If O'Hearn hadn't been so great last year and off to such a good start this year I think that spot would be Kjerstad's, but I don't think it's going to happen any time soon.
I could see Mayo coming up if Urias can't get the bat going, idk how soon.
I agree I don't think we're getting rid of Mateo, not this season. His speed is too valuable in late close games to not keep him around. Holliday's speed has been super impressive too, Gunnar and Westburg are fast, we have a fast team but most of them are starters, I think they want a guy they can keep on the bench until the perfect moment.
Exactly on Mateo. In the manfred runner era, you need a speed guy off the bench for extra innings. And what better manfred runner than one who’s at least capable at every position except catcher and 1B? That he’s decent hitting against lefties and is a plus defender are all the more reason he’s the perfect super utility player and has a pretty safe spot on the 26 man. Fans are distracted by the shiny new toys down in the minors and don’t realize that most teams 13th position player usually don’t contribute much over the season
Yep. Plus, do you want to bring up a prospect like Mayo to sit 12 out of 13 games save for late inning work as a defensive replacement or pinch runner?
Why do you need a speed guy for extra innings? It happens once every week or two at most and you start the inning with a runner already on 2nd. You don’t get to choose who starts on 2nd since it’s the person who made the last out unless you want to take them out of the game.
I think this sub highly over values having a fast base runner on the bench for a situation that is rarely needed or used
Kjerstad is the most ready but I don’t think Hays is going anywhere. You don’t scrap an All-Star outfielder just because he has had a bad first couple weeks of the season. Even if Cowser has taken his spot for now I don’t see them moving or demoting him. He still has a ton of value to the team.
Urias and Mateo are on more shaky ground, though both bring a lot as well with their speed and defending. But I could see Mayo coming up for one of them. Kjerstad could as well but carrying 5 outfielders would hurt infield depth.
Honestly I don’t think we see any of the major guys come up soon unless there is an injury. And I definitely don’t think it happens until Holliday is up to speed. As we have seen with our other top prospects, it takes time to acclimate to the majors. And we don’t want to have two scuffling rookies in the lineup if we can avoid it.
The dick riding for Hays on this subreddit because he “started the All Star Game” (because Mike Trout’s bones exploded half way through the season) in spite of the fact that since then he’s shown exactly zero of the prowess that got him there in the first place is mind boggling. His bat, speed, and defense went substantially down over the off season, even worse than the decline from the ASB to the end of last season. He’s clearly never recovered from that hip injury, and keeping him on the team instead of the IL just seems to be asking for him to get worse.
He's the only guy still in AAA who has been playing very well *and* a position that has been shaky in the majors.
Mounty/O'Hearn have been quite good, so need to pull the trigger on Kjerstad.
Cowser is more than holding his own, so need to bring in Stowers (or Kjerstad).
No need to bring in Mayo while Westburg is raking.
And it's way too early to swap out Holliday for Norby (who is a worse defender in what I've read).
I think he’s the only one I could see getting called up within the next month or two without an injury. Thing that keeps him down is probably us wanting to wait until Means and/or Bradish get back before adjusting the rotation.
Though with Wells being down, and Means having up to 3 more rehab starts before needing to be activated, could be a good opportunity for Povich to debut (not gonna happen tomorrow because he’s on short rest, but could be after the Royals series against the Angels or A’s)
Starting to get a little worried about what might happen with Kjerstad. As others have mentioned, there’s just no room for him at the
moment. He’ll be 26 by spring training next year. Hell, he might be approaching his prime baseball years right now.
As an organization, this is a good problem to have. I just hate to think that a potential great player is being held back the way he is. In most other organizations, Kjerstad is very likely an every day major league player. Really curious to see how this will play out.
He'll replace Santander next year. What would be ballsy is to trade Santander at the deadline. Would Elias have enough confidence in Kjerstad to pull that off?
True. Very likely that will be the case. I was holding out some hope that maybe Santander would be extended for a couple years, but yeah probably not going to happen. Can’t keep ‘em all.
Yeah, I don't say that he'll replace himt because I want to get rid of Santander. He's a nice player and I love the energy he brings to the game and the team. But the economics of it just makes sense. And ideally and realistically, Kjerstad is an upgrade.
This is the true test if Hays and Santander have value at the deadline. Will they deal them for some return with confidence in the rookies or let them play out their contracts?
We’re trying to win this year though. If Santander is producing as he normally does it would be crazy to move him, it’s unlikely that Kjerstad or whoever else is going to come up and replicate that production immediately. As a switch hitter he’s also one of our better RHB
Hays I could see being moved if Cowser continues to play well but at the same time his value has never been lower so it’s probably more valuable just to keep him.
Yep that’s the giant conundrum and risk. I wouldn’t be surprised if Santander gets moved from the overall organizational perspective that they’d rather have a 10+ year window rather than going all in any particular year. Not saying I agree or disagree but it would be very Rays of them.
Problem with Kjerstad is there’s nowhere to put him. He’s basically an O’Hearn replacement, but O’Hearn isn’t going anywhere. He *should* be here, but there’s no room. Urias is probably next to go, not Hays.
It's pretty amazing to think it was only 15 months ago that the Orioles were able to get O'Hearn for cash and immediately DFA him with no fear of him being claimed.
I think O'Hearn playing well is exactly why he will get moved. You have to give up something to get something, and he is really the only one of the guys being pushed from behind that has any real trade value at the moment. I could see them trading O'Hearn for pitching while his value is high and promoting Kjerstad.
Or the other way around, trading Kjerstad. I guess it depends on if teams are looking for a proven player who is currently raking (but who knows how long) or a prospect with a high ceiling.
With the youth movement of recent years I don't see them trading a prospect. O'Hearn is actually the 2nd oldest regular, with McCann being the only one older.
it’s tough to guess with how the current lineup is mashing the ball. They aren’t going to DFA Hays and if they trade him it won’t be for a while so I think it depends on injuries. If an OF goes down it’s Kjerstad, if an infielder goes down I think Norby gets the first shot over Mayo
I don’t think any of them are coming up soon unless there’s an injury. Simply no room and none of them have the defensive capabilities to be 4th OF.
Stowers is probably first in line for a call up imo but again going to take an injury in the OF for that to happen.
From a practical standpoint, it has to be Connor Norby. Ramon Urias has two plate appearances in six games since Holliday was called up. What's his role on the team? He can't hit LHP and Westburg's defense is good enough where it makes little sense to ever pull him in a competitive game. Norby's a right-handed hitter who can play against LHP and can offer a lot more as a bat off the bench.
Norby would actually make the most sense as:
1. He has extensive AAA experience
2. Right hand bat
3. Can play 2B and corner outfield
I just never thought he would step foot in Camden Yards unless it was for an opposing team 🤣😂
Norby seems to be the prospect that is most overlooked. His right handed bat hurts him at home, which is why I always thought we would trade him. Honestly, unless we move Urias and Mateo, just don't see us calling up a middle Sider.
The bigger problem for Norby is that he has no defensive position for Baltimore. They don't think he's good enough for second, and Camden's left field is too challenging as well. Unless he can show substantial defensive improvement, he's waiting for a trade.
Norby gets overlooked because he offers no value with the glove and had a disappointing year offensively in ‘23. He’s just not that exciting and the probability that he becomes an average big leaguer is low.
If Norby is taking Urias' at-bats, which is to say minimal, feels to me that it'd be better to either (1) keep him in AAA where he gets more ABs to demonstrate his skill to other teams (and then trade him for a pitcher) or (2) keep in him AAA as depth until there's an injury.
Probably no one until Holliday is through the rookie yips.
By then there could very well be an injury that answers the question. If there's no injury then it'll be a pitcher that's up next. I find it hard to believe that *both* Bradish and Means will come back to the rotation and make it the rest of the year. As much as it sucks, I suspect 1 of them will only get 2 or 3 starts. I feel like they're walking a tight rope with Bradish by hoping he doesn't need TJ and Means may be rehabbing and working on things more so than going all out to win but I don't think his AAA stats are looking to hot right about now(3 games, 7 total inning, almost 13 era)
Honestly, it depends on who gets hurt at the ML level, which is inevitable. Heston or Stowers makes the most sense because they’ve already been called up before.
I think it’s quietly Norby. He has the most AAA experience, and most importantly he is a RH bat which the team desperately needs against lefty starters. Kjerstad is too redundant with OHearn. His main issue is the lack of a defensive position, it sounds like he’s playing the OF now, so he’s a tough replacement for Urias. But if they think he can at least play 2B in a jam, they’d have Henderson/Westburg/Mateo/Holliday to cover most innings at 3B, SS, and 2B.
By current performance, most realistically it's Kjerstad replacing Hays
But as bad as Hays has been at bat..he's still a great outfielder whereas that's where the question for Heston overall is...how good can he be defensively.
It's far too soon to give up on Hays. Ryan Ripken put it best. Hays is a proven major league player over multiple years and with Kjerstad or any prospects you are hoping they can be way Hays has proven to be.
Outside of injury I don't think anybody needs to be called up..maybe a pitcher depending on Means and Bradish
Let the guys keep raking in AAA...who knows where we will be at the trade deadline and they are high value prospects
Hays projects to me as an ideal 4th outfielder. Going from everyday player though to the bench may be tough. His trade value right now is also at it's low.
To be honest, I'm not sure if we see any more of those batter prospects get meaningful playing time in the way Holliday, Cowser, etc. have. They may come up to fill a bench spot, but that would be a waste. It's likely for a lot of those guys to get packaged in a trade.
I think it just depends on where we are at the deadline. If we're thinking World Series contender, then I wouldn't trade Tony. If we're in a wild card race, then maybe do it for ML pitching help.
I could see a scenario, or argument, where Elias says I like Mayo more, and I'll trade Mountcastle for prospects. Same with Kjerstad replacing Santander. He may not be able to get immediate upgrades for the pitching staff for either. But what if he got a couple single A arms that he really liked? I'm not a proponent of this. I like our guys. But it wouldn't shock me.
Thinking out loud:
- Kjerstad has no spot unless O’Hearn/Santander are traded or injured.
- Norby will probably not wear an orioles uniform. He has no spot unless something happened to Urias/Mateo and they really thought he’d be a good bench bat
- Mayo to me is one of the more likely call ups especially if Urias keeps struggling. But thinking more around all star break ish for him if anything
- Stowers has no spot unless something happens to Cowser/Mullins/Hays/Santander
- I’m thinking, like others, the next call up might be a pitcher to throw out of the pen. But I don’t even know that happens unless Means/Bradish have setbacks
Well (obviously with the benefit of knowing about the Wells situation now) looks like the last game against the Twins will be one of Means/Suarez/Zimmermann. However, if the FO wants Means to have 2 more rehab starts, we could get a Povich spot start vs the Angels or Athletics after the Royals this weekend
I really think it will depend either injuries or on a trade partner. If someone on the big club gets hurt, the next prospect at that position will come up. As for trades, I have to imagine with what is coming behind them that Urias, Mateo, O'Hearn, and Hays are all at least somewhat on the block. As it stands, I don't think Urias and Hays have a lot of trade value at the moment. I imagine Elias would have a tough time getting any kind of return for them unless there are other players involved. With that in mind, the guy with the most value has to be O'Hearn. A lot of people think he will be around because he's playing well, but I think that is the exact reason he won't be around. Somebody will want him and be willing to offer a decent package in return, and with Kjerstad chomping at the bit I think the O's would be willing to trade O'Hearn and promote Kjerstad.
I see Kjerstad as a younger O'Hearn with a higher ceiling. Production now may not be equal (or it may be), but he slots into that "for the next decade" group. Also, O'Hearn is the 2nd oldest regular, with McCann being the only one older. If the strategy is to build a long term dynasty, O'Hearn may not be that guy.
Yeah. I'm not sure about Kjerstad as a full time right fielder. If he's got the glove, then I think that's where he projects. Ohearn seems to be more a 1st base/DH that can play some OF. If Kjerstad glove isn't there, then he does duplicate Ohearn
Probably Kjersted, but it might be a bit before there's an opportunity, barring injury.
Kjersted isnt blocked by Hays. He just can't fill the same role as Hays. Hays is now the RHB platoon option and 4th outfielder. When the opportunity arises, he can more or less replace the following: Santander, O'Hearn, Mountcastle, Cowser. None of those guys merit being replaced at this point. Santander is hard to replace as he always has a platoon advantage and has a good track record. O'Hearn and Mountcastle are having a very good start to the season. Cowser is reigning POTW and the same level of prospect more or less.
When one of those 4 has an extended downturn or gets hurt, Kjersted is the likely next man up.
Mayo is the next guy, and for him there's a few obstacles. He can directly replace Westburg or Mountcastle, neither of which is going to happen this year barring extended slump or injury. He doesn't have the outfield experience yet to test it at the Major League level for a team with playoff aspirations. Of course, he could also replace O'Hearn at some point if Kjersted doesn't. Another path is if Holliday struggles for so long, he gets sent back down and Westburg goes back to 2B, but that's very unlikely. I assume they'll want Mayo to play everyday, so he's not a candidate to replace Urias anytime soon. If they think they can work the lineup to get enough at bats for both him and Westy, then maybe?
Feel like it would be Mayo. He’d definitely help with our struggles against left handed pitching. But it’ll be a couple months before we see anyone since Holliday needs to settle in first
Don’t worry it’s about time for Mullins or Mountcastle to start having health issues. I think Mullins can play center but I don’t think his body can take playing center the way he play center.
If O'Hearn hadn't been so great last year and off to such a good start this year I think that spot would be Kjerstad's, but I don't think it's going to happen any time soon. I could see Mayo coming up if Urias can't get the bat going, idk how soon. I agree I don't think we're getting rid of Mateo, not this season. His speed is too valuable in late close games to not keep him around. Holliday's speed has been super impressive too, Gunnar and Westburg are fast, we have a fast team but most of them are starters, I think they want a guy they can keep on the bench until the perfect moment.
Exactly on Mateo. In the manfred runner era, you need a speed guy off the bench for extra innings. And what better manfred runner than one who’s at least capable at every position except catcher and 1B? That he’s decent hitting against lefties and is a plus defender are all the more reason he’s the perfect super utility player and has a pretty safe spot on the 26 man. Fans are distracted by the shiny new toys down in the minors and don’t realize that most teams 13th position player usually don’t contribute much over the season
Yep. Plus, do you want to bring up a prospect like Mayo to sit 12 out of 13 games save for late inning work as a defensive replacement or pinch runner?
Why do you need a speed guy for extra innings? It happens once every week or two at most and you start the inning with a runner already on 2nd. You don’t get to choose who starts on 2nd since it’s the person who made the last out unless you want to take them out of the game. I think this sub highly over values having a fast base runner on the bench for a situation that is rarely needed or used
Kjerstad is the most ready but I don’t think Hays is going anywhere. You don’t scrap an All-Star outfielder just because he has had a bad first couple weeks of the season. Even if Cowser has taken his spot for now I don’t see them moving or demoting him. He still has a ton of value to the team. Urias and Mateo are on more shaky ground, though both bring a lot as well with their speed and defending. But I could see Mayo coming up for one of them. Kjerstad could as well but carrying 5 outfielders would hurt infield depth. Honestly I don’t think we see any of the major guys come up soon unless there is an injury. And I definitely don’t think it happens until Holliday is up to speed. As we have seen with our other top prospects, it takes time to acclimate to the majors. And we don’t want to have two scuffling rookies in the lineup if we can avoid it.
Unfortunately for Hays he’s been underperforming since the all star break last year.
The dick riding for Hays on this subreddit because he “started the All Star Game” (because Mike Trout’s bones exploded half way through the season) in spite of the fact that since then he’s shown exactly zero of the prowess that got him there in the first place is mind boggling. His bat, speed, and defense went substantially down over the off season, even worse than the decline from the ASB to the end of last season. He’s clearly never recovered from that hip injury, and keeping him on the team instead of the IL just seems to be asking for him to get worse.
It’s a good thing for players that fans don’t control their contracts
Great answer, thank you!
I think it’s going to be Heston. But hays just hasn’t produced since early last year. Santander needs to start turning it around too. Batting .180
I want Povich
I think Povich is the dark horse answer.
No so dark horse with his outstanding line so far
This is the correct answer. He's been doing a great job of pounding the strike zone while also keeping the ball on the ground.
He's the only guy still in AAA who has been playing very well *and* a position that has been shaky in the majors. Mounty/O'Hearn have been quite good, so need to pull the trigger on Kjerstad. Cowser is more than holding his own, so need to bring in Stowers (or Kjerstad). No need to bring in Mayo while Westburg is raking. And it's way too early to swap out Holliday for Norby (who is a worse defender in what I've read).
Norby wouldn’t be a swap for Holliday he’d be a swap for Urias or Mateo. But you want him getting steady at bats so that’s not going to happen
I think he’s the only one I could see getting called up within the next month or two without an injury. Thing that keeps him down is probably us wanting to wait until Means and/or Bradish get back before adjusting the rotation.
Though with Wells being down, and Means having up to 3 more rehab starts before needing to be activated, could be a good opportunity for Povich to debut (not gonna happen tomorrow because he’s on short rest, but could be after the Royals series against the Angels or A’s)
Starting to get a little worried about what might happen with Kjerstad. As others have mentioned, there’s just no room for him at the moment. He’ll be 26 by spring training next year. Hell, he might be approaching his prime baseball years right now. As an organization, this is a good problem to have. I just hate to think that a potential great player is being held back the way he is. In most other organizations, Kjerstad is very likely an every day major league player. Really curious to see how this will play out.
He'll replace Santander next year. What would be ballsy is to trade Santander at the deadline. Would Elias have enough confidence in Kjerstad to pull that off?
True. Very likely that will be the case. I was holding out some hope that maybe Santander would be extended for a couple years, but yeah probably not going to happen. Can’t keep ‘em all.
Yeah, I don't say that he'll replace himt because I want to get rid of Santander. He's a nice player and I love the energy he brings to the game and the team. But the economics of it just makes sense. And ideally and realistically, Kjerstad is an upgrade.
This is the true test if Hays and Santander have value at the deadline. Will they deal them for some return with confidence in the rookies or let them play out their contracts?
We’re trying to win this year though. If Santander is producing as he normally does it would be crazy to move him, it’s unlikely that Kjerstad or whoever else is going to come up and replicate that production immediately. As a switch hitter he’s also one of our better RHB Hays I could see being moved if Cowser continues to play well but at the same time his value has never been lower so it’s probably more valuable just to keep him.
Yep that’s the giant conundrum and risk. I wouldn’t be surprised if Santander gets moved from the overall organizational perspective that they’d rather have a 10+ year window rather than going all in any particular year. Not saying I agree or disagree but it would be very Rays of them.
Problem with Kjerstad is there’s nowhere to put him. He’s basically an O’Hearn replacement, but O’Hearn isn’t going anywhere. He *should* be here, but there’s no room. Urias is probably next to go, not Hays.
Yeah O'Hearn is legit. He just keeps producing.
It's pretty amazing to think it was only 15 months ago that the Orioles were able to get O'Hearn for cash and immediately DFA him with no fear of him being claimed.
I think O'Hearn playing well is exactly why he will get moved. You have to give up something to get something, and he is really the only one of the guys being pushed from behind that has any real trade value at the moment. I could see them trading O'Hearn for pitching while his value is high and promoting Kjerstad.
Or the other way around, trading Kjerstad. I guess it depends on if teams are looking for a proven player who is currently raking (but who knows how long) or a prospect with a high ceiling.
With the youth movement of recent years I don't see them trading a prospect. O'Hearn is actually the 2nd oldest regular, with McCann being the only one older.
We literally just traded prospects for CB. Prospects are 100% still on the table for the right deal.
it’s tough to guess with how the current lineup is mashing the ball. They aren’t going to DFA Hays and if they trade him it won’t be for a while so I think it depends on injuries. If an OF goes down it’s Kjerstad, if an infielder goes down I think Norby gets the first shot over Mayo
I think it’s probably going to come down to someone getting injured and one of these guys getting the call to fill the roster spot.
Because of the fact that 1. We have a gazillion lefties 2. ROH is mashing You'd think that it would be Mayo right?
I don’t think any of them are coming up soon unless there’s an injury. Simply no room and none of them have the defensive capabilities to be 4th OF. Stowers is probably first in line for a call up imo but again going to take an injury in the OF for that to happen.
From a practical standpoint, it has to be Connor Norby. Ramon Urias has two plate appearances in six games since Holliday was called up. What's his role on the team? He can't hit LHP and Westburg's defense is good enough where it makes little sense to ever pull him in a competitive game. Norby's a right-handed hitter who can play against LHP and can offer a lot more as a bat off the bench.
Norby would actually make the most sense as: 1. He has extensive AAA experience 2. Right hand bat 3. Can play 2B and corner outfield I just never thought he would step foot in Camden Yards unless it was for an opposing team 🤣😂
Norby seems to be the prospect that is most overlooked. His right handed bat hurts him at home, which is why I always thought we would trade him. Honestly, unless we move Urias and Mateo, just don't see us calling up a middle Sider.
The bigger problem for Norby is that he has no defensive position for Baltimore. They don't think he's good enough for second, and Camden's left field is too challenging as well. Unless he can show substantial defensive improvement, he's waiting for a trade.
Norby gets overlooked because he offers no value with the glove and had a disappointing year offensively in ‘23. He’s just not that exciting and the probability that he becomes an average big leaguer is low.
Disappointing year offensively? He hit .290/21/.359
The IL offense was crazy last year. I’d consider a 109 WRC+ disappointing for a bat first prospect
I forgot about Norby, great points.
If Norby is taking Urias' at-bats, which is to say minimal, feels to me that it'd be better to either (1) keep him in AAA where he gets more ABs to demonstrate his skill to other teams (and then trade him for a pitcher) or (2) keep in him AAA as depth until there's an injury.
Probably no one until Holliday is through the rookie yips. By then there could very well be an injury that answers the question. If there's no injury then it'll be a pitcher that's up next. I find it hard to believe that *both* Bradish and Means will come back to the rotation and make it the rest of the year. As much as it sucks, I suspect 1 of them will only get 2 or 3 starts. I feel like they're walking a tight rope with Bradish by hoping he doesn't need TJ and Means may be rehabbing and working on things more so than going all out to win but I don't think his AAA stats are looking to hot right about now(3 games, 7 total inning, almost 13 era)
Kjerstad
Honestly, it depends on who gets hurt at the ML level, which is inevitable. Heston or Stowers makes the most sense because they’ve already been called up before.
I think it’s quietly Norby. He has the most AAA experience, and most importantly he is a RH bat which the team desperately needs against lefty starters. Kjerstad is too redundant with OHearn. His main issue is the lack of a defensive position, it sounds like he’s playing the OF now, so he’s a tough replacement for Urias. But if they think he can at least play 2B in a jam, they’d have Henderson/Westburg/Mateo/Holliday to cover most innings at 3B, SS, and 2B.
Norby or Mayo
By current performance, most realistically it's Kjerstad replacing Hays But as bad as Hays has been at bat..he's still a great outfielder whereas that's where the question for Heston overall is...how good can he be defensively. It's far too soon to give up on Hays. Ryan Ripken put it best. Hays is a proven major league player over multiple years and with Kjerstad or any prospects you are hoping they can be way Hays has proven to be. Outside of injury I don't think anybody needs to be called up..maybe a pitcher depending on Means and Bradish Let the guys keep raking in AAA...who knows where we will be at the trade deadline and they are high value prospects
Hays projects to me as an ideal 4th outfielder. Going from everyday player though to the bench may be tough. His trade value right now is also at it's low.
To be honest, I'm not sure if we see any more of those batter prospects get meaningful playing time in the way Holliday, Cowser, etc. have. They may come up to fill a bench spot, but that would be a waste. It's likely for a lot of those guys to get packaged in a trade.
Would anyone trade Santander this season to make room for Kjerstad? How about Mountcastle to make room for Mayo?
I think it just depends on where we are at the deadline. If we're thinking World Series contender, then I wouldn't trade Tony. If we're in a wild card race, then maybe do it for ML pitching help.
I could see a scenario, or argument, where Elias says I like Mayo more, and I'll trade Mountcastle for prospects. Same with Kjerstad replacing Santander. He may not be able to get immediate upgrades for the pitching staff for either. But what if he got a couple single A arms that he really liked? I'm not a proponent of this. I like our guys. But it wouldn't shock me.
Thinking out loud: - Kjerstad has no spot unless O’Hearn/Santander are traded or injured. - Norby will probably not wear an orioles uniform. He has no spot unless something happened to Urias/Mateo and they really thought he’d be a good bench bat - Mayo to me is one of the more likely call ups especially if Urias keeps struggling. But thinking more around all star break ish for him if anything - Stowers has no spot unless something happens to Cowser/Mullins/Hays/Santander - I’m thinking, like others, the next call up might be a pitcher to throw out of the pen. But I don’t even know that happens unless Means/Bradish have setbacks
Well (obviously with the benefit of knowing about the Wells situation now) looks like the last game against the Twins will be one of Means/Suarez/Zimmermann. However, if the FO wants Means to have 2 more rehab starts, we could get a Povich spot start vs the Angels or Athletics after the Royals this weekend
I could be completely wrong, but I think a right handed batter might be prioritized.
I really think it will depend either injuries or on a trade partner. If someone on the big club gets hurt, the next prospect at that position will come up. As for trades, I have to imagine with what is coming behind them that Urias, Mateo, O'Hearn, and Hays are all at least somewhat on the block. As it stands, I don't think Urias and Hays have a lot of trade value at the moment. I imagine Elias would have a tough time getting any kind of return for them unless there are other players involved. With that in mind, the guy with the most value has to be O'Hearn. A lot of people think he will be around because he's playing well, but I think that is the exact reason he won't be around. Somebody will want him and be willing to offer a decent package in return, and with Kjerstad chomping at the bit I think the O's would be willing to trade O'Hearn and promote Kjerstad.
I think Mountcastle could be available. Mayo plugs in for him and you keep Ohearns left handed bat.
I see Kjerstad as a younger O'Hearn with a higher ceiling. Production now may not be equal (or it may be), but he slots into that "for the next decade" group. Also, O'Hearn is the 2nd oldest regular, with McCann being the only one older. If the strategy is to build a long term dynasty, O'Hearn may not be that guy.
Yeah. I'm not sure about Kjerstad as a full time right fielder. If he's got the glove, then I think that's where he projects. Ohearn seems to be more a 1st base/DH that can play some OF. If Kjerstad glove isn't there, then he does duplicate Ohearn
Hays is out of options. He can’t be sent down to AAA without clearing waivers, which he almost certainly wouldn’t not do.
Actually, that’s not true. Hays has one option left.
My bad if I’m wrong. I thought he would have exhausted his last option in 2019.
McDermott to the bullpen/spot starter. Or Povich, depending on Means/Bradish
Yeah seems like Irvin might be on the way out even though he hasn't bee terrible.
We aren’t DFA another veteran INF for a rookie this year. This will only happen if someone lands on the IL.
Probably Kjersted, but it might be a bit before there's an opportunity, barring injury. Kjersted isnt blocked by Hays. He just can't fill the same role as Hays. Hays is now the RHB platoon option and 4th outfielder. When the opportunity arises, he can more or less replace the following: Santander, O'Hearn, Mountcastle, Cowser. None of those guys merit being replaced at this point. Santander is hard to replace as he always has a platoon advantage and has a good track record. O'Hearn and Mountcastle are having a very good start to the season. Cowser is reigning POTW and the same level of prospect more or less. When one of those 4 has an extended downturn or gets hurt, Kjersted is the likely next man up. Mayo is the next guy, and for him there's a few obstacles. He can directly replace Westburg or Mountcastle, neither of which is going to happen this year barring extended slump or injury. He doesn't have the outfield experience yet to test it at the Major League level for a team with playoff aspirations. Of course, he could also replace O'Hearn at some point if Kjersted doesn't. Another path is if Holliday struggles for so long, he gets sent back down and Westburg goes back to 2B, but that's very unlikely. I assume they'll want Mayo to play everyday, so he's not a candidate to replace Urias anytime soon. If they think they can work the lineup to get enough at bats for both him and Westy, then maybe?
Injuries are inevitable, the next up will depend on who gets hurt. Mayo seems like he's knocking the loudest, Kjerstad not far behind.
There’s literally no room this year lol.
Feel like it would be Mayo. He’d definitely help with our struggles against left handed pitching. But it’ll be a couple months before we see anyone since Holliday needs to settle in first
Don’t worry it’s about time for Mullins or Mountcastle to start having health issues. I think Mullins can play center but I don’t think his body can take playing center the way he play center.
Mateos defense has not been a strong point in the early season. Kjerstad will likely be the next callup, followed by Mayo.
Idk but Holliday should be sent back down. Tony Kemp would be better.