Ortiz (2B) are aligned this way. Personally, I feel Gunnar is best suited for 3B. 

 

Frankly, I don't know that all three of Gunnar, Westburg and Ortiz will ever be on the 26 man at the same time. Across the roster there is positional flexibility, sure, but in large part these three are extremely redundant. This is especially true when considering both the current roster construction with Mateo, Urias and Frazier as well as down the road with Holliday. The current construction means far less than three or four years from now but there is an absurd number of MI/3B options in the system no matter how you slice it, which is a very good problem to have. 

 

I won't be shocked if four years from now we see Gunnar in the outfield. Should that happen, a lot of other things have gone very right for the Orioles. 

Not sure why you dismiss that entirely.   Most think Henderson can handle SS quite well, most (maybe not Tony) think Westburg is a viable 3B, and most everyone thinks Ortiz is an above average SS or 2B.

Unless one of the three are traded, which is certainly possible, then I'd say it's almost a sure thing that all three will be on the 26-man roster at the same time.

[orioles22]

52 minutes ago, waroriole said:

As much as it makes sense for Westburg to challenge Mountcastle at 1B if he continues to struggle, I’ve seen no indication the Orioles will move Westburg to 1B. 

Unless they play to trade him, which is my guess, he will be behind someone at 2B, SS or 3B who is better defensively.

[btdart20]

13 minutes ago, banks703 said:

I don't think that there is any scenario in which the three of Henderson (SS), Westburg (3B) and Ortiz (2B) are aligned this way. Personally, I feel Gunnar is best suited for 3B. 

 

Frankly, I don't know that all three of Gunnar, Westburg and Ortiz will ever be on the 26 man at the same time. Across the roster there is positional flexibility, sure, but in large part these three are extremely redundant. This is especially true when considering both the current roster construction with Mateo, Urias and Frazier as well as down the road with Holliday. The current construction means far less than three or four years from now but there is an absurd number of MI/3B options in the system no matter how you slice it, which is a very good problem to have. 

 

I won't be shocked if four years from now we see Gunnar in the outfield. Should that happen, a lot of other things have gone very right for the Orioles. 

A Westburg/Gunnar/Ortiz infield has a non-zero chance that is greater than Gunnar moving to the OF permanently.  If things go that well, then there is likely too much value than needs to be reallocated to other positions.