Elias Interview on Baltimore (local) radio station

[Bemorewins]

7 minutes ago, ThisIsBirdland said:

There's 486 starts at these 3 INF positions over a 162 game season (121 starts per player), plus DH starts. I think they can rotate the 4 players and still achieve 130+ starts for each of them, especially if they play Mayo at 1B some. I would be disappointed if Mayo's arm was limited by him playing exclusively at 1B.

That would be a good problem to have IMO. I guess they could play Westburg at 1B to accommodate Mayo’s arm? But the impression that I go is that they like Westburg at 3B right now. Elias even said something to the effect that Westberg has 3B nailed down.

This is my opinion (not anything I got from what Elias said) but I don’t like the idea of limiting Henderson or Holliday to 130 games for any reason. They are 150+ game players (franchise cornerstone guys) until proven otherwise.

[Bemorewins]

Just now, brooooksy said:

I didn’t hear it, but that’s my impression of watching Hyde manage lineups over a season. Also because Elias is pretty vague and often nondescript during interviews

He was pretty specific about some things in this interview especially about Holliday. He all but came out and said 2B is the kid’s to lose this Spring. 

Some posters have been asserting that the Orioles will slow play Holliday this year and leave him in AAA for some arbitrary reason for most of the season. But that is not how you handle a guy who the org felt was ready to make the very unusual jump of 4 levels during one single season. The only other player that I can think of who did that in recent memory is ARod.

[sportsfan8703]

8 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

Elias admitted that he was dodging that question about Woodruff. 

That could be the case about Holliday and Elias could be lying/misleading fans. But I’m not sure what the incentive he would have for doing that given the unbelievable momentum the team has in this market heading into this season. Is that the impression you got from what Elias said in the interview?

My impression was that he feels this is the best way that Holliday has the quickest chance to make the team. Plus he seems to be really pleased with Henderson at SS and Westburg at 3B.

Thanks for passing along the info. It’s awesome, but you don’t have to feel obligated to defend what Elias said. 

We all want Holliday on the team asap. Heck, I was saying this time last year that he would pull a Gunnar and be up last September. Maybe he should’ve, but at this point we have to keep him down. He’ll live. We’ll live. 

Woodruff would be interesting because when has Elias ever had a “luxury” move?  Woodruff would 100% be that. If Elias has to bang the table for a move then I would say he’s done that so far for a CYA winner, but he might only have so many of those. So far he’s had 1 since being hired. Heck, maybe Kimbrel was 1. 

[Sports Guy]

Are there any of you who still think Holliday is getting the Gunnar treatment?

[Bemorewins]

1 minute ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Thanks for passing along the info. It’s awesome, but you don’t have to feel obligated to defend what Elias said. 

We all want Holliday on the team asap. Heck, I was saying this time last year that he would pull a Gunnar and be up last September. Maybe he should’ve, but at this point we have to keep him down. He’ll live. We’ll live. 

Woodruff would be interesting because when has Elias ever had a “luxury” move?  Woodruff would 100% be that. If Elias has to bang the table for a move then I would say he’s done that so far for a CYA winner, but he might only have so many of those. So far he’s had 1 since being hired. Heck, maybe Kimbrel was 1. 

My hope is that once the transfer of control of the team goes through, Elias won’t have to bang the table much. But he will have the full support of a much more wealthy, competitive ownership who gives him the tools/financial resources that he needs to do what he feels gives us the best chance to be champions. 

Thankfully the awfulness of Angelos is almost over!

[ChuckS]

9 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

He was pretty specific about some things in this interview especially about Holliday. He all but came out and said 2B is the kid’s to lose this Spring. 

Some posters have been asserting that the Orioles will slow play Holliday this year and leave him in AAA for some arbitrary reason for most of the season. But that is not how you handle a guy who the org felt was ready to make the very unusual jump of 4 levels during one single season. The only other player that I can think of who did that in recent memory is ARod.

You may disagree with it, but keeping Holliday in Triple A for a few weeks to likely gain an extra year of control isn’t arbitrary. He could also use some defensive seasoning at a new position. 

Despite what Elias says in an interview, I think he’s already made his mind up about Holliday, pending dramatic events. Whether that’s having him out there on OD or not, I have no idea. 

Edited February 7 by ChuckS

[Bemorewins]

Just now, Sports Guy said:

Are there any of you who still think Holliday is getting the Gunnar treatment?

I don’t and never really did. I always say Holliday in his own class because of how they promoted him. You do promote someone at lightening speed only to park them at AAA for arbitrary reasons. It appeared to me all along that the goal was to get him to the bigs as soon as possible.

[Bemorewins]

2 minutes ago, ChuckS said:

You may disagree with it, but keeping Holliday in Triple A for a few weeks to likely gain an extra year of control isn’t arbitrary. He could also use some defensive seasoning at a new position. 

Despite what Elias says in an interview, I think he’s already made his mind up about Holliday, pending dramatic events. Whether that’s having him out there on OD or not, I have no idea. 

Nobody knows with 100 percent certainty not even Elias. Things have to obviously play out of the field this Spring.

I think under the old system and the outgoing owner that made the most sense. However, with the draft pick consideration to gain from a top 2 rookie of the year finish (also given the likelihood of Carter from TEX’s fierce competition with Holliday for award), it may make sense to start with him on OD. 

Additionally with the projected series influx of financial resources coming by way of the 3 billions who will be owning our team and their desire to win a World Series, I think it is fairly likely that there will be extensions given to some of our stars. And even if we lose some/one, we will most certainly have the cash to swim in the deep end of FA. 

[Aristotelian]

2 hours 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.

Could open a spot for Tyler Nevin! I actually like it, Mateo has the skills to defend anywhere and that is a great role for him. If we don't need McKenna that could open a path for both Kjerstad and Cowser to make the team, or perhaps Norby.

[Aristotelian]

19 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

He was pretty specific about some things in this interview especially about Holliday. He all but came out and said 2B is the kid’s to lose this Spring. 

Some posters have been asserting that the Orioles will slow play Holliday this year and leave him in AAA for some arbitrary reason for most of the season. But that is not how you handle a guy who the org felt was ready to make the very unusual jump of 4 levels during one single season. The only other player that I can think of who did that in recent memory is ARod.

There is a middle ground between slow playing a top prospect most of the season and starting him in MLB on opening day with fewer AAA AB's than Adley or Gunnar and questions about defense. There is the extra year of service time and super two. These aren't arbitrary reasons. Admittedly, reading this thread is making me more optimistic we will see him opening day but I will still be surprised. To me the biggest news here is that it seems they are shifting him to 2B which a lot of us have been suggesting. 

[Bemorewins]

6 minutes ago, Aristotelian said:

There is a middle ground between slow playing a top prospect most of the season and starting him in MLB on opening day with fewer AAA AB's than Adley or Gunnar and questions about defense. There is the extra year of service time and super two. These aren't arbitrary reasons. Admittedly, reading this thread is making me more optimistic we will see him opening day but I will still be surprised. To me the biggest news here is that it seems they are shifting him to 2B which a lot of us have been suggesting. 

There are pros and cons to both approaches of handling prospects. IMO they tried to slow play Adley and still didn’t get the extra year. And they delayed Grayson’s promotion in ‘22 and he got hurt. 

I just think if they were going to leave him in AAA to start this year in order to game the system there would be better ways to do that the promoting him at lightening speed all last year AND moving him to 2B to start the year. They could just leave him at SS and tell him he has things to work on while knowing all along that you need to move him to 2B at the big league level this delaying his promotion even more when he has to go and then work on that.

[Os4days]

I get that Gunnar deserves to be the every day SS especially if he expressed his opinion that he wants to play there and he’s not moving around. However I prefer him at 3B with Jackson at SS and Westburg at 2B. To me that is the best defensive alignment as I think Westburgs arm isn’t as strong at 3B.  I get it that we still have Urias who can play a couple times a week at 3B so sitting Westburg is more likely than sitting Gunnar. 

It’s not ideal having a 20 year old playing in the bigs for the first time while trying to learn a new position. I understand he has played there and will have all of spring training but if he is as good as we think he will be then put him at SS.
 

 

[Jagwar]

31 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Are there any of you who still think Holliday is getting the Gunnar treatment?

What exactly is the Gunnar treatment?

[forphase1]

24 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Are there any of you who still think Holliday is getting the Gunnar treatment?

Do I THINK he's getting the Gunnar treatment?  No,  not exactly.   Would I be overly surprised or shocked if he does?  Nope.  I'm very skeptical that he's as destined to be our OD 2nd baseman as most here believe.  It has nothing to do with talent or ability,  just the realities of the business side of things combined with little AAA experience and learning a new position that gives cover to start him in AAA.  I'd have him on the team from OD, unless he looks terrible.  But I expect him to be down long enough to gain the extra year,  maybe enough to miss super 2 status and maybe,  just maybe,  long enough to keep rookie eligibility for 2025.  Hope Elias proves me wrong. 

[Spy Fox]

2 hours 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.

2 hours ago, connja said:

I"m not sure there is a RH backup CF/OF role if Cowser and Krjstad both are ready to go.

Yeah, I think McKenna's time on the active roster is over unless there are injuries. And I don't expect to see much or any of Hilliard either. They will live with Hays/Mateo as the right handed CF when they need one, in order to get both Cowser/Kjerstad-- and/or maybe Stowers, as discussed elsewhere today-- onto the roster.