Aaron Hicks (Update: Signed by the Orioles to replace Mullins)

[AnythingO's]

30 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

This way Elias gets a warm body to backup McKenna and gets to keep his depth piece in the minors.

I think I agree, it just "feels" that way with ME but I cannot for the life of me understand why. Maybe the Super 2 window which should be in about 2 weeks or so. After that passes what is the excuse? Westburg is as ready as he is ever going to be, can play all 3 Inf positions and was getting OF reps to be a Jack of All Trades. Him over Vavra starts the MLB transition for the next man up now that Gunnar has moved to the plus side. Didn't happen when Urias went down, didn't happen now.

[foxfield]

This certainly isn't a print the playoff tickets move, but it's a move that many teams in competition would make given the same circumstances.  The Orioles are a bit thin in the OF right now, both in Baltimore and on the farm.  Why make a 40 man move you didn't want to make?

At worst it's a $480K insurance policy.

The questions we should all be wondering about is how badly hurt is Cedric and how long before Cowser is ready?

[sportsfan8703]

Will Hicks be in the lineup tonight?

[sportsfan8703]

Mateo, Urias, and Mullins were all hurt in blowout type games running hard to first base. Over 162… players simply can’t do this every time down 1B. 

[Tony-OH]

53 minutes ago, Fiver6565 said:

i'm starting to lose understanding of what Elias is doing w/ the two you've mentioned.  I mean OK Cowser is banged up I get that of course, but Westburg is better than 4-5 guys on this team right now probably (at least 2-3).  Trying to be patient but signing Hicks is a test of that to be certain.

When your choices are McKenna or Hicks for playing time, you're doing it wrong....

It is tough to understand sometimes for sure. Westburg is an athlete who can play on the left side of the infield and not kill a team, can play second base effectively enough to start, and should be able to play 1B. they've played him in the outfield a little bit, but not enough for me when outfield might be the position where he could find some playing time.

Now CF is a little different because you need to be able to go back and in on balls as well as side to side more frequently then any other outfield position. I have no idea how Westburg looks in the outfield because I haven't seen him challenged on the plays I've seen hit to him, but I'd probably give him a look. 

You can't tell me that the Orioles are going to potentially start Hicks/Mckenna, Frazier, Vavra and McCann at times and then are no PAs available for Westburg? 

Hicks looks like a guy who is pretty done. He's hitting the ball at less EV, slower, and hasn't been a threat at the plate since part of 2021. When a team rather eat $30 million rather than play you, that tells us something. 

Now Hicks does play CF so it makes some sense because right now your in house options with Cowser on the IL are not very good. Besides Rutschman, Mullins was the least replaceable guy right now in that lineup. 

We'll see how this plays out, but I certainly hope Cowser comes off the IL soon and after a few games is hitting the ball well and gets the call.

[Frobby]

I’m not gonna lie, I pretty much hate this move.  I’d rather call up 26-year old Daz Cameron and see what he can do than sign the 33-year old washed up Hicks. In 2021-22, Cameron actually posted a better OPS than Hicks did.

[HbgOsFan]

Oh thy Yankees, despised of mind and spirit.. Your indenture of servitude foisted upon Franchy Cordero hath done been avenged.  *

 

*Olde English for, without Baseball Reference, I had no idea what either of these players had done the previous 12 months.

[SteveA]

13 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Will Hicks be in the lineup tonight?

Nope.  Vavra in LF, Hays in CF, Gunnar at DH, Frazier leading off.

Maybe Hicks couldn't get to Baltimore from wherever he was in DFA limbo after signing.   

[maybenxtyr]

Frazier 2B

Rutschman C

Santander RF

Hays CF 

Henderson DH

Mountcastle 1B

Urias 3B

Vavra LF

Mateo SS

 

This is the team with the number 1 farm system in all of baseball.

[MurphDogg]

35 minutes ago, deward said:

I'll be surprised if they signed Hicks with only a week in mind. They could have covered that small a gap without going through the effort. I think they want to see if Hicks has anything left, he'll get at least a small run.

:shrugs: Less of an effort than bringing up Cameron and having him miss 3 days or losing him on the back end as he goes through the DFA process.

[Tony-OH]

16 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Will Hicks be in the lineup tonight?

Austin Hays is the CF tonight.

[maybenxtyr]

Just saw some MASN pics on Facebook of Hicks shagging flys. He's there.

[Spy Fox]

7 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I’m not gonna lie, I pretty much hate this move.  I’d rather call up 26-year old Daz Cameron and see what he can do than sign the 33-year old washed up Hicks. In 2021-22, Cameron actually posted a better OPS than Hicks did.

1 minute ago, MurphDogg said:

:shrugs: Less of an effort than bringing up Cameron and having him miss 3 days or losing him on the back end as he goes through the DFA process.

If folks are right that this is partly because they like Cameron and don't want to lose him for a short callup, it would likely follow that they expect Cowser or Mullins back shortly to take the spot. 

If they thought this was a month+ hole in the lineup, that seems like enough time to be worth potentially losing Cameron. If it's 7 to 10 days? I could see the logic of playing a maybe inferior guy so that you don't lose the maybe superior guy. 

[tntoriole]

15 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Mateo, Urias, and Mullins were all hurt in blowout type games running hard to first base. Over 162… players simply can’t do this every time down 1B. 

Or you end up like Nolan Reimold 

[oriole]

This is nightmare fuel