All the talk about Cowser and Kjerstad…but what about Stowers?

[btdart20]

1 hour ago, CaptainRedbeard said:

I’m of the opinion that if you have a guy like Ortiz who should be a MLB starter but has no place to play, you should be able to get more value out of them by trading them. But if you have guys like Stowers and Norby, who are a step or two below and are probably more likely solid bench players, there’s value in keeping them around in AAA while they have options which could be equivalent to their trade value.

If you can get more value for them by trading them then by all means, but there’s no need to force the issue. They are great trade chips if needed but they’re still worth their 40-man space (and Norby isn’t even on it yet) and providing depth value probably close to their trade value. 

I'll point to Michael Busch as a recent example/comp for Norby's value.  Probably connects with Stowers a bit too.  

[btdart20]

3 minutes ago, AnythingO's said:

I still believe there is a trade to be made with MIA using some combo of Urias, Norby, Stowers. They have the need for 1B & DH and SS and COF. None of their OF hits much except Chisolm (CF, 761 OPS) and Sanchez (RF, 777 OPS). For SP they have Cabrera, Luzardo, Meyer (probable for start of season), Perez, and Garrett who went for 159 Inn /3.66 ERA last year. Then they have Weathers (57 inn) and Rookie Muoz on their 40-man. Alcantara back next year. They don't need Trevor Rogers who lost last year to a torn Lat on his non-pitching side. We could send 1 of Povich/Rogers/Armbrewster along with position players. We could expand to include 1 of our RPs that can't be optioned for T. Scott in a bigger package.It seems like both sides would win.

Putting my tinfoil hat on, maybe that's why we gave DET money for Maton.  We jumped the queue and took a waiver claim option off the board for MIA.  

[ThisIsBirdland]

2 hours ago, CaptainRedbeard said:

I’m from Baltimore, but I would hope last year’s projection miss would disavow anyone of the notion that I weight these team standings toward my personal preferences. The Orioles – and last year’s Orioles – do a bit better in my methodology than others, I suspect because of the weight I deal with depth. In those seasons in which they lose players, especially offensive ones, the team’s depth keeps the falloff from being too dire. Even in simulation no. 452,331, in which the O’s lose both Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschmann to season-ending injuries before the first game, the team still finished 84-78!

Do not, ever, speak of this evil within this forum again.

Edited February 8 by ThisIsBirdland

[CaptainRedbeard]

59 minutes ago, ThisIsBirdland said:

Do not, ever, speak of this evil within this forum again.

The top comment on the article is “452,331 is now my least favorite number.”

Personally I think that must have accidentally simulated a typical Ravens preseason. (Ravens: “Just our two best players? Deal.”). 

[Philip]

I remember a promising fellow named Christian Walker. He got little or no opportunity with the Os. I don't know whether he left as a waiver claim, a cash considerations-type trade piece, or something more legit, but He’s spent several years doing for the D-Backs what he presumably could have done for us.

I haven't any particular irons in this fire, but i hope we don't Replicate the same thing with Stowers. 

[interloper]

Just now, Philip said:

I remember a promising fellow named Christian Walker. He got little or no opportunity with the Os. I don't know whether he left as a waiver claim, a cash considerations-type trade piece, or something more legit, but He’s spent several years doing for the D-Backs what he presumably could have done for us.

I haven't any particular irons in this fire, but i hope we don't Replicate the same thing with Stowers. 

I wouldn't be mad about Stowers becoming a dude somewhere else at all, but that's contingent upon Kjerstad and/or Cowser being dudes for us. 

The farm was bare when we had Walker, so that hurts more. Fortunately, we also had Mancini to lessen the blow. 

[Frobby]

How do you view your camp this year and the competition? While you were going through everything that you went through, Colton Cowser makes his major league debut and Heston Kjerstad makes his debut and is on the Division Series roster. Also left-handed hitting, gifted outfielders. How to you look at this whole thing?

“I think we’re all different players. I think for me, it’s just playing my game. I’ve said this for the last however many years is I’ve got to control what I do on the field, and I believe that if I’m playing my best baseball, that’s all I can do and the cards will fall as they do. We’re all competitive and we all want to do the best we can, and I think it’s a fun atmosphere to be in because it brings the best out of all of us.”

https://www.masnsports.com/blog/quick-q-a-with-orioles-outfielder-kyle-stowers

[btdart20]

I haven't seen this here yet and know there's been chatter about HK as a potential 1B option.  Hyde says that's not a thing right now.  

Burnes on starting spring opener, live batting practice details, plans for Kjerstad - Blog (masnsports.com)

Hyde said earlier in the day that Kjerstad will play a lot in the outfield corners. He probably won’t be used at first base this spring.

“Defense is important to us,” Hyde said. “We put a premium in playing the defense we’ve played the last couple years. That’s why we’ve won a lot of games. Heston just doesn’t have the major league experience, really, in the corner outfield, so we’re going to give him all the experience we can out there and let him get a lot of at-bats.”

[Just Regular]

Good - I hope Kjerstad is successful establishing himself as a plus RF.

Position flexibility comes up more when a Player struggles to hold up clean first string.     Zobrists are a fun exception as they sometimes occur.

Kyle Tucker has played 4 career first base games so far....they were probably a hoot.

If there's one thing I've digested from Elias, it is follow the pool money.    They may not pan out, but Kjerstad, Cowser and EBJ are meant to be his Guys.   Baseball media will, but nobody should ever marvel at "4th round pick" Coby Mayo.

[Frobby]

Roch:

Kyle Stowers broke camp with the Orioles last spring. He’s trying to bust up every mock Opening Day roster that doesn’t include him.

Stowers hit his second left-on-left home run today, this time against Bailey Falter, and it was an absolute missile - launched to right-center field at a sound that hurt eardrums.

In his next at-bat, Stowers singled into center field against left-hander Ryan Borucki. It’s becoming a trend going back to live batting practice.

Stowers held at 2-for-2 after his free pass in the sixth. The media again wanted to grill him about his success versus southpaws.

"I'm surprised you don't wanna talk about the walk against the righty," he quipped. "I honestly haven't been seeing as many righties so far for whatever reason. As you guys know, I've been having a little more success against the lefties thus far, and so I was really happy to have that at-bat against the righty. Like I said, I feel confident against both lefties and righties, but it was nice to have a successful, positive result against the righty."

Stowers has done a nice job staying on the ball against left-handers and erasing the advantage.

"Left-on-left, I think most guys would tell you you're kind of forced to stay on it a little bit longer and it kind of cleans up a lot of lefties mechanically because of what you have to do to have success. ... Just not giving up on that front side."

The outfield competition got a whole lot more interesting with Stowers' return to it after going 2-for-30 with the Orioles last year and injuring his right shoulder and fracturing his nose on a hit-by-pitch at Triple-A. He said his spring so far is "OK, I think it could be better."

"I love what I'm doing in my work, I love what I'm doing off the field," he said. "I feel like I'm working really hard. Obviously, we all want the results to be better, but I'm really happy with the process I've been putting in and just have to stick to it."

[Moose Milligan]

If Buck O’Neil were there yesterday, he’d tell Roch about how he heard a sound that he’d never heard before. And it was Babe Ruth hitting that ball. And then he didn’t hear it again until a few years later, and it was Josh Gibson hitting that ball. Then he didn’t hear it again until it was Bo Jackson hitting that ball. And then he didn’t hear it again until it was Kyle Stowers hitting that ball. 

[Sammy Seagull]

Stowers is not Baltimore MLB material, he has the skills but not the maturity or commitment. 

[clapdiddy]

3 minutes ago, Sammy Seagull said:

Stowers is not Baltimore MLB material, he has the skills but not the maturity or commitment. 

How do you know this?   This seems like an odd statement to make.

[RZNJ]

3 minutes ago, clapdiddy said:

How do you know this?   This seems like an odd statement to make.

Check his posting history.   Odd statements.

[Frobby]

38 minutes ago, Sammy Seagull said:

Stowers is not Baltimore MLB material, he has the skills but not the maturity or commitment. 

Based on what?