Moves the Orioles should make tomorrow

[Matt Bennett]

33 minutes ago, wildcard said:

Two of the O's starters go down with injuries in the next two days.  Who starts in their place?    Irvin no doubt gets called up.   They could move Voth from the pen but then they need a long man.    Zimmermann is next guy up.   But only because Watkins is injured.  If he wasn't it would be him.

Hall is still developing and has to learn how to get  to 5 innings in 80 pitches or less.  He is not ready to start in the majors.    Rom needs more time.

Neither Zimmermann nor Watkins are prospects.   They are pitching depth.

A DFA is not a release. Joey K will now serve as emergency relief depth without occupying a 40 man spot. Zimm and Watkins could do the same. These are guys that can be DFA’d with little risk and pass through waivers. Typically pitchers who aren’t young, who haven’t showered promise or success aren’t hot commodities on the waiver wire. If an injury occurs to a starting pitcher, AND Irvin is hurt, AND Voth is hurt, AND Hall isn’t deemed “ready”, AND Rom isn’t deemed “ready”, AND Means is still hurt, AND one of them is deemed more reliable than a Chris Vallimont or a Noah Denoyer, their contract can be selected, used for a day/spot start, and subsequently DFA’d. They don’t have much business being on a contending team. 

Edited May 9, 2023 by Matt Bennett
added Denoyer who is on the 40-man

[Bahama O's Fan]

I expected a move by now for Urias. Ortiz, I imagine.

[Matt Bennett]

37 minutes ago, Ohfan67 said:

Sure, some can be DFA'd, but some will opt to go elsewhere and Elias will just have to put some of them back on the 40 later in the season. What do you do if you replace those 4A pitcher spots with real prospects and then you need the roster spots in a few weeks/months for yet more 4A pitchers? Elias has to keep at least a few 40 man roster spots that he can adjust as needed during the season. He can't totally fill the 40 man with players that he can't afford to lose. I think it's more accurate to think of the pitchers you listed as flexible 40 man roster spots rather than specific pitchers. Elias can't fill all or even most of those spots with "real" players. 

There’s merit to this. Although it should not stop us from adding Westburg to replace Urias if that gives the Orioles the best chance to wins games right now. Maybe Ortiz is that best chance. The 5 spots I mentioned are just obvious drops of the 40-man. There could be a couple others although they would be tougher swallows and risky gambles. 

[wildcard]

46 minutes ago, Matt Bennett said:

A DFA is not a release. Joey K will now serve as emergency relief depth without occupying a 40 man spot. Zimm and Watkins could do the same. These are guys that can be DFA’d with little risk and pass through waivers. Typically pitchers who aren’t young, who haven’t showered promise or success aren’t hot commodities on the waiver wire. If an injury occurs to a starting pitcher, AND Irvin is hurt, AND Voth is hurt, AND Hall isn’t deemed “ready”, AND Rom isn’t deemed “ready”, AND Means is still hurt, AND one of them is deemed more reliable than a Chris Vallimont or a Noah Denoyer, their contract can be selected, used for a day/spot start, and subsequently DFA’d. They don’t have much business being on a contending team. 

There is no good reason to DFA Zimmermann or Watkins.   No reason to take the risk that they could be claimed.   And one of the reasons the O's are a contending team is because  of the depth they have  in their system.   

Edited May 9, 2023 by wildcard

[wildcard]

9 minutes ago, Matt Bennett said:

There’s merit to this. Although it should not stop us from adding Westburg to replace Urias if that gives the Orioles the best chance to wins games right now. Maybe Ortiz is that best chance. The 5 spots I mentioned are just obvious drops of the 40-man. There could be a couple others although they would be tougher swallows and risky gambles. 

I can see the O's DFAing Torrens to get him to AAA if they need a spot on the 40 man roster.

[now]

32 minutes ago, wildcard said:

I can see the O's DFAing Torrens to get him to AAA if they need a spot on the 40 man roster.

Yup. They're called "replacement level" players for a reason.

[Aristotelian]

2 hours ago, maybenxtyr said:

The only move I can see right now is Ortiz up if Urias has to go to the IL.

 

As much as we'd like to see more Elias has shown he's on his own timeline. 

Exactly. There are lots of moves that could be made but they don't all have to be made today. I see Ortiz up and probably a bullpen move, like optioning Akin for Vespi, Hall, or Givens. 

[Just Regular]

1 hour ago, now said:

Yup. They're called "replacement level" players for a reason.

Plus, any DFA'd player who makes it to AAA is to me deemed by the other 29 Clubs "below replacement".

Unless they are a Fancy Replacement Level player earning a couple few multiples of the minimum.

[now]

2 hours ago, Just Regular said:

Plus, any DFA'd player who makes it to AAA is to me deemed by the other 29 Clubs "below replacement".

Unless they are a Fancy Replacement Level player earning a couple few multiples of the minimum.

FRL... LOL!

Edited May 9, 2023 by now

[EddeeEddee]

9 hours ago, Il BuonO said:

Mullins is crushing lefties, he doesn’t need a platoon partner.

Fine by me but then why is Hyde platooning him -- unless he is just resting him when a LHP is on the mound?  I think in the past year or so he didn't hit lefties that well.

[AnythingO's]

2 hours ago, EddeeEddee said:

Fine by me but then why is Hyde platooning him -- unless he is just resting him when a LHP is on the mound?  I think in the past year or so he didn't hit lefties that well.

Hyde manages day-to-day by his gut. His gut has no use for Stowers and recent performance by Stowers will just confirm his opinion. Hyde has no trust in Akin so he uses him in shorter, 1 inning stints irregularly which decreases Akin's effectiveness and value as a long man. Hyde has decided Mullins needs to be platooned against lefties so that is what he will do. McKenna's performance will support Hyde's opinion. His decision making hurts payer development unless he likes you, like Vavra, who will soon have 9 gloves in his bag but has shown no ability to transition his OBP to MLB.

[Frobby]

On 5/9/2023 at 9:07 PM, AnythingO's said:

Hyde has decided Mullins needs to be platooned against lefties so that is what he will do. McKenna's performance will support Hyde's opinion. 

The O’s have played 17 games against LH starters and Mullins has started 14 of them.  I wouldn’t exactly call that a platoon.  

[Fiver6565]

6 hours ago, Frobby said:

The O’s have played 17 games against LH starters and Mullins has started 14 of them.  I wouldn’t exactly call that a platoon.  

Exactly. Dropping him to 7th or so in the order is a far cry from being benched. And thus far the moves have worked pretty well. 

[sportsfan8703]

With Bautista off today, it would be nice if one of Givens/Tate could come up for Vespi. It’s seems like they might not be ready though. 
 

It’s sad that we can’t get any production from O’Hearn and Stowers. Our DH/RF bats 9th. A traditional power spot. There’s ABs for Westburg at DH if Santa plays RF. The long term solution is Cowser, but not until mid June. 
 

Or Stowers could just start hitting. 

[Roll Tide]