Austin Hays 2024

[Gunnar]

3 hours 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. 

Agree 100%, one reason we have AAA is for this kind of situation (usually with younger players but... he has an option).

 

[jabba72]

I don't think Hyde really cares about getting Hays AB's when Cowser, Mullins, Santander and O'Hearn are all hitting well. Best bat plays. Unfortunately for Hays. Whenever a slump or the inevitable injury happens, Hays can start seeing some playing time. 

[dystopia]

2 minutes ago, jabba72 said:

I don't think Hyde really cares about getting Hays AB's when Cowser, Mullins, Santander and O'Hearn are all hitting well. Best bat plays. Unfortunately for Hays. Whenever a slump or the inevitable injury happens, Hays can start seeing some playing time. 

He did yesterday, at the expense of one of our hottest hitters. 

[jabba72]

3 minutes ago, dystopia said:

He did yesterday, at the expense of one of our hottest hitters. 

Hays pinch hit for a LHP and also O'Hearn was playing the OF so in that instance it made sense for Hays to get an AB. If it was a RHP he wouldn't have gone in.  

[sportsfan8703]

2 minutes ago, dystopia said:

He did yesterday, at the expense of one of our hottest hitters. 

It’s called resting players. The last game Hays had he hit two balls in play with exit velos over 100 mph. We’re like 1/9th of the way through the season. Hays is essentially a platoon OF now while struggling.

How many people in this thread wanted to send Gunnar down last April?

[dystopia]

Just now, jabba72 said:

Hays pinch hit for a LHP and also O'Hearn was playing the OF so in that instance it made sense for Hays to get an AB. If it was a RHP he wouldn't have gone in.  

Obviously. I’m only saying that Hyde clearly cares about getting Hays ABs. He doesn’t come into the game yesterday otherwise. 
 

I have more faith in O’Hearn vs. the LHP than the current version of Hays and would have preferred O’Hearn to hit in that spot considering we were down a run and he’d be getting another at bat later anyway. 

[dystopia]

1 minute ago, sportsfan8703 said:

It’s called resting players. The last game Hays had he hit two balls in play with exit velos over 100 mph. We’re like 1/9th of the way through the season. Hays is essentially a platoon OF now while struggling.

How many people in this thread wanted to send Gunnar down last April?

Gunnar was a rookie getting his feet wet, Hays is a vet. You don’t hear me calling for Holliday to be sent down. 

[RZNJ]

24 minutes ago, Filmstudy said:

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.

 

24 minutes ago, Filmstudy said:

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 aconsideration 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.

The guy had an intestinal virus or whatever and lost 10 pounds about a month ago.  It’s a non factor.

1. Hays has been really bad but he’s not close to Chris Davis territory.

2. He’s going to get starts once or twice a week as Cowser cools off and to get Mullins and Santander a day off.

3. The Orioles are 12-6 and the offense has been mostly good and that’s been with getting zilch from Holliday.  I’d hardly call them desperate to get Hays bat going against LHP.

I handicap Hays getting sent down at 0%.

[sportsfan8703]

3 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

 

The guy had an intestinal virus or whatever and lost 10 pounds about a month ago.  It’s a non factor.

1. Hays has been really bad but he’s not close to Chris Davis territory.

2. He’s going to get starts once or twice a week as Cowser cools off and to get Mullins and Santander a day off.

3. The Orioles are 12-6 and the offense has been mostly good and that’s been with getting zilch from Holliday.  I’d hardly call them desperate to get Hays bat going against LHP.

I handicap Hays getting sent down at 0%.

Zippy chance Hays goes anywhere. One, it’s SSS.  You just can’t cut guys during slumps. 

You’re never going to have all 9 guys tearing it up at the same time. Everyone is over Urias because Holliday is up. Holliday is struggling. What’s next move onto whatever player is in a slump?  Mountcastle has cooled off. He better get it together

[ShoelesJoe]

48 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

How many people in this thread wanted to send Gunnar down last April?

If Gunnar had hit .204 / .268 / .332 over 81 games and 265 ABs he'd have been sent down, and not a single person here would have objected. 

[Spy Fox]

3 minutes ago, ShoelesJoe said:

If Gunnar had hit .204 / .268 / .332 over 81 games and 265 ABs he'd have been sent down, and not a single person here would have objected. 

But what if he did that after ~3 years of being a productive big leaguer?

[ShoelesJoe]

35 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

You just can’t cut guys during slumps. 

First off, nobody's talking about cutting Hays. The worst that'll happen is he gets sent down to AAA to work on things. 

Second, guys in slumps do actually get DFA'd all the time if the slump lasts long enough.  The question is at what point does a slump become the new normal? Sucking eggs for 10 or 20 games is a slump. Hitting .209 / .270 / .332 over 95 games and 316 ABs wouldn't normally be considered a slump. Hays has been worse than Mateo over that period, and people here were rending garments over Jorge's pathetic offense last year. Since the third week of June last year Austin Hays has been worse offensively than Joey Rickard, Caleb Joseph, and even Austin Wynns were when they played for us. How long did their slumps last? 

[Sports Guy]

Hays has largely been awful (not mediocre) since July 1 of last year.

[RZNJ]

7 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

Hays has largely been awful (not mediocre) since July 1 of last year.

Austin Hays had a .858 OPS in August and a .692 OPS in Sept/Oct.

I believe .858 is considered good while .692 might be considered mediocre.  I’m pretty comfortable saying neither is considered awful.  

[Frobby]

You can slice and dice last year several different ways, but I view this year as a different animal.  I think you’d be hard pressed to find any stretch of 44 PA in Hays’ career where he had a .210 OPS.