Using only players in the organization…

[Safelykept]

4 hours ago, RVAOsFan said:

I am looking at Ortiz as primarily a second basemen for now.  Urias can back up all over the infield and Frazier can backup in the outfield.

Urias and Frazier are in a platoon at 2nd You are going give Ortiz at bats against LHP that Urias would have got and at bats against RHP that Frazier would have got. Good luck with that Ortiz is like Wartburg he's the next guy up I'll say what Ive said before you won't understand the Frazier signing until somebody gets hurt or underperforms.

[RVAOsFan]

27 minutes ago, Safelykept said:

Voth and Perez? Neither can be sent down

Gonna have to make room for Tate and Givens some how. If we lose ‘em we lose em. Could send down Akin I guess but then you don’t have much for a long man. 

[RVAOsFan]

13 minutes ago, Safelykept said:

Urias and Frazier are in a platoon at 2nd You are going give Ortiz at bats against LHP that Urias would have got and at bats against RHP that Frazier would have got. Good luck with that Ortiz is like Wartburg he's the next guy up I'll say what Ive said before you won't understand the Frazier signing until somebody gets hurt or underperforms.

Correct, I think Ortiz should start getting the bulk of bats at 2B. Urias can pick up at bats backing up 2B and 3B. I will never understand the Frazier signing unless we can go back in time and trade Urias for pitching before the season starts, but I have already said I don’t want to turn this into another Frazier thread. 

[Ripken]

Cowser for McKenna

Ortiz for Vavra

Hall for Voth

McCann only catches.  Frazier never plays the OF.

Start shopping Santander, Mountcastle and Urias.  Bring up Westburg when one of those 3 is traded.

[Brooks The Great]

4 hours ago, Ripken said:

Cowser for McKenna

Ortiz for Vavra

Hall for Voth

McCann only catches.  Frazier never plays the OF.

Start shopping Santander, Mountcastle and Urias.  Bring up Westburg when one of those 3 is traded.

Westburg is the most major league ready of any of our prospects, and he has more positional versatility than Ortiz. Ortiz is on the 40-man roster and Westburg is not, which is why Ortiz would be called up before Westburg tomorrow if any of Mateo, Gunnar, Frazier, or Urias gets hurt.

However, for me, Westburg is clearly the guy who should be called up first to improve the team. McKenna gets DFA'd to do so. That specific move should have already been made after McKenna's April 1st drop against Boston. Now that Westburg's service time manipulation date has passed, it's an even easier call for Elias. Stop wasting time.

Cowser wouldn't play every day unless one of Mullins, Santander, or Hays gets hurt or traded. So I wouldn't promote him until regular at bats are available for him.

As such, I'd replace Vavra with Stowers since Vavra is really only playing the outfield and DHing. If Ortiz is called up, he shouldn't be called up to replace a part-time player, either.

I do agree that Santander, Mountcastle, and Urias need to be traded. I'd trade all 3 and make it a priority. Mountcastle consistently puts up the worst at bats of any regular in the lineup. Most of his production occurred in just a handful of games. Once the team moves on from Mountcastle, the lineup will really be torturing opposing pitchers by working the count and getting on base.

Mountcastle has shown us who he is after a large sample size. His home ballpark does him no favors. He's a solid power hitter who'll have more value to another team with a hitter's home park. It's time to move on. 

[Billy F-Face3]

16 minutes ago, Brooks The Great said:

Westburg is the most major league ready of any of our prospects, and he has more positional versatility than Ortiz. Ortiz is on the 40-man roster and Westburg is not, which is why Ortiz would be called up before Westburg tomorrow if any of Mateo, Gunnar, Frazier, or Urias gets hurt.

However, for me, Westburg is clearly the guy who should be called up first to improve the team. McKenna gets DFA'd to do so. That specific move should have already been made after McKenna's April 1st drop against Boston. Now that Westburg's service time manipulation date has passed, it's an even easier call for Elias. Stop wasting time.

Cowser wouldn't play every day unless one of Mullins, Santander, or Hays gets hurt or traded. So I wouldn't promote him until regular at bats are available for him.

As such, I'd replace Vavra with Stowers since Vavra is really only playing the outfield and DHing. If Ortiz is called up, he shouldn't be called up to replace a part-time player, either.

I do agree that Santander, Mountcastle, and Urias need to be traded. I'd trade all 3 and make it a priority. Mountcastle consistently puts up the worst at bats of any regular in the lineup. Most of his production occurred in just a handful of games. Once the team moves on from Mountcastle, the lineup will really be torturing opposing pitchers by working the count and getting on base.

Mountcastle has shown us who he is after a large sample size. His home ballpark does him no favors. He's a solid power hitter who'll have more value to another team with a hitter's home park. It's time to move on. 

I agree with your asessment about Westburg, but that's about all. Who would you suggest we play first base then? Mountcastle is the best we've got for the foreseeable future. I certainly wouldn't want to have to play O'hearn at 1B every day because his defense is terrible and our infeilders throw a lot of low short hop throws. Mountcastle always digs them out of the dirt.

I agree with your assessment about the way he takes his at bats though. If he's not going to be more patient and selective at the plate, then at some point it will be time to move on from him. But that would be a long ways away because they have no one in the organization that can do better. (Unless you want to give Lewin Diaz or John Lester an opportunity, but that is taking a very very very big risk.)

[Sanity Check]

18 hours ago, Brooks The Great said:

 

Vallimont to replace Voth.

I would go with Steve Wilkerson to replace Voth

[Sanity Check]

17 hours ago, jrobb21613 said:

Stowers and Cowser replacing Vavra and Mckenna.

I just don't get this....I've seen it twice in here - Vavra and Mckenna are allowing Stowers and Cowser to get regular playing time every day in AAA.  

If the suggestion is to bring those guys up to play as little and Vavra and McKenna play, then I think it's short sighted.  If the suggestion is to bring them up to play regularly, then who is coming out of the starting lineup to play as sparingly as Stowers and Cowser.  My guess is, the answer I'll see is that there are plenty of at-bats to go around, but then I go back to the whining that happens every time Henderson or Rutschman are not in the lineup, or Stowers when he was up.

My comments above are not directed at you specifically, but to anyone who thinks it's a good idea to have our younger guys NOT be in a lineup every day somewhere, rather than 4 times a week.  I tend to  think guys need regular at-bats in order to get into a rhythm, and rotating 13 really good players does not work.

Here's my math - assuming 6 games on average per week, and 9 batters, that's 54 batters for the week to start.  Divide that by 13 really good players, and each guy gets 4 starts per week.  So, everyone is sitting 2 games a week, or pinch-hitting, etc.  So, some guys will be 5 starts, which means others will only get 3.  So, who gets 5, and who are we backing off to 3 starts a week??  Is this really what we want??

[Aristotelian]

1 minute ago, Sanity Check said:

I just don't get this....I've seen it twice in here - Vavra and Mckenna are allowing Stowers and Cowser to get regular playing time every day in AAA.  

If the suggestion is to bring those guys up to play as little and Vavra and McKenna play, then I think it's short sighted.  If the suggestion is to bring them up to play regularly, then who is coming out of the starting lineup to play as sparingly as Stowers and Cowser.  My guess is, the answer I'll see is that there are plenty of at-bats to go around, but then I go back to the whining that happens every time Henderson or Rutschman are not in the lineup, or Stowers when he was up.

My comments above are not directed at you specifically, but to anyone who thinks it's a good idea to have our younger guys NOT be in a lineup every day somewhere, rather than 4 times a week.  I tend to  think guys need regular at-bats in order to get into a rhythm, and rotating 13 really good players does not work.

Here's my math - assuming 6 games on average per week, and 9 batters, that's 54 batters for the week to start.  Divide that by 13 really good players, and each guy gets 4 starts per week.  So, everyone is sitting 2 games a week, or pinch-hitting, etc.  So, some guys will be 5 starts, which means others will only get 3.  So, who gets 5, and who are we backing off to 3 starts a week??  Is this really what we want??

User name checks out! I agree with above. Stowers and Cowser should replace Hays and Santander when they are ready and/or we Hays and Santander are ready to be replaced. I'm not sure we are there yet on either side. No point in calling them up to be bench players.

[Es4M11]

If it were my choice, I would do the following up until the trade deadline...

Trade or option Vavra - I don't see a future where Vavra is a good use of a roster spot
Move Frazier to UTL
Recall Stowers to start in RF - until he proves he can't do the job
Santander to full time DH
Urias starter at 2B - probable deadline trade asset
Gunnar to start at 3B - enough moving him around, and drop him to the bottom of the order

At the deadline I could see Elias looking to move guys like Urias, Westburg and possibly Hays. Though for Hays to be moved I think Stowers has to become an everyday player. If Stowers falters then Hays stays and Cowser gets his shot. In any event I think Cowser will be up in July/August.

As for the pitching, I think I would just go ahead and cut the cord on DL Hall as a starter and turn him loose in the pen, like right now. I think he may end up being great in that role. Otherwise sit tight until the deadline.

 

[RVAOsFan]

14 minutes ago, Es4M11 said:

If it were my choice, I would do the following up until the trade deadline...

Trade or option Vavra - I don't see a future where Vavra is a good use of a roster spot
Move Frazier to UTL
Recall Stowers to start in RF - until he proves he can't do the job
Santander to full time DH
Urias starter at 2B - probable deadline trade asset
Gunnar to start at 3B - enough moving him around, and drop him to the bottom of the order

At the deadline I could see Elias looking to move guys like Urias, Westburg and possibly Hays. Though for Hays to be moved I think Stowers has to become an everyday player. If Stowers falters then Hays stays and Cowser gets his shot. In any event I think Cowser will be up in July/August.

As for the pitching, I think I would just go ahead and cut the cord on DL Hall as a starter and turn him loose in the pen, like right now. I think he may end up being great in that role. Otherwise sit tight until the deadline.

 

There is a good chance that Hall ends up a bullpen piece one day for the O's.  However with the bullpen pitching well recently as well as Tate and Givens coming back from injury soon. I don't see any reason to end his starter development in AAA right now.

[MarCakes21]

Depends what the goal is, and a lot of these ideas are already being said here, but if the goal is to win as many games as possible and not care about service time or getting regular ABs:

- Give it one week, then Tate/Givens activated for Akin/Voth.  That leaves you no real long man though so will be interesting to see

- Vavra down Stowers up - again not concerned about playing time

Longer term, around the deadline, I'm looking to see what I could get that would supplement the SP category from the pool of Frazier/Urias/Westburg/Ortiz/and even Mateo.  I think he still regresses, but if you don't think that then you have to hold him.

[MarCakes21]

Just now, MarCakes21 said:

Depends what the goal is, and a lot of these ideas are already being said here, but if the goal is to win as many games as possible and not care about service time or getting regular ABs:

- Give it one week, then Tate/Givens activated for Akin/Voth.  That leaves you no real long man though so will be interesting to see

- Vavra down Stowers up - again not concerned about playing time

Longer term, around the deadline, I'm looking to see what I could get that would supplement the SP category from the pool of Frazier/Urias/Westburg/Ortiz/and even Mateo.  I think he still regresses, but if you don't think that then you have to hold him.

Let me add, McKenna down Westburg up.  I can't stand his laziness and Hays or Mateo can fill in at CF in a pinch.  And again not concerned about playing time for Westburg, which isn't the long term right move.

[sportsfan8703]

Westburg for O’Hearn with Wesburg playing RF some and 2B/3B vs LHP. 
 

Stowers for Vavra. 

[Bahama O's Fan]

5 hours ago, Sanity Check said:

I just don't get this....I've seen it twice in here - Vavra and Mckenna are allowing Stowers and Cowser to get regular playing time every day in AAA.  

If the suggestion is to bring those guys up to play as little and Vavra and McKenna play, then I think it's short sighted.  If the suggestion is to bring them up to play regularly, then who is coming out of the starting lineup to play as sparingly as Stowers and Cowser.  My guess is, the answer I'll see is that there are plenty of at-bats to go around, but then I go back to the whining that happens every time Henderson or Rutschman are not in the lineup, or Stowers when he was up.

My comments above are not directed at you specifically, but to anyone who thinks it's a good idea to have our younger guys NOT be in a lineup every day somewhere, rather than 4 times a week.  I tend to  think guys need regular at-bats in order to get into a rhythm, and rotating 13 really good players does not work.

Here's my math - assuming 6 games on average per week, and 9 batters, that's 54 batters for the week to start.  Divide that by 13 really good players, and each guy gets 4 starts per week.  So, everyone is sitting 2 games a week, or pinch-hitting, etc.  So, some guys will be 5 starts, which means others will only get 3.  So, who gets 5, and who are we backing off to 3 starts a week??  Is this really what we want??

So, I was one of the guys advocating this. Firstly, the offense needs a shot in the arm. Go back over the last several games and see how many innings we put up zero runs. I just want to change out parts to try some of these guys out. Playing time: Both split RF duties, so that's 3 starts each if we have 6 games per week, although we will get some 7 games per weeks. Of course, you can shuffle Santander out there and let one of them DH but it's the same amount of starts. Next, Santander gets one day off, that's 4 starts for one of them, say Stowers.  Mullins gets one day off, so that's a start for Cowser, 4 starts each. Hays gets one day off; that's 5 starts for one and 4 starts for another. These could also change with more or less depending on the pitcher. No doubt they will get playing time in the late innings with pinch hitting and running opportunities. Injuries happen too, so we have someone on the roster if say Mullins needs two games off. I think this doesn't hurt their development, as well as helping the major league team. It gets McCann off of DH duties. It gives us real options off of the bench late in the game. We are a contending team now and it's time to play for this season. In general, I just think these two are better than McKenna and Vavra, but of course, that's purely specuation.