Colton Cowser 2024

[dystopia]

I’m glad we didn’t trad whim for Cease. I think we would have really regretted that. 

[dystopia]

Just now, dystopia said:

I’m glad we didn’t trad whim for Cease. I think we would have really regretted that. 

trade him*

[ThisIsBirdland]

13 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

Even if it’s not with the Orioles, Hays will still be in the Major Leagues next year and going forward. It’s not little league. These guys are all pros and understand how the business of baseball works. I’m sure Hays, Santander, and even Mullins for that matter, have all understood that they are probably not here for the long haul. They know that they are not just playing for the 2024 Orioles, but auditioning for the other 29 teams (well 28 teams because Oakland/Sacramento/Vegas is such a mess). It’s all part of the business of baseball and sports in general. Anyone can loose their job if they are not performing/get injured and someone who is younger/cheaper comes along and starts performing better.

I wonder what the market for someone like Hays will be. Santander I can see commanding real money, even if its on a 1-year deal.

If Hays really does fill the McKenna role and actually ends up embracing it, is there any way we'd look to bring him back on a short term, low cost deal if his market didn't materialize? I don't think we'd ever tender him a contract at Arb 3 for that role, but I don't know what he'd command in FA either. I really do like what he offers in that RH OF spot where we don't have a clear-cut prospect knocking on the door yet.

With that said if someone offers him a starting job opportunity/salary, I'm sure he'd take it, and I'm guessing at least one team out there would.

[Tony-OH]

9 hours ago, Explosivo said:

If hays continues to scuttle…I think it might be time to send him down to AAA to figure it out and bring Stowers up. Stowers does have success against lefties so he might be a good backup for both Cowser and Mully.

I think Hays is now the new McKenna. He's the 4th outfielder who will fill in for each guy against lefties and late in games against lefties. 

If he can get his bat going, he'll be really good in that role. He's a much better bat sitting on the bench than McKenna IF, and this is a big IF because we don't know this yet. If he's  able to hit when only starting 1-2 a week? Not every player is able to be effective in that role.

[StottyByNature]

I don't think we should be too quick to shovel dirt on Austin Hays.  Cowser is red hot right now and Hyde is correctly putting him in the lineup.  I think the biggest thing is he has gained the confidence he can hit at this level after a really rough try last year.

Still, and I know this is not an earth-shattering statement, Cowser will not end the year with anything close to his current 1.378 OPS and Hays will not end the year with anything close to his current .233 OPS.  Austin will have to be patient but his opportunities will come.  He was an All-Star last year for a reason.

[casadeozo]

2 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

I think Hays is now the new McKenna. He's the 4th outfielder who will fill in for each guy against lefties and late in games against lefties. 

If he can get his bat going, he'll be really good in that role. He's a much better bat sitting on the bench than McKenna IF, and this is a big IF because we don't know this yet. If he's  able to hit when only starting 1-2 a week? Not every player is able to be effective in that role.

Wouldn’t you agree two weeks is too short a sample to relegate Hays to a bench role or strictly against lefties? 
certainly not against it but I’d imagine after being an all star last year Hyde will give him a lot of rope.

[ThisIsBirdland]

3 minutes ago, StottyByNature said:

I don't think we should be too quick to shovel dirt on Austin Hays.  Cowser is red hot right now and Hyde is correctly putting him in the lineup.  I think the biggest thing is he has gained the confidence he can hit at this level after a really rough try last year.

Still, and I know this is not an earth-shattering statement, Cowser will not end the year with anything close to his current 1.378 OPS and Hays will not end the year with anything close to his current .233 OPS.  Austin will have to be patient but his opportunities will come.  He was an All-Star last year for a reason.

Pretty amazing that we'd happily take both a .500 reduction from Cowser's OPS and a .500 increase to Hays' OPS 

[dystopia]

2 minutes ago, casadeozo said:

Wouldn’t you agree two weeks is too short a sample to relegate Hays to a bench role or strictly against lefties? 
certainly not against it but I’d imagine after being an all star last year Hyde will give him a lot of rope.

What would you do? Sit Cowser? Come on. 

[Gofannon]

Austin Hays, at the very least, is a solid 4th outfielder on this team, able to play any outfield position, with a major league track record.  He's not going to hit below .100.  I hope he's in the lineup tonight... in place of O'Hearn.

On a different note, Kevin Brown's "HOLY COWSER!!!" exclamation on the 10th inning shot is up there with Gary Thorne's "Trumbo BUMBOOOOOOOOO" among favorite home run calls of the last 10 years.

[Tony-OH]

3 minutes ago, StottyByNature said:

I don't think we should be too quick to shovel dirt on Austin Hays.  Cowser is red hot right now and Hyde is correctly putting him in the lineup.  I think the biggest thing is he has gained the confidence he can hit at this level after a really rough try last year.

Still, and I know this is not an earth-shattering statement, Cowser will not end the year with anything close to his current 1.378 OPS and Hays will not end the year with anything close to his current .233 OPS.  Austin will have to be patient but his opportunities will come.  He was an All-Star last year for a reason.

While he was off to a terrible starts this year, this is not based on just his poor start this year. In his last 332 PAs, dated back to June 21st last year, Hays has slashed .215/.277/.343/.620 with a 25-86 BB-K ratio. 

So we have a significant amount of time to determine that Hays probably should not be an everyday outfielder at this time, especially for a team with World Series aspirations.

Will he get a chance to start for someone next year at 29-years old, perhaps, but barring an injury or Cowser just losing it over an extended time frame, I think he's 4th outfielder here. With two left-handed hitting starters in Cowser and Mullins, it's good to have him able to cover down for both (of course in different games) against tough lefties.

Cowser has arrived. He's the starting Left Fielder for the Baltimore Orioles.

[ArtVanDelay]

1 minute ago, Gofannon said:

Austin Hays, at the very least, is a solid 4th outfielder on this team, able to play any outfield position, with a major league track record.  He's not going to hit below .100.  I hope he's in the lineup tonight... in place of O'Hearn.

On a different note, Kevin Brown's "HOLY COWSER!!!" exclamation on the 10th inning shot is up there with Gary Thorne's "Trumbo BUMBOOOOOOOOO" among favorite home run calls of the last 10 years.

There’s no reason Hays should be starting over O’Hearn vs a righty. 

[Tony-OH]

10 minutes ago, casadeozo said:

Wouldn’t you agree two weeks is too short a sample to relegate Hays to a bench role or strictly against lefties? 
certainly not against it but I’d imagine after being an all star last year Hyde will give him a lot of rope.

It hasn't been two weeks. It's been since June 21st of last season. See my post above.

If it were only two weeks and bad spring, I'd say yes, it's probably too early, but it's been much longer.

[Tony-OH]

11 minutes ago, Gofannon said:

On a different note, Kevin Brown's "HOLY COWSER!!!" exclamation on the 10th inning shot is up there with Gary Thorne's "Trumbo BUMBOOOOOOOOO" among favorite home run calls of the last 10 years.

100% Kevin Brown was waiting to use that one. Great call by the way. Sometimes, even in his over excitement at times, Brown gets it right on the mark. That was one of them calls.

[Gofannon]

3 minutes ago, ArtVanDelay said:

There’s no reason Hays should be starting over O’Hearn vs a righty. 

Tonight we face DL Hall, a lefty.

[nvpacchi]

Most noteworthy may be that Cowser torched his HR at 113.8 MPH.  The hardest hit ball he had last year in AAA was 110.3.

If he's really a plus raw power guy and found a new gear to tap into it in games, it reaffirms even more holding onto him.