OT: Raise the Jolly Roger: The Condemned of Altoona

[ResignCraigAdams]

Not sure the infatuation with Osuna is. He hit 233 last year with a 697 OPS and a 270 OBP.

And he's producing similar numbers this year. He's a below average defender in the outfield. He's just not that good of a player.

 

[DanielPlainview]

He's young and has shown potential. .241/.267/.749, 2 HR, and 6 RBIs in 29 ABs is pretty good for a guy who is usually coming in cold off the bench.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

I do think Osuna is useful as a RH bat off the bench, but his outfield defense is a problem for versatility. However, we are routinely willing to run out non-outfielders in the outfield, so I'm not sure that's the best excuse, but I think it makes sense to move Osuna for what we could get for him. The thing is, I doubt he has a ton of value: it'd have to be to an AL team, and at best we might be able to pick up a prospect that might be a bullpen arm or something.

 

[ResignCraigAdams]

I do think Osuna is useful as a RH bat off the bench, but his outfield defense is a problem for versatility. However, we are routinely willing to run out non-outfielders in the outfield, so I'm not sure that's the best excuse, but I think it makes sense to move Osuna for what we could get for him. The thing is, I doubt he has a ton of value: it'd have to be to an AL team, and at best we might be able to pick up a prospect that might be a bullpen arm or something.

Yeah, a bench bat is all I see Osuna as. His best position is 1B and we are never gonna see him play there. He's just a meh prospect.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

Polanco is down in the 7 hole. Let's see how he responds.

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

Williams continues to do a good job getting out of innings. Been the most consistent all year

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

I think Marte might be rusty

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Crushed it!

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Holy shit lol

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

Hope Polanco was watching that.

He has to know hes the odd man out right now and needs to get better

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

Martinez is now 5 for 8 against Williams. Might have been a good idea to avoid him there.

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

Bell being Bell.

Polanco was moved down. Now how long will it take for Hurdle to finally switch Dickerson and Bell?

 

[ImporterExporter]

I'm not tuning in. Marte is back (yay) but Meadows gets benched so Polanco can keep playing? At least they finally dropped his ass in the lineup. Hurdle just keeps outdoing himself with idiotic decisions. Polanco would have to go 0-50 before he got permanently benched I bet.

 

[JimmyTwoTimes]

Williams starting to fade. At least 4 runs in 3 of his last 4 starts.

We really need Taillon to be on tomm..and beyond.

Kingham and Musgrove need to get us some wins too.

Supposedly Nova was hurt on April 26th...so 5 starts after that and finally to the DL. Cost us a few games right there.

Wonder how many runs we could score if we had Marte AND Meadows in the lineup. And Dickerson batting cleanup instead of Bell.

Polanco DP lol. Hurdled


Like I said before we have the pieces to compete for the division, but we wont go anywhere with Hurdle as manager.

Can pick a fan off the street to give us a winning lineup with these players.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

Polanco jogging down the line into a double play. Hurdle ought to just sub him out for Meadows now.

 

[NewAgeOutlaw]

Gotta start Meadows tomorrow. Polanco needs to take a few games off.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

Gotta start Meadows tomorrow. Polanco needs to take a few games off.

Definitely.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Yeah, I was surprised Polanco didn't go to the bench when he didn't run that out. This was a frustrating one on several different levels, starting with Williams, who can't seem to flash the strikeout stuff when needed. I'm still driving the bandwagon, but his weaknesses are more apparent when Taillon is doing poorly and Nova is a dumpster fire.

In any case, that's why you take the first game of the series. Win tomorrow and keep the solid season series vs them going. We had a lot of trouble with Mikolaus last time out, and definitely need Taillon to step up. I'm not super optimistic about our chances, but hopefully we pull it out.

 

[cheesedanish87]

Polanco not running out that double play really rubbed me the wrong way.

Your not doing anything at the plate, your in a competition for playing time now and you can't even run out a double play.

I wouldn't just bench him, i'd have him on the next plane to Indianapolis.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Some of it is precedent - I think they have instructed certain players to be cautious, particularly ones with bad habits of getting injuries on bullshit like that, but given the situation, it was really bad. I think he already should have been benched today, and now it's patently obvious that he needs to see the bench for at least a couple of days.

 

[ImporterExporter]

Polanco just proving me right time and time again. Not only is he not a good ball player, he's lazy as well. Ship him to the moon this summer. Please.

I promise you this much. If he isn't benched for 3 games minimum I'm done for the season. He's worthless everywhere and isn't even hustling at this point. Ball's in your court Hurdle.

I don't care how young a kid is. When you have somebody tearing the cover off the ball, you keep them in the lineup, which of course is Meadows.

 

[Still Apps]

Just read this morning that Hurdle intends to use an "outfield rotation". From an article by Rob Biertempfel in The Athletic:

"Hurdle made it clear that Dickerson, Marte and, yes, even the embattled Polanco will remain the starting trio. Meadows will get spot starts in all three outfield spots as well as appearances off the bench."

Really? Spot starts for your hottest hitter?

 

[ResignCraigAdams]

Just read this morning that Hurdle intends to use an "outfield rotation". From an article by Rob Biertempfel in The Athletic:

"Hurdle made it clear that Dickerson, Marte and, yes, even the embattled Polanco will remain the starting trio. Meadows will get spot starts in all three outfield spots as well as appearances off the bench."

Really? Spot starts for your hottest hitter?

Hurdle gonna Hurdle. I don't agree with all of his decisions but he put Polanco 7th in the order 2 days in a row now. And Meadows has started every day besides yesterday since he's been called up. Might have wanted to rest him.

 

[DJ Spinoza]

Interesting - despite the fact that Polanco remains in the lineup today and that will no doubt drive everyone crazy, NH's comments on his radio show, and Hurdle's in this interview, essentially make it sounds like there is going to be an outfield rotation, with everyone playing pretty often. Since Meadows can move around to all three spots, I think mathematically you can basically have them all playing 7 or so days out of 10.

I do like this idea much more than deploying non-OFs very sparingly, especially in terms of center field defense. I'm of the mindset that Polanco needs at least two days down right now, but it looks like they are going to roll with this plan, at least for a little while.

How often will Austin Meadows play? 'Seven out of 10 days'


Today seems almost impossible. Taillon is going to need to find whatever he had during that Reds start over a month ago, and we won't be able to miss whatever opportunities we are lucky enough to get. He's gone deep into games pretty consistently, and hasn't even had a mediocre start all year other than maybe 1.

 

[DanielPlainview]

I just don't think keeping Polanco in the lineup is good for the team right now. I could justify a rotation if he were playing well but he is clearly way out of sorts. A couple days off couldn't hurt.