Roch: Holliday, Mayo, Kjerstad, Stowers, Norby, and Al Suarez optioned

[Winter]

Just now, Ohfan67 said:

I'm disappointed. Odor, Frasier, and now Wong all during a time when the organization is stacked with talented infielders. I sure hope Westburg is the opening day starter at 2B, but it will probably be Wong. Pretty bummed. The Orioles just don't seem capable of trusting some of their highly touted minor leaguers (that statement is less about Holliday and more about the older prospects that they have slow rolled). Hopefully it is much ado in a few weeks, but opening day will be slightly less enjoyable for me than if the team was starting Holliday, included Mayo, etc. 

Frazier made some sense, Wong makes none. Westburg has proven he can play in the MLB now and if Holliday/Mayo were up and struggling that is what Mateo/Urias/OHearn would be for. 

[Aristotelian]

53 minutes ago, now said:

This is all valid but obviously not on Elias's list of concerns (fan sentiment). The more grievous disappointment is to lead Holliday on as if he could make the team when it was never the plan.

I am not worried at all about that. I am sure Elias communicated with Holliday and his people and Holliday is mature enough to understand the process. Elias is being disingenuous only with the fans, and I admit I fell for it despite knowing better.

[spleen1015]

 

[Ohfan67]

By the way, Roch seemed pretty certain that Holliday would make the team (at least from the Roch blogs that I read). I'm not a Roch blaster or hater, but it does seem like the coaches and like give him very little to no inside information. 

[rm5678]

3 minutes ago, Ohfan67 said:

By the way, Roch seemed pretty certain that Holliday would make the team (at least from the Roch blogs that I read). I'm not a Roch blaster or hater, but it does seem like the coaches and like give him very little to no inside information. 

From what I saw, Melewski seemed even more certain than Roch did.

[interloper]

1 hour ago, wildcard said:

This looks right to me.    I think Nevin won the DH job vs lefties.  I don't see Wong or McKenna making it to OD.

Vs lefties Mateo  in Center,  Nevin  DHing instead of O'Hearn.

If you think Elias is done trading, I think he is just beginning.    This gives him time to trade Urias and O'Hearn for  pitching.   Kind of like Mancini and Lopez for Johnson , McDermott and Povich.

Instead of DFAing guys and getting nothing for them,  I think Elias trades them for value and then promotes Holliday and Mayo.

I will not be surprised to see Teheran make the team as the long man instead of letting him opt out.   Akin to AAA in spite of his hot spring just because he has an option that allows Elias to keep arms in the organization.

Agree Wong is likely out. They're setting up for these lefties. 

[dabirds]

I see I am not in the vast majority, but I am ok with the move.  I don't see the reason to rush him.  Still very young and had very little experience at AAA.   I was more hoping Mayo would make the team, but guessing his fielding is holding him down.

Now if Westburg does not start most games, than I will not be a happy camper.

And I feel horrible for Stowers.  They really need to trade him, for his own good.

[Ripken]

1 minute ago, interloper said:

Agree Wong is likely out. They're setting up for these lefties. 

So, Elias thinks Nevin is a better hitter than Mayo?

[interloper]

1 minute ago, Ripken said:

So, Elias thinks Nevin is a better hitter than Mayo?

I doubt it. But it doesn't matter because Mayo is in AAA and Nevin is still here. The reason is irrelevant, I'm just saying who I think is more likely to make the team right now. 

[SilverRocket]

33 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

Gunnar didn't mash lefties last season and especially not in the first half yet we found a way to be okay with him...lol

I think that was a different situation because he was up in September the year before, so he'd already accumulated a month of service time. He'd have to be down for a month and a half to get the extra year, not two weeks.

[HowAboutThat]

18 minutes ago, Winter said:

Frazier made some sense, Wong makes none. Westburg has proven he can play in the MLB now and if Holliday/Mayo were up and struggling that is what Mateo/Urias/OHearn would be for. 

Frazier made no sense. And he was terrible. Westburg getting his feet wet wouldn’t have been worse.

[Ripken]

1 minute ago, interloper said:

I doubt it. But it doesn't matter because Mayo is in AAA and Nevin is still here. The reason is irrelevant, I'm just saying who I think is more likely to make the team right now. 

Sure.  You don't make the roster decisions.  This is about service time and nothing else.  Elias can't say that so it's fine.  I never thought JH or Mayo would make the team.  Actions speak louder than words.  The part that we might keep Nevin over Wong because the team needs a RH bat though it silly.  They both stink.  

[Cheetos]

48 minutes ago, dtk9119 said:

I guess the other thing that eats at me is that the options other than Holliday are better than him how exactly? We are not putting the BEST 26 players on the OD roster.

Wouldn’t the most important thing be to have the BEST 26 players playing at their BEST at the end of the season when it counts the most?

Edited March 22 by Cheetos

[Tony-OH]

57 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I have no problem with the decision to send Elias down, nor do I have a problem with anything he said about Holliday’s chances of making the team this offseason.  And, I think the reasons he gave for why Holliday didn’t make the team are legitimate.   I don’t know what Holliday’s stats against LHP were this spring, but I definitely saw some pretty poor at bats against them, both at games I attended and ones I watched on TV.

So, let the kid go back to Norfolk, get more experience, play some more 2B, etc.   We’ve seen every other prospect, including Adley and Gunnar, have at least a couple hundred at bats at Norfolk before making the jump to the majors.  If that’s what Elias thinks is best for Holliday’s development, I’m absolutely fine with it.  

Now, if the O’s wait until very shortly after the April 11 cutoff for accruing 172 days of service and then call him up, I’ll consider that a crass attempt at service time manipulation.  But I’ll place a strong wager that we won’t see Holliday for at least 6 weeks, and then only if he’s dominating at Norfolk and there’s a need at the major league level.   
 

Elias very well may keep Holliday down longer than the short amount of time needed to gain an extra year, but make no mistake, Mayo and Holliday are ready even if Holliday may still very well need to improve against left-handed pitching. Mayo just didn't have a spot unless he was willing to DH him, but Elias seems to want O'Hearn in that role against righties. 

Honestly, the service manipulation makes sense. Getting a whole season of control for a few weeks of them being in the minors (or more if the team is winning and there's not a need) with legitimate big leaguers already in place makes sense. 

I don't think Mayo or Holliday had any real chance of making the team this spring unless an injury or trade occurred. The only question is when will they get their shots?

[Tony-OH]

25 minutes ago, spleen1015 said:

 

Elias is very sharp no doubt. His ability to communicate to the press over his previous comments like, "Lift off" and now the Holliday comments is really well done. Basically he's saying they were only going to make it with injuries.

Again, the service manipulation makes sense in the long run. Would we all prefer to see Holliday and Mayo in the lineup, sure, but I'd rather see them in Orioles uniforms in 2030 for sure if that means a few weeks or so more in the minors.