Orioles outfield prospect Austin Hays is set to undergo surgery to repair an ankle fracture, Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com was among those to report. Hays, who made his big league debut last September after an enormous minor league season sent him skyrocketing up national prospect rankings, was limited to 75 games in 2018 and batted just .235/.266/.410 in that time. Though he’s had a brief cup of coffee in the Majors, Hays has yet to even suit up for a Triple-A game; he hit .329/.365/.593 with 32 homers, 32 doubles and five triples between Class-A Advanced and Double-A last season and spent the bulk of 2018 in Double-A (when healthy). Hays had been slated to play in the Arizona Fall League, but it seems he’ll now forgo that to clean up the lingering ankle issue that has plagued his 2018 season. He only recently turned 23 and is still viewed as an important piece of the Orioles’ future, though the 2018 season looks to have gone down as something of a lost season for the 2016 third-rounder. Hays himself has also confirmed that he’ll have surgery tomorrow (Twitter link).
Elsewhere in the AL East…
- David Price has an opt-out clause in his seven-year, $217MM contract following the season, but the left-hander’s recent comments to Christopher Smith of MassLive.com strongly suggest he’ll remain with the Red Sox. Asked if he would consider opting out because of his recent stretch of dominance, Price bluntly replied: “Why would I leave here to go to a team that’s not as good as this team? I came here to win.” Of course, it’s never seemed likely that the 33-year-old Price would opt out of the remaining $127MM on his deal (as explored here last week), but those comments make that outcome seem all the more certain. Over his past 128 2/3 innings (including tonight’s start), Price has a 2.94 ERA with a 137-to-27 K/BB ratio. Nearly 20 percent of the 42 runs he’s allowed in that 21-start stretch came in one outing; excluding that hiccup, he’s been a brilliant complement to Chris Sale atop the Boston rotation, creating a formidable one-two punch for rookie manager Alex Cora.
- Aroldis Chapman could be activated from the disabled list sometime next week, Yankees manager Aaron Boone tells reporters (link via Newsday’s Erik Boland). Chapman, on the disabled list due to tendinitis, threw a side session Wednesday which Boone says “went really well.” The Yanks also announced prior to today’s game that righty Chance Adams has been recalled from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. He’s been working in a relief role in Triple-A since his last demotion, so he could give the Yanks some relief depth in the season’s final weeks. In four bullpen appearances in Triple-A, Adams allowed one run on five hits and two walks with five strikeouts in 6 1/3 innings.
Way to burn Hays’ option years for like no reason.
He was on the ML roster last year because they believed he was ready to contribute. He was our starting RF at the end of last season. That comment is completely ignorant.
IIRC he mostly rode the bench in his cup of coffee. Anyway, the O’s were out of the race when they called him up and he wasn’t Rule 5 eligible so it was questionable to begin with. He could have made the team as a NRI to start 2017 if he deserved it. Instead, they get to burn through his option years.
Again, if you don’t know don’t talk out of your ass. I know you don’t watch orioles games. He was our starting RF. Take a look at the last 3 weeks of the season. Go ahead and count how many times Austin Hays was in the lineup. He was playing 5 times a week. He was a fast rising consensus top 100 prospect and our starting RF was a combination of Joey Rickard and Seth smith. The promotion was aggressive but hardly unheard of.
Still unnecessary considering they were out of the race and he wasn’t Rule 5 eligible.
Most systems don’t have 15 guys they need to protect on the rule 5. The orioles certainly weren’t and aren’t facing a crunch. He had by all accounts earned a promotion. It was aggressive but not ridiculous. He’s 23 years old not 18. In all likelihood he’ll be in the majors by mid season next year. Even if he isn’t there’s another whole year left where we can still option him. So if by 25 years of age he isn’t ready for a permanent big league assignment it’ll be because he isn’t good enough. Not because we called him up for a month in 2017 to give him a shot to take over RF. What you clearly fail to see was that if he busted out and proved he was ready to start in the big leagues at the end of 17 we wouldn’t have needed to pursue any OF candidates that winter.
Having Hays on the 40 also meant one less free agent the O’s could sign to a Major League deal without DFAing someone else. Anyway, the Orioles really didn’t gain anything from having him in the Majors at the end of 2017. Maybe if they had been contending it would have made some sense but they weren’t. He didn’t have to have a cup of coffee in 2017 in order to be able to make it in 2018 or any point in the future.
Stop. The orioles selected 3 rule 5 draft picks this offseason. That arguments not going to work. There was no way to evaluate Hays as a major leaguer if he wasn’t in the major leagues. He earned his call up but he didn’t hit. That’s it. If you’re trying to figure out if Hays can be your starting RF you probably need to do that before the start of FA the next season. He got his month up there to show what he was ready to do.
O’s are rebuilding. They could afford to wait until 2018 to give him his shot. And now since they feel inclined to keep him buried in the minors they get to prematurely burn through his option years.
Ultimately, calling him up was pointless if they didn’t intend to roll with him in 2018.
Redrooster: try reading the Steve Adams post above.
Does it even matter? It’s the O’s. It’s not like they have anyone to develop young players.
Price is not stupid. Opting out would be ludicrous.
LOL.
You are right but with 5 dislikes…I’m a sox fan and yes the contract high however when Sale was out He was the stopper.
Remeber John Lackey? Everyone hated him amd his contract however he proved differ. Its now Prices turn…
Team winning, pitching great and no longer being a jackass changes fans’ perceptions.
Dewey, I wouldn’t say he’s stopped being a jackass.
Haven’t read anything recently. Big issue will be how he starts next month. If he struggles again (I’m actually optimistic he won’t), his recent success will be forgotten and fans will again be brutal.
Dewey, I’m on the fence about Price opting out. I can’t decide whether the Sox would be better off allocating his salary to others or whether his talent is worth having around. His team mates like him.. Fans. are coming around because he’s winning and ahole writers dont like him because he doesn’t take their crap.
Whatever way he goes, so be it. A very good #2 starter or 31M? I can’t decide.
Keep him away from the video games
H2O October will be the deciding factor on the fans love.
Joe, no doubt about it.
He’s performing like a #1. A lot though depends on Sale and whether you believe this is the real moving forward Price as the money will probably still be mostly dead salary in a couple of years. Decision though is his.
First, I am a Yankee fan, and I’d love to see him leave Boston.
As a baseball fan, I think Price has gotten over the mass media and fan scrutinizing of his performances, and though he’s expensive to keep …there is nothing like a great starting staff. Maybe the Yankees will learned that the front end is even more important than the bullpen unless you begin to play like the Rays!
Right he won’t get that much money if he opts out. Yes he can b dominate. But any playoff team will have reservations because he usually doesn’t show up during the playoffs and in big games
So your saying you agree?
Just a follow-up , that question was for you J78. Your pretty much just saying duh? Right? I’m just trying to figure out if I missed something with all the dislikes. He’s definitely had a great run recently but I couldn’t imagine he’ll do better if he opts out.
Chapman coming back to throw gasoline on that dumpster fire of a bullpen.
statistically a top 2 bullpen in baseball lol
Thing is, since the break the team has been a dumpster fire…
Basically what I’m saying is, the bullpen’s minor struggles have not been the issue.
It’s been the offense that has been the dumpster fire, and that’s got a lot to do with losing Judge, Sanchez, Didi, the complete suckage of Greg Bird, and Gardner getting old.
If not for the sudden success of Andujar and Torres, they would not be in the postseason picture at all.
Thank God most of the AL and the rest of MLB is historically bad, or they wouldn’t be sitting in a playoff position.
Since 2014, among all qualified RP, Chapman:
#1 in FIP (1.73)
#1 WAR (11.5)
#1 K/9 (15.18)
#1 with the fewest HR/ 9 allowed (0.33)
T-#2 in xFIP (2.27) Tied with Betances
Can’t forget about Betances:
#1 IP 366.1 Innings
#1 SO 598 (100+ more than #2 Craig Kimbrel)
#3 WAR (11.3) (Just after 11.5 and 11.4)
#2 K/9 w/ 14.69 (After Chapman, who’s #1!)
T-#2 in xFIP (2.27) (Tied with Chapman)
#3 fewest HR/9 with 0.61
Honorable mention: Chad Green top-5: WHIP,(0.89) ERA(1.94) and #1 LOB% (86.7%)
Stats accurate as of date of this article.
link to fangraphs.com
“Chapman coming back to throw gasoline on that dumpster fire of a bullpen.”
Your poorest troll attempt yet. Your skills are dwindling. As I’ve proved, this is a historic bullpen. Even more so when Chappy comes back. left a bunch other quality RP
Price should opt out. Fans hate him and he hates the fans. Then he calls out the NESN broadcasters for doing their jobs and pointing out players that aren’t performing to their projections.
He just wants to win.
Actually, his comments suggest first and foremost just wants to get paid. Great PR spin because even with the year he’s having, he knows he’d have to leave bucks on the table to go elsewhere. Only place that would pay him this much if anywhere is in the Bronx. LOL.
You should opt out.
127 million dollars is about 50 million more than anyone is going to give him in FA. I think he’ll be staying.
I don’t know about that. just take a look at what Darvish got last year and he’s only 1y younger with the same possible injury concerns as an issue.
Think he could get 100m this offseason.
Don’t you think clubs are continuing to learn? While it only takes one team to over bid, what clubs have the ability to pay and need? Yankees and who else? Cards won’t offer what they did last time. Giants are too far away to over pay. The Brewers don’t have the flexibility. Also, the Angels have been burned more than Boston. The Dodgers will be resigning their own ace. Perhaps Washington if Harper doesn’t resign. Bottom line is there’s too much risk for him to opt out unless the fan base turns back on him and he’s ok with leaving big $$ on the table.
Arrieta only received 75 million guaranteed. Cubs haven’t been too happy with the way that darvish deal turned out. Price has that much guaranteed money for 4 seasons instead of 5. I don’t see anyone ponying up anywhere close to that. Maybe a deal with incentives to that point.
Every MLB contract is “guaranteed”.
Is that right? How about incentives and escalators? Or a club option? Andrew Cashner signed a 2 year 16mm guaranteed contract. That deal could be a 3 year 40Mm contract if he ends up hitting all his incentives. Don’t think there’s anything wrong w what I said there. But in no world will price see a better deal than 4/127. I’d bet anything on that.
I could easily see price getting something structured like arrieta’s deal. A guaranteed 75mm with those kind of opt outs and incentives. That’s a far worse guarantee than what he has and I have a very hard time believing he’d get too much more.
Yankees….
They always have money falling out of their rear end
If price opted out of his deal with the Red Sox it’d be to pursue another team. There’s almost no chance he can top a 4 year 127MM offer. If he opts out there’s a 99% chance you can cross the Red Sox off. The cubs won’t be paying anymore pitchers big dollars. Philadelphia or NYY would be plausibl but nonetheless I don’t see him getting close to beating his current deal.
I don’t hate him.
Ok, so you should try leaving your job for half the price…Mr GM.
Fans don’t hate him. They called him out over the Eck mess. but that was 2017 when his on field performance didn’t match his paycheck.
Boston fans want a winner, if he pitches like one, all is good.
Sox fans just always seem to catch flack from other teams fans for stuff like like this, along with Yanks fans of course. Give me a park that is near capacity most of the time vs one that has 10-15 thousand average in a good year.
Bottom line you want your fans to be there no matter what…
Cereal,,,, if the teams put a good product on the field in Boston or NY, the fans will show. The pink hats will pay.
Tampa and Balt? Not so much.
Boston fans give the team tough love because they care. Same with NY fans. If other fans don’t like that approach? Oh well
Well said…
That’s the truth. You deserve about 10 up votes for that one…
Live close to Tampa and almost never, ever read anything chatty regarding players from sports writers. Oh sure, the stadium issue gets the ire of people on both sides, the yays and nays, but gossip from the inside? Forget it.
We’ve pretty much got to wait until the police reports are filed to see which ones got arrested (true), then the writers might then print something up.
Chastain and Topkin are absolutely the worst. They’re so busy kissing Stuie’ s backside that they miss stuff. The Rays team this year is full of fascinating stories; Wendle’s rise from DFA-land, Yarborough succeeding despite that EVERY scout claimed he put up good numbers everywhere, but doesn’t have any “stuff” , Pham’s rise from being basically tossed out of the Cards’ lockeroom (“he was the cause of our problems”, said one) to a solid performance in Tampa, Kyle Snyder’s rise to almost Leo Mazzone proportions….
Lots and lots of good stuff, totally ignored…..
David Price is finally living up to his huge contract. Hope he stays in Boston.
Living up to his huge contract?!! Really?!!!!
He did say “he’s finally living up to his huge contract”. While this has been his best season in Boston, a 3.46 ERA, and 3.64 FIP isn’t worth $30 million. But at least his peripherals are looking good (2.3 BB/9, 9.2 K/9).
What’s really sad about the Price situation is the fact that the Tampa organization consistently turns out good pitchers. Then they leave because Tampa is going nowhere. I don’t know if a new stadium is the solution but I’ve always thought they should be near the top with NY/Boston. Being an East Coaster my whole life, I think and wish every team was competitive. Look at the excitement of the NL West.
Yes…I like all 3 teams listed in my name but a 10 game lead in September is boring.
MetsYanksSox…. What Cash has done with that team in Tampa this year is amazing.. I’m in Florida so I’ve made it to The Trop a few times. I find it comfortable, much more comfortable than the cramped confines of Fenway. I can also get a seat within 15 rows of the field behind home plate for 90 bucks.
The food is decent, still overpriced but decent.
The big difference is there is absolutely nothing going on outside the park before the game.
They seem to be going in the right direction again. Did not know about the paucity of stuff to do near the park. No doubt explains the small crowds. Don’t get me going on Fenway! That place needs to be torn down. Build a modernized version of the same Fenway and put a retractable roof on it. Fenway faithful will forget all about that 100+ year old relic.
Sorry Cubs fans…..same goes for Wrigley.
I would be shocked if Price opted out after this year. As a Red Sox fan I would not mind seeing that happen but it is not going to happen.
It’s not all bad though because Price has seemed to come to grips with his reduced velocity and is really starting to pitch. As long as he hits corners, changes eye levels, and speed he won’t be a big overpay. He just needs to stay healthy over the rest of his contract. He seems to be making that solid transition that some power pitchers never seem to make.
Listening to the game last night, Price was moving the ball around which is good. Finally learning how to pitch instead of just throwing. I’m sure it’s ok making over $30 mill per year but it’s really about winning. Five years from now the talk will be about $40 mill/year pitchers, so $31M is a bargain right now.