Jordan Westburg 2024

[Tony-OH]

10 hours ago, Can_of_corn said:

He's got an ERA under 2.  He's a quality starting pitcher that was known to be on the market.

I mean, besides that!

[RZNJ]

36 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

At what point do our bats start to get a little added bump in value given the success of our recent hitting prospects?

Also, we’ll start to build a playoff bullpen at the deadline. It’s better to start the year with some flexibility so that we can rotate fresh arms. 

Remember that it took Cole Ragans for Texas to get Chapman last year. 

Cole Reagan’s was ranked the #19 Rangers prospect before last season and was a mediocre bullpen pitcher.   Great trade by KC.

[Tony-OH]

5 hours ago, Filmstudy said:

His power is the real thing, even though it may be marginalized by OPACY to some degree.  I am loving the gap and off-field power to date.

Westburg's success is part of the reason I really want Norby to get a shot.

Norby in 167 AAA games: .296/.363/.504/.867 over ages 22-24

Westburg in 158 AAA games: .283/.366/.533/.899 over ages 23-24

I'm aware Westburg is (especially with information we have now) the better defensive prospect, which makes a lot of difference, but with the organization short on RHBs who can actually hit, Norby would more likely than not be a nice role player/4th OF/emergency IF/PH at a min. His L/R splits are not much different over the last 3 years, which I would take as a good thing.  He can relieve LHB of big platoon disadvantages and stay in the game with minimal matchup risk if that holds at the MLB level.

Westburg consistently hits the ball harder than Norby. I'm not against Norby getting a shot, in fact I would send Holliday back to AAA and give him a shot until Holliday can reset a bit, but Westburg definitely hits the ball harder more consistently than Norby.

[Sports Guy]

1 minute ago, Tony-OH said:

With his success this year, Westburg seems so much more relaxed and affable. This was a great interview between the two of these guys. 

In no way do I think Westburg is playing well only because Cowser is here.

That said, those 2 are really close, maybe closer than any 2 players on the team and I bet it helps relax him knowing his best friend is there and that he is also doing well. 
 

Everyone enjoys going to work more if you get along with your co-workers and something like baseball, which is so different than any other job for so many reasons, really enhances that imo.

The yin/yang thing seems appropriate for those 2.

[Tony-OH]

Just now, Sports Guy said:

In no way do I think Westburg is playing well only because Cowser is here.

That said, those 2 are really close, maybe closer than any 2 players on the team and I bet it helps relax him knowing his best friend is there and that he is also doing well. 
 

Everyone enjoys going to work more if you get along with your co-workers and something like baseball, which is so different than any other job for so many reasons, really enhances that imo.

The yin/yang thing seems appropriate for those 2.

I agree, they seem so natural together with their different personalities. Let's hope we're talking about them for the next ten years or so!

[interloper]

2 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Westburg consistently hits the ball harder than Norby. I'm not against Norby getting a shot, in fact I would send Holliday back to AAA and give him a shot until Holliday can reset a bit, but Westburg definitely hits the ball harder more consistently than Norby.

Yeah. Norby is a great prospect, but he is not going to be on the level of a Westburg or Ortiz IMO. 

[Sports Guy]

6 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Westburg consistently hits the ball harder than Norby. I'm not against Norby getting a shot, in fact I would send Holliday back to AAA and give him a shot until Holliday can reset a bit, but Westburg definitely hits the ball harder more consistently than Norby.

Do you find this to be an issue with Norby or is this just in comparison with Westburg?

[Tony-OH]

15 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Do you find this to be an issue with Norby or is this just in comparison with Westburg?

Here are the Norfolk AVG EVs this year. Norby is ok, but pretty far behind Westburg and Westburg is doing it against major league pitching.

[Warehouse]

18 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

Here are the Norfolk AVG EVs this year. Norby is ok, but pretty far behind Westburg and Westburg is doing it against major league pitching.

And his 2023 avg EV was 86.5 with 35% hard hit rate.   

[LookinUp]

2 hours ago, Bemorewins said:

The issue for me is not his ability with the bat in his hands. It is the lack of starting pitching talent/depth throughout the org. And what that will look like if/when Burnes leaves via free agency.

This time next year, there's a fair chance that all of Urias, Santander (switch hitter) and O'Hearn won't be on the roster. Add in that Hays will be getting expensive and there's a lot of opportunity for a very cheap and very good Norby to have a spot on this team. It's just next year. 

I know that's not the timeline that people are thinking about, but Elias has it tee'd up for Norby if he wants to go that route.

[Bemorewins]

2 minutes ago, LookinUp said:

This time next year, there's a fair chance that all of Urias, Santander (switch hitter) and O'Hearn won't be on the roster. Add in that Hays will be getting expensive and there's a lot of opportunity for a very cheap and very good Norby to have a spot on this team. It's just next year. 

I know that's not the timeline that people are thinking about, but Elias has it tee'd up for Norby if he wants to go that route.

O’Hearn has a team option at a very affordable price. If he hits (like he has been since he has been here), it is likely that he will stay. 

Kjerstad will likely slot in for Santander and that still leaves a place to be found for Mayo. Both of those players are ahead of Norby. And then there is Basallo who will be ready for promotion some time next year.

Now if you are okay with trading one of them then that’s one thing. But saying that things are perfectly aligned for Norby, I don’t get it. We already have a very crowded MLB roster (for position players). And there are 4 other prospects (including Holliday) ahead of Norby.

[LookinUp]

13 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

O’Hearn has a team option at a very affordable price. If he hits (like he has been since he has been here), it is likely that he will stay. 

Kjerstad will likely slot in for Santander and that still leaves a place to be found for Mayo. Both of those players are ahead of Norby. And then there is Basallo who will be ready for promotion some time next year.

Now if you are okay with trading one of them then that’s one thing. But saying that things are perfectly aligned for Norby, I don’t get it. We already have a very crowded MLB roster (for position players). And there are 4 other prospects (including Holliday) ahead of Norby.

I actually didn't realize that O'Hearn had a $7.5 million option in 2025. Just cheap enough to pick up, just expensive enough to move.

[deward]

15 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

O’Hearn has a team option at a very affordable price. If he hits (like he has been since he has been here), it is likely that he will stay. 

Kjerstad will likely slot in for Santander and that still leaves a place to be found for Mayo. Both of those players are ahead of Norby. And then there is Basallo who will be ready for promotion some time next year.

Now if you are okay with trading one of them then that’s one thing. But saying that things are perfectly aligned for Norby, I don’t get it. We already have a very crowded MLB roster (for position players). And there are 4 other prospects (including Holliday) ahead of Norby.

I wouldn't be counting on Basallo just yet. He's not lighting Bowie on fire right now. Not that he can't or won't get going soon, but next year would be an aggressive timetable for a 19 year old.

[LookinUp]

1 minute ago, deward said:

I wouldn't be counting on Basallo just yet. He's not lighting Bowie on fire right now. Not that he can't or won't get going soon, but next year would be an aggressive timetable for a 19 year old.

You have to assume McCann would be gone. Not necessarily though.

[Bemorewins]

1 minute ago, deward said:

I wouldn't be counting on Basallo just yet. He's not lighting Bowie on fire right now. Not that he can't or won't get going soon, but next year would be an aggressive timetable for a 19 year old.

He turns 20 in August for whatever that's worth.

But if he stays most of this year at AA and then is promoted toward the end of the season and starts next year at AAA, that gives him most of the year to be promoted or at some point in Aug/Sept.

He may need more time? Who knows how his developmental trajectory will go?

What I do know is that with or without him there are not a lot of spots on the MLB roster for position players and with the talent to come, there is going to be a serious making space for them all unless we make a trade(s).