Keep one. Trade one.

[24fps]

Every pairing makes some kind of sense except 5.  Why would you have to choose between Mayo and Basallo?  In my mind both are as close to untouchable as anyone in the minors except Holliday.

[waroriole]

1. Kjerstad or Cowser Cowser

2. Westburg or Ortiz Westburg

3. McDermott or Povich McDermott

4. Hays or Santander Hays

5. Mayo or Basallo Basallo

6. Mateo or Urias Urias

[waroriole]

Justification:

Cowser has hit better at every level and much better defender. 
 

Westburg: I believe in the bat. His defense has been better than expected. 
 

McDermott seems to have the less risk. At worst he can fit in the bullpen. Povich’s control is concerning and he’s very inconsistent. One great start then one terrible start. 
 

Hays has two years of control and we need a RH bat with all these LH OF. Plus better defense. Tony is really a DH now. 
 

Basallo’s bat seems special and the potential that he stays at C is the tiebreaker. For Mayo it’s almost all in the power projection. 
 

Urias has some value. Mateo has none. It’s not a tough call. Especially with Gunnar and Ortiz in the organization. 

[Moose Milligan]

I wonder how many votes Cowser would have received if he raked while he was up. Everyone loves to point to a small sample size on this board when downplaying someone’s shortcomings while hoisting up a SSS when someone flashes. 

[dystopia]

2 hours ago, RZNJ said:

You decide and feel free to give reasons.   For this exercise please don’t say neither.

1. Kjerstad or Cowser

2. Westburg or Ortiz

3. McDermott or Povich

4. Hays or Santander

5. Mayo or Basallo

6. Mateo or Urias

1. Kjerstad

2. Westburg

3. McDermott

4. Santander

5. Mayo

6. Urias

[RZNJ]

1 hour ago, 24fps said:

Every pairing makes some kind of sense except 5.  Why would you have to choose between Mayo and Basallo?  In my mind both are as close to untouchable as anyone in the minors except Holliday.

Basallo and Mayo might be untouchable.  What’s wrong with having to pick one in a hypothetical situation L

[RZNJ]

1 hour ago, Moose Milligan said:

I wonder how many votes Cowser would have received if he raked while he was up. Everyone loves to point to a small sample size on this board when downplaying someone’s shortcomings while hoisting up a SSS when someone flashes. 

No doubt that Cowser and Ortiz lack of hitting in a SSS compared to Kjerstad and Westburg is a factor.  I’m guilty as well.   Without knowing what they did at the ML it would probably be a dead heat or edge to Cowser.

[Pickles]

1 hour ago, Moose Milligan said:

I wonder how many votes Cowser would have received if he raked while he was up. Everyone loves to point to a small sample size on this board when downplaying someone’s shortcomings while hoisting up a SSS when someone flashes. 

That's fair to say but it's also kind of a No sh, Sherlock thing.

If Cowser had performed while he was up, he never would have gone down.

This wasn't an Ortiz situation.  He was given fairly regular playing time for a while.

When they demoted him, were Elias and Co. being "reactionary?"  Or pointing to a small sample size?

[25 Nuggets]

2 hours ago, RZNJ said:

You decide and feel free to give reasons.   For this exercise please don’t say neither.

1. Kjerstad or Cowser

2. Westburg or Ortiz

3. McDermott or Povich

4. Hays or Santander

5. Mayo or Basallo

6. Mateo or Urias

Kjerstad looks significantly better at the plate and Cowser was way more inconsistent on defense than I anticipated.

Westburg also looked better at the plate and appears to be a top-level defender at 2B, which is where I'd leave him most of the time.  I'm for the Henderson-Holliday-Westburg infield.  3B/SS, SS/2B and 2B/3B.

McDermott has the better chance I think of being an impact relief pitcher.  I prefer neither in my rotation plans; I'm imagining these pieces are traded for just that, front line pitching.

Really would like to keep Santander's bat but Hays appeared to learn LF as the season progressed and having someone that can play the new Camden Yards LF well is a harder thing to find, I believe.  Hays may also be cheaper.

Everything points to Mayo having rare power.  Rarer than Kjerstad.  Rutschman is the reason why I take him over Basallo but that requires the team to keep Adley long term, which is what I'd do.

People will probably not like my choice of Mateo but he like Mayo has an elite trait and Urias does not.

So, left hand side all the way down.  Nice exercise. 

[forphase1]

3 hours ago, RZNJ said:

You decide and feel free to give reasons.   For this exercise please don’t say neither.

1. Kjerstad or Cowser

2. Westburg or Ortiz

3. McDermott or Povich

4. Hays or Santander

5. Mayo or Basallo

6. Mateo or Urias

1. Keep Kjerstad trade Cowser 

2. This one is tough for me.   If I have to choose I keep Ortiz

3. Keep McDermott 

4. Keep Hays

5. Keep Basallo

6. Keep Urias

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

1. Kjerstad

2.  Ortiz

3. Povich

4. Santander

5. Basallo (This one doesn't make sense they play different positions. O's will keep both.)

6. Mateo (Urias has better trade value)

Edited November 4, 2023 by OsFanSinceThe80s

[OnlyOneOriole]

7 hours ago, RZNJ said:

You decide and feel free to give reasons.   For this exercise please don’t say neither.

1. Kjerstad or Cowser

2. Westburg or Ortiz

3. McDermott or Povich

4. Hays or Santander

5. Mayo or Basallo

6. Mateo or Urias

I would trade Urias and Santander.  Keep Mateo or release based on how things shake out in spring training.

 

Keep everyone else. 

[Malike]

4 hours ago, RZNJ said:

No doubt that Cowser and Ortiz lack of hitting in a SSS compared to Kjerstad and Westburg is a factor.  I’m guilty as well.   Without knowing what they did at the ML it would probably be a dead heat or edge to Cowser.

Westburg put up a 1.1 fWAR of which nearly all of it was tied to his defense. I'd bet in the same amount of games Ortiz would have done better, he's a much better defensive player and he's shown he can hit in AAA. If the leash were longer in 2023 I believe he would have outshined Westburg.

[RZNJ]

1 hour ago, Malike said:

Westburg put up a 1.1 fWAR of which nearly all of it was tied to his defense. I'd bet in the same amount of games Ortiz would have done better, he's a much better defensive player and he's shown he can hit in AAA. If the leash were longer in 2023 I believe he would have outshined Westburg.

I think that’s possible.

[RZNJ]

1 hour ago, OnlyOneOriole said:

I would trade Urias and Santander.  Keep Mateo or release based on how things shake out in spring training.

 

Keep everyone else. 

Hmmm.  The instructions to the game were confusing?