Austin Hays 2024

[O's84]

42 minutes ago, DFA_JR said:

Garret Atkins

I think that was a move by Sweater Vest.  Really one of his head scratching moves.

[casadeozo]

https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/sports/orioles-mlb/jon-meoli-orioles-austin-hays-slump-FQFSYAYTIRBGTF4Y3SOMN2JXJY/
 

would venture to guess this opinion does not represent the OH opinion?

[interloper]

5 minutes ago, casadeozo said:

https://www.thebaltimorebanner.com/sports/orioles-mlb/jon-meoli-orioles-austin-hays-slump-FQFSYAYTIRBGTF4Y3SOMN2JXJY/
 

would venture to guess this opinion does not represent the OH opinion?

I actually do kind of agree with this. Austin Hays is not suddenly a sub-.100 hitter. Hyde just happens to have a red-hot Cowser available. 

This team is probably going to need Austin Hays before all is said and done and it's a good idea to try and get him rolling when you find the opportunity. It's definitely a challenge for Hyde. 

Edited April 15 by interloper

[Frobby]

8 minutes ago, interloper said:

I actually do kind of agree with this. Austin Hays is not suddenly a sub-.100 hitter. Hyde just happens to have a red-hot Cowser available. 

This team is probably going to need Austin Hays before all is said and done and it's a good idea to try and get him rolling when you find the opportunity. It's definitely a challenge for Hyde. 

It’s a tricky situation.  You definitely can’t justify sitting Cowser while he’s incandescent and Hays is colder than an ice cube at the South Pole.  But Hays needs to get opportunities to snap out of it, which he’s shown slight signs of doing in the last few games.  

[interloper]

6 minutes ago, Frobby said:

It’s a tricky situation.  You definitely can’t justify sitting Cowser while he’s incandescent and Hays is colder than an ice cube at the South Pole.  But Hays needs to get opportunities to snap out of it, which he’s shown slight signs of doing in the last few games.  

Right. You have to at least find out because otherwise, you are playing with a 25-man roster. So he either improves or he doesn't in which case you have a tough decision to make. But right now he's a $6 million McKenna without the speed. We know he's more than that. 

It's a good time to get him in there against a pitcher who will sometimes throw 95 mph meatballs, which is a pitch Hays usually doesn't miss many of. 

Edited April 15 by interloper

[Mooreisbetter27]

Someone mentioned on a broadcast that he was under the weather during a lot of spring training. 

If that's true... I wonder how much it sapped his strength because even balls he hit hard (like the one to right field the other night) didn't travel like some of his well struck balls in the past have.  

That's all conjecture though. 

[ThisIsBirdland]

 

[Jagwar]

Is Cowser’s performance basically turning Austin Hays into the Ryan McKenna of this roster?

[Frobby]

1 hour ago, Jagwar said:

Is Cowser’s performance basically turning Austin Hays into the Ryan McKenna of this roster?

If he keeps it up, sure.  Best players play. 

[interloper]

1 hour ago, Jagwar said:

Is Cowser’s performance basically turning Austin Hays into the Ryan McKenna of this roster?

It's pretty wild to see him used as a strict defensive replacement in some of these games. 

But if you're Hyde who are you sitting to get him in, let's say, tomorrow's game? Tony with two hits tonight and you just rested him, Cowser with 2 hits to shake off the 0-4, Mullins is hot, O'Hearn is hot. 

Edited April 17 by interloper

[ShoelesJoe]

Hays was 0-2 on Wednesday, and is 1-28 in April with 1BB and 6Ks. In his last 81 games and 265 AB he's at .204 / .268 / .332. People are asking if Hays is the new Ryan McKenna, but I don't know if McKenna was ever this bad at the plate for that amount of time. 

[Brooks The Great]

4 hours ago, ShoelesJoe said:

Hays was 0-2 on Wednesday, and is 1-28 in April with 1BB and 6Ks. In his last 81 games and 265 AB he's at .204 / .268 / .332. People are asking if Hays is the new Ryan McKenna, but I don't know if McKenna was ever this bad at the plate for that amount of time. 

Not even a platinum glove is worth that kind of abysmal production at the plate.

Elias should capitalize on Hays' option and send him to Norfolk to play every day. If there's an injury to one of the OF's on the major league roster or he gets into a groove at the plate, call him back up. Give Stowers an opportunity - even just as a sparingly-used 4th OF - to reward him for multiple seasons of good production in the minors. 

[Can_of_corn]

11 minutes ago, Brooks The Great said:

Not even a platinum glove is worth that kind of abysmal production at the plate.

Elias should capitalize on Hays' option and send him to Norfolk to play every day. If there's an injury to one of the OF's on the major league roster or he gets into a groove at the plate, call him back up. Give Stowers an opportunity - even just as a sparingly-used 4th OF - to reward him for multiple seasons of good production in the minors. 

Aren't the Tides struggling enough already?

[Moose Milligan]

Hard to look at his start as “just a slump” when factoring in his second half of last year, too. 

[Filmstudy]

The illness and reported weight loss have increased the chance he gets sent down from my perspective.  Let's review:

1. Hays is struggling like we haven't seen since Chris Davis

2. There is no easy way to get him playing time vs any RHP when Cowser, Mullins, Santander, O'Hearn, Mounty, and Rutschman are all hitting

3. The Orioles desperately need his bat to come to life vs LHP but he is a DP waiting to happen

4. That leaves playing time as a defensive replacement and even with the expanded LF at OPACY, that's a modest defensive context and a large offensive responsibility relative to other players in the league

Norby may struggle when he is first called up, but he would give the club what it needs as a viable RHB with some positional versatility for 2 weeks or longer if required and service time can't be a consideration any more for Connor.  That may be long enough to get Hays back on track.

I still think the Orioles may show undue loyalty to Hays as a player-relations move, but that also sends a terrible message to the Norfolk 4 who have to be wondering what they need to do.  I'd now handicap it as 15-25% that he gets sent down by 5/15.