Any Interest in Aaron Hicks?

[Rbiggs2525]

In a no doubles defense the ball should have never got behind McKenna. I’ll take Hicks back for the simple fact Kjerstad can get regular AB in Norfolk. Also Mullins hasn’t gotten a break in a while.

[DrungoHazewood]

Did anyone think to look at the Statcast data before wondering out loud if the O's should pick up a guy like Pillar? The last 3-4 years even his range, which is really his calling card, is roughly average, maybe a tick above. The last time his OAA was off the charts was 2016. You know, when Brian Matusz and Ubaldo were still on the Os.

You have to squint pretty hard to see the advantages Pillar brings over McKenna.

[Warehouse]

10 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Did anyone think to look at the Statcast data before wondering out loud if the O's should pick up a guy like Pillar? The last 3-4 years even his range, which is really his calling card, is roughly average, maybe a tick above. The last time his OAA was off the charts was 2016. You know, when Brian Matusz and Ubaldo were still on the Os.

You have to squint pretty hard to see the advantages Pillar brings over McKenna.

Statcast has Pillar with ~ 3 fielding run value over ~400 innings in 2023 and McKenna with a fielding run value of ~0 last year over ~ 350 innings.  Pillar’s xwOBA was .295 and McKenna had an xwWOBA of .276.  
 

I think it likely does not make sense to pick up Pillar for a few days before Hays’ return, but statcast does show some minor advantages over McKenna.

[sportsfan8703]

21 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Did anyone think to look at the Statcast data before wondering out loud if the O's should pick up a guy like Pillar? The last 3-4 years even his range, which is really his calling card, is roughly average, maybe a tick above. The last time his OAA was off the charts was 2016. You know, when Brian Matusz and Ubaldo were still on the Os.

You have to squint pretty hard to see the advantages Pillar brings over McKenna.

I’ll take a great defender that’s lost a step over a player that has low baseball IQ. Also, you can’t tell me that Ryan McKenna has better current defensive athleticism than Pillar or Hicks. 

It’s time to let the “Ferrari” go.

Hicks was a bench OF for an O’s team that won 100 games last year. Pillar was a bench OF for a Braves team that won 100 games last year. McKenna blew a catch last year that cost us a game, and has blown a catch this year that has cost us a game. 

What advantage does McKenna have other than being “homegrown”?  I just want to win. I don’t need to us to try and win with some weird obsession with having all homegrown players. 

Edited April 30 by sportsfan8703

[24fps]

I predict that by next year even Mike Elias won't consider the O's a reasonable landing spot for washed-up vets. 

[sportsfan8703]

1 minute ago, 24fps said:

I predict that by next year even Mike Elias won't consider the O's a reasonable landing spot for washed-up vets. 

So it’s better to have a top 50 prospect sitting on the bench versus guys that could actually fill a role and be a late game sub?  Keep in mind that they were good enough for two of the best teams in MLB last year. 

This fan base is becoming entitled. I guess for the bullpen it’s Mason Miller/Josh Hader or bust. 

[duncankammar]

10 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

So it’s better to have a top 50 prospect sitting on the bench versus guys that could actually fill a role and be a late game sub?  Keep in mind that they were good enough for two of the best teams in MLB last year. 

This fan base is becoming entitled. I guess for the bullpen it’s Mason Miller/Josh Hader or bust. 

I think it is better to have a top 50 prospect than a Kevin Pillar.

[DrungoHazewood]

46 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

I’ll take a great defender that’s lost a step over a player that has low baseball IQ. Also, you can’t tell me that Ryan McKenna has better current defensive athleticism than Pillar or Hicks. 

It’s time to let the “Ferrari” go.

Hicks was a bench OF for an O’s team that won 100 games last year. Pillar was a bench OF for a Braves team that won 100 games last year. McKenna blew a catch last year that cost us a game, and has blown a catch this year that has cost us a game. 

What advantage does McKenna have other than being “homegrown”?  I just want to win. I don’t need to us to try and win with some weird obsession with having all homegrown players. 

I'm skeptical when the "for" case comes down to indefinable intangibles and gut feel about one or two defensive plays. The reality is both Pillar and McKenna are defensive replacements, 5th outfielders, guys who aren't assets with the bat. Pillar's primary advantage appears to be that he can tell the other outfielders stories about back when he had Willie Mays' range. 

As for Hicks... he was a nice story last year. But he's 34 and has about a .650 OPS and a below-average glove over his past 1000 MLB PAs. In an organization loaded with prospects and up-and-coming hitters I really, really don't see the point.

[24fps]

35 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

So it’s better to have a top 50 prospect sitting on the bench versus guys that could actually fill a role and be a late game sub?  Keep in mind that they were good enough for two of the best teams in MLB last year. 

This fan base is becoming entitled. I guess for the bullpen it’s Mason Miller/Josh Hader or bust. 

I think it's better to avoid false choices and gross exaggeration.  It would make me very sad if the Orioles fan base didn't feel entitled to better than Kevin Pillar at this stage of the rebuild.

[DrungoHazewood]

43 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

So it’s better to have a top 50 prospect sitting on the bench versus guys that could actually fill a role and be a late game sub?  Keep in mind that they were good enough for two of the best teams in MLB last year. 

This fan base is becoming entitled. I guess for the bullpen it’s Mason Miller/Josh Hader or bust. 

Good, competitive MLB teams don't usually go through all the trouble to change out roster spots and 40-man spots for a theoretical 2% advantage from the 26th guy on the roster. I pretty much guarantee Elias isn't jumping at the chance to get Pillar over McKenna because he feels a little more like a winner.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

1 hour ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Did anyone think to look at the Statcast data before wondering out loud if the O's should pick up a guy like Pillar? The last 3-4 years even his range, which is really his calling card, is roughly average, maybe a tick above. The last time his OAA was off the charts was 2016. You know, when Brian Matusz and Ubaldo were still on the Os.

You have to squint pretty hard to see the advantages Pillar brings over McKenna.

I looked at Pillar's Fangraphs page yesterday and came to the same conclusion. If Pillar was still a gold glove level fielder he wouldn't be on waivers and would at least have been traded for a prospect.

[Bemorewins]

No real interest for me in either Pillar or Hicks due to the extremely minimal impact that either is likely to make as the 26th man on the roster. 

Hays is getting ready to come back. So there will be no need use for any except for the possibility to take ABs/playing time away from a young player who needs the experience/reps.

[sportsfan8703]

31 minutes ago, DrungoHazewood said:

Good, competitive MLB teams don't usually go through all the trouble to change out roster spots and 40-man spots for a theoretical 2% advantage from the 26th guy on the roster. I pretty much guarantee Elias isn't jumping at the chance to get Pillar over McKenna because he feels a little more like a winner.

Is it only a 2% advantage though?  I count two definite catchable balls the last two seasons that McKenna has failed to catch that has cost us games. 

2023 - Boston drop

2024 - 85% catch expectancy

Meanwhile, all Hicks did last year was do everything we asked him to do including hitting a grand slam in the postseason. 

The sting of the weekend blown saves has subsided. It’s time to dive deeper into those games other than “Kimbrel sucks”. McKenna. He’s a joke. 

Edited April 30 by sportsfan8703

[sportsfan8703]

23 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

No real interest for me in either Pillar or Hicks due to the extremely minimal impact that either is likely to make as the 26th man on the roster. 

Hays is getting ready to come back. So there will be no need use for any except for the possibility to take ABs/playing time away from a young player who needs the experience/reps.

Minimal impact?  Meaning they would catch balls that had a 99.9% and a 85% catch expectancy?  How many games do we need to lose because our defensive replacement can’t make routine plays?  

[bpilktree]

2 hours ago, Rbiggs2525 said:

In a no doubles defense the ball should have never got behind McKenna. I’ll take Hicks back for the simple fact Kjerstad can get regular AB in Norfolk. Also Mullins hasn’t gotten a break in a while.

It was 1st and 2nd no outs so they were not in no doubles type defense as they were playing in some to try and cut down the runner at the plate if need be to keep the lead.