Is Hyde/Sigbot burying another prospect?

[Tony-OH]

Kjersatd was recalled and started in his first game up (Apr 23rd) and had one pinch hit appearance since. He obviously was not going to start against Cortez tonight, but it's pretty clear the Orioles have no intention of rotating out their starters to give him PAs.

Kjerstad meet Stowers, Stowers meet Kjerstad. Hyde/Sigbot treats you the same. 

The Orioles should have moved Kjerstad for an impact reliever this offseason if they had no plans to properly use him once they bring him to the major leagues. Outside of Gunnar and Adley, the Orioles do not treat prospects, at least not the uber prospects, like they need to get at bats. 

They're in first place, so I guess you can't argue with the results, but I do not agree with Kjerstad just wallowing away on the bench. One PA in a week is not how you handle a rookie in my opinion. I'm sure he's not arguing because he's making big league money, but if they were just planning on burying Kjerstad, they should have just brought up Stowers and let Kjerstad play everyday in AAA until they needed him. 

Honestly, they might as well re-sign Hicks and send Kjerstad back if this is the playing time they plan to give this role.

[Bemorewins]

1 minute ago, Tony-OH said:

Kjersatd was recalled and started in his first game up (Apr 23rd) and had one pinch hit appearance since. He obviously was not going to start against Cortez tonight, but it's pretty clear the Orioles have no intention of rotating out their starters to give him PAs.

Kjerstad meet Stowers, Stowers meet Kjerstad. Hyde/Sigbot treats you the same. 

The Orioles should have moved Kjerstad for an impact reliever this offseason if they had no plans to properly use him once they bring him to the major leagues. Outside of Gunnar and Adley, the Orioles do not treat prospects, at least not the uber prospects, like they need to get at bats. 

They're in first place, so I guess you can't argue with the results, but I do not agree with Kjerstad just wallowing away on the bench. One PA in a week is not how you handle a rookie in my opinion. I'm sure he's not arguing because he's making big league money, but if they were just planning on burying Kjerstad, they should have just brought up Stowers and let Kjerstad play everyday in AAA until they needed him. 

Honestly, they might as well re-sign Hicks and send Kjerstad back if this is the playing time they plan to give this role.

It sounds like you are on the side of the fans who want to see some changes with more prospects being recalled and replacing vets? If so, I can appreciate that. 

But what we have learned from Elias over the last several years is that he will be as cautious, careful, and risk avoiding as he can be. It is not likely that Kjerstad (and for that matter Mayo) get everyday reps until next season, once Santander and O'Hearn are no longer on the team.

I just can't see them or most teams in general being willing to replace Santander after a bad April. He did the same thing last year and still had a pretty good season. Now if it's say June/July as he is still performing poorly, I think he will be replaced then.

[Gurgi]

I personally dont think Sig/Elias care what the fans think.  Especially before they are finished the study telling them if they should care what the fans think.  

[Malike]

I am under the impression (possibly, maybe, usually wrong) that he is up here until Hays gets off the IL. I don't think the intention was to keep him on the team all year and then not play him. I think they are probably a bit concerned with his defense being a liability in this series with the Yankees. I do believe he will get his chance at some point this season and hopefully, he runs with it. The job was his to lose in spring training, IMO, and he did just that.

[ChuckS]

It seems it will take Santander struggling severely and Kjerstad simultaneously performing really well under limited opportunities to really effect a change in his playing time. Similar to what happened with Hays/Cowser.  Possibly scenario, but unlikely.  An injury to a one of our outfielders or Mountcastle/O'Hearn is a more likely path to playing time for him. 

They like to run the same guys out there every day.  There should be more of a rotation of off days going on to get a top young prospect like Kjerstad playing time, but they don't like to do that for whatever reason. 

Edited April 30 by ChuckS

[Malike]

Just now, ChuckS said:

It seems it will take Santander struggling severely and Kjerstad simultaneously performing really well under limited opportunities to really effect a change in his playing time. Similar to what happened with Hays/Stowers.  Possibly scenario, but unlikely.  An injury to a one of our outfielders or Mountcastle/O'Hearn is a more likely path to playing time for him. 

They like to run the same guys out there every day.  There should be more of a rotation of off days going on to get a top young prospect like Kjerstad playing time, but they don't like to do that for whatever reason. 

Catching the ball is probably the reason. He doesn't seem adept in the field.

[Tony-OH]

5 minutes ago, Bemorewins said:

It sounds like you are on the side of the fans who want to see some changes with more prospects being recalled and replacing vets? If so, I can appreciate that. 

But what we have learned from Elias over the last several years is that he will be as cautious, careful, and risk avoiding as he can be. It is not likely that Kjerstad (and for that matter Mayo) get everyday reps until next season, once Santander and O'Hearn are no longer on the team.

I just can't see them or most teams in general being willing to replace Santander after a bad April. He did the same thing last year and still had a pretty good season. Now if it's say June/July as he is still performing poorly, I think he will be replaced then.

No, I'm on the side of if you bring up a top prospect, you don't treat him like the 26th man on the bench when you can rotate guys around and keep everyone fresh while keeping you top prospect fresh.

Not sure how that is a hard concept or why you would think I just want to play the prospects over vets.

There are enough at bats between Cowser Mullins, Santander, O'Hearn, Mountcastle and Rutschman to give one a day off so Kjestad can play 4-5 a week.

Giving any player one at bat over a week is not good roster usage and it certainly does not keep a player fresh and game ready. It's almost criminal to do that to a guy OPSing over a 1.000 in AAA. 

If you plan on just running your regulars out there until they get tired, sure, go ahead, but don't bring up Kjerstad. They could have just brought up Stowers to do that.

 

[ChuckS]

1 minute ago, Malike said:

Catching the ball is probably the reason. He doesn't seem adept in the field.

Well, if they don't trust him to put a glove on and catch the ball, he probably should be traded ASAP so that this severe deficiency isn't exposed. 

I don't think it's that simple. I think he's highly regarded by the team, but at the same time they are extremely risk averse to breaking prospects in who aren't named Rutschman, Henderson, or Holliday. 

 

[Bemorewins]

3 minutes ago, Gurgi said:

I personally dont think Sig/Elias care what the fans think.  Especially before they are finished the study telling them if they should care what the fans think.  

I'm pretty sure that the fan opinion doesn't drive most or maybe not any of their decisions. But I am certain that somebody who is high up in the Orioles decision making matrix is concerned about the satisfaction of their customers. Probably not so much under the awfulness of the Angelos regime. But most certainly under the leadership of Rubenstein. I'm very confident in saying that a man as smart and as business savy as him, did not make a decision to purchase the Orioles so that he could then turn around and run a business that wouldn't care about alienating it's customer/potential customer base (and the possible expansion of that base) while not increasing the value on his asset.

[lfallo1]

Dont see Kjerstad getting legit playing time until 2025 unless Santander's struggles are prolonged.  He's also blocked by O'Hearn.   I'd prefer seeing him actually get AB's and PT in Norfolk, but imagine he's up here until Hayes returns.

[Tony-OH]

8 minutes ago, Gurgi said:

I personally dont think Sig/Elias care what the fans think.  Especially before they are finished the study telling them if they should care what the fans think.  

What an idiotic comment. If this is the brilliance you want to bring to the board, keep it to yourself. This is a community for conversation. If you think for one second I think they care what i have to say, then your delusional. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to give my take. That's what i do and if you don't like it, go away and don't post here no more.

[baltfan]

It's hard for me to fault them for having him up against our chief rival in case a pinch hitter is necessary.  I don't know who I would rather have up in this spot under the circumstances.  There is an empty roster spot otherwise.  I do not, however, want him wasting away on the bench for any extended period. 

[Bemorewins]

2 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

No, I'm on the side of if you bring up a top prospect, you don't treat him like the 26th man on the bench when you can rotate guys around and keep everyone fresh while keeping you top prospect fresh.

Not sure how that is a hard concept or why you would think I just want to play the prospects over vets.

There are enough at bats between Cowser Mullins, Santander, O'Hearn, Mountcastle and Rutschman to give one a day off so Kjestad can play 4-5 a week.

Giving any player one at bat over a week is not good roster usage and it certainly does not keep a player fresh and game ready. It's almost criminal to do that to a guy OPSing over a 1.000 in AAA. 

If you plan on just running your regulars out there until they get tired, sure, go ahead, but don't bring up Kjerstad. They could have just brought up Stowers to do that.

 

I don't have an issue with anything you said. I would also like to see him play some more while he is here.

[EddeeEddee]

The way Santander is batting against right handers you have to think Kjerstad will get some chances soon. 

I'm a big Santander fan, so I can understand Hyde's reluctance to sit him, but he's got to start hitting right handers better soon to justify starting him most of the time.  

But also obviously O'Hearn is blocking Kjerstad, which is understandable the way O'Hearn is hitting.

If they want to try Kjerstad against lefties one thing they could do is sit Mullins (who has not hit lefties well this year yet), move Cowser to CF and put Kjerstad in LF against lefties (at least until Hays gets back).  Or sit Cowser occasionally against lefties too and play Hays/McKenna in CF and Kjerstad in LF.  Thing is I doubt Kjerstad hits lefties better than Cowser, at least not yet.  But maybe he hits them better than Mullins and hits better period than Hays.  

We just have to be patient and let these things play out.  I think Hays is the only position player to go down with injury so far this year, otherwise there would have been more opportunities.  

Not moving O'Hearn I think is the big blocker, but if Santander keeps struggling against righties then Kjerstad has to get some chances soon.

[Bemorewins]

3 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

What an idiotic comment. If this is the brilliance you want to bring to the board, keep it to yourself. This is a community for conversation. If you think for one second I think they care what i have to say, then your delusional. But that doesn't mean I'm not going to give my take. That's what i do and if you don't like it, go away and don't post here no more.

You a very fiery today, friend. I get it. I don't begrudge you for your passion.