Moves the Orioles should make tomorrow

[Big Mac]

30 minutes ago, HelenaEngineer said:

So let me make sure I understand this. You want to move Hays, who is tied  with Adley for the 2nd best OPS+ on the team behind Mateo and plays an excellent LF and Urias, who has been the 2nd best hitting infielder on the team, again behind Mateo, and can play all four infield positions for "pitching prospects"? Not even pitching that is ready to help the major league team. For a team that has shown all the signs of being a serious contender, breaking up the lineup for "prospects" seems like a very questionable move, especially given that both players have two more years of team control after this season.

If you are making a move that can help the 2023 Orioles, that is a different story but taking out two of your better players for "prospects" is the sort of move a 2018 or 2019 Orioles team would have been in position to make, not the 2023 Orioles.

Hays hasn't played an excellent LF for about two years now...big part of why he is currently a replacement level player despite an .840 OPS.

[HelenaEngineer]

10 minutes ago, Big Mac said:

Hays hasn't played an excellent LF for about two years now...big part of why he is currently a replacement level player despite an .840 OPS.

I wouldn't get too worked up about a dWAR based on 29 games in 2023 for a player who is only 27 and has been above average on a career basis defensively. In any event, his last two seasons, he had a combined 5.4 WAR while hitting less than he has this year. I suspect his defense will end up at a normal level and there has not been some sort of step change in his ability, but I guess we will see. I still don't see moving him for "prospects" as making any sort of sense unless they are very highly rated prospects. And if he somehow has become "replacement" level, you wouldn't get much value anyway.

Mullins and Santander also show a negative dWAR for 2023 with Stowers the only Oriole outfielder above 0.0, so I guess it's a wonder they catch anything hit to the outfield. 

If we are going to get all worked up about a 2023 WAR and declare Hays "replacement level" maybe we can just trade Mateo and his 1.7 for Aaron Judge and his 0.8 and get the Yankees to throw in a top prospect as part of the deal.

[Big Mac]

Just now, HelenaEngineer said:

I wouldn't get too worked up about a dWAR based on 29 games in 2023 for a player who is only 27 and has been above average on a career basis defensively. In any event, his last two seasons, he had a combined 5.4 WAR while hitting less than he has this year. I suspect his defense will end up at a normal level and there has not been some sort of step change in his ability, but I guess we will see. I still don't see moving him for "prospects" as making any sort of sense unless they are very highly rated prospects. And if he somehow has become "replacement" level, you wouldn't get much value anyway.

Mullins and Santander also show a negative dWAR for 2023 with Stowers the only Oriole outfielder above 0.0, so I guess it's a wonder they catch anything hit to the outfield. 

If we are going to get all worked up about a 2023 WAR and declare Hays "replacement level" maybe we can just trade Mateo and his 1.7 for Aaron Judge and his 0.8 and get the Yankees to throw in a top prospect as part of the deal.

Completely fair point to not get too worked up into WAR numbers and especially dWAR numbers this early.  

I'd counter with his dWAR was -0.2 last year and he posted a whopping -6 OAA last year.  This isn't an early season statistical fluctuation, he's been a bad defensive outfielder for some time now.  I hope he keeps hitting but if he reverts to the ~750ish OPS player he's been his entire career, we're looking at a close to replacement level player.

Now, I'll qualify this by saying a move to RF could change all of this and his arm would really play there. 

[Brooks The Great]

Westburg up for Torrens, Cowser up for McKenna, Ortiz up for Urias if Ramon has to miss time.

Givens for Akin. Or Vespi for Akin for a few days until Givens is ready.

[Bahama O's Fan]

5 minutes ago, Brooks The Great said:

Westburg up for Torrens, Cowser up for McKenna, Ortiz up for Urias if Ramon has to miss time.

Givens for Akin. Or Vespi for Akin for a few days until Givens is ready.

I concur. Let's go! The future is now!

[Aristotelian]

My prediction: Akin is definitely going down. They waited until today to get a couple innings. Hall up for another cup of coffee, then Givens when ready. 

[sportsfan8703]

1 minute ago, Aristotelian said:

My prediction: Akin is definitely going down. They waited until today to get a couple innings. Hall up for another cup of coffee, then Givens when ready. 

It’s not like adjusting the 8th man in the bullpen is going to change things. Akin did his job. Our whole bullpen should be fresh tomorrow. I’d like to take it slow with Givens and Tate on their rehabs. Once they are done they don’t have options. 

[EddeeEddee]

2 hours ago, Brooks The Great said:

Westburg up for Torrens, Cowser up for McKenna, Ortiz up for Urias if Ramon has to miss time.

Givens for Akin. Or Vespi for Akin for a few days until Givens is ready.

The thing is, McKenna can play CF and, with a right now .918 OPS against lefties, platoons pretty well with Mullins.  I know McKenna's got his flaws, but not sure how both Stowers and Cowser up on the O's make sense right now when they are both lefties -- unless the O's move someone in a trade (or obviously if someone is hurt).

[sportsfan8703]

5 hours ago, Brooks The Great said:

Westburg up for Torrens, Cowser up for McKenna, Ortiz up for Urias if Ramon has to miss time.

Givens for Akin. Or Vespi for Akin for a few days until Givens is ready.

I agree with all that. 
 

Akin for Vespi then Givens. 
Ortiz for DFA Torrens

If Urias to IL then Westburg

Cowser for Stowers 

Who do we DFA to add Cowser to the 40 man?  McKenna isn’t going anywhere. I think this move doesn’t happen because of that. 

[Orioles0615]

3 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

I agree with all that. 
 

Akin for Vespi then Givens. 
Ortiz for DFA Torrens

If Urias to IL then Westburg

Cowser for Stowers 

Who do we DFA to add Cowser to the 40 man?  McKenna isn’t going anywhere. I think this move doesn’t happen because of that. 

Seth Johnson should be put on the 60 day DL and that should open a roster spot. Everywhere I look it says he’s not on the 60 DL for whatever reason. Unless it’s wrong and he is, it be utterly stupid if he wasn’t 

[Aristotelian]

4 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

 

Who do we DFA to add Cowser to the 40 man?  McKenna isn’t going anywhere. I think this move doesn’t happen because of that. 

Same with Westburg. Ortiz can take Ramon's spot without losing anybody. That seems like the natural move. 

[DirtyBird]

Adley needs to get on a regular Catcher schedule. As good as he is, he is still just in his second season and does not need to be DH'ing so much.

This would allow us to cut the 3rd catcher plan, open up a spot on the 40 and 26 man rosters and get some fresh bats some opportunities.

[Matt Bennett]

40-man roster drops aren’t a problem just yet.

1. O’Hearn can be DFA’d of course. 83 OPS+, -2.8 WAR, nearly 30 years old

2. Spenser Watkins. 71 ERA+, -0.8 WAR, nearly 31 years old. Long man Joey Krehbiel. 

3. Bruce Zimmermann. 75 ERA+, -0.3 WAR, 28 years old. Lefty long man Joey Krehbiel. 

4. Luis Torrens. 79 OPS+, -0.4 WAR, 27 years old

5. Seth Johnson can be transferred to 60-man. I’m a tad confused why he hasn’t been already? 

I would like to see Jordan Westburg should Urias go on the 10 day IL. But I’d suspect we see Ortiz which is cool too. How nice it is that we have the Jordan Westburg’s and Joey Ortiz’s of the world to call up when the first injury hits instead of the Richie Martin’s and Tyler Nevin’s. 

[sportsfan8703]

I think if we put Set Johnson on the 60 day IL then his service clock starts. 

[wildcard]

11 hours ago, sportsfan8703 said:

It’s not like adjusting the 8th man in the bullpen is going to change things. Akin did his job. Our whole bullpen should be fresh tomorrow. I’d like to take it slow with Givens and Tate on their rehabs. Once they are done they don’t have options. 

Tate has 2 options.

Edited May 9, 2023 by wildcard