Hicks activated, Cowser optioned

[Roll Tide]

Quote

“Colton’s going to be a really good major league player. Got off to a pretty good start, and then he just kind of got caught in between a little bit in his at-bats. I just want him to go down there and free his mind up. Kind of reset a little bit, relax and breathe and go take some at-bats, and don’t worry about trying to produce up here. And maybe we’ll see him soon.”

Hyde noticed that the league got a little more aggressive early in the zone, and Cowser wasn’t able to adjust to it.

“Once you start getting in between, all of a sudden now you’re kind of looking for certain pitches, and just not able to relax in the batter’s box,” Hyde said.

“I just thought he was getting frozen up a little bit in his at-bats the last couple weeks. So you go down there, clear your mind, clear your head and go get some at-bats and hopefully come back.”

https://www.masnsports.com/blog/hyde-on-cowser

[CaptainRedbeard]

If all of Mullins, Hays, Santander, Mountcastle and O’Hearn are healthy, really neither of Hicks or Cowser should be playing all that often against RHP. That’s the reason to send Cowser down, nothing to do with Hicks. He needs to play and if they’re still committed to Hays and Mountcastle getting frequent ABs vs RHP, not a lot of space for him.  I’m very bullish on Cowser and think he’s had some bad batted ball luck and was turning a corner, but even so I don’t think you can confidently say he’s a better option than any of those 5. 

I do think Hicks is the best option in our organization right now as the RH bat when sitting O’Hearn against LHP. They often try to make those McCann days with Adley DH, which is smart, but otherwise it’s Hicks. He’s also the clear best option when sitting Mullins vs. LHP. Having him active hopefully means less Mateo. 

[Sports Guy]

9 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

That is just nuts. Hays and Santander are playing well. You don't bench those guys for a corner OF hitting .140.

You keep saying this stuff over and over and it’s foolish every time you do.

Zero people are saying to bench a player. Zero people are saying Cowser has to play 6-7 games a week right now.

Finding at bats, enough at bats to justify him being here (I agree with those saying keeping him here to play 2 days a week isn’t helpful..which is why he should play more), isn’t that difficult.

Since July 1, Austin Hays has a slash line of 188/227/277/504.

OHearn has a 621 OPS in August.

Santander has a 688 OPs in August and with that a sub 200 BA and sub 300 OBP.

They probably don’t want Mullins playing every single day for now and maybe not the rest of the season leading up to the playoffs.

This is not to say any of these guys should be benched. It is to say that it’s not a big deal to take at bats away from them when they are also struggling. If they miss a game or so a week, especially while slumping, is that really hurting the team?

Cowser is going to hit in the majors. Cowser is going to get more comfortable in the field but he won’t do those things in the minors and he isn’t going to do them sitting the bench up here. They need to play him.

Now, as I said, if they aren’t going to play him, I agree he should be sent down.

But, as I have said over and over again all season long, we need to stop treating these guys as if they are all everyday players.  They just aren’t. We have maybe 1 guy on this team right now that is a 155+ game guy and that is Henderson. That is it. No one else is that guy. The only other possible exception is Mullins but injuries effected him this year and we have to see if that continues to be an issue as he gets older.

Hays is showing that he just can’t go a full season. Santander has been very up and down. Mounty will come back to life, as he has his whole career. OHearn is slowing down.

And btw, this goes for most players on basically every team. There just aren’t many 155+ game, must play every single day guys out there. Too many guys get exposed by too many at bats or can’t hit Vs righties or lefties or the defense wears down or whatever. It’s a long season and most guys just can’t do it. It’s not a knock on any of them, it’s just reality. 

A guy like Cowser, who has a high ceiling, could be huge for us in the playoffs.

So yes, him starting 3-5 games a week and working with the coaches up here is something I prefer to see. Seeing go no where vets that don’t have much of a role on this team because of what else is here is not something I want to see.

 

Edited August 15, 2023 by Sports Guy

[George Zuverink]

7 hours ago, Hank Scorpio said:

Not on the 40 man… I doubt it.

Yeah, forgot about that.

[foxfield]

Cowser by the way will be just fine. And thanks to the intelligent move to give Cowser at bats in a less stressful situation we got a nice effort again from Hicks in picking up another win by this team that keeps making sofa queens call them stupid. 
 

The move that provided the most flexibility and versatility is not only not stupid, but it is the obvious and prudent thing to do. To suggest otherwise is being intentionally obtuse. 
 

Count me as holding out hopes that Cowser can be a successful piece of this team in October. 

Edited August 15, 2023 by foxfield

[Aristotelian]

1 hour ago, Sports Guy said:

You keep saying this stuff over and over and it’s foolish every time you do.

Zero people are saying to bench a player. Zero people are saying Cowser has to play 6-7 games a week right now.

 

 

10 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

I don’t care if Cowser can play SS either. I don’t want him there or CF. I want him as an everyday COF, so to me, it’s irrelevant if he can play CF.

[Sports Guy]

21 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

 

Yes, that is the goal. That is where I want him to be. The context of that is, I don’t care that he can’t play CF because that is now nor has it ever been the goal.

But right now, as I have said time and time again, he doesn’t have to play everyday until he proves he is an everyday player.

Kind of like Gunnar earlier in the year. Gunnar wasn’t hitting lefties. He still needed to see them and he should age started against most but sitting against some was fine. Now that he’s more comfortable, he should play vs all of them.

 

[Aristotelian]

3 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Yes, that is the goal. That is where I want him to be. The context of that is, I don’t care that he can’t play CF because that is now nor has it ever been the goal.

But right now, as I have said time and time again, he doesn’t have to play everyday until he proves he is an everyday player.

Kind of like Gunnar earlier in the year. Gunnar wasn’t hitting lefties. He still needed to see them and he should age started against most but sitting against some was fine. Now that he’s more comfortable, he should play vs all of them.

 

You are just contradicting yourself all over the place. Have a great day. 

[Sports Guy]

6 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

You are just contradicting yourself all over the place. Have a great day. 

Not at all. Go back to every discussion over the last few weeks. I’m saying the same over and over again.  Your inability to comprehend it is a you problem, not me.

[Roll Tide]

17 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

You are just contradicting yourself all over the place. Have a great day. 

It’s clear that offensively he needs a reset. I think it will benefit him in the long term as opposed to being benched or getting sporadic playing time. It’s better for him to play everyday.

[Orioles Jim]

Forgetting whether or not it’s a good thing that he’s up or anything, has there been anything out there that Hicks left the game due to injury last night?

That seems to be the assumption in this thread, I admittedly fell asleep before the game last night, so I didn’t see if there was anything on the broadcast but I’ve checked Twitter and can’t see anything regarding a Hicks injury. Maybe he was pulled for other reasons?

[Sports Guy]

7 minutes ago, Orioles Jim said:

Forgetting whether or not it’s a good thing that he’s up or anything, has there been anything out there that Hicks left the game due to injury last night?

That seems to be the assumption in this thread, I admittedly fell asleep before the game last night, so I didn’t see if there was anything on the broadcast but I’ve checked Twitter and can’t see anything regarding a Hicks injury. Maybe he was pulled for other reasons?

Was literally about to ask the same question.

Roch didn’t mention he got hurt, just that Hays replaced him defensively.

[ledzepp8]

Kevin Brown showed Hicks kind of pulling up and leisurely walk/jog into second on a double play and noted that he was then replaced defensively. It was assumed he was injured.

[LA2]

I hope it's just a temporary tweak. I was very glad to have him back.

[Rbiggs2525]

Still no news on Hicks. I guess because it’s the west coast and only 9:30 there. My hopes are they give Kjerstad a chance. Will have to make a 40 man spot for him.