12 replies to this topic

[dude]

Outfield is certainly one of the places that the Orioles need to make a decision (or 2).

 

Hays (LF), Mullins (CF) and Santander (RF) is certainly a reasonable option, the first two with 2 years of arbitration remaining and Santander in his final season of club control arbitration.

 

Cowser struggled in his debut but has produced well at AAA and Kerstad looked ready with decent ML debut and big AA/AAA numbers.

 

McKenna is signed (ARB1) and is a good 4th OF.  Orioles added Hilliard who they also signed to a ML contract and doesn't have any options.

 

Haskin didn't get protected on the 40 and Stowers is stuck at AAA.

 

Everyone can't play. 

 

Santander seems like the obvious trade given his ARB3 salary (12-13M) and the simplicity of replacing him with Kjerstad or Cowser. 

 

I'd guess Hays and Mullins are tied together a little bit in that you can extend both or neither.

 

 

[BSLSteveBirrer]

I like Santander and hope they keep him. But I'd have no problem if they traded him and went with Kjerstad/Cowser. Combine Santander and another piece or two and you might get a really good SP.

 

Or as the FO will do they will trade Santander for a lottery pick and pocket the $12M savings.

[BobPhelan]

Unless Kjerstad improves defensively quite a bit he is a DH. I'm sure he could get good enough at 1B to be fine there. 

 

I would let Santander play out his contract and offer him a qualifying offer after 2024 if he has another good season.

 

I would trade Hays and play Cowser in LF, either sign/trade for a RH corner OF or play one of Westburg/Norby out there vs LHP.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Yeah Kjerstad supposedly isnt an OFer. But then again I was told Cowser was one and he looked like crap out there

[CantonJester]

Yeah Kjerstad supposedly isnt an OFer. But then again I was told Cowser was one and he looked like crap out there

 

Pretty sure it has to do with Kjerstad's range. If you don't have range, OPCY is going to expose your game. Cowser will be fine. Hell, I'd bet going forward Cowser delivers more bang for the buck than Hays will. 

 

Unless Kjerstad improves defensively quite a bit he is a DH. I'm sure he could get good enough at 1B to be fine there. 

 

I would let Santander play out his contract and offer him a qualifying offer after 2024 if he has another good season.

 

I would trade Hays and play Cowser in LF, either sign/trade for a RH corner OF or play one of Westburg/Norby out there vs LHP.

 

Westburg should be the O's 2B for the foreseeable future. If Holliday can't figure out SS, then get him an OF glove. That won't happen, because he's going to be the O's SS once he arrives. Gunnar at 3B, and Mayo at 1B (not necessarily to start the '24 season of course). 

[russsnyder]

Yeah Kjerstad supposedly isnt an OFer. But then again I was told Cowser was one and he looked like crap out there

I doubt Kjerstad can look worse than Cowser in the OF. If nothing else, the Orioles learned that Cowser can't play CF at a major league level.

[Mackus]

Wonder if Mayo might be in the RF mix by the end of the season as well.

I'd look to deal Hays and consider offers on Santander. If we do either (or both), I'd like to add a solid bat like Turner to help replace the offense and you then gotta really solidify the rotation and bullpen (perhaps through the trades of Santander anor Hays) if we're gonna have both Cowser and Kjerstad having inside tracks to big playing time.

Definitely adds big risk to go with the young OF. But could be big upside and also optimization of soon-to-expire assets. I'd be hesitant to deal both corner OF, but comfortable making one move. Lean towards dealing Hays. Would see if Cleveland is interested in a Bieber trade.

[TwentyThirtyFive]

All things being equal Id look to move Hays first but I hate taking another RH bat out of the lineup for a LH bat in Cowser or Kjerstad.

[BSLChrisStoner]

I'd be really surprised if they traded both Hays and Santander.

I expect Hays is moved.
Cowser in LF.
Santander in RF.

Kjerstad floats to begin the year.
By the 2nd half... more than a non-zero chance Kjerstad and Mayo have replaced Mountcastle and Ohearn.

If that hasn't happened, then at least one of them and Ortiz, Norby, etc will be moved at the deadline.

[dude]

Unless Kjerstad improves defensively quite a bit he is a DH. I'm sure he could get good enough at 1B to be fine there. 

 

I don't have a specific position on Kjerstad's defense, but if a guy that's 6-3, 205, that's played OF his entire life can't play a decent RF in the smallish dimensions of RF at OPaCY, then something seems really wrong in the assessment/development of that player.  Santander has looked much worse in LF than RF in recent years, but he's generally been a capable RFer.  If Kjerstad isn't a better defender than Santander, something seems wrong.

 

We heard Cowser was athletic and Westburg was heavier in his movements and they looked the exact opposite.  Given that, my tendency is to believe Kjerstad can play enough RF (the bar is Santander)...at least enough to have McKenna replace him in the 7th inning after his 4th PA.

 

If Kjerstad is really a DH, it seems like he gets boxed out in Baltimore with Mayo at 1B (still have to trade Mountcastle) and Basallo here as a DH/C soon enough (with OHearn as a reasonable bridge over the next year or 2).  Want to continue to keep Adley's bat in the lineup through DH.

 

So if the Orioles can't commit RF to their 2020 1-2 pick and at 24, slashed .303/.376/.528 across AA/AAA I think that's a real issue.

 

Find a team that wants to give him an opportunity because he'll have limited value in Baltimore if we can't trust him in RF.  

[RichardZ]

Unless Kjerstad improves defensively quite a bit he is a DH. I'm sure he could get good enough at 1B to be fine there.

I would let Santander play out his contract and offer him a qualifying offer after 2024 if he has another good season.

I would trade Hays and play Cowser in LF, either sign/trade for a RH corner OF or play one of Westburg/Norby out there vs LHP.

I trust your opinion but I’d like to know why you feel that way. I’ve never seen Kjerstad look like a butcher in RF. His minor league defensive stats look good, comparable to Cowser, and he’s actually made some highlights on defense. His ML sprint speed was exactly the same as Cowsers as well.

Also, unless Santander has some kind of monster year, the Orioles might not even risk offering him a QO which would be 20+ million. They’d be afraid he might accept.

https://www.milb.com...568-default-vtp

[BobPhelan]

I trust your opinion but I’d like to know why you feel that way. I’ve never seen Kjerstad look like a butcher in RF. His minor league defensive stats look good, comparable to Cowser, and he’s actually made some highlights on defense. His ML sprint speed was exactly the same as Cowsers as well.

Also, unless Santander has some kind of monster year, the Orioles might not even risk offering him a QO which would be 20+ million. They’d be afraid he might accept.

https://www.milb.com...568-default-vtp

Heard it from knowledgeable people from AA up to the majors last year. I was surprised it was that bad. Maybe he put so much focus on the bat coming back from everything that the defense slipped.
I’m not sure.

[BobPhelan]

Wonder if Mayo might be in the RF mix by the end of the season as well.

I heard they told him to get plenty of outfield reps in over the offseason.