Orioles close to acquiring Corbin Burnes (Update: Acquired for Joey Ortiz and DL Hall)

[RZNJ]

19 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

As it stands now with O’Hearn on the team there is not a great deal of playing time for Kjerstad. Where will consistent ABs for Mayo come from? I’m not seeing it.

Right.  O’Hearn needs to go for Kjerstad to have a path to everyday AB’s.  The only other way I can see is injury.   I just can’t imagine that both Cowser and Kjerstad go to Norfolk although it’s entirely possible.   I think O’Hearn gets moved before the season starts barring injury to someone like Santander.   
 

As for Mayo, it’s a little trickier.   Let’s say Holliday is 2B and Westburg is 3B.   I could see Mayo getting some 3B AB’s to rest Westburg once a week, another start there when Westburg slides to 2B against some LHP.  If Kjerstad is getting RF and DH AB’s then the only other AB’s might be at 1B.   It is tough to see but if he hits at Norfolk like he did last year I just don’t think they’ll keep him there all summer.  I admit, I’m not exactly sure how it happens.

[DirtyBird]

Is there any chance we win under 110 games after this deal?

[Frobby]

Guys, can we puh-leezr get back to Burnes here?

[DirtyBird]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

Guys, can we puh-leezr get back to Burnes here?

Is anything less that a Cy Young acceptable?

[Frobby]

Just now, DirtyBird said:

Is anything less that a Cy Young acceptable?

Well, he’s only finished top 5 once, the year he won.  Finished 6, 7, 8 the other three most recent years.  Any of those will do for me.  

[Bemorewins]

3 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Right.  O’Hearn needs to go for Kjerstad to have a path to everyday AB’s.  The only other way I can see is injury.   I just can’t imagine that both Cowser and Kjerstad go to Norfolk although it’s entirely possible.   I think O’Hearn gets moved before the season starts barring injury to someone like Santander.   
 

As for Mayo, it’s a little trickier.   Let’s say Holliday is 2B and Westburg is 3B.   I could see Mayo getting some 3B AB’s to rest Westburg once a week, another start there when Westburg slides to 2B against some LHP.  If Kjerstad is getting RF and DH AB’s then the only other AB’s might be at 1B.   It is tough to see but if he hits at Norfolk like he did last year I just don’t think they’ll keep him there all summer.  I admit, I’m not exactly sure how it happens.

I have always envisioned Mayo and Kjerstad being the replacements for Santander and O'Hearn. Because O'Hearn has no track record of any kind of production like last year, it is very possible that he caught lightening in a bottle. I don't think it is a safe bet that he will match or exceed last year's production. It was also concerning to see his swoon/slump toward the end of the season. I could see one of Mayo and Kjerstad taking his place for regular ABs. The other one is more difficult. In the scenario you proposed that's what 3 games a week for Mayo? Ideally you want him getting regular playing time so that he can be in the ROY sweepstakes. The last thing that I will say about this is with the acclimation struggles of even our best/most talented prospects recently, I don't think that it is very wise to try to acclimate more than 1 at a time. You have to kind of staggering their promotions like we did Gunnar and Westburg, otherwise it can create a lineup imbalance. You don't want 2 guys essentially being automatic outs/periods of rest for the opposition pitcher. 

[DirtyBird]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

Well, he’s only finished top 5 once, the year he won.  Finished 6, 7, 8 the other three most recent years.  Any of those will do for me.  

Sad. #3 at best for us 

[Bemorewins]

5 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Guys, can we puh-leezr get back to Burnes here?

My apologies. I'm the main culprit here or at least one of them.

[DirtyBird]

2 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

I have always envisioned Mayo and Kjerstad being the replacements for Santander and O'Hearn. Because O'Hearn has no track record of any kind of production like last year, it is very possible that he caught lightening in a bottle. I don't think it is a safe bet that he will match or exceed last year's production. It was also concerning to see his swoon/slump toward the end of the season. I could see one of Mayo and Kjerstad taking his place for regular ABs. The other one is more difficult. In the scenario you proposed that's what 3 games a week for Mayo? Ideally you want him getting regular playing time so that he can be in the ROY sweepstakes. The last thing that I will say about this is with the acclimation struggles of even our best/most talented prospects recently, I don't think that it is very wise to try to acclimate more than 1 at a time. You have to kind of staggering their promotions like we did Gunnar and Westburg, otherwise it can create a lineup imbalance. You don't want 2 guys essentially being automatic outs/periods of rest for the opposition pitcher. 

This is really long and all in one paragraph. 
I can’t even read this.

Edited February 5 by DirtyBird

[Just Regular]

Corbin worked a Zach Davies name drop into his introductory presser now uploaded on MASN.

It was notable hearing him describe analytics support staff depth behind the pitching coach.   I think it is an Elias/Sig perk to get a year of input from the Stearns Milwaukee pitching lab's highest achiever.     We want 200 Cy caliber innings, but also please....tell us what your process has been like these last 4 years.

 

[RZNJ]

24 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

I have always envisioned Mayo and Kjerstad being the replacements for Santander and O'Hearn. Because O'Hearn has no track record of any kind of production like last year, it is very possible that he caught lightening in a bottle. I don't think it is a safe bet that he will match or exceed last year's production. It was also concerning to see his swoon/slump toward the end of the season. I could see one of Mayo and Kjerstad taking his place for regular ABs. The other one is more difficult. In the scenario you proposed that's what 3 games a week for Mayo? Ideally you want him getting regular playing time so that he can be in the ROY sweepstakes. The last thing that I will say about this is with the acclimation struggles of even our best/most talented prospects recently, I don't think that it is very wise to try to acclimate more than 1 at a time. You have to kind of staggering their promotions like we did Gunnar and Westburg, otherwise it can create a lineup imbalance. You don't want 2 guys essentially being automatic outs/periods of rest for the opposition pitcher. 

With the amount of prospects we have, the one at a time approach is tough.  I could easily see both Holliday and Kjerstad getting the trial by fire treatment around the same time.   Was Henderson an automatic out?   Was Westburg?      

[Frobby]

6 hours ago, Just Regular said:

Corbin worked a Zach Davies name drop into his introductory presser now uploaded on MASN.

It was notable hearing him describe analytics support staff depth behind the pitching coach.   I think it is an Elias/Sig perk to get a year of input from the Stearns Milwaukee pitching lab's highest achiever.     We want 200 Cy caliber innings, but also please....tell us what your process has been like these last 4 years.

 

The new information I got here was that during the first half of 2023 Burnes had a minor shoulder injury from a play at home plate and also an illness at around the same time.  So, that explains why his first half numbers were kind of pedestrian.  Sounds like he felt he was never 100% in sync last year even though his second half results were great, and that he feels very good now and is ahead of schedule.  It’s all typical February optimism, but Burnes seems well-positioned to put up a top-level (by his standards) performance in 2024.

[sportsfan8703]

What is the OD bench?  Assuming Ortiz starts at 3B, with Holliday, and Mayo in AAA. 

McCann, Mateo, McKenna/Hilliard, McKenna/Hilliard/Nevin

Now it makes a little sense why we traded for Nevin. You don’t mind if he’s your 4th bench guy that never plays. You don’t want one of the prospects in that position. 

[Just Regular]

Brewers game story from 4.17.2023 has embedded video of the play, and a bunch of Day Of comments.

https://www.jsonline.com/story/sports/mlb/brewers/2023/04/17/milwaukee-brewers-vs-seattle-mariners-lineup-and-game-updates/70121295007/

The video looked to me like the glove arm took the contact brunt on the play.

[sportsfan8703]

4 minutes ago, DirtyBird said:

Mateo, McKenna, Kjerstad, Cowser, O'Hearn (1 of which will DH, assuming Santander is in RF)

I just don’t see the point of having Cowser and Kjerstad being on the bench. They need to be playing everyday in AAA. That way when/if we need to tap into them as starters, then they are already going with the bat. 

Either McKenna and Hilliard both make the team, or only one of them with Nevin. Maybe Norby has an outside shot.