Seeing where the infield is headed

[AnythingO's]

18 minutes ago, Just Regular said:

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.

You can trade my Westy when you can pry him from my cold, dead hands. Mayo needs to replace Mounty-O'Hearn ABs. Why do we still believe Mounty can overcome his lack of selectivity on low ad away? Why do we believe O'Hearn has found it at 30 yrs old when he faded in second half? Santa can play 1B respectably. Mayo needs to learn.

[Just Regular]

9 minutes ago, AnythingO's said:

You can trade my Westy when you can pry him from my cold, dead hands. Mayo needs to replace Mounty-O'Hearn ABs. Why do we still believe Mounty can overcome his lack of selectivity on low ad away? Why do we believe O'Hearn has found it at 30 yrs old when he faded in second half? Santa can play 1B respectably. Mayo needs to learn.

I could almost picture it that being the "Ben Zobrist" of a Big Orange Machine starting next year could have some juice being the weakest starter wouldn't have.

He's in the 11-12 guys one way or the other who if we are very lucky are coming for all 7000 PA of the Orioles in upcoming seasons.

Sigbot wants a run of 20000 consecutive PA during which Jordan Westburg is the WORST bat with a 113 wRC+.      There Will Be Runs.

The '23 Braves laid down the juggernaut blueprint - zero at bats for weaklings!

If Kjerstad-Mayo-Basallo become what I hope they can be, I do think an Orioles offense might be able to make a run at the Braves historic .500 team SLG.

The first excellent team of this era did it more with run prevention, but the long haul design leans into run production.

[Aristotelian]

3 hours ago, wildcard said:

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.

Norby would be up getting a shot for most organizations. Ortiz should have gotten a chance last year and Westburg should have been up earlier. I don't mind that Urias played as much as he did and he wasn't bad but I think we could have gotten by without him.

He may start for a couple weeks before Holiday comes up and may continue to get ABs but that doesn't mean we really need him for anything.

[Just Regular]

I still think Norby could have a niche on the end game offenses.

Cowser-Bradfield-Kjerstad may be a strong enough unit their caddy could be more the Benny Ayala or Steve Pearce kind of guy, and the outfield's defensive ceiling may be highest whatever part of 2025 it is Hyde has both Mullins and Bradfield on his roster for a minute.

Mateo or McKenna need to back up Mullins this year, but if Bradfield enters that role in 2025, Norby could get a backup outfielder/DH spot.

No Punches Pulled v. RHP one day may be:

2B Holliday, SS Gunnar, 3B Mayo, 1B Basallo, C Adley, RF Kjerstad, LF Cowser, DH Westburg-Zobrist, CF Bradfield

Norby's handy if some of the lefties have vulnerabilities to the world's Danny Coulombes and John Meanses.

Success for Westburg and Norby might look like Chris Taylor and Enrique Hernandez on the Dodgers.

This all in the time of baseball when prominent MLBPA members guaranteed career earnings are like: Mullins $100M, Santander $80M, Hays $60M, etc.

[OriolesMagic83]

55 minutes ago, Just Regular said:

I could almost picture it that being the "Ben Zobrist" of a Big Orange Machine starting next year could have some juice being the weakest starter wouldn't have.

He's in the 11-12 guys one way or the other who if we are very lucky are coming for all 7000 PA of the Orioles in upcoming seasons.

Sigbot wants a run of 20000 consecutive PA during which Jordan Westburg is the WORST bat with a 113 wRC+.      There Will Be Runs.

The '23 Braves laid down the juggernaut blueprint - zero at bats for weaklings!

If Kjerstad-Mayo-Basallo become what I hope they can be, I do think an Orioles offense might be able to make a run at the Braves historic .500 team SLG.

The first excellent team of this era did it more with run prevention, but the long haul design leans into run production.

I don't know if this team will ever reach .500 SLG, it is built more around plate discipline and getting on base.  How about a .360 OBP?

[sportsfan8703]

9 hours ago, Aristotelian said:

Norby would be up getting a shot for most organizations. Ortiz should have gotten a chance last year and Westburg should have been up earlier. I don't mind that Urias played as much as he did and he wasn't bad but I think we could have gotten by without him.

He may start for a couple weeks before Holiday comes up and may continue to get ABs but that doesn't mean we really need him for anything.

A guy like Norby will be one of our first ST cuts. Crazy depth. Only former #1 prospects of Adley, Gunnar, and likely Holliday, will be given everyday jobs from jump street. Mayo and Basallo have some work to do.

[Just Regular]

11 hours ago, OriolesMagic83 said:

I don't know if this team will ever reach .500 SLG, it is built more around plate discipline and getting on base.  How about a .360 OBP?

The Orioles offense now is kind of at the moment when the jeep crashes in Jurassic Park and Newman (read: MLB pitchers) is like look at the cute little dinosaur.

Rookies breaking in the next couple years, OBP will perhaps stay ahead of SLG, and that actually will be a fun one to follow early.     If the Club avails itself of Jackson Holliday a bunch, can it run near the league lead in OBP?

I'll second a .360 OBP!

Jackson may slug .3xx this year, but it won't be forever.

[RVAOsFan]

If the team decides that Holliday is not ready to be the opening day starting 2B then I really hope Norby gets the opportunity or is traded for pitching.

We are running out of time to see what he can do in the majors before our IF is solidified with Holliday, Henderson, Mayo / Westburg.  I think Norby has done enough in the organization to get a cup of coffee before shipping him off to someone else.

[Frobby]

21 hours ago, RZNJ said:

Approaching his late 20’s?  LOL

Sally: “…and I’ll be 40!!!”

Harry “when?”

Sally: “Some day.”

Edited March 4 by Frobby

[RZNJ]

1 minute ago, Frobby said:

Sally: “…and I’ll be 40!!!”

Harry “when?”

Sally: “Some day.”

Ha.   Meg Ryan.   Anyway, Rutschman is 26 all season.    Just a ridiculous comment as if he’s heading into the twilight of his career.

[Sports Guy]

28 minutes ago, RVAOsFan said:

If the team decides that Holliday is not ready to be the opening day starting 2B then I really hope Norby gets the opportunity or is traded for pitching.

We are running out of time to see what he can do in the majors before our IF is solidified with Holliday, Henderson, Mayo / Westburg.  I think Norby has done enough in the organization to get a cup of coffee before shipping him off to someone else.

The downside to winning…lots of young guys didn’t get the opportunity we hoped last year and won’t get it this year, at least not for a while. 

[Frobby]

3 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

Ha.   Meg Ryan.   Anyway, Rutschman is 26 all season.    Just a ridiculous comment as if he’s heading into the twilight of his career.

Well, most good catchers do peak in games played in their mid/late 20’s.  28 for Realmuto and Posey, for example.  So I agree that in the long run we will want to ease Adley’s workload.  But it’s not an imminent issue.  

[Can_of_corn]

1 minute ago, Sports Guy said:

The downside to winning…lots of young guys didn’t get the opportunity we hoped last year and won’t get it this year, at least not for a while. 

Elias was conservative with promotions when the team wasn't winning.

[Sports Guy]

3 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

Elias was conservative with promotions when the team wasn't winning.

For some yes. But some of these guys weren’t really here yet or weren’t part of the ML equation at that time.

[Sports Guy]

5 minutes ago, Frobby said:

Well, most good catchers do peak in games played in their mid/late 20’s.  28 for Realmuto and Posey, for example.  So I agree that in the long run we will want to ease Adley’s workload.  But it’s not an imminent issue.  

It takes a special kind of stupid to not get what I meant.  First of all, I didn’t say he was in his late 20s..I said he was approaching it..which he is..he’s 27 next year. That’s getting into your late 20s.

And, the comment was done in the context of talking about his playing time and how he needs to play less games, especially compared to last year’s usage. I see you are smart enough to take that next step to realize the discussion is about saving his legs as much as possible over the long haul.

If he was 22 or 23 years old, the discussion about the long term would be different.  Again, that should be obvious to most people.