Hicks activated, Cowser optioned

[Frobby]

I think it is unlikely that they will bring Hicks back.  But consider the following: 

1.  They made the decision to sign Hicks in the first place.  

2.  They made the decision to bring back Hicks once he was healthy, rather than sticking with Cowser.  

3.  Hicks has done well here, in his 183 PA (not 75) with the team.  

4.  Cowser did very poorly in his stint with the team.  

Obviously, there are things they like about Hicks, and right now, they think he can help them more than Cowser can.  So why is that going to change over the winter?   They might come to the same judgment then, or simply decide that it’s a good investment to hedge their bets by having Hicks at spring training and then deciding if they still think he’s more ready to help them than Cowser or Kjerstad is.  So, I can’t rule out that they’ll resign him.  Whatever decision they make, I don’t think it will be an overreaction to some SSS results.   The O’s are more sophisticated than that, regardless of whether our posters who support Hicks are.  



 

[Sports Guy]

23 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I think it is unlikely that they will bring Hicks back.  But consider the following: 

1.  They made the decision to sign Hicks in the first place.  

2.  They made the decision to bring back Hicks once he was healthy, rather than sticking with Cowser.  

3.  Hicks has done well here, in his 183 PA (not 75) with the team.  

4.  Cowser did very poorly in his stint with the team.  

Obviously, there are things they like about Hicks, and right now, they think he can help them more than Cowser can.  So why is that going to change over the winter?   They might come to the same judgment then, or simply decide that it’s a good investment to hedge their bets by having Hicks at spring training and then deciding if they still think he’s more ready to help them than Cowser or Kjerstad is.  So, I can’t rule out that they’ll resign him.  Whatever decision they make, I don’t think it will be an overreaction to some SSS results.   The O’s are more sophisticated than that, regardless of whether our posters who support Hicks are.  



 

If they determine that over the course of a full season that Hicks is more valuable than Cowser that means they completely screwed up that pick and that they should be looking to deal Cowser this offseason before his value completely plummets.

It also means that their evaluation process should be greatly questioned.

Edited September 11, 2023 by Sports Guy

[Os4days]

The whole scouting team should be questioned because of one prospect?  What are you talking about? There are hit and misses all the time. Cowser is no different.
 

I posted a bunch of times that Cowser simply looked overmatched while he was up with the team and we shouldn’t be relying on him as we contend. Of course many were like he will come around similar to Gunnar. However the biggest telling moment for me was his first post game interview with him and Westburg. It was pretty apparent to me that he seemed to be happy just to make it to the big leagues while Westburg seemed all business. I also read that Westburg is always early to the park. 
 

He obviously has hit well in the minors and has the tools to be a big league hitter. Give him the offseason to work it out and we’ll see if he’s ready for 2024. 
 

 

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, Os4days said:

The whole scouting team should be questioned because of one prospect?  What are you talking about? There are hit and misses all the time. Cowser is no different.
 

I posted a bunch of times that Cowser simply looked overmatched while he was up with the team and we shouldn’t be relying on him as we contend. Of course many were like he will come around similar to Gunnar. However the biggest telling moment for me was his first post game interview with him and Westburg. It was pretty apparent to me that he seemed to be happy just to make it to the big leagues while Westburg seemed all business. I also read that Westburg is always early to the park. 
 

He obviously has hit well in the minors and has the tools to be a big league hitter. Give him the offseason to work it out and we’ll see if he’s ready for 2024. 
 

 

Saints above, someone happy their life long dream has come true.

That's clearly a bad sign.

[Sports Guy]

8 minutes ago, Os4days said:

The whole scouting team should be questioned because of one prospect?  What are you talking about? There are hit and misses all the time. Cowser is no different.
 

I posted a bunch of times that Cowser simply looked overmatched while he was up with the team and we shouldn’t be relying on him as we contend. Of course many were like he will come around similar to Gunnar. However the biggest telling moment for me was his first post game interview with him and Westburg. It was pretty apparent to me that he seemed to be happy just to make it to the big leagues while Westburg seemed all business. I also read that Westburg is always early to the park. 
 

He obviously has hit well in the minors and has the tools to be a big league hitter. Give him the offseason to work it out and we’ll see if he’s ready for 2024. 
 

 

If you, after a very small sample sizes have deemed that a failed 34 older player that has largely been a failure of a player(and has been oft injured and unreliable) for the last 4-5 years is to be counted on more than a recent top 5 pick that is largely thought of as a top 20 pick pick, they should absolutely be questioned.

That is an awful evaluation, one way or another. Whether it was an awful pick of Cowser himself or an awful evaluation that says Hicks should play over Cowser in 2024..either way, there is an epic failure in there.  Luckily, I don’t think the organization is this stupid to consider this, so I think it’s a moot point.

Edited September 11, 2023 by Sports Guy

[24fps]

2 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

If you, after a very small sample sizes have deemed that a failed 34 older player that has largely been a failure of a player(and has been oft injured and unreliable) for the last 4-5 years is to be counted on more than a recent top 5 pick that is largely thought of as a top 20 pick pick, they should absolutely be questioned.

That is an awful evaluation, one way or another. Whether it was an awful pick of Cowser himself or an awful evaluation that says Hicks should play over Cowser in 2024..either way, there is an epic failure in there.  Luckily, I don’t think the organization is this stupid to consider this, so I think it’s a moot point.

They were stupid enough to sign Adam Frazier for $8 million and carry Jorge Mateo long after he demonstrated his actual value this season.  Their taste for middling vets is both evident and baffling.   IMO it's too early to get complacent about Hicks not returning. 

[baltfan]

20 minutes ago, 24fps said:

They were stupid enough to sign Adam Frazier for $8 million and carry Jorge Mateo long after he demonstrated his actual value this season.  Their taste for middling vets is both evident and baffling.   IMO it's too early to get complacent about Hicks not returning. 

At some point people are going to realize the Orioles believe in chemistry and having certain vets to help the young guys.  It’s hard to argue against the winning. 

[CallMeBrooksie]

At the very least, the O's have to ride out Hicks current hot streak down the stretch as the matchups dictate. He's been good for us. A very unexpected boost on offense.

His time here may be a SSS in the context of his entire career, but guys have outlier years all the time at various points of their career, and it's clear that Hicks is feeling it right now.

I like what he's done this year, but I don't have any hopes to see him here next year. I'd hope that the progression of one or two of our prospects would make his services unnecessary, and his glove is only going to keep getting worse.

 

[accinfo]

23 minutes ago, 24fps said:

They were stupid enough to sign Adam Frazier for $8 million and carry Jorge Mateo long after he demonstrated his actual value this season.  Their taste for middling vets is both evident and baffling.   IMO it's too early to get complacent about Hicks not returning. 

Yes they have been stupid all away to a 91-52 record.  I say let them keep making the decisions on who should be on the team.   If they weren’t so stupid to sign Frazier and keep Mateo on the team do you think they would have a better record?

[Frobby]

11 minutes ago, baltfan said:

At some point people are going to realize the Orioles believe in chemistry and having certain vets to help the young guys.  It’s hard to argue against the winning. 

Everybody’s smarter than the idiots who built the 91-52 team.  

[24fps]

1 minute ago, accinfo said:

Yes they have been stupid all away to a 91-52 record.  I say let them keep making the decisions on who should be on the team.   If they weren’t so stupid to sign Frazier and keep Mateo on the team do you think they would have a better record?

I have no idea whether the record would be better or not.  My comment was directed at the notion that the O's front office is not stupid enough to resign Hicks. I would hope that they don't for all the reasons that have been discussed ad nauseum on here this season about prospects not getting a fair shot etc., etc., and personally I don't think Elias and the rest are stupid.   Now if it's a FO article of faith that all rookies not named Adley or Gunnar need to earn their way on the team, well the rookies need an obstacle to get over.  The Frazier contract and Mateo's continued presence on the team don't make sense to me outside of that context and the same goes for the prospect of Hicks returning for 2024.

[Frobby]

By the way, I knew we’d win this game when, down two runs, Hicks hit a ground single to LCF and stretched it to a double when he saw the outfielder play it too casually.   That showed me the O’s were going to concede nothing.   And then Frazier cashed him in with a single.  Boy I hate those guys.   So stupid to have signed guys like that.  

[BRobinsonfan]

12 minutes ago, Frobby said:

By the way, I knew we’d win this game when, down two runs, Hicks hit a ground single to LCF and stretched it to a double when he saw the outfielder play it too casually.   That showed me the O’s were going to concede nothing.   And then Frazier cashed him in with a single.  Boy I hate those guys.   So stupid to have signed guys like that.  

That was a heads-up play by Hicks.  It was fun to watch him turn the after burners on to stretch that single into a double!

[Ohfan67]

5 hours ago, Frobby said:

I think it is unlikely that they will bring Hicks back.  But consider the following: 

1.  They made the decision to sign Hicks in the first place.  

2.  They made the decision to bring back Hicks once he was healthy, rather than sticking with Cowser.  

3.  Hicks has done well here, in his 183 PA (not 75) with the team.  

4.  Cowser did very poorly in his stint with the team.  

Obviously, there are things they like about Hicks, and right now, they think he can help them more than Cowser can.  So why is that going to change over the winter?   They might come to the same judgment then, or simply decide that it’s a good investment to hedge their bets by having Hicks at spring training and then deciding if they still think he’s more ready to help them than Cowser or Kjerstad is.  So, I can’t rule out that they’ll resign him.  Whatever decision they make, I don’t think it will be an overreaction to some SSS results.   The O’s are more sophisticated than that, regardless of whether our posters who support Hicks are.  



 

Can the Orioles trade Hicks? His situation is still a little unclear to me. If so, then I think the O's will keep Hicks into spring training as you suggest. If he looks decent in spring training, then he might return a middle reliever or a player of similar value if a contending team loses an outfielder to injury, etc. If they have to cut Hicks at the end of spring, then no big loss. 

[Frobby]

1 minute ago, Ohfan67 said:

Can the Orioles trade Hicks? His situation is still a little unclear to me. If so, then I think the O's will keep Hicks into spring training as you suggest. If he looks decent in spring training, then he might return a middle reliever or a player of similar value if a contending team loses an outfielder to injury, etc. If they have to cut Hicks at the end of spring, then no big loss. 

They could only trade him if they signed him for next year.  He’s only signed with us through this season.