Roch: Cowser to join Orioles in NY

[Sports Guy]

1 minute ago, Hank Scorpio said:

If you just DUMP Hays and Santander for nothing.... fine. 

You're dismissing the return for those players for some odd reason. 

Again, context matters. He isn’t providing it and when it’s obvious that it is exists, he’s overlooking it.

[Billy F-Face3]

6 minutes ago, Sydnor said:

I think it’s the hype. There seems to be more hype for prospects today than I can ever remember. There are some that seem to think that everyone in the top 100 is going to be a star or at least an above average regular, when that is not even close to true (I’m not referring to this Board when I say some, more Twitter, etc.). The national media feeds the hype.

When you take all of the hype, and then you add to the fact that people had unrealistic expectations for what Gunnar would do as a 21 year old in his first professional season (I think he has been very good) and Adley’s mediocre first half based on expectations, and you start to get skepticism, which can come across as bitterness. 

You also have people who don’t just “root for laundry” that see players get called up as their favorite player(s) losing playing time. I don’t know that this necessarily applies to Cowser because I don’t think Hays or Santander will lose playing time due to his call up, but that sort of thing can create “bitterness.”

I’ll be honest, I don’t just root for laundry. I still root for Machado and I always will because we can all fan in our own ways.

This is basically where I'm coming from. All I'm really trying to say is that we should manage expectations.

At the end of the day, I'll still be cheering for him in an Orioles uniform as much as everyone else here. We'll all be pulling for the Orioles.

[Just Regular]

If Hays is alright, Cowser's arrival is a big moment for if 1B Anthony Santander is going to be a real thing, at least for the ~30% of the time Adley has DH.

 

[Hank Scorpio]

Just now, Sports Guy said:

Again, context matters. He isn’t providing it and when it’s obvious that it is exists, he’s overlooking it.

I guess I just don't understand how the elephant in the corner of the room is being missed here. 

There's a place on the team for a guy like Hicks, I think. But not at the expense of at bats for Cowser. It's pretty simple...

 

[deward]

9 minutes ago, Sydnor said:

I think it’s the hype. There seems to be more hype for prospects today than I can ever remember. There are some that seem to think that everyone in the top 100 is going to be a star or at least an above average regular, when that is not even close to true (I’m not referring to this Board when I say some, more Twitter, etc.). The national media feeds the hype.

When you take all of the hype, and then you add to the fact that people had unrealistic expectations for what Gunnar would do as a 21 year old in his first professional season (I think he has been very good) and Adley’s mediocre first half based on expectations, and you start to get skepticism, which can come across as bitterness. 

You also have people who don’t just “root for laundry” that see players get called up as their favorite player(s) losing playing time. I don’t know that this necessarily applies to Cowser because I don’t think Hays or Santander will lose playing time due to his call up, but that sort of thing can create “bitterness.”

I’ll be honest, I don’t just root for laundry. I still root for Machado and I always will because we can all fan in our own ways.

I've been rooting for this team for over 30 years, and this is by far the biggest collection of minor league talent the org has had in all that time. Seeing that talent starting to stock up multiple roles on the big league team is one of the most exciting things I've seen in all that time, even knowing that some will struggle at first and that 100% of them won't make it. Isn't a bevy of homegrown talent leading the team to (hopefully) future championships what everyone wanted to see out of this rebuild? 

[G54377]

Ideally for me, Hicks would be relegated to what McKenna has been for us. And McKenna off the major league squad, ready to come back with any injury (does he still have options?). This would happen over time, assuming Cowser steps up to be a capable every day player. I think he will. I think he's going to be a star.

[tntoriole]

I have rooted too long to put much stock in rookie callups being the calvary.  For every addition then there will be a subtraction and whether more games are won by rookies or who we have is a moot question. 
 

My own belief is that this bullpen outside the two AllStars is totally a wasteland and you could call up 5 Cowsers and Ortizes and Westburgs but still unlikely to not go south in the summer dog days of July and August

[BRobinsonfan]

8 hours ago, baltfan said:

I am good with this move but caution people that Cowser seems to take awhile to adjust at most levels.  I remember when Westburg was going to be the spark.  Honestly, he hasn’t looked any different than Ortiz   Again, I am all for trying, but I guess not quite the optimist that many others here are. 

Huh?

[TheWall]

43 minutes ago, deward said:

I've been rooting for this team for over 30 years, and this is by far the biggest collection of minor league talent the org has had in all that time. Seeing that talent starting to stock up multiple roles on the big league team is one of the most exciting things I've seen in all that time, even knowing that some will struggle at first and that 100% of them won't make it. Isn't a bevy of homegrown talent leading the team to (hopefully) future championships what everyone wanted to see out of this rebuild? 

This 100%. In the past we've had one top callup (i.e Manny / Mountcastle) at most to get excited about. This year we've seen numerous including Cowser (#14 per MLBPL) and Westburg (#32 per MLBPL) in the past week. Many are rightfully excited about the potential these players have based on their high rankings and performance in AAA. 

Obviously that doesn't mean they will immediately step in and be All Star caliber players, but it's totally possible they can be difference makers for the club. Zach Neto and Matt McClain have been worth nearly 2 bWAR so far this year and both were ranked lower than Cowser and Westburg when they came up.  

[Baltimorecuse]

1 hour ago, interloper said:

It's a little weird to see them do a call up mid series yeah? To me that makes me think someone is going on IL.

I hope it isn't Hays.  

[sportsfan8703]

I'm guessing this is tonight's lineup,

1. Gunnar L SS

2. Adley S C

3. Santander S 1B

4. Hays R LF

5. Mullins L CF

6. Hicks S DH (Plays over O'Hearn to break up the lefties)

7. Cowser L RF

8. Westburg R 3B

9. Frazier L 2B

[Going Underground]

5 minutes ago, Baltimorecuse said:

I hope it isn't Hays.  

Should find out in about 1 1/2 to 2 hours 

[e16bball]

When thinking about the ABs for Cowser and where they come from, one name I haven’t seen yet is O’Hearn — and I think that’s where they will find a lot of his ABs.

Cowser has been better against LHPs so far this season, but the book on him has always been that he has a tougher time with southpaws. That was the big knock by most of the pundits coming into the season, including Tony and Keith Law and MLB Pipeline, among others I’m sure. I’m not convinced by 60 PAs this year that his platoon tendencies are fully resolved, and I suspect the Orioles probably feel the same. I think that (plus apparent issues with good breaking stuff) was a big part of the reason they “hesitated” in bringing him up, and I think they’ll try to diminish the degree of difficulty early on by sitting him against tough lefties. 

That is pretty much where O’Hearn also lives, and I think it’s a little tricky to find the ABs against RHPs for both of them. Mullins and Hays are both pretty much must-plays in the OF based on their seasons so far (and overall careers), and Santander’s bat really needs to be in the lineup as well. Playing Cowser regularly in RF against RHPs leaves 1B and DH for Santander plus Hicks, O’Hearn, and Adley when he’s not catching. Not to mention Urias, if they’re still going to try to work him at 1B sometimes.

I think Santander/O’Hearn will probably be the most common 1B/DH configuration against RHPs, but it certainly won’t be the case every day, and that’s really the only scenario where O’Hearn finds himself in the lineup.

[Sports Guy]

Official moves:

 

[RVAOsFan]

It's official, this isn't a Hays injury replacement. IT IS GO TIME!

Now do the lineup card release!