Seeing where the infield is headed

[Sports Guy]

1 hour ago, CaptainRedbeard said:

Yeah this is certainly the ideal scenario. 100% of the games with Adley or Basallo at C, with the other at 1B/DH outside of the necessary rest days. And as much of that at C as Adley can handle.

In theory this would allow 150 games started for each player, keep both Westburg and Mayo, and have Mayo still play a fair amount of 3B (doing 160 G to make the numbers easier):

C - Adley 110, Basallo 50

1B - Mayo 80, Basallo 80

DH - Adley 40, Basallo 20, Holliday 10, Gunnar 10, Mayo 10, Westburg 10, remaining 60 Kjerstad / OF rest days

2B - Holliday 120, Westburg 40

SS - Gunnar 140, Holliday 20

3B - Westburg 100, Mayo 60

In practice maybe Adley/Basallo play a little less, Gunnar/Holliday/Mayo play a little more, and/or Mayo/Westburg play a little OF or they play 1B with Basallo DH more. But that would be the picture. Mayo gets his ~60 3B games from each of Gunnar/Holliday/Westburg getting ~20 DH/rest days, and then you have that depth for injuries. 

For reference Gunnar started 132 games combined at SS/3B last year.

150 games is too much for Adley unless there are several games where he just pinch hits.

115-120ish games at C and another 15-25 at DH.  

Edited March 3 by Sports Guy

[G54377]

Could Westburg ultimately get most of his future starts at LF? Camden Yards is a bit different than other ballparks, doesn't make it easy.

[CaptainRedbeard]

12 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

150 games is too much for Adley unless there are several games where he just pinch hits.

115-120ish games at C and another 15-25 at DH.  

Yeah I was doing that to have 150 for all players. He had that many starts last year but was with 104 starts at C and 46 at DH. If he was 115 starts at C, which is what the top C did last year (except Realmuto), he’d have to DH less.

[RZNJ]

2 minutes ago, CaptainRedbeard said:

Yeah I was doing that to have 150 for all players. He had that many starts last year but was with 104 starts at C and 46 at DH. If he was 115 starts at C, which is what the top C did last year (except Realmuto), he’d have to DH less.

This is an ongoing disagreement I have with certain posters.  These are professional athletes.  It’s not an adult softball league.   Physically speaking, being a DH is a day off.   Unless someone is going to confirm that on a day off that Rutschman won’t partake in batting practice, any pre-game drills, etc.   I’m not buying that getting up 4 times and maybe running the bases a couple of times, isn’t virtually the same as getting a day off.

[btdart20]

1 hour ago, RZNJ said:

This is an ongoing disagreement I have with certain posters.  These are professional athletes.  It’s not an adult softball league.   Physically speaking, being a DH is a day off.   Unless someone is going to confirm that on a day off that Rutschman won’t partake in batting practice, any pre-game drills, etc.   I’m not buying that getting up 4 times and maybe running the bases a couple of times, isn’t virtually the same as getting a day off.

The theory is about "leg care" (along the.lines of arm care for pitchers).  Which includes baserunning.

[Can_of_corn]

7 minutes ago, btdart20 said:

The theory is about "leg care" (along the.lines of arm care for pitchers).  Which includes baserunning.

I think that a mental day off is also a thing at times and you don't get one of those at DH.

[Sports Guy]

15 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

I think that a mental day off is also a thing at times and you don't get one of those at DH.

No doubt. He’s also rapidly approaching his late 20s and while he’s definitely not old, he will need more days off as time goes on, if he is catching a lot…which is what he should be doing.

[RZNJ]

10 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

No doubt. He’s also rapidly approaching his late 20s and while he’s definitely not old, he will need more days off as time goes on, if he is catching a lot…which is what he should be doing.

Approaching his late 20’s?  LOL

[Aristotelian]

Urias has been redundant for a while now. Even if Mayo goes to 1B we have Westburg and Norby as infield options.

[wildcard]

4 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

Urias has been redundant for a while now. Even if Mayo goes to 1B we have Westburg and Norby as infield options.

Urias is not redundant yet.   If Holliday or Mayo make the team on OD Urias may be redundant.  But that is yet to be seen.    Right now Urias and Westburg are at 2B and 3B.    Holliday and Mayo are trying to prove they are ready for the majors.

Norby  is yet to be determined.

Edited March 3 by wildcard

[rm5678]

5 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

Urias has been redundant for a while now. Even if Mayo goes to 1B we have Westburg and Norby as infield options.

Urias looked great defensively today. I was originally thinking that he would get traded, but now I'm not so sure about that.

[Just Regular]

The baseball gods are kind of teasing the Urias family.    Both brothers might be the 24th or 25th best third baseman the MLB Clubs would actually use this April.

Up in Seattle, Luis had shoulder inflammation right away at camp, and reports are he may need the IL to open the season.    Ramon might be able to kick sand in the face of most of their other 3B candidates.

I'm rooting for Ramon to find his path to 500 PA somewhere this year, but that'd be the one spot it'd feel the worst.

[forphase1]

7 minutes ago, Just Regular said:

The baseball gods are kind of teasing the Urias family.    Both brothers might be the 24th or 25th best third baseman the MLB Clubs would actually use this April.

Up in Seattle, Luis had shoulder inflammation right away at camp, and reports are he may need the IL to open the season.    Ramon might be able to kick sand in the face of most of their other 3B candidates.

I'm rooting for Ramon to find his path to 500 PA somewhere this year, but that'd be the one spot it'd feel the worst.

If Urias gets 500 PA, I hope it's with another team.   If he gets that many at bats with the Os that is not a good sign for how Holliday, Westburg and Mayo performed.

[Three Run Homer]

There's no doubt in my mind that Mayo's bat is ready for the majors.  He has more experience and a better track record than Holliday. 

Hearing that Mayo's defense at 3B is showing marked improvement is some of the best news I can imagine hearing about the Orioles this Spring.   If he can handle defense at 3B reasonably well, he's at least as likely as Holliday to make the team.    I'd be very excited for the team to head north with Mayo, Gunnar, Holliday and Westburg.  

[Just Regular]

54 minutes ago, forphase1 said:

If Urias gets 500 PA, I hope it's with another team.   If he gets that many at bats with the Os that is not a good sign for how Holliday, Westburg and Mayo performed.

In case it was unclear, somewhere is one of the other 29 Clubs.    I too hope Westburg-Gunnar-Holliday cover just about all the infield PA, with Mayo breaking in at some point perhaps the 4th guy.     The Orioles are stronger than the Bottom Half of deserving MLB starters at all the infield positions.

Westburg if he thrives might create a tougher role to crack for Mayo than he had to make it into the starting lineup, when he became established at mostly Urias' expense at the end of last year.

If we are very lucky Elias may even be able to find a relief upgrade, even if something less impactful than Tanner Scott in reverse later this spring.