The Orioles announced that they’ve promoted outfield prospect Austin Hays to the Majors and designated left-hander Jayson Aquino to clear space on the 40-man roster. Hays will be making his Major League debut the first time he enters a game for the O’s.
The 22-year-old Hays has ridden a monster season in the minors to the No. 97 slot on MLB.com’s list of the game’s top 100 prospects and to his first MLB promotion. The 2016 third-rounder opened the year in Class-A Advanced and slashed .328/.364/.592 with 16 homers through 280 plate appearances before being bumped to Double-A Bowie. Remarkably, Hays posted a near-identical .330/.367/.594 batting line with, again, 16 home runs in 283 PAs following that promotion.
Aquino, 24, has spent the past two seasons in the Orioles organization but has totaled just 15 2/3 frames in the Majors. He’s logged a disappointing 6.32 ERA in that time to go along with a 16-to-6 K/BB ratio. Aquino has posted more appealing numbers in Triple-A, though, working to a 4.24 ERA with 7.0 K/9 against 3.2 BB/9 in 114 2/3 innings out of the Norfolk rotation in 2017.
Congrats young man.
Hays is a stud. He will not start 2018 in an O’s uniform, but he is the future in RF. Exciting at the plate.
Why will he not start in 2018? Do you mean start the season? I’m sure he won’t start the season because of service time but I wouldn’t be surprised to see him starting. Whos our RF next season? Rickard + a Seth smith type platoon? He could easily hit his way into the job. Anyway glad we’ve cleaned up the garbage pitching off the 40 man. Aquino, Verrett, and Wilson gone.
I don’t think Smith will be back. He is a FA at the end of the year. Unfortunately, Hays would be another RH bat in a predominantly RH hitting lineup. The remaining top prospects are Cisco (R), Santander (S), Stewart (L), and Mullins (S), so there is perhaps some variety to come.
The question in my head is whether or not having four potential ML outfielders that will presumably be ready for 2019 means that the O’s will not resign Jones after next season. He is the face of the franchise right now, and has been since Markakis left. Maybe letting Jones go frees up money for Machado. Please don’t reply and tell me it’s already a done deal that Machado leaves. It’s not a done deal either way and anything else is just speculation or wishful thinking on your part.
I don’t think machado not coming back is a done deal. Honestly, I think he enjoys playing next to schoop and now Beckham. It’s all about how much we will pony up to keep him around. Jones might be a guy we are better off in the long run if we let walk. Honestly I can see his defense in centerfield declining with his age and being one of the guys who won’t move off the position. His plate discipline has never been good, so when the bat speeds slows a bit it’s not going to be good. I don’t think we have a center fielder in our minor league system to replace him though. Mullins is probably going to settle in as a 4th outfielder. If it’s not jones id have to think we’d be replacing him with someone outside of the organization currently.
I kinda like Aquino. Wouldn’t be surprised if some rebuilding team claimed him
If you’ve never seen him pitch. I don’t think he’s a major league caliber arm. But someone will take a flier. He’s young enough and a lefty. He doesn’t fool major league hitters though they absolutely pounded him. His walk rate is trending in the wrong direction too, but there is probably worse floating around some 100 loss team’s 40 man.
Also we didn’t add hays to our 40 man this early if we didn’t plan to see him next year. He’s definitely in the plans early on in 2018.
Aquino is still 24 and throws lefty. I really want to see him used in a relief capacity. I believe it would do wonders.
He might be ablue to develop into a loogy. Like I said he’s only 24, starting isn’t going to work out. he doesn’t throw hard so I can’t see him being a lockdown lefty reliever but maybe he could be a loogy. Not surprised to see him DFA’d