The Orioles are poised to promote top infield prospect Jordan Westburg prior to tomorrow’s game against the Reds, per ESPN’s Jeff Passan. Baltimore will need to make a 40-man roster move to accommodate Westburg in addition to clearing space for him on the active roster, though those moves have not yet been announced. Passan adds that Westburg will be in the starting lineup tomorrow for his major league debut.
Westburg was selected 30th overall by Baltimore in the first round of the 2020 draft. He immediately impressed with the bat in his first professional season, slashing .285/.389/.479 in 506 trips to the plate while climbing from Single-A all the way to Double-A over the course of the 2021 campaign. While those numbers were certainly impressive, his roughly league average 104 wRC+ in 30 Double-A games did leave questions as to whether he would be able to dominant in the upper levels of the minors the way he had in A-ball.
The youngster answered those questions in a big way with his performance in 2023. After showing improvement across 47 games at the Double-A level with a .247/.344/.473 slash line, Westburg went on to take another step forward with a strong showing in Triple-A during his age-23 season. In 91 games at the level last season, Westburg slashed an impressive .274/.361/.508 with the lowest strikeout rate of his career and 46 extra base hits, including 18 home runs.
After an excellent 2022 campaign, Westburg entered the 2023 campaign rated as roughly a top-75 prospect in the sport by each of MLB Pipeline, Baseball America, and Baseball Prospectus. He’s since delivered on that promise by posting the best numbers of his career across 67 games in a return to Triple-A. In 301 plate appearances this season, Westburg has slashed .295/.372/.567 with a wRC+ of 131, a strikeout rate of just 21.3%, and .404 wOBA.
Given those impressive numbers, it’s no wonder why the Orioles have made the decision to pull the trigger on Westburg’s promotion despite the club’s crowded infield picture. Gunnar Henderson, of course, is entrenched on the left side of the infield with appearances in 67 of the club’s 76 games this season. That leaves Westburg likely to mix in alongside the likes of Jorge Mateo, Ramon Urias, and Adam Frazier up the middle, though Frazier has also seen time in the outfield this season while Urias has occasionally stepped in at first base with Ryan Mountcastle on the injured list.
Of the aforementioned trio, only Urias has hit above league average this season with a wRC+ of 101. That being said, Mateo’s glove at shortstop ranks in the 89th percentile of qualified fielders per Statcast, meaning he’ll likely draw starts even as his bat has cooled off significantly after a hot start to the season. That leaves the likes of Frazier and Joey Ortiz most likely to lose out on playing time in favor of Westburg. Ortiz, in particular, stands out as a potential candidate to be optioned in favor of Westburg, as the 24-year-old youngster has gotten into just 15 games with the club this season, slashing .212/.206/.242 in 35 plate appearances.
Westburg’s promotion is the latest in a line of recent top prospect promotions that began with the debut of catcher Adley Rutschman last year. Since then, Henderson, Ortiz, and Grayson Rodriguez are among the youngster to make their debut for the Orioles, though Ortiz and Rodriguez have yet to establish themselves fully at the major league level. The youth movement in Baltimore has paid dividends, as the club has followed up a surprisingly competitive 2022 campaign with a 47-29 record that leaves them both in second place in an extremely competitive AL East division and in the driver’s seat of the AL Wild Card race.
Preview of the 2026 World Series
… maybe 2025.
…maybe 2024
Finally a sense of style from Elias
Wow! Can’t wait for the details.
My guess is that Mountcastle goes on 60 day IL.
I wonder if Givens 60 day is more plausible
The rehab schedule had Givens pitching again today, but the Orioles’ medical staff is examining him.
“It’s a low level of concern,” said manager Brandon Hyde. “He just had a little bit of discomfort. … Hopefully, he’ll go right back to continue his rehab.”
Probs Ortiz to AAA and Godoy DFA.
Maybe 2022. Heston Kjerstad and/or Noelvi Marte could buy a lot of pitching. (At least two pretty good starters and several pretty good relief pitchers……)
Forget “Ghost-Busters”, call the Tigers…..
One of them won’t get the O’s the #1 starter they need to overtake the Rays.
“Well looky what we have here.” – Biff Tannen
It’s good to see the draft & develop teams get rewarded. You can’t buy championships, but you can buy playoff appearances.
@mlb fan so it’s good to see teams tank for years in order to stock their farm system? C’mon that’s not good for anyone other than the owners pockets.
I’d say a balanced approach of spend and draft is better for baseball.
The O’s have been pulling up their publicized infielders from the minors, only to send them back down in a week or so.
Maybe they’re showcasing them for trades. Maybe they’re watching Adam Frazier slowly deteriorate and want to do something with the 2B – SS – 3B mix.
O’s have a lot of options, but there’s an overreliance on the back end-of the bullpen with Coulombe, Cano, and Bautista. They’re going to burn those 3 out before the playoffs start (and that’s assuming those 3 stay healthy all year). Yes, they need at least one more starting pitcher. But other then the 3 back-end guys, their bullpen has been inconsistent at times and downright awful in others. They need at least 2 more bullpen guys that can be the bridge from the starters to the back-end guys. The 2022 bullpen was far better overall. So I can see some trade possibilities where they use surplus infielders for pitching.
All teams are burning up the pens if that’s any consolation.
Come on, All Star break!
DCartrow;
This way of playing a 162 game season like every game is the 7th game of the WS is ruining the sport.
It’s not just bullpens that are burning out. 20-30 years ago Aaron Judge would have played the fly ball at Dodger Stadium off the wall. Instead he elects to make a show-off catch, and the Yankees season appears to pretty much be over.
I keep writing it – MLB playoffs have more to do with which teams stay healthy than they do with which teams have the better roster and which teams play the best overall baseball.
Are 7 inning games right around the corner?
Lmao “he elects to make a show off catch” – are you a bad troll or just a complete moron? It’s a freak injury on the concrete lip of a wall making a great play. I thought elderly people usually cried about guys not playing hard enough anymore instead of the opposite?
Pretty funny claiming a team’s season is over when they’re currently the second WC with the 5th best record in the AL.
Steele91;
No I’m not a “complete moron”. Kid.
I’ve been watching MLB for over 65 years.
That was an incredibly dumb play…and it’s costing the Yankees the 2023 season.
Tell us what the Yankees record has been since that game.
You must be a Yankee fan.
Yankees weren’t really going to go anywhere even with Judge healthy. Rizzo and Judge were the only ones in that lineup hitting consistently this season. That just isn’t a sustainable way of winning. They had a nice May but played a bunch of weak opponents. Between a crowded AL playoff race, injury prone pitching staff and roster in general, poor management by Boone and Cashman and that’s a receipt of a team that at best will sneak into the playoffs, and at worse fall off completely and hover around .500 at the end of the season.
Steele91;
In 2013 Bryce Harper ran into an OF wall playing for the Nationals. Knocked himself out and was injured. The Nationals talked to him and he’s never done a dumb thing like that since. His teams needs him to play, not be on the IL by injuring himself crashing into walls and needlessly diving for balls.
–
Grady Sizemore was one of the first of “go all out all the time” players – dive, run into walls, try to take extra bases on a hit and needlessly slide into the opposing player. He put his body at risk to make a play in every game of a 162 game season. It was entertaining for fans like you.
Grady Sizemore came up with Cleveland at age 21 and had some very good years with them, but he was constantly injured. In fact, he had to sit out the 2012 and 2013 seasons due to operations he needed because of his reckless style of play- this was at ages 29 and 30, which should have been his prime. He came back in 2014 at age 31 – still should have been a productive player. Spent 2 years with 3 teams where he was awful (due to the injuries) and had to end his career at age 32.
–
I’m no troll kid. I understand MLB. Since Matt Blake got there (doubt you know of him) the Yankees have been a team based on pitching. Their defense has been substandard for years. In 2022 they had a great year which can be attributed to Aaron Judge’s hitting. Period. His bat makes that team go. He’s been out of the line-up and who knows when he’ll be back. To win one game in early June he put the entire Yankee season at risk. There was no call for it.
I remember that time 65 years ago when I watched a 6’8 outfielder who just won the MVP hitting against 96+ every night getting hurt making a phenomenal play…
@Samuel
Dillon Tate should provide one of the backend arms. Mychal Givens might help too. I believe Either him or Perez is going to find themselves DFA’d if we add another BP arm.
Certainly need another starter though. Would be surprised if that isn’t addressed. Norby or Prieto seem likely to be on the move. Mateo may find himself elsewhere too at this point. Calling up Westburg leads me to believe that he’ll be staying around.
Graveman would be a good BP arm for Balt to add if the plan in ’23 postseason vision is to win by shortening games.
Was supposed to be Tate, Givens, and Perez. Perez has looked better but Givens and Tate may not contribute at all
@rav
Perez hasn’t looked any better to me.
He’s been bad. He was fine against the mariners in a low leverage spot but gave up 4 runs in the 2 games before that. He’s not the same guy. Looks like the player who was DFA’d by the reds.
True. Baumann looks like he might be close to unlocking his potential. Had a nice shutdown tenth against Seattle
Hopefully. Baumann’s got the arm talent. Baker does too. They need to be more consistent to make the jump from middle reliever to high leverage arm.
40 man Move is still a mystery
Keller and Bednar for Cowser, Westburg, and Mayo.
I don’t mean to be insulting, but there is no way in Hell that the Orioles even think about that.
Keller immediately becomes the Orioles ace, and Bednar combined with Cano and Bautista becomes the 3-headed monster out of the bullpen. And the O’s farm system is still loaded. I think the O’s would certainly entertain a deal like this, even if some of the return back to the Pirates would change slightly – Kjerstad instead of Westburg or Cowser. I think this deal would be enough to overtake the Rays, and would give Pittsburgh 3 regulars to go with Reynolds, Cruz, Hayes, Davis, and Bae going forward. Not to be insulting, of course.
The Pirates aren’t a contender. They just lost 10 in a row and were exposed as pretenders. They really need to make this kind of deal if they want to compete with the Reds over the next five years. It would also necessitate Nutting opening up his wallet to acquire FA pitching, which probably wouldn’t happen anyway.
Lol, immediately becomes their ace? He isn’t pitching better than Tyler Wells right now, who has one of the better ERAs in the American League and the best WHIP in baseball still. A 3.45 ERA from Kellar is good, but he isn’t an ace, he certainly would have a hard time sustaining that going from the terrible NL central to the offensive gauntlet AL east division. In fact the only pitcher that we have been linked to that’s pitching better than Wells is Eduardo Rodriguez.
Mayo maybe is available for a trade, but no way are we giving up a blue chip prospect this early in our window. Cowser is a #5 overall pick that has the potential to be a better hitter and defensive player than any of our OFs right now and that’s saying something because we have one of the deeper outfields in baseball now. I see a lot of good pitchers out there, but no one that is worth a blue chip prospect. We have spots on this roster for Westburg and Cowser, they ain’t going anywhere. Our rotation isn’t even that much of a weakness anymore, idk why people keep believing this. We have 4 guys that are giving us a shot to win every start, in fact they have carried the team since May. We need to acknowledge the bullpen at the trade deadline the most in my opinion. I’m fine with our starters, and Grayson will eventually get the call again to fill that 5th slot. I don’t think any of these guys are worth giving up a top 50 prospect, maybe E-Rod if he’s available, but that’s about it. We can easily get top relief pitchers without giving up a blue chip though, so that’s why I think we go that route.
(Chuckle) Anyone who has actually watched the Pirates and think they are a contender is a poor judge of talent. The Pirates June swoon is real. No jets cooling here, just cold calculating eyes.
You must not have seen Keller pitch. The Pirates have been patient with him for several years, much like Cleveland was patient with Carrasco. Their patience has paid off and Keller is now an ace. They will be fielding many phone calls until the trade deadline and if the O’s are smart, they’ll be one of them if the O’s really want to add an ace to their staff.
Lol he’s not an ace. This is the first great year he’s had in 5 years. Tyler Wells has better stats in the vaunted AL east with some of the most elite offenses in baseball. Kellar is a good pitcher, but an ace with those numbers in the NL central?? Give me a break, Wells has had to have the best WHIP in baseball and one of the better ERAs for half a season for people to just start whispering that he’s an ace. Idk if Kellar would even be as good as Bradish has been in this division, it’s that tough to pitch in the East.
FA pitching is a crapshoot. Very hit or miss. You can get a Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Wacha, or Zach Eflin, or you can get a Madison Bumgarner, Jose Quintana, or a Jameson Taillon. Trading the only proven stud in the rotation for more young fielders would send Cherington out the door. Lineup isn’t hitting at al right now but at least it has more long term pieces than the pitching staff.
And what long-term pieces have you identified? Most of the most promising are in AZ or Low A ball because the stats from the AA and AAA teams are very discouraging. Davis is rated below average defensively at catcher, Hayes is a singles-hitting .230 batter, Cruz is a K machine, Nick Gonzales hit .250 in AAA, Endy is hitting .248 in AAA with little power, Cutch and Santa are about done. If Cherrington is smart and can stand the blowback from the fans, he needs to trade Keller and Bednar while their trade value is high in order to get young studs who will set the every day lineup for the next 5 years to compete with the Reds. Closers today aren’t hard to develop/trade for/buy because every team has one. Oviedo, Ortiz, Contreras, and Priester are the building blocks for a decent rotation with ads from free agency or trades. If Cherrington doesn’t take this opportunity to use Keller and Bednar, the Pirates will continue to operate with holes in their lineup that will prevent them from competing with the Reds and eventually the Cardinals.
I dont think either Keller or Wells is, or ever will be, a true ace. If Keller came over, though, he would be our #1. Keller is putting up his numbers without pitching to Adley and without Mateo at short behind him. His batting average against on balls in play is an unsustainable. 191. Kellers is closer to league average. There’s a reason Wells has a FIP of 4.63 and Kellers is 3.27. Keller is the better pitcher, Wells plays with a better defense behind him. Nothing wrong with having both on the club.
Wells* not His*, sorry
(Cringe) The Pirates aren’t going to trade Keller and the Orioles wouldn’t gut their farm system for him anyway. Next.
@Adley
I like Cowser a lot but I don’t think he’s going to be a better player than Mullins.
@floch
Man, I wanted Keller this off-season. He’s pitched his way out of being affordable now. No way he’s an oriole.
They don’t need a second cole irvin. Horrible trade and absolutely delusional return.
I would argue Kellar has benefited more from pitching in the NL central than he would benefit pitching in the AL east no matter how good the Orioles defense is. I think Wells’ FIP is hurt a lot by all the homeruns he gives up, but the homeruns are fine because most of them are solos, since Wells has the best WHIP in baseball and simply does not walk guys.
I’m fine if we get Kellar, I just don’t think we should give up a top 50 prospect like that other guy said. That sounds foolish.
Maybe, maybe not better than Mullins, but Mullins is a pretty damn good player, so that’s a pretty good benchmark. I would be fine if Cowser was just as good or slightly worse than Mullins, but here’s the thing I think he’ll eventually be better than Mullins. Cowser is currently the best hitting prospect in AAA ball, he was drafted higher and ranked higher than Mullins ever was. I think it would be foolish to let a player with this much potential hit the trade market. You simply don’t give up #5 overall draft picks to go get a pitcher that isn’t even a bonnefied ace.
Steph is not a very quality poster, neither is the other guy, just don’t engage.
I don’t think they would make the trade but it’s much closer than you think in a trade value simulator, Likely because the value placed on controllable starting pitching. By adding a prospect from Pittsburgh or reducing one of the Orioles prospect to a lower ranked guy it brings the trade to even
They really have done an incredible job drafting the past few years, especially with hitters.
Yes and no. Not as difficult when a team loses between 108 and 110 games in three separate seasons and picks at the front of the draft, and can stockpile additional first rounders, and is provided higher slot money so they can maneuver other top draft picks lower and still sign them. A team should get something real good when the choices are Jackson Holliday or Druw Jones, or Bobby Witt or Adley Rutschman. They do get credit developmentally, but the real test is coming now that they’ve arrived. In some ways, I’m much more impressed by what the Dodgers have been able to do.
First, I actually responded to the other person in the thread. Regardless, your response, StephCurry, is either funny or scary. I’ll give you the benefit of the doubt and say it was meant to be funny.
If not, then my post was one simply of conversation. Imagine if the two of us are sitting around at a bar, having a beer, and talking baseball. You give credit to the O’s, I then expand upon the point and talk about drafting in general, while giving credit to the O’s on development. You flip out, slam your fist down, throw the beer at me, and demand I leave for wanting to have a nice conversation.
Drafting high is a key. But other than Rutschman and to an extent Henderson their success this year and last year has come more through trades, players from the Duquette regime, reclamation projects and that Wells rule 5 selection. Let’s face it,it’s a well run baseball operation with the key to it’s success being an owner that stays clear of said baseball operation. Thank you Mr. Angelos.
@C Yards, yes I agree! They have done a good job developmentally while also identifying solid trades. Having top draft picks will also allow them to infuse more talent on the MLB roster, or provide talent for trades. How they handle this phase will be important.
The point here is Elias and Co. have drafted exceptionally well! Rutschman has had a far bigger impact on his team than Witt. Holliday is significantly ahead of Druw Jones. Those are the two examples you’ve thrown out there. The O’s are far deeper than just those two guys!
The Bradish and Cano trades are looking prrrretty solid atm, as is the Wells Rule 5 pick.
The Dodgers are a team of store-boughts and always will be. The O’s aren’t.
Kyle Bradish is the best starter on our baseball team. I like Tyler Wells but believe bradish is the best of the bunch. Thought so before the year began that Bradish’s upside was as high as anyone but G-Rod.
That’s the guy I’m giving the ball to in a must win game. We obviously need another SP.
Cano wasn’t even the centerpiece which is the funny part.
The Dodgers farm system is insane considering where they usually pick in the draft. Yes the Dodgers spend stupid money, but for awhile they didn’t really dive into the free agency waters to get blue chip free agents, probably until they went out and got Mookie and Freeman. Most of their spending before that involved signing their own guys out of their star studded farm system. I think its a little early to say the O’s organizational farm is on the level of the Dodgers. The Dodgers are one of the top teams when it comes to developing from within at least for a big market that usually drafts with lower picks.
Lol, have you watched this team this year? Bradish has struggled to pitch passed the 5th inning more than Kremer, Wells and Gibson. Potential don’t mean jack until you show it. I will say Bradish’s ERA and other stats are pretty decent, but our best pitcher over Tyler Wells who has the best WHIP in baseball and a top 20 ERA?
Call me crazy, but I feel Westburg could be better than Gunnar in the long run. Possibly much better. Looking forward to this call-up.
I doubt it, Gunnar is better at basically everything.
I’m definitely still excited to finally see Westburg playing at OPACY though.
Yeah. Gunnar is really good.
Stengths: 91.3 mph EV avg.; 50% Hard hit; 11.1% Barrel.
Biggest Weaknesses: 14% Swstr., 17.7% Swtr vs breaking pitches, 17.8% vs offspeed.
There may be some baptism. I’m curious if he can overcome these weaknesses. I kind of expect something halfway. He’ll get to his thump but with an increased strikeout rate from what we’ve seen so far in AAA.
Whither Mateo? Curious if he survives the season as they begin to call up more of their prospects.
Just wait … Heston Kjerstad will be best bat in the O’s lineup for years.
Kjerstad or Cowser will be traded by the deadline.
They aren’t trading Kjerstad or Cowser this season.
Cowser and Kjerstad aren’t going anywhere lol.
That’s a bold statement!
For some reason, this guy is just really, really convinced the Orioles will trade their 3-4 best prospects who all have OPS’s hovering around 1.000 in the upper minors for a mid-rotation pitcher. It’s not going to happen, plain and simple. If they do move even one of them, it will have to be for a Dylan Cease or Corbin Burnes type talent.
Coby Mayo looks like the real deal
I hope mayo isn’t moved. I think he’s taking Ryan Mountcastle’s job next season. Kjerstad looks like the replacement to Santander. Cowser could replace Hays but I see him as a more likely trade chip than the other 2. We’re pretty lefty heavy so Kjerstad or Cowser could potentially be chips.
I would think Mayo is basically off the table.
Ortiz goes back to Norfolk.
Mountcastle to the 60-day is fine. His bat’s been bad for over a month. Get some rest, clear your head, and come back better. He’s also been getting progressively worse since his rookie year. He needs to work on his plate discipline, and even platoon with O’Hearn until he starts hitting righties.
The only prospects the O’s won’t trade are Cowser, Kjerstad, and Holliday. The question would be (as always) what is the return. O’s traded Hernaiz, who’s tearing up AA, for Irvin. That was a win for the A’s.
You’d lose that bet on trading Cowser and/or Kjerstad.
Yeah, anyone who thinks Elias is going to trade one of his coveted top 5 draft picks (Rutschman, Kjerstad, Cowser, Holliday) this year when there are guys like Norby, Ortiz, Haskin, Stowers, Basallo, and Prieto on hand as quality trade fodder is either utterly daft or just not paying attention.
That depends who the acquired player is.
If it’s a Dylan Cease, for example, we’ll have to include a Cowser in that deal. Jackson Holliday is untouchable obviously. I’m hoping Mayo is untouchable also. I’d like to hang onto Kjerstad too. I could see a scenario where Westburg is available for the right player.
@Natty
Given that Irvin has extended control, and as Hernaiz had no where to go despite being a good player, I wouldn’t go so far to proclaim any kind of A’s win on that trade. I don’t think of Irvin as a stellar pitcher but the hopes he can regain his low walk, innings eating historical track record is far from extinguished in my mind.
Too soon to call it.
Bye bye Frazier and/or Mateo please. Both are gaping holes in the lineup.
I think both stick on the roster for now:
Adley and whoever as backup at C, O’Hearn, Frazier, Urias, Mateo, Gunnar in the IF, and Mullins, Hays, Santander, Hicks in the OF, plus Westburg leaves 12 spots accounted for and the last spot would go to either Ortiz or McKenna until Mountcastle comes off the IL or Vavra/Stowers force their way back into the picture. I do think Westburg will play virtually everyday though and force Frazier and particularly Mateo into a pretty rigid platoon-oriented backup arrangement, which is an improvement over running both out there almost every single day.
Mateo’s been brutal at the plate for a month and a half. Looked like he was breaking through early on but he’s reversed course big time. Pretty much an automatic out.
The O’s have alot of intriguing infield prospects coming up.
Even though I like him, trade Ramon Urias for some pitching (or possibly Mateo) Baltimore has more than enough infielders in the big leagues and in their farm system. Same story since 30 years (great hitting) mediocre pitching at best. Stop messing around and get what you need now baltimore
@Baseball_dude
Easier said than done. This year’s trade deadline SP market is going to be thin and dissatisfying to most O’s fans. And any talent out there both come with some downside or will cost the farm in prospects.
Not like there are a pile of aces out there waiting to be had. Add in parity of the 3rd wild card and ever team wants to tell their fan base that they’re buyers and not sellers.
YES. Finally. Now Colton and Heston and the lineup will be superb.
Where are they gonna play? You can’t take Hicks or Ohearn out of the lineup right now.
Very intriguing this O’s squad. Imagine next year with all these young studs with more experience. A healthy Means heading up the rotation.
Whatever else Elias does O’s fans should just have faith.
You’ve got a contender here for the next 7 to ten years.
Unfortunate name EDP.
Unless you are the EDP that i’m thinking of.