DL Hall's future?? Reliever or Starter?

[Jagwar]

I have no idea who is available, but if the O's could acquire a closer, and have Cano/Hall/Wells as the primary setup men, that would be a solid bullpen. 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

1 minute ago, Can_of_corn said:

At a minimum they have their Fuji replacement if Hall can't throw strikes.

I’m wondering if the Orioles will take a flyer on Fuji and try to turn him Into a two pitch pitcher instead of the 5 or 6 pitches he failed ar throwing.

 

[24fps]

Hall has too much raw talent not to be given one more chance to start.  That said, I would be happy in either role as long as he can make good on the promise that made him such a high draft pick in the first place.

[Frobby]

4 hours ago, 24fps said:

Hall has too much raw talent not to be given one more chance to start.  That said, I would be happy in either role as long as he can make good on the promise that made him such a high draft pick in the first place.

I’d stretch him out in spring training, but if he’s not good enough in the spring to crack our starting five, it’s time to cut bait and met him be a useful piece of our 2024 bullpen, not continuing to audition in the minors for an eventual job as a starter.  

Hall looked good in his bullpen role, but he was still averaging 19.2 pitches per inning.  That’s not likely to work as a starter.  
 

[Moose Milligan]

I’m fine with him getting a chance to start but I think he’ll end up in the bullpen. Hopefully he stays an asset no matter where he winds up. 

[emmett16]

I echo others that think he should be stretched out and given a chance to start in spring.  I imagine he will likely end up in the pen for 2024.   Regardless of the role, I think 2024 will be his coming out party. 

[Aristotelian]

One possible path would be to give him a full year in the bullpen and then look to have him replace Means in the rotation in '25.

[CaptainRedbeard]

12 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

It's good to want, but Hall has proven his best role is in the pen. I've showed many times why he's not a good fit for the rotation.

At the end of the day, the Orioles will have following starting pitching candidates not counting trades or signings.

1. Bradish
2. Rodriguez
3. Means
4. Kramer
5. Wells
6. McDermott
7. Povich

And I still think they add a veteran starter.

This team needs reliever that can give multiple innings and that's what Hall can do.

 

 

Cole Irvin will start the year as the long man in the bullpen but he also slots into that depth chart above McDermott and Povich, at least to start the season. 

[wildcard]

Hall is an often injury young pitcher with great stuff.   Its a poor plan that makes him a starter in 2023 and expect him to make 30 starts and pitch 150 innings.   His most innings was in 2018 in the low minors when he pitched 94.1 innings.

He only pitched 31.2 innings in 2021 because of an elbow injury.  In 2023 he was limited to 71.1  innings with a back problem.  

Stretching him out in ST in fine in case one of the starters is injured but Hall needs to pitch a full year in the O's pen to show he can stay healthy.  If he can do that he could be considered as a starter in 2025.

Wells has the same problem.  You can't count on him for 30 starts and 150 inning either.   The best plan has both of them in pen and the O's acquiring a starter on a one year contract that  is at least as good as Kremer.   They have shown they will spend 10m on a starter.   And they have Norby, Stowers and Urias to trade.   I think Elias can figure this out.

If Elias fails to get a quality starter on terms he likes he could have  Hall, Wells, Irvin, McDermott combine to be the 5th starter and add relievers this off season.  But that is probably not the preferred plan going in the off season IMO.

Edited October 12, 2023 by wildcard

[Sports Guy]

1 minute ago, wildcard said:

Hall is an often injury young pitcher with great stuff.   Its a poor plan that makes him a starter in 2023 and expect him to make 30 starts and pitch 150 innings.   His most innings was in 2018 in the low minors when he pitched 94.1 innings.

He only pitched 31.2 innings in 2021 because of an elbow injury.  In 2023 he was limited to 71.1  innings with a back problem.  

Stretching him out in ST in fine in case one of the starters is injured but Hall needs to pitch a full year in the O's pen to show he can stay healthy.

Wells has the same problem.  You can't count on him for 30 starts and 150 inning either.   The best plan has both of they in pen and the O's acquiring a starter on a one year contract that  is at least as good as Kremer.   They have shown they will spend 10m on a starter.   And they have Norby, Stowers and Urias to trade.   I think Elias can figure this out.

If Elias fails to get a quality starter on terms he likes he could have  Hall, Wells, Irvin, McDermott combine to be the 5th starter and add relievers this off season.  But that is probably not the preferred plan going in the off season IMO.

I thought Elias would have to start Wells because he’s going to give you 100 innings of sub 3.5 ERA ball??

[Frobby]

9 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

I thought Elias would have to start Wells because he’s going to give you 100 innings of sub 3.5 ERA ball??

I wish I knew if Wells could make it through a full season.  He’s a quality starter when he’s fresh, IMO.  

In the minors, he got through the 2018 season uninterrupted and pitched well at the end of the year after a promotion to AA.   But, he needed TJ surgery afterwards, and hasn’t gotten through a season without having fatigue issues since then.   So it’s really tough to count on him to do it in 2024.   
 

[Sports Guy]

2 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I wish I knew if Wells could make it through a full season.  He’s a quality starter when he’s fresh, IMO.  

In the minors, he got through the 2018 season uninterrupted and pitched well at the end of the year after a promotion to AA.   But, he needed TJ surgery afterwards, and hasn’t gotten through a season without having fatigue issues since then.   So it’s really tough to count on him to do it in 2024.   
 

Of course it is. I have been saying this for months but WC has consistently pushed back on it because Wells can throw 100 good innings.(maybe)

[LookinUp]

I tend to agree with the people who think Hall could end up a starter, but maybe not quite yet in 2024.

I don't discount that he's still getting better. I think the injuries have really set him back and getting him healthy for a long stretch of time should be priority number 1. The bullpen might be the best place to do that. In time, maybe he becomes more pitch efficient.

But I still see a Blake Snell/Eric Bedard type of starter as his upside. Not a guy who goes deep, but a guy who can dominate. I'm not giving up on that, but I'm not forcing it either.

[Frobby]

4 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Of course it is. I have been saying this for months but WC has consistently pushed back on it because Wells can throw 100 good innings.(maybe)

Well, he’s saying the opposite now.   I guess you convinced him. Or, he just had a re-think and changed his mind.  

[wildcard]

31 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

I thought Elias would have to start Wells because he’s going to give you 100 innings of sub 3.5 ERA ball??

Elias tried to add a starter last year that was better than Gibson and could not get it done.    The best plan is to add a starter that can pitch 30 starts and 150 inning with an ERA under 4.00.  That is what I think Elias goes into the off season looking for.   Can he find him in trade?  Are they willing to spend on the FA market.   That is TBD.

Wells and Hall  as starters is Plan B now that Bautista is not in the pen IMO.   They can both help the pen be stronger if that is the way it turns out.