7 replies to this topic

[BSLChrisStoner]

B+ WNST: 12 O's Thoughts Following Series Loss In Pittsburgh

https://baltimorepos...TKrZTjzxLn-irzh

[BSLSteveBirrer]

Seems like all the O's writers are pretty much saying the same thing. Nobody is panicking but this has to change.

[mikezpen]

He brings up something that has to be faced

Hays and Mullins aren't in couple of week batting slumps. We're talking months now, dating back to last year.

[Ravens2006]

Mullins' 30/30/30 year was very probably an aberration.  Baseline Mullins (healthy) is probably .255-ish with 15-20 HRs max and a .310-ish OBP.  He hit .263 in the minors so being a consistent .290+ hitter in the majors is a longshot.  And he'll play solid+ OF defense with little to no arm. 

 

Not selling high on him after the '21 season is probably a bit of a regret, but can't go back and change it now.  He obviously shouldn't be a blocker to anyone coming through the system at this point either.

 

Hays is similar at the plate, less speed on the bases but a much better OF arm.  Another "fine for now" piece that shouldn't block anyone from potentially taking the spot.

[makoman]

Unless you think Cowser can do it (and I think many don’t think he should every day, I have no real opinion) there is really no one to play CF besides Mullins. No, I don’t think putting an infielder there is an option. So I think you just ride him until someone from the Beavers/Bradfield/Fabian group is ready, which is basically at least till Mullins is a FA. Hope the down year last year was mostly injury related and that he’s healthy now and he’ll be fine.

[jamesdean]

Unless you think Cowser can do it (and I think many don’t think he should every day, I have no real opinion) there is really no one to play CF besides Mullins. No, I don’t think putting an infielder there is an option. So I think you just ride him until someone from the Beavers/Bradfield/Fabian group is ready, which is basically at least till Mullins is a FA. Hope the down year last year was mostly injury related and that he’s healthy now and he’ll be fine.

If you can get .260-.270/20 HR/70 RBI from Mullins, that would be optimum.  Not sure he can sustain that batting average anymore. Might be more of a .240-.250 hitter.  And you aren't going to find a better defensive centerfielder on the roster so I agree with you.  Just ride it out with him and hope for the best.  I'd rather see him leading off than Henderson. 

[TwentyThirtyFive]

Ced put up 2.8 rWAR and 1.8 fWAR in 116 games last year being a league avg hitter. 102 OPS+ and 99 wRC+. I would not expect the offense to tick back up much. Could he be 10% above avg sure but he could also easily be 10% below avg. A lot of his value is tied up in being a good defender in CF and his baserunning. I absolutely believe he has leveled out the last 2 years( '21 was his career outlier year) and may already be declining. We have to hope its not a rapid decline because there are no real internal answers in CF over the next few years.


Feel like this is also a fine enough place to say that Kjerstad close to being positionless defensively. The OTV guys were talking about his D at first being suspect in AAA to start the year. No one has ever raved about his D in the OF either. If they thought he was a good enough OF they wouldnt already be splitting his time between OF and 1b. Can he be a younger OHearn out there? Probably, but I wouldnt expect more. Bat is going to habe to carry him which was always kind of expected.

[BSLSteveBirrer]

The problem for me is I tend to follow players too much versus the overall team. I like both Ced and Hays but the handwriting is on the wall. They are not long for being on the O's. Sure they both may have enough left in the tank to help this season but thats looking like a fairly big if. And next year? Think they are both gone. But like 2035 said we don't have a real CFer thats close to MLB ready.

 

Projection - Mullins remains starting CF this season and does just enough that they don't try real hard to find a replacement at the ASB. Hays is either moved at the ASB or relegated to a bench role. You gotta have Cowser getting the majority of the at bats. Need to know if he can cut it as the everyday starter and not in a lefty - righty platoon. We already have a platoon situation at 1B and a C who needs to be the DH more often than not when he's not the C. Lineup is too restricted if LF is also a platoon, at least to my liking.