197 replies to this topic

[BSLChrisStoner]

I'm not saying he's fully ready... if he stays at AAA long enough, he'll go through slumps, and adjustments there too. 

But...  just bring him up. Give him 3 full months in the Majors to end the year. 

[BaltBird 24]

Is Westburg the kind of guy we need to worry about service manipulation with? He has the potential to be a long-term piece, but I wouldn't put him on the Adley, Grayson, Gunnar level. Bring him up and hand him 2B or 3B.

[Mackus]

Is Westburg the kind of guy we need to worry about service manipulation with? He has the potential to be a long-term piece, but I wouldn't put him on the Adley, Grayson, Gunnar level. Bring him up and hand him 2B or 3B.

 

No, I don't think he is.  Even if he was, we are past Super-2 concern for a 2022 callup.  

 

If they happened to keep him down all season, then next year I'd be fine with keeping him down the 2-3 weeks that it'd take to keep him shy of a full service year at the end of 2023.  There is a ton of potential return for that limited delay.  But depending on how the remainder of this season goes, I don't think Norfolk is his final stop and if he's up for the second half or even just final month of '22 then he should remain up for good unless he really struggles and needs a reset.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

I dont think they are in the business of manipulating anyones service time anymore. If Westburg and Gunnar are ready in August they'll be up here. They want to hit the ground running next year and if these guys can get their feet wet up here this year that will hopefully help in '23.

[Mackus]

Mountcsatle was the last easily referenced case study and they pretty clearly manipulated his time.  They of course were getting nearly 3-to-1 return on that, though, as they only needed to keep him down for 25 or so games to earn both the extra year and keep him from Super-2.

 

Nobody promoted last year really was a decision point.

 

Bradish wasn't called up until they'd secured an additional year of control, but I don't think he's a clear case of where that's a driving reason for the timing of his promotion.  I don't think he tells us much in either direction.

 

Stowers and Vavra also won't tell us much.

 

Rutschman without the injury would've been very clear example and telling of how they'll handle things.  If they rostered him on Opening Day, then it'd be pretty clear signal that they weren't manipulating years of control.  They did call him up before being sure he won't be a Super-2 (still a chance he isn't at 138 days), so that's a good indicator that they won't mess too much with that threshold with other guys.

 

Rodriguez would've been another pretty clear example for whether they manipulate to avoid Super-2.  But the injury makes that moot.

 

I don't think that keeping Hall or Henderson down, even up to this entire season, would mean they are necessarily doing things for reasons other than development.  If they are called up its an argument that they aren't manipulating for service time, but the inverse isn't necessarily true, IMO.

 

Westburg I could see if he continues hitting, thinking that not promoting him was primarily for service.  We'll see how well he plays.  He's the only guy I could see pointing to over the remainder of the season as an example where still being in Norfolk screams manipulation and not just development.  But if he is just ok, then I wouldn't necessarily think that.

[BSLRoseKatz]

I wouldn't be surprised if Westburg shows up first regardless of production compared to Gunnar because he's older and is a lower ranked prospect 

[Mackus]

Production and health will be factors, but given current trajectories I'm absolutely expecting Westburg first.  

 

Simultaneous would be really fun, though.

[1970]

Production and health will be factors, but given current trajectories I'm absolutely expecting Westburg first.  

 

Simultaneous would be really fun, though.

As I said in another thread, echoes of Whitaker and Trammel in 1979 (I believe that was the year).  They both played their first major league game on the same night in Boston.  They then both spent their entire careers in Detroit and one of them made the HOF.  NOTE: in my opinion, it is wrong that Sweet Lou Whitaker isn’t in the HOF (the same with Bobby Grich).

[makoman]

Westburg has entered the top 100 at MLB Pipeline (at 100).

 

We are a little spoiled by Gunnar but Westburg is right there with a 1.016 OPS and 162 wRC+ in 101 PAs at AAA. Only 3 walks in those PAs is kinda funny/a little scary, but he's walked just fine previously so not very concerning, he's just been on fire for a month. 

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Westburg hit his 16th HR last night. He has 25 doubles and 2 triples. 43 XBH in 72 games. Not too shaby

[Slidemaster]

With the understanding that there's no guarantee he translates to MLB pitching, it looks like the O's have done a good job with him.

[BSLChrisStoner]

AAA: .256 / .345 / .496  (.841)

 

270 ab's, 14 homers, 17 doubles, 3 triples...  56 rbi, 33 bb's, 69 k's... 

 

18 games at 2nd

14 games at 3rd

33 games at SS

[BSLChrisStoner]

Balt Sun: Captain Consistent: Orioles infield prospect Jordan Westburg’s ‘morbid’ mentality pushing him toward majors

[BSLChrisStoner]

2023 AAA:

65 ab's... .323 / .397 / .585

[BSLRoseKatz]

1.182 OPS in May 

[Mackus]

Westburg definitely seems like a guy that has pretty extreme hot & cold stretches.  Nothing wrong with that, as long as you're patient enough to ride out the cold stretches.  The O's typically are pretty good about that, they ride it out with guys like Santander and Mountcastle, mainly just the fans that seem prone to panic.

 

Wonder if trying to time a promotion to catch part of a hot streak is something they're considering or not.

[Mike B]

Westburg definitely seems like a guy that has pretty extreme hot & cold stretches.  Nothing wrong with that, as long as you're patient enough to ride out the cold stretches.  The O's typically are pretty good about that, they ride it out with guys like Santander and Mountcastle, mainly just the fans that seem prone to panic.

 

Wonder if trying to time a promotion to catch part of a hot streak is something they're considering or not.

Frankly, I think they are wasting a serious hot streak, at a time when the major league team is struggling at the plate.

 

The roster moves the last 2 weeks have bordered on dumb, IMO.

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Frankly, I think they are wasting a serious hot streak, at a time when the major league team is struggling at the plate.

 

The roster moves the last 2 weeks have bordered on dumb, IMO.

No bordreline about it.

[BSLMikeLowe]

Kinda off topic, but somewhat relevant, how much longer does Mateo remain a regular starter? I think we all knew his April production was unsustainable, but he's been a liability at the plate since then. Yeah, yeah, glove and base running.....but I'd argue the base running is moot when your OBP is .128, as his has been this month.

 

I think it's time for Jorge to be a platoon guy vs lefties, at least for the time being, and use that as the opportunity to open up a chance for Westburg. Yeah, I know they have to make a spot on both the 40 and 26 for him, but I think it's easy to pick out who is expendable for that. Of course, the Orioles will not do that, so I guess I'll just leave it at that.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Frankly, I think they are wasting a serious hot streak, at a time when the major league team is struggling at the plate.

The roster moves the last 2 weeks have bordered on dumb, IMO.

Stowers was also hot when he was recalled.