Jimenez, Rogers and Slater activated, Soto recalled. Kjerstad and Akin optioned, Pache DFA'd, Westburg to IL

[ChuckS]

4 minutes ago, interloper said:

I mean the issue is Jimenez has a years-long track record in the big leagues and Kjerstad hasn't faced all of these super tough lefties before. He's not hitting righties right now either. Hyde isn't going to play him vs LHP and that's just the reality of the situation. 

Clearly they are not going to play him against LHP because they demoted him.  I still haven't heard a rationale that makes sense.  You can't point to 18 at bats and say someone is not hitting.  That is illogical. 

Acquiring a player with reverse platoon-splits just to play them against lefties, is also illogical. 

How is Kjerstad supposed to learn to hit tough lefties at the major league level if he doesn't get a chance to?  When would be an appropriate time?  We are no longer rebuilding, so all of these games matter equally. 

Edited August 1 by ChuckS

[LookinUp]

Re: Akin (or anyone else going between AAA and the majors), does he get paid the same amount since he's on the 40-man or do these guys get paid less every time they get demoted? I've always wondered.

[MurphDogg]

7 minutes ago, Just Regular said:

I am tempted to say it is almost 50/50 Kjerstad will be regulated to under 130 at-bats entering 2025.

He is at 99.

Cowser, Mullins, Santander, O'Hearn and Mountcastle are ahead of him on the depth chart at all the positions, even against RHP.

Not sure why that would matter.

He has spent over 45 total days on the roster this season anyway, so he doesn't have rookie eligibility whether he reaches 130 at-bats or not.

[Moose Milligan]

Lots of rosterbation going on here.  The Eloy thing is the most puzzling thing to me of all, but whatever.  I'm sure I'll be stoked when he runs into a fastball and puts it over the Wall.

 

[RVAOsFan]

Has anyone heard how much we have committed to Eloy financially? I just wonder if he stinks whether he will get cut or we will have to deal with it because he cost too much to cut.

[Tony-OH]

17 minutes ago, interloper said:

It doesn't make my blood boil, personally. He hasn't hit since coming off IL, and he hasn't played good defense either. I think he needs to get on track in AAA and put the concussion behind him fully. 

Got to imagine they think something is not right since the concussion or they just want him playing every day. The outfield is pretty set with Cower, Mullins and Santander with Slater in the McKenna role. O'Hearn also can fill in at LF or RF if needed. 

Jimenez is here to DH against lefties. This team has struggled against lefties so they improved their lineup against them if Jimenez is taking more of the PAs that McCann has been getting. 

[Just Regular]

10 minutes ago, MurphDogg said:

Not sure why that would matter.

He has spent over 45 total days on the roster this season anyway, so he doesn't have rookie eligibility whether he reaches 130 at-bats or not.

I guess at bottom I don't understand why Luis Gil (>1.000 year of service time per Roster Resource) is getting Rookie of the Year odds if service time alone can render a player ineligible.     I guess if Active Roster Days are used independent of Service Time, maybe that is the key to understanding the two.

I am confident the Orioles are on top of it though, so I am happy to tap out.     I do wonder if with the Trade Deadline dust settled...Kjerstad and Mayo may be the last two bats not going to the big dance.

I like Slater over Pache for competitiveness today, though he may have a long weekend to do nothing but become the world's foremost Tim Herrin expert.    I do not see any other lefties on the Guardians stuff that might appear if they go with Gavin Williams Sunday.

Edited August 1 by Just Regular

[Big Mac]

4 minutes ago, OsFanInOhio said:

Is slater as good a defensive replacement? Or at least an above average cf? Prior career ops vs lefties is somewhat encouraging but hasn’t been good this year. 

I haven't watched either enough to go off of anything other than statcast numbers, but it seems pretty clear that Pache is the superior defender.  I don't expect we'd need Slater to play CF though, if he starts for Mullins against LHP I'd expect Slater to play LF and Cowser to play CF. 

Slater has hovered between -1 (this season) and +3 OOA since 2021.  He does still have 70th percentile sprint speed and 61st percentile arm strength.  I'd expect him to be better than Hays defensively at this point in LF but not better than Cowser in CF.

 

[RVAOsFan]

I brought it up in the Kjerstad thread yesterday but the more I think about it the more I am concerned this trade deadline may have been Elias best chance to trade Kjerstad for something worthwhile.  I hope he comes back to Baltimore and crushes it but his defense hasn't been great from what we have seen so far. Not a clear role for him on next years team if Santander is back which I hope he is. 

[MurphDogg]

3 minutes ago, Just Regular said:

I guess at bottom I don't understand why Luis Gil (>1.000 year of service time per Roster Resource) is getting Rookie of the Year odds if service time alone can render a player ineligible.

Players accrue service time when they are on the injured list, but it doesn't count toward their rookie of the year eligibility. It is 50 innings or 130 at-bats, or 45 days on the active roster (used to be the pre-September 1st roster, but that changed with the newest CBA).

[Just Regular]

Slater over Pache is a small indicator SIGBOT is feeling good about the Cedric Mullins surge.

[Tony-OH]

11 minutes ago, Rbiggs2525 said:

Expected changes. Can limit Akin innings and work on a few things during demotion. Wanted to see Smith 2 more weeks.

Plus, Soto was just acquired and Akin had an option. This is all about depth. Akin will be back at some point for sure. As for Burch Smith, I don't know if they've caught lightning in a bottle here, but he's throwing the ball really well right now. He's throwing the ball as good as ever since coming to the Orioles.

[Just Regular]

Is anyone here friends with Heston Kjerstad's family?

[Tony-OH]

12 minutes ago, Moose Milligan said:

Lots of rosterbation going on here.  The Eloy thing is the most puzzling thing to me of all, but whatever.  I'm sure I'll be stoked when he runs into a fastball and puts it over the Wall.

 

Eloy makes a little sense if the plan is to play Adley more behind the plate against lefties or give him more days off which opens up that DH spot against LHP. If he's taking McCann's PAs away, I'm ok with that. 

 

 

[Tony-OH]

14 minutes ago, Big Mac said:

I haven't watched either enough to go off of anything other than statcast numbers, but it seems pretty clear that Pache is the superior defender.  I don't expect we'd need Slater to play CF though, if he starts for Mullins against LHP I'd expect Slater to play LF and Cowser to play CF. 

Slater has hovered between -1 (this season) and +3 OOA since 2021.  He does still have 70th percentile sprint speed and 61st percentile arm strength.  I'd expect him to be better than Hays defensively at this point in LF but not better than Cowser in CF.

 

I do think Pache is a better defender but Slater has the better bat against lefties. I think this case they are willing to give up a little range for a better stick.