2024 4th Round Pick (#127): Chase Allsup - RHP - (Jr) Auburn (AL)

[Otter]

15 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

I know you are not trying to say anything wrong, but I clearly stated evaluated, DRAFTED, and developed. I've given the organization credit for acquiring and in some cases, especially Bradish, developing talent acquired in trade, but this is about the amateur drafting and development. 

I really still don't know if it's the evaluating/scouting process that has struggled, the fact that they rarely spend high draft picks on pitchers, or their development despite the technology is not great. 

Either way, until guys start to show up at the major league level and have an impact from this process, I'll have my concerns. Elias just completed his 6th draft. At some point they need to find some impact pitching because besides the one year of Burnes, they have not been able to trade for pitching, particular young, controllable impact pitching with their offensive prospects.

This.  Elias has really gone out on a limb with his philosophy on acquiring pitching.  I'm not saying he's wrong (I'll give him another year or two to see if his drafting/development plan works), just that he's doing it much differently than other teams.  For example, look at all the pitchers all the other AL East teams drafted this year.  Elias doesn't use high draft picks on pitchers, he doesn't give out large bonuses to international free agent pitchers, he doesn't give out multi-year deals to FA pitchers, he doesn't give out large contracts, and he hasn't traded top prospects for pitchers with multiple years of control.  Kremer and Bradish have worked out very well, but those were acquired in the time when we terrible and trading veterans for prospects.  We won't be doing that moving forward, so he has to find another way to acquire pitching. 

I'd be ok with using mid to late round picks on these pitchers that have upside but poor performance/control/command if Elias was acquiring pitching in other ways too...but he isn't for the most part (other than Burnes).  I think he's painted himself into a corner and may need to explore other ways of brining in pitchers this offseason.  Don't get me wrong, Elias gets a ton of credit for the rebuild and the amazing run we've had over the past 1.5 seasons.  However, we need more pitching if we're going to be a legit WS contender.

[btdart20]

2019-2022: very little pitching drafted. Baumler and Showalter as HS lottery tickets. Pitching lab stood up somewhere in there.  This group is what many of us are saying isn't successful.

2023-2024:  post-"lift-off" pitching drafted earlier and consistently but not before pick 60.  This group is too soon or heavily scouting dependent.  Many in 2023 aren't giving me the warm and fuzzies though.

Plus International somewhere in the mix...  it's a bit muddier to paint with broad strokes.

[Tony-OH]

39 minutes ago, btdart20 said:

2019-2022: very little pitching drafted. Baumler and Showalter as HS lottery tickets. Pitching lab stood up somewhere in there.  This group is what many of us are saying isn't successful.

2023-2024:  post-"lift-off" pitching drafted earlier and consistently but not before pick 60.  This group is too soon or heavily scouting dependent.  Many in 2023 aren't giving me the warm and fuzzies though.

Plus International somewhere in the mix...  it's a bit muddier to paint with broad strokes.

The issue is accept for last year a little bit, he hasn't changed his drafting philosophy at all. Even when he does go for college pitchers in the 1st five rounds, they tend to be guys with stuff (velocity, pitch shapes, spin) that they like over results and they do it by going after college pitchers. 

Of course it's way too early to fully evaluate anyone drafted in 23 , but other than Forret, who was a 14th rounder and may be an absolute steal, not a ton of guys to get excited about a little more than half way through their first year. 

Until Elias can move the positional prospects for controllable impact pitching (which he has not done yet), It remains to be seen whether their drafting philosophy of avoiding pitchers is the right way of not. We've seen a lot of 2nd, 3rd and 4th round pitchers make it the majors over some really questionable college bats the Orioles took. 

Even this year, I didn't really see the Forret kind of guy. Seems Elias double downed on his pre-2023 draft philosophy. 

[Sydnor]

 

[OriolesMagic83]

Is this the highest drafted pitcher Elias has ever signed?  Elias drafted a pitcher in the 3rd round last year and they didn't sign.  Can't remember if he drafted anyone else in 3rd round or earlier in other drafts.  Is that true?

[Sydnor]

1 hour ago, OriolesMagic83 said:

Is this the highest drafted pitcher Elias has ever signed?  Elias drafted a pitcher in the 3rd round last year and they didn't sign.  Can't remember if he drafted anyone else in 3rd round or earlier in other drafts.  Is that true?

They drafted Jackson Baumeister in Competitive Balance Round B and Kiefer Lord in the third round last year.

 

[OriolesMagic83]

12 minutes ago, Sydnor said:

They drafted Jackson Baumeister in Competitive Balance Round B and Kiefer Lord in the third round last year.

 

Thanks for the info.  Must have been 2 years ago the 3rd round pitching pick didn't sign.  Still 2 pitching picks signed in the first 3 rounds since Elias took over as GM (6 drafts (2019-2024) is pathetic.  That's over 20 picks, and probably close to 24 as most years the O's get a competitive balance pick.

[86this]

6 hours ago, OriolesMagic83 said:

Thanks for the info.  Must have been 2 years ago the 3rd round pitching pick didn't sign.  Still 2 pitching picks signed in the first 3 rounds since Elias took over as GM (6 drafts (2019-2024) is pathetic.  That's over 20 picks, and probably close to 24 as most years the O's get a competitive balance pick.

You may be thinking Nolan MacLean, he was considered a two-way player.  He's currently in the Mets organization.