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

[sportsfan8703]

Hicks has a .761 OPS in May. 

[Spy Fox]

Last week I was at the 9-6 W in the Bronx with a Yankee fan friend of mine. During an IKF at bat, he was discussing how maligned IKF is by Yankees fans, and then IKF hit a HR off Wells. During a Frazier at bat, I was telling him how hated the Frazier signing was, and Frazier then hit a HR off Cortes. Today since this news broke we've been chatting about how truly awful Hicks was for NYY lately. Hopefully these powers extend and Hicks hits a HR in his O's debut tonight. 

[eddie83]

8 minutes ago, deward said:

I'd call up Cameron, options be damned. Failing that, just play McKenna or Vavra, stick Frazier in RF, call up Ortiz to play 2B. No need for Hicks as a short-term fill in.

We may see Frazier more in the OF. I brought up that possibility yesterday. 
 

A short term fill in is not going to cost the Orioles a playoff spot. 

[maybenxtyr]

1 minute ago, eddie83 said:

You have two injured players in Stowers and Cowser. A mainstay is now hurt. 
 

You can’t sign a great player in May. In 2012 McLouth helped out. They aren’t going to play him everyday and watch him play poorly. 

This is a road that everyone has been down all off season. They do not pay people to play baseball elsewhere or go home.

[sportsfan8703]

4 minutes ago, maybenxtyr said:

Man, I'm not trying to be a jerk but a month ago you were having a crap baby about trading Jorge Lopez last year. 

 

There's no upside to this move really. Either way, it likely means McKenna will be heading to AAA if Mullins comes back in a timely manner. Very rarely do the Orioles pay a player to go home.

Yeah you’re right and then Yannier Cano became the 2nd coming of Eric Gagne.  Who saw that coming?  Also, Jorge Lopez is still having a good year. My point was more about selling last year and missing the playoffs by two games with Khreibel and Jake Reed. 
 

We won’t be selling this year. We shouldn’t have sold last year. 

[MurphDogg]

58 minutes ago, wildcard said:

If this is until Cowser is ready in a few days they can just DFA Hicks and lose him. If they promoted Cameron he would have had to be DFA'd and they probably want to keep him in the organization.

Yeah, I made that exact point in a separate post. If it is someone who is going to get fewer than 15 at-bats over the next week then Hicks over Cameron makes some sense. If Hicks is going to be in a straight platoon with McKenna until Mullins gets back, even once Cowser is healthy, I have complaints.

[deward]

2 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

A short term fill in is not going to cost the Orioles a playoff spot. 

I never said it was. Still doesn't mean this move makes more sense than some of the other options.

[deward]

Just now, MurphDogg said:

Yeah, I made that exact point in a separate post. If it is someone who is going to get fewer than 15 at-bats over the next week then Hicks over Cameron makes some sense. If Hicks is going to be in a straight platoon with McKenna until Mullins gets back, even once Cowser is healthy, I have complaints.

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.

[sportsfan8703]

Just now, deward said:

I never said it was. Still doesn't mean this move makes more sense than some of the other options.

Our only other option was Daz Cameron. He’s RH like McKenna. Do we even know if Mullins is going to the IL or how long he will be out for?  I have not seen that. 

[AnythingO's]

7 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

You have two injured players in Stowers and Cowser. A mainstay is now hurt. You can’t sign a great player in May. In 2012 McLouth helped out. They aren’t going to play him everyday and watch him play poorly. 

I don't know who "they" is specifically but ME just gave Hyde another vet for him to play regularly, damn the prospects. Hyde will mis-manage this option until ME takes Hicks away.

[eddie83]

6 minutes ago, maybenxtyr said:

This is a road that everyone has been down all off season. They do not pay people to play baseball elsewhere or go home.

The Orioles will owe Hicks at most $480k. 

[deward]

1 minute ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Our only other option was Daz Cameron. He’s RH like McKenna. Do we even know if Mullins is going to the IL or how long he will be out for?  I have not seen that. 

Mullins was placed on the IL in conjunction with this move. No timetable that I've seen. I would have been fine with calling up Cameron. I'd also have been fine with being creative for a few days until Cowser is ready to play (assuming his recovery is nearly complete). I'm already anticipating getting really frustrated when I watch them give Hicks more of a chance to prove he can still play than Stowers got in April.

[maybenxtyr]

According to BBR he's been worth -0.6 WAR in 69 AB's. 

 

I hope I'm wrong and he goes ballistic, but he appears to be done as a productive ML player.

[Spy Fox]

9 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.

They seem to have signed Torrens with only ~three days in mind. 

[SteveA]

I wonder where Hicks was physically, and whether he can get to the ballpark in time to play tonight?

The Yankees are on the west coast but they DFA'd him last week before the WC trip.   So maybe he went home, wherever that might be, until his agent could find a sucker, I mean team, willing to sign him.

The Orioles are the only team whose game starts before 9:40 that has yet to post a starting lineup.   There may be some Planes, Trains, and Automobiles drama going on as Aaron tries to make it to Baltimore in time to play tonight.

Edited May 30, 2023 by SteveA