Elias Interview on Baltimore (local) radio station

[Bemorewins]

I caught the interview that Elias gave earlier today on my way home from the office. I will attach the link so you can listen for yourself. But here are some of my takeaways:

- Holliday is being moved to 2B this Spring for the purpose of giving him the easiest transition and best shot to make the team. He will still play some SS (assuming when Gunnar takes a rest). But 2B will be his position right now. He even went so far as to say that the ABs that Frazier occupied as a LHH infielder are available on this year's team because Frazier is on the Royals. If Jackson Holliday hits in the Spring, he will be going north with the team (is the strong impression that I got from what Elias said).

- Gunnar will not play 7 days a week/162 games at SS (kind of an obvious one here)

- Mateo will play some backup SS and see a lot of time in the OF in the Spring. The plan is to develop him into a Super utility player role.

- JA set up some sort of meet and greet with members of the in coming ownership group and the baseball ops people (Elias and gang). Elias was complementary of the support that Angelos. has provided the baseball ops people.

- Elias would not comment on Brando Woodruff. He said it is against MLB rules to comment on a Free Agent. 

- Elias implied that he does not anticipate any major moves coming in the next few weeks (before Spring Training). He said something to the effect that he likes what they have as they go into the Spring.

Here's the interview - CLICK HERE

[btdart20]

The Holliday/Frazier path is a lay up considering how they like the R/L matchups.  Gunnar and Jackson will alternate SS/off days when LHP are on the mound.  

I haven’t listened yet, but was there any Urias chatter?  Kinda hoping only one of Mateo/Urias is on the OD.

[oriole]

If Mateo can play a decent CF then he could get a good amount of playing time considering he hits lefties better than Mullins does. 

[Bemorewins]

2 minutes ago, btdart20 said:

The Holliday/Frazier path is a lay up considering how they like the R/L matchups.  Gunnar and Jackson will alternate SS/off days when LHP are on the mound.  

I haven’t listened yet, but was there any Urias chatter?  Kinda hoping only one of Mateo/Urias is on the OD.

I didn't hear anything about Urias, but my wife called me an interrupted from hearing the last bit.

[wildbillhiccup]

5 minutes ago, oriole said:

If Mateo can play a decent CF then he could get a good amount of playing time considering he hits lefties better than Mullins does. 

If Mateo gets a good amount of playing time this season at any positon then something has gone horribly wrong for this team. 

[forphase1]

Thanks for posting this!  Love all of it,  except for the Mateo part.  I also hope he means what he's saying about Holiday and isn't just saying what he thinks the fan base wants to hear. 

[ThisIsBirdland]

Thinks for sharing!

Sounds like Mateo is in line to compete with McKenna for the RH backup CF role. It would definitely be nice to open up that roster spot and maintain Mateo’s pinch runner role if he shows he can handle the CF defense requirements. I think he’ll rarely start if this ends up to be the case.

[joelala]

2 minutes ago, forphase1 said:

Thanks for posting this!  Love all of it,  except for the Mateo part.  I also hope he means what he's saying about Holiday and isn't just saying what he thinks the fan base wants to hear. 

Aside from the “liftoff” comment, he doesn’t really do that it seems. 

[Bemorewins]

4 minutes ago, forphase1 said:

Thanks for posting this!  Love all of it,  except for the Mateo part.  I also hope he means what he's saying about Holiday and isn't just saying what he thinks the fan base wants to hear. 

Elias literally walks on water in this market especially amongst the local fanbase right now. It wouldn't provide him with any benefit to deceive and subsequently disappoint the fans. This is the first legit time I can remember since maybe the start of the '98 season where the O's are this close in popularity/excitement to the Ravens.

It would be be foolish for him to do anything to mess that up. I think Elias is much too smart for that and probably too honest as well. For the head of the front office of a professional North American sports franchise, he rarely participates in trade craft tactics. I think the lift off was his idea at the time only to have Angelos pull the rug out from under him later.

[btdart20]

17 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

I didn't hear anything about Urias, but my wife called me an interrupted from hearing the last bit.

Nothing on Urias.

11 minutes ago, forphase1 said:

Thanks for posting this!  Love all of it,  except for the Mateo part.  I also hope he means what he's saying about Holiday and isn't just saying what he thinks the fan base wants to hear. 

He has said Holliday has a shot at OD multiple times.  It’s Holliday’s job to lose in ST.

[oriole]

17 minutes ago, wildbillhiccup said:

If Mateo gets a good amount of playing time this season at any positon then something has gone horribly wrong for this team. 

Well he’s got the speed to cover CF, does he have the instincts or the arm? And Mullins can’t hit lefties so you’ve got to consider that if Mullins/Mateo were strictly platooned then you’re hypothetically getting the best play out of each player. I don’t think it’s that bad. But yea, if Mateo is playing anywhere in a full time role then I totally agree with you.

[scarey1999]

This validates everything I’ve been saying and my eyes have told me about Gunnar vs Jackson and 2B/3B vs SS. 

Gunnar will see at least 75% of the starts at SS this season.  Providing he hits enough and makes the OD roster, Holiday will be the primary 2B, meaning 50% or more of the starts there go to Jackson. 

Now, in the future, if/when Gunnar outgrows SS, then that’s a different situation.  He should be good to go there for the next several years until he gets to or approaches age 30.  It will be interesting to see how his body has matured when he hits free agency and how that affects his defensive versatility. 

[RZNJ]

17 minutes ago, ThisIsBirdland said:

Thinks for sharing!

Sounds like Mateo is in line to compete with McKenna for the RH backup CF role. It would definitely be nice to open up that roster spot and maintain Mateo’s pinch runner role if he shows he can handle the CF defense requirements. I think he’ll rarely start if this ends up to be the case.

Right.  Mateo playing more outfield is a bad omen for McKenna.

[Ripken]

1 minute ago, RZNJ said:

Right.  Mateo playing more outfield is a bad omen for McKenna.

I would hope so.  I don't really like either player but if Mateo can be backup SS, and backup CF, and pinch runner extraordinaire, alleviating the need for someone like McKenna, than I'm happy to have him.  I don't want him starting much but, beyond that, I really don't want all three of Urias and Mateo and McKenna (or some other backup CF) all on the team.  

[Frobby]

9 minutes ago, oriole said:

Well he’s got the speed to cover CF, does he have the instincts or the arm? And Mullins can’t hit lefties so you’ve got to consider that if Mullins/Mateo were strictly platooned then you’re hypothetically getting the best play out of each player. I don’t think it’s that bad. But yea, if Mateo is playing anywhere in a full time role then I totally agree with you.

Mateo certainly has the arm, a much better arm than Mullins in fact.  I don’t know about instincts but he doesn’t have the experience and is sure to misjudge some balls in the early going.  I’m not betting on him to hit LHP better than Mullins.  He has a career .667 OPS vs. LHP; since switching to batting only lefty in 2021, Mullins has a .698 OPS vs. LHP.