Hicks and Mullins back this week…what happens with the roster?

[Billy F-Face3]

4 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

Go ahead..find it.

You will see that I said that taking at bats away from those guys should happen..not bench, just take away at bats. That Cowser would be an upgrade defensively(which so far has been wrong). 

But you won’t see me saying either player is no good.

 Sure, there is a small chance I could have misinterpreted your suggestions? I'll admit that is always a possibility speaking through text, the internet, or a message board. However, the text are the words themselves. Suggesting a player be traded or lose at bats, and suggesting that they weren't good enough for an AS vote, may as well be insinuating that they weren't good enough for the team, and can easily be read in such a way. At the very minimum, you certainly posted comments that suggested the idea of rookies like Cowser being better than established players like them. The fact that you consistently suggested for them to be traded in favor of unproven prospects who never took a MLB at bat certainly can lead someone to believe you were insinuating the veteran player wasn't good enough. You called me a liar, but I am no liar. If I have misinterpreted your position, then that's fair to say I have done so.  But if your position is being perceived incorrectly, perhaps you shouldn't have minimized the value & contributions that our current Orioles players offer just because they are "aging veterans"? (By the way, we only have 1 position player, Aaron Hicks, over the age of 30.)

I certainly hope you don't continue to down play the on-field results at this point of the season.  Even if we just use Hicks: His .690 OPS is better than Cowsers' .420 OPS. A 420 OPS is not helping the team to win in a 1 game division race. Now, I do believe you genuine have a long term vision and you're able to see things in the big picture, which I will grant you. However, the best place for a player like Cowser to get right is in AAA with the division race being so tight. There's also that statistic about how many prospects fail vs succeed too.

The 2nd quote down below is about Hays. These are just the first few posts popping up. You post a lot, and there's plenty of stuff like this. I don't feel like sifting through it all. Anyone who knows how to use the search button and decide for themselves about the suggestions in your many posts.

If I have misinterpreted your point of view, than that's one thing. But the posts bellow, and the many others like them, would lead someone to draw the conclusion that you feel rookies such as Cowser or Kjerstad, who have never taken a plate appearance, would provide the team with more production than players like Santander and Hays who are already contributing to wins. Which is a very presumptuous position to take.

 

On 6/20/2023 at 9:39 AM, Sports Guy said:

Santander?  You don’t actually believe he’s an AS, do you?

 

On 6/19/2023 at 9:13 AM, Sports Guy said:

He’s earned consideration but he has almost no chance to make it.

Too much competition and too many “every team has to have an AS” for him to make it.

Hell of a season so far by him though. Great to see him stay healthy.

On 7/30/2023 at 1:34 PM, Sports Guy said:

Disagree about Santander as soon as Cowser gets more accustomed to things.

On 7/6/2023 at 8:51 AM, Sports Guy said:

Santander is definitely being trade imo, albeit probably not until the offseason. His salary and service time alone make that chance very high.

Hays is a bit trickier. You can keep him And rotate the COF spots and DH. That can make some sense. To me, Hays comes down to value. Where is he more valuable? What value does have in a trade?

On 7/9/2023 at 2:03 PM, Sports Guy said:

I would personally look to deal Hays or preferably Santander. Santander to either the Mariners or the Marlins. Try to get back Meyer, Woo or Miller. Deal likely to be expanded. Perhaps Urias or Frazier included and other stuff coming back to us. 

Mateo DFA’d…moved to a contender who needs defense and speed off the bench. This is more general, as it could be a lot of teams. Take back whatever. Maybe you like a Cano type guy somewhere…an under the radar reliever that has some characteristics you like that has MiL options.

Kjerstad and Ortiz up.

On 7/5/2023 at 12:04 PM, Sports Guy said:

Again, you are providing quotes without context or even finishing the quotes so we don’t know what other point was being made.

First of all, the first one is right. Hicks had a nice little stretch for us at first but overall, he has no business getting at bats over Cowser.

If you can deal Hays or Santander and get back pitching and put in Cowser, nothing will be lost and likely there is something gained. You also aren’t taking into account defense.

And yes, high level talent gives you the chance to have an elite level offense. Is that really a controversial statement?

What people are saying is that they think Cowser upgrades the team because of his offensive potential and his defensive improvement.  No one has said he’s going to light the world on fire as soon as he’s brought up.  No one has said he will be the ROY despite only 3 months of at bats.  Just that he makes the team better and it’s very likely that he does.

On 7/30/2023 at 4:26 PM, Sports Guy said:

It’s not abnormal for players to have to adjust to the multi tiered stadiums.

There have been doubts that Cowser could be a CFer but some think he can and no one has ever mentioned any worry about his defense on the corners.

I agree he hasn’t looked good defensively at all..but I think that changes soon enough and he will definitely be a better defensive OFer than Santander.

But, as Moose talked about the other day, we literally just went through  this with Gunnar. His offense was nothing and he was struggling with the glove. We had people doubting how good defensively he was.

At some point, people will learn to trust those who actually see and watch these guys and not be so quick to worry about everything.(not saying you are doing this, just making a general comment)

[Billy F-Face3]

PS: Hays apparently had a chance to make it because he started Centerfield in the All Star Game.

[baltfan]

McKenna and Cowser should be sent down.  I know Cowser has made some progress, but give him a bit of a reset for a few weeks.  It has helped many of the players that have been called up.  He still isn’t aggressive enough.  There also is no one else that makes any sense if Mateo isn’t going anywhere.  They need all the pitching they can get.  

[Sports Guy]

7 hours ago, Billy F-Face3 said:

PS: Hays apparently had a chance to make it because he started Centerfield in the All Star Game.

1) I didn’t think he would make it given the AS roster rules and that he was having a good but not great year. Never said he was unworthy, just didn’t think he would make it.

2) he was the starter because of a myriad of injuries.

3) none of that stuff means I don’t think they are good. You need to understand the difference between not good and what I’m saying. There is a huge chasm between that. You just wasted a lot of your time to prove that you completely misinterpreted what I said, which is what I said from the beginning. Just admit that and then start to have an actual conversation instead of putting words into peoples mouths.

4) Cowser has not looked good overall but he has shown signs lately. He has some other signs that he has been unlucky. We have seen plenty of young guys come up and struggle only to see the light bulb go off and start to ge tones comfortable and start to produce.
 

Yes, I’m willing to wait things out for him at the detriment of mediocre at best vets like Mateo and Hicks because I believe in his talent and believe we are a better team come the playoffs with him and we have enough guys on the team that I feel losing either Hicks or Mateo will not hurt us come playoff time.  

Edited August 10, 2023 by Sports Guy

[maybenxtyr]

7 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

1) I didn’t think he would make it given the AS roster rules and that he was having a good but not great year. Never said he was unworthy, just didn’t think he would make it.

2) he was the starter because of a myriad of injuries.

3) none of that stuff means I don’t think they are good. You need to understand the difference between not good and what I’m saying. There is a huge chasm between that. You just wasted a lot of your time to prove that you completely misinterpreted what I said, which is what I said from the beginning. Just admit that and then start to have an actual conversation instead of putting words into peoples mouths.

4) Cowser has not looked good overall but he has shown signs lately. He has some other signs that he has been unlucky. We have seen plenty of young guys come up and struggle only to see the light bulb go off and start to ge tones comfortable and start to produce.
 

Yes, I’m willing to wait things out for him at the detriment of mediocre at best vets like Mateo and Hicks because I believe in his talent and believe we are a better team come the playoffs with him and we have enough guys on the team that I feel losing either Hicks or Mateo will not hurt us come playoff time.  

Until proven otherwise, I will believe that the team is/will be better with Cowser, Mullins and Ortiz as opposed to Mullins, Hicks and Mateo.

[maybenxtyr]

Just now, maybenxtyr said:

Until proven otherwise, I will believe that the team is/will be better with Cowser, Mullins and Ortiz as opposed to Mullins, Hicks and Mateo.

The last 3 should have said McKenna, Hicks and Mateo. I need to re-up so I can edit.

[Sports Guy]

12 minutes ago, maybenxtyr said:

Until proven otherwise, I will believe that the team is/will be better with Cowser, Mullins and Ortiz as opposed to Mullins, Hicks and Mateo.

Agreed.

Give me a starting IF of Mountcastle/OHearn, Westburg, Ortiz and Henderson.

OF of Mullins, Hays and Cowser.

DH is Santander.

C is Adley 

Bench is Frazier, Urias, Mounty/OHearn and McCann.

Kjerstad is your position extra player come Sept 1.

[DirtyBird]

Cowser has done nothing to show he belongs in the lineup during the final stretch of a division title race.

[Sports Guy]

2 minutes ago, DirtyBird said:

Cowser has done nothing to show he belongs in the lineup during the final stretch of a division title race.

I don’t actually disagree with this.

The thing is, his replacements haven’t either And given his MiL success, his upside, how unlucky he has been up here at times, etc..I would continue to give him the at bats and not the vets who have multiple years of proving that they aren’t good anymore.

[sportsfan8703]

Cowser and McKenna will get optioned for Hicks/Mullins. 

[Bahama O's Fan]

Right now, I expect Cowser to go when Mullins comes back. They will get him back to regular at bats at AAA and then McKenna goes down when Hicks comes back. What will be interesting is to see who is brought up when rosters expand. Isn't there some rule as well about having players on your roster on Aug 31 and those players are the only ones eligible for the playoffs? I can't seem to remember it. 

[Aristotelian]

24 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Agreed.

Give me a starting IF of Mountcastle/OHearn, Westburg, Ortiz and Henderson.

OF of Mullins, Hays and Cowser.

DH is Santander.

C is Adley 

Bench is Frazier, Urias, Mounty/OHearn and McCann.

Kjerstad is your position extra player come Sept 1.

What has Urias done to deserve getting benched and how are we so certain that Ortiz will be an immediate upgrade?

I don't know how you can take Mountcastle out of the lineup vs RHP right now for Cowser OPSing .450. Mountcastle has been carrying the offense since his return. I understand he has flaws but I am willing to buy into the vertigo affecting his first half and him hitting at his career norm the rest of the way. I feel like we have a group that is jelling together at the right time, why mess with that? 

Again, I am not saying Cowser and Ortiz don't replace someone by the end of the season but right now nobody is playing their way out of a job and the prospects haven't played their way into a job when given opportunities at the MLB level. 

[Sports Guy]

9 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

What has Urias done to deserve getting benched and how are we so certain that Ortiz will be an immediate upgrade?

I don't know how you can take Mountcastle out of the lineup vs RHP right now for Cowser OPSing .450. Mountcastle has been carrying the offense since his return. I understand he has flaws but I am willing to buy into the vertigo affecting his first half and him hitting at his career norm the rest of the way. I feel like we have a group that is jelling together at the right time, why mess with that? 

Again, I am not saying Cowser and Ortiz don't replace someone by the end of the season but right now nobody is playing their way out of a job and the prospects haven't played their way into a job when given opportunities at the MLB level. 

I have already answered your Mountcastle stuff, so no need to go over that again.

As for Urias, who I like very much but have you actually seen his numbers? He has 3 straight months of a sub 700 OPs and April was 702.  I ask you, what has he done to deserve to start and play everyday?

His main value is with the glove and Ortiz is better than he is.

And again, you seem to be locked into this concept that you play the same guys every single day and run out the same lineup every single day. Zero people are saying that.  

Edited August 10, 2023 by Sports Guy

[Aristotelian]

1 minute ago, Sports Guy said:

I have already answered your Mountcastle stuff, so no need to go over that again.

As for Urias, who I like very much but have you actually seen his numbers? He has 3 straight months of a sub 700 OPs and April was 702.

His main value is with the glove and Ortiz is better than he is.

Urias is .710 for the year and .851 in August. Urias would need to struggle a lot more for me to pull the trigger on that move, and same with Mountcastle. If that happens, sure, bring up the kids.  

[webbrick2010]

Cowser is better than Hicks, even McKenna is better han Hicks

Ortiz is better than Mateo

But we will keep Mateo and Hicks and they will contribute nothing to our short playoff run.

Perhaps next year we will go with our best 26