Enrique Bradfield Jr. 2024

[Sports Guy]

1 minute ago, Tony-OH said:

ENJ is a legitimate prospect so he will just eat up a 40-man spot before he needs to. Elias loves his 40-man roster flexibility and doesn't like guys just eating up space and not able to contribute. 

Plus, this team is not a pinch runner defensive outfielder sub away from winning a World Series. If EBJ was in AAA, maybe, but he just got to AA. 

But he has basically a full month of AA time ahead of him.  
 

I don’t think it’s far fetched to think he could be in a Terrance Gore role if Mateo isn’t coming back.

JR mentioned keeping 12 pitchers…they could go 11 pitchers. You certainly have no need to go 13 pitchers, so you will have at least one and maybe 2 free bench spots.

[Just Regular]

17 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

1.  A player has to be added to the active roster by 8/31 to be eligible for the playoffs.

2.  You don’t option guys off the 40 man roster.   Once added, he’d have to be exposed to waiver claims to be taken off.

I hadn't appreciated that bit of context, though I guess for EBJ and the other prominent MLBPA members it is an episode to see how sharply the Baltimore Orioles compete.

Competition wise, ALWC Game 3 at Minnesota, we are down 1 run, and leading off the 9th Eloy Jimenez grounds a single past a hobbling Carlos Correa.    Does having Bryan Baker on the roster for the series matter more than having Mateo or EBJ for that spot?    If the same scenario arises tomorrow night, I guess Ryan Mountcastle and his bad wrist could pinch run.

I hope Elias doesn't love his 40-man flexibility more than a talent that can help him win.   But @Tony-OHis probably right on that bit.

Edited August 26 by Just Regular

[Warehouse]

8 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

But he has basically a full month of AA time ahead of him.  
 

I don’t think it’s far fetched to think he could be in a Terrance Gore role if Mateo isn’t coming back.

JR mentioned keeping 12 pitchers…they could go 11 pitchers. You certainly have no need to go 13 pitchers, so you will have at least one and maybe 2 free bench spots.

The upside isn’t worth the cost.  For an extremely marginal benefit, we’d effectively have a 39-man roster next year, would go into 2026 with EBJ having 2 instead of 3 options, and would put a damper on EBJ’s trade value next year.

If we were inclined to have a Terence Gore type role for the playoffs, it’s more likely that we would call up Luis Valdez.

[CaptainRedbeard]

15 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

1.  A player has to be added to the active roster by 8/31 to be eligible for the playoffs.

2.  You don’t option guys off the 40 man roster.   Once added, he’d have to be exposed to waiver claims to be taken off.

On #1, I think they would be allowed to use the injury replacement rule with EBJ replacing Mateo to be eligible for the postseason because he was in the org on 8/31.

But I think it’s a moot point, I don’t think the Orioles will put EBJ on the 40-man early just to have him pinch run / defensive replacement in the playoffs.

[Just Regular]

1 minute ago, Warehouse said:

If we were inclined to have a Terence Gore type role for the playoffs, it’s more likely that we would call up Luis Valdez.

For sure any slapdash speedster could do the pinch running part of the gig.

EBJ in the scenario would also upgrade the outfield defense late in games and probably add value relative to Mullins or Santander trying to chase down loud contact off Seranthony Dominguez in the gaps on the off chance it isn't over the wall.

Even more iconically than Terrance Gore, the Dave Roberts 90 feet can matter a lot in a postseason series.

[CaptainRedbeard]

EBJ continuing with a big finish to the year at AA would probably the single best minor league development for the farm system in the rest of the year. Would put him on track for a potential mid/late 2025 debut and a 2026 starting role and likely land him in the middle of some top 100 lists this offseason. So far so good.

[Tony-OH]

19 minutes ago, Sports Guy said:

But he has basically a full month of AA time ahead of him.  
 

I don’t think it’s far fetched to think he could be in a Terrance Gore role if Mateo isn’t coming back.

JR mentioned keeping 12 pitchers…they could go 11 pitchers. You certainly have no need to go 13 pitchers, so you will have at least one and maybe 2 free bench spots.

It's not happening. There is no way Elias is burning a 40-man roster spot for EBJ this early. 

Terrance Gore was a non-prospect who was brought up in that role. If the Orioles are going to do that, they might as well bring up Luis Valdez. They can then DFA him without taking up a 40-man spot this winter. 

No way it happens with EBJ.

[Sports Guy]

28 minutes ago, Warehouse said:

The upside isn’t worth the cost.  For an extremely marginal benefit, we’d effectively have a 39-man roster next year, would go into 2026 with EBJ having 2 instead of 3 options, and would put a damper on EBJ’s trade value next year.

If we were inclined to have a Terence Gore type role for the playoffs, it’s more likely that we would call up Luis Valdez.

There’s a good chance EBJ makes the ML roster in 2025 if he continues to hit. Obviously that’s a big if but if that happens, he will be up.

The Os may take the calculated risk if they feel the pinch runner is that important late in the playoffs, which it can be.

[Just Regular]

Certainly I hope a year from now EBJ can challenge playing at a level similar to an okay Cedric Mullins nearing free agency, the same as Cowser overtook Hays, and Coby Mayo is getting oh so close to overtaking Emmanuel Rivera or Ramon Urias.

[sportsfan8703]

2 hours ago, Sports Guy said:

There’s a good chance EBJ makes the ML roster in 2025 if he continues to hit. Obviously that’s a big if but if that happens, he will be up.

The Os may take the calculated risk if they feel the pinch runner is that important late in the playoffs, which it can be.

It would be pinch runner + Elite OF defender.  Terrance Gore was not a elite OF defender.  

We did just unload a bunch of 40 man types at the deadline.  I think we'd be ok having EBJ on the 40 man.  There isn't really a crunch going on.

[Sports Guy]

4 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

It would be pinch runner + Elite OF defender.  Terrance Gore was not a elite OF defender.  

We did just unload a bunch of 40 man types at the deadline.  I think we'd be ok having EBJ on the 40 man.  There isn't really a crunch going on.

The only issue I have is the defender part. We have seen excellent defenders come up and have issues with the two tiered stadiums and what not. That may be a lot to thrust him into that position for the first time in the playoffs.

[Frobby]

I really think people are overreacting to a good 11-game run in AA.   We’ve all seen how Elias operates.   I could imagine a mid-season promotion to AAA next year if Bradfield puts up a .750 OPS in AA next season.  I’d say his odds of doing that are around 50/50.   

[deward]

1 hour ago, sportsfan8703 said:

It would be pinch runner + Elite OF defender.  Terrance Gore was not a elite OF defender.  

We did just unload a bunch of 40 man types at the deadline.  I think we'd be ok having EBJ on the 40 man.  There isn't really a crunch going on.

I don't think it's the roster spot itself, as much as starting the clock on EBJ's options earlier than you need to.

[sportsfan8703]

6 hours ago, Frobby said:

Or, he just had two pretty good games in the same week?   In an environment where one 4 for 5 game can raise your OPS by .110 points like it did yesterday?

Three weeks to go in Bowie’s season.  Let’s see where Bradfield is then.  I’m glad he’s off to a good  start there.

 

I could see how high A could be tougher than AA in some aspects in regards to how the pitching is used.  In high A, you're getting shorter starts and glorified bullpen games alot.  Which could mean more LHP vs a LHB.  In AA, it seems like teams have determined which players are "starters" and which players are "relievers".  Meaning, pitchers start to have to go through a lineup for a 3rd time in AA.  

Of course there is a talent jump from A+ to AA, but is that sort of offset with shorter outings by "starting pitchers", and those SP not going through a lineup a 3rd time.  Outside of park factors, that could explain why our hitters typically struggle at A+ the most.  You seem the same shorter outings in A ball, but not with the talent in A+.  

Just a thought.

[Tony-OH]

56 minutes ago, Frobby said:

I really think people are overreacting to a good 11-game run in AA.   We’ve all seen how Elias operates.   I could imagine a mid-season promotion to AAA next year if Bradfield puts up a .750 OPS in AA next season.  I’d say his odds of doing that are around 50/50.   

There was a similar questioning by some on whether Morfe would be brought up for the pen. Its just is not going to happen with real prospects. 

We've also seen how Elias works at this point. Very few GMs are going to drop into AA or lower to get a prospect out of the minors to help them unless it's a situation like Manny Machado, and even that probably cost the Orioles an extra year of Manny (Not that it would matter because the window had closed).