Bring up Mayo already!!

[Roll Tide]

7 hours ago, oriolediehard said:

Why are we not bringing up Mayo?  We need hitting!

He needs a spot to play …. We don’t have one outside LF. Are you convinced that he can play a better LF than Kjerstad? I’m not ….

[1fingerwillie]

11 hours ago, oriolediehard said:

Why are we not bringing up Mayo?  We need hitting!

We are limited to 26 players on the roster.

[mddisney]

IMO him and holiday up when rosters expand and BOTH are on a playoff roster, if we make it there... 

[Number5]

3 hours ago, mddisney said:

IMO him and holiday up when rosters expand and BOTH are on a playoff roster, if we make it there... 

Unfortunately, those pesky rules get in the way.

[jdwilde1]

15 hours ago, oriolediehard said:

They are all bat and no glove.  Those are what Elias drafted?

Gunnar Henderson   has 13 errors, which leads the AL.He is also is a plus defender at shortstop and has a dWAR of 1.2 this year and 2.0 last year.  Saying he is all bat and no glove is not accurate.  Errors happen.   Cal Ripken, arguably a top 5 all-time defensive shortstop had 25, 26, and 26 errors from 1983-1985.  Trea Turner has 12, Bobby Witt Jr. has 11, and Volpe has 10.  

[Bahama O's Fan]

Right now, what do think Elias needs to happen for Mayo to be called up? Do you think it's simply about preserving his rookie status for next year? Are there any other reasons? I don't like thinking about having roughly a month of Urias starting every day and Soto starting occasionally. This is how you lose the division. 

[ChuckS]

36 minutes ago, Bahama O's Fan said:

Right now, what do think Elias needs to happen for Mayo to be called up? Do you think it's simply about preserving his rookie status for next year? Are there any other reasons? I don't like thinking about having roughly a month of Urias starting every day and Soto starting occasionally. This is how you lose the division. 

It's hard for me to imagine that if there are concerns over Mayo's defense at 3B, he's going to magically get to the point to where it's acceptable over the next month.  The bat is obviously ready.  He's getting more reps at 1B lately, so I would lend more credence to that being a reason to keep him down a bit longer.  To get comfortable at first base.  

Considering they have Henderson, Holliday, and Westburg who all figure to be everyday infielders, this conversion to first base should have happened a lot sooner.  But here we are.  Perhaps the Westburg injury changes things and we see him playing more 3B again over the next few weeks. That would tell me they are prepping him for a call-up to play 3B in Baltimore. 

Most likely, the FO sees him as a guy who will float between 3B, 1B, and DH and the Westburg injury isn't going to change their approach with him. 

Edited August 1 by ChuckS

[CaptainRedbeard]

Mayo getting some run at 3B should hopefully provide some finality in determining his defensive home next year. Looking ahead, that’s the key to deciding who goes off the roster this offseason.

Right now, the bench projects to be (1) right handed OF (Pache or trade/FA), (2) Urias, (3) Mateo, (4) backup C. Starting OF of Cowser and 2 of Santander/Mullins/Kjerstad - likely either Santander goes as a FA or Santander is re-signed and they trade Kjerstad, since they’re probably not trading/nontendering Mullins and putting Kjerstad in LF. 

So how does Mayo fit in? If he’s only playing 1B, Mountcastle essentially has to be traded. But if Mayo can play 3B, Urias or Mateo goes. And Mateo probably is preferred over Urias for the 2B/SS defense and speed off the bench.

Mayo could be shifted to RF and you could in theory put him in that right handed bench OF role, since you have two CFs in Mullins/Cowser. But the issue is OPACY LF - they’re not going to want Kjerstad/Santander or Mayo in LF. Pretty much has to be a different righty OF with better defense. 

[RZNJ]

1 hour ago, Bahama O's Fan said:

Right now, what do think Elias needs to happen for Mayo to be called up? Do you think it's simply about preserving his rookie status for next year? Are there any other reasons? I don't like thinking about having roughly a month of Urias starting every day and Soto starting occasionally. This is how you lose the division. 

I think his defensive play at 3B and 1B made them nervous.   He may have originally been brought up as a 3B call up right before he hurt his rib.   Then, closer to the trade deadline he started playing more 1B.   They may have seriously been considering trading Mountcastle and using Mayo as DH/1B and then either got cold feet about the idea due to Mountcastle hitting better as of late and Mayo’s combination of cooling off offensively and not looking ready for even part time 1B duty.

[interloper]

2 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

I think his defensive play at 3B and 1B made them nervous.   He may have originally been brought up as a 3B call up right before he hurt his rib.   Then, closer to the trade deadline he started playing more 1B.   They may have seriously been considering trading Mountcastle and using Mayo as DH/1B and then either got cold feet about the idea due to Mountcastle hitting better as of late and Mayo’s combination of cooling off offensively and not looking ready for even part time 1B duty.

Trading Mountcastle looked like an increasingly unhinged idea the closer they got to the deadline, with him saving throws from Gunnar, and then trading a main RH bat in Hays, and Mayo not doing well at 1B. 

That whole rumor of Mounty/Mullins was neat to ponder, but I wonder how much truth there was to it. They did pick up Garrett Cooper on a minor league deal, but that might just be because there's like zero 1B depth in the system. 

[OriolesUpAndDowns]

Hopefully he can get his throws in check as a 3b.  It would be a shame to waste that cannon of a right arm he has at 1b/DH.  

[CaptainRedbeard]

23 minutes ago, RZNJ said:

I think his defensive play at 3B and 1B made them nervous.   He may have originally been brought up as a 3B call up right before he hurt his rib.   Then, closer to the trade deadline he started playing more 1B.   They may have seriously been considering trading Mountcastle and using Mayo as DH/1B and then either got cold feet about the idea due to Mountcastle hitting better as of late and Mayo’s combination of cooling off offensively and not looking ready for even part time 1B duty.

I think this is exactly what happened. Once Holliday was sent down, Mayo was in play as a callup for 3B shifting Westburg to 2B. Then Mayo got hurt, and at some point they decided the best route would be to trade Mountcastle and play Mayo at 1B. Maybe it was Mayo’s defense at 3B, maybe surveying the market and thinking it was a good time to trade Mountcastle, maybe planning on calling Holliday up sooner rather than later - maybe all of the above  

That unusual trade deadline swap of minor leaguers with PIT (Cook for Reilly) is essentially a confirmation they were talking with PIT about trading them Mountcastle. That was a very obvious trade fit given PIT’s need for a 1B that for this year but who also wouldn’t be a rental. Both teams were clearly scouting their respective minor league systems, and for whatever reason the bigger trade plans fell through and they settled on a smaller trade of just minor league pieces.