If you could add 1 prospect down the stretch, who would it be?

[AnythingO's]

Tough question for me. Is it now or after September 1? Now  only Hall might be of help. After September 1, HK and his bat, that preserves his ROY eligibility next year. I don't care if he doesn't play the field. I believe his bat is special and also ready. I'm just looking at his videos in the box. Bat is quick, power obvious, doesn't SO much or get fooled. He looks like he is just saying, throw the damn ball.

Edited August 4, 2023 by AnythingO's
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[24fps]

Joey Ortiz.  He's the most ready to make a difference defensively and I predict his offensive learning curve would be the shortest.  It would also mean the Mateo was no longer on the team which is now overdue.

I would keep Cowser up and try to build on the time already spent figuring out ML pitching, so no Kjerstad.  Hall is a wild card so not him and Holliday and Mayo need more time in the minors so not until next year for them.

Stowers should probably also be a choice, but I think the ship has sailed for him with the Orioles.

[Billy F-Face3]

I would like to get DL Hall up before August 31 so that he will be eligible for the playoff roster in the event he performs good.

[PsychoBird68]

43 minutes ago, Billy F-Face3 said:

I would like to get DL Hall up before August 31 so that he will be eligible for the playoff roster in the event he performs good.

He's already on the 40 man roster so he is eligible for the playoffs  

[Alasdaire]

On 8/3/2023 at 3:12 PM, Sanfran327 said:

Probably in the long run. But not for 2 months of his rookie season in a playoff race. Just my hunch, could be wrong.

Mateo's OPS in May/June/July were .316/.500/.488. We're talking a ~.250 OBP and a ~.230 SLG. I am confident that Joey Ortiz could do that right now. He has been OPSing over .900 in AAA across two seasons now and is 25 years old.

Westburg followed a similar trajectory to Joey re. age and AAA production and is now OPSing .785 in Baltimore.

[terpoh]

On 8/3/2023 at 2:12 PM, sportsfan8703 said:

I agree, but I also think we can take a chance on his bat in September. The bigger risk is that we do like what we did with Adley, and wait until after June next year to call him up and he still finishes top 2 in ROY and wins the year of service time back. I’d rather we just lump all our chips together this year and have them going for a WS together. 

This time last year nobody saw Gunnar coming. Holliday is cut from that same cloth. 

Game One vs RHP

1. Mullins L CF

2. Adley S C

3. Gunnar L 3B

4. Santa S DH

5. O’Hearn L 1B

6. Hays R LF

7. Hicks S RF

8. Frazier L 2B

9. Holliday L SS

McCann, Mountcastle, Mateo, Westburg, Urias

This time last year pretty much everyone here was clamoring for Gunnar and couldnt believe why he wasnt called up yet. I think we all were excited and hoping for him to be called up first week of August (or earlier) with how he was producing at Norfolk, but it ended up being August 31. Gunnar seems to be an elite SS right now both in the field and at the plate. I dont see them moving him off that. Holliday is far more likely next year but I guess anything is possible. Westburg is playing really well (0.9 WAR in 27 games) and seems to be hitting a stride here for us. Hopefully he starts to get full time starting duties between 2B and 3B. 

[Aristotelian]

9 hours ago, Billy F-Face3 said:

I would like to get DL Hall up before August 31 so that he will be eligible for the playoff roster in the event he performs good.

I don't want anything to do with DL Hall until he performs with some consistency in AAA. 

[Three Run Homer]

As of today the right answer is Joey Ortiz.  But by September 1, I think the right answer will be DL Hall.  Ortiz is a better utility player than Mateo, but DL Hall might wind up being our best pitcher in the 8th inning, which would have a much bigger impact.  

[Sanfran327]

On 8/5/2023 at 2:57 AM, Alasdaire said:

Mateo's OPS in May/June/July were .316/.500/.488. We're talking a ~.250 OBP and a ~.230 SLG. I am confident that Joey Ortiz could do that right now. He has been OPSing over .900 in AAA across two seasons now and is 25 years old.

Westburg followed a similar trajectory to Joey re. age and AAA production and is now OPSing .785 in Baltimore.

I have no doubt that Ortiz would come up and out perform Mateo offensively right now. What I care more about is where his playing time would come from. Our optimal infield configuration right now is Urias at 3b, Gunnar at SS, and platoons between Westburg/Fraizer at 2b and O'Hearn/Mountcastle at 1b. Ideally, Fraizer wouldn't even be a straight platoon player, but maybe just get 1-2 starts a week. As you pointed out, Westburg is starting to turn it on offensively, and he's a much better defender than Fraizer. 

So while I'm excited to see Ortiz up here next year, I don't see where he gets regular enough playing time here for the remainder of this season to make a call up worthwhile for him. I think Kjerstad would make more of an offensive impact sooner, so he was my pick. 

[Greg Pappas]

22 minutes ago, Sanfran327 said:

Our optimal infield configuration right now is Urias at 3b, Gunnar at SS, and platoons between Westburg/Fraizer at 2b and O'Hearn/Mountcastle at 1b.

Saying "right now" may be correct.  I'm under the assumption Hyde/Elias don't want to move Gunnar off of SS regularly, because Gunnar at 3B, Ortiz at SS, Westburg at 2B, and O'Hearn/Mountcastle at 1B is arguably better.  I'd rather have Ortiz playing regularly over Urias (97 OPS+), but the organization, despite what Elias has just recently said, continues to leave Ortiz at AAA.

Edited August 6, 2023 by Greg Pappas

[MarCakes21]

5 minutes ago, Greg Pappas said:

Saying "right now" may be correct.  I'm under the assumption Hyde/Elias don't want to move Gunnar off of SS regularly, because Gunnar at 3B, Ortiz at SS, Westburg at 2B, and O'Hearn/Mountcastle at 1B is arguably better.  I'd rather have Ortiz playing regularly over Urias (97 OPS+), but the organization, despite what Elias has just recently said, continues to leave Ortiz at AAA.

I understand that Ortiz at SS, and Gunnar at 3B would be solid, but you really think that Ortiz could OPS+ 97 or better here?  I like his hitting approach, but saying he'd out perform a GG 3B in Urias with the bat and the glove may be a big ask.

That's why my general theme is pitching.  I think we have enough "options" in the IF.  They continue to get it done.  And once Mullins comes back, hopefully healthy, the OF will look better.  So let's target the bullpen that has been shaky in the middle innings.  Hall would be a huge lift (as would Wells) to the roster in the pen.

[Sanfran327]

3 minutes ago, Greg Pappas said:

Saying "right now" may be correct.  I'm under the assumption Hyde/Elias don't want to move Gunnar off of SS regularly, because Gunnar at 3B, Ortiz at SS, Westburg at 2B, and O'Hearn/Mountcastle at 1B is arguably better.  I'd rather have Ortiz playing regularly over Urias (97 OPS+), but the organization, despite what Elias has just recently said, continues to leave Ortiz at AAA.

I'm a big believer that Urias is a volume player. The more he plays, the more he will contribute offensively. He's already a GG defender. So the question is really who will be a more valuable asset right now, which is critically important to a team in a playoff race and jockeying for the #1 seed in the American League, is not between Ortiz and Mateo, but Ortiz and Urias. IMO, it's Urias in a landslide, but I am high on what Urias can do with regular playing time. 

As for what the org wants to do with Gunnar defensively, I think they'd prefer for him to settle in and get regular PT at one position eventually, but again, for the context of the remainder of this year and this roster as currently constructed, the best option for him and the team is for him to get the lion's share at SS because it's become pretty clear that Mateo is no longer a starting-caliber player. 

I'm all for the infield you described for 2024. Urias, Henderson, Ortiz, and Westburg provide enough versatility at 3 positions for each guy to play and rest regularly.

[Greg Pappas]

3 minutes ago, MarCakes21 said:

I understand that Ortiz at SS, and Gunnar at 3B would be solid, but you really think that Ortiz could OPS+ 97 or better here?  I like his hitting approach, but saying he'd out perform a GG 3B in Urias with the bat and the glove may be a big ask.

That's why my general theme is pitching.  I think we have enough "options" in the IF.  They continue to get it done.  And once Mullins comes back, hopefully healthy, the OF will look better.  So let's target the bullpen that has been shaky in the middle innings.  Hall would be a huge lift (as would Wells) to the roster in the pen.

Yes, I'd certainly expect it to be notably better.  I never said Ortiz would outperform Urias' glove, but he'd be very good at SS.  Urias is a 97 OPS+ hitter and even last year, his best season, he was 104 OPS+.  So, I see Urias essentially as a league average hitter and excellent defender.  Ortiz appears to be an above average hitter and very good to excellent SS.  I'll go Ortiz between the two.

[Greg Pappas]

11 minutes ago, Sanfran327 said:

I'm a big believer that Urias is a volume player. The more he plays, the more he will contribute offensively. He's already a GG defender. So the question is really who will be a more valuable asset right now, which is critically important to a team in a playoff race and jockeying for the #1 seed in the American League, is not between Ortiz and Mateo, but Ortiz and Urias. IMO, it's Urias in a landslide, but I am high on what Urias can do with regular playing time. 

As for what the org wants to do with Gunnar defensively, I think they'd prefer for him to settle in and get regular PT at one position eventually, but again, for the context of the remainder of this year and this roster as currently constructed, the best option for him and the team is for him to get the lion's share at SS because it's become pretty clear that Mateo is no longer a starting-caliber player. 

I'm all for the infield you described for 2024. Urias, Henderson, Ortiz, and Westburg provide enough versatility at 3 positions for each guy to play and rest regularly.

I don't think Urias should go, at all.  I don't see it as a Urias v Ortiz, but far more simply Ortiz v Mateo. I get that you're high on Urias, and I like him as a reserve, but his bat is just too meh for me to want him as a regular.  I agree that down the stretch the O's may not want to tinker with the infield by inserting Ortiz into it.  I would want the best players here and we just disagree on who they are.

[Alasdaire]

25 minutes ago, MarCakes21 said:

I understand that Ortiz at SS, and Gunnar at 3B would be solid, but you really think that Ortiz could OPS+ 97 or better here?  I like his hitting approach, but saying he'd out perform a GG 3B in Urias with the bat and the glove may be a big ask.

I'm not coming at you specifically, but I think Ortiz the hitter doesn't get the respect he deserves because he wasn't a top-five draft pick or an overslot prep bat. But despite how well all of those guys are doing themselves, Ortiz is arguably outperforming all of them at the plate.

He was promoted to Norfolk at the end of August of last year and has OPS'd ~.970 since then. And the vast majority of those at bats have been against pitchers older than him on account of it being AAA, so it's not like he's a guy who is old for the level and beating up on younger pitchers.

I'm not saying that Ortiz would definitely come up and outperform Urias or Frazier. But if Cowser or Westburg or Kjerstad are given that benefit of the doubt, there's no reason Joey shouldn't be as well.