Checking back with scouts on recent acquisitions

Multiple scouts who have chimed in on the Orioles' return for their July trades use the term "up and down guys," labeled for their lower ceilings but usefulness on a major league club. Guys who may be riding the Triple-A shuttle but can serve a purpose.

Reliever Evan Phillips joined the club yesterday in Texas while the Orioles placed Jhan Mariñez on the disabled list with a strained right hamstring. He retired all six batters he faced and became the 49th player used this season after replacing Donnie Hart in the fifth inning. He also is the 25th native Marylander to play for the Orioles, who got him from the Braves in the package for starter Kevin Gausman and reliever Darren O'Day.

"He's a power arm, a fastball/slider guy," said a scout from outside the organization. "He throws hard, like 94-96, but super, super, straight. And like a fringy slider."

And yes, an "up and down guy" according to a couple of reports.

Not that there's anything wrong with that.

"He's like a lot of guys," the scout said. "He's not anything really special because he doesn't have a special out pitch and his fastball, he really has to spot it because it's a bit true."

Catcher Brett Cumberland, acquired in the same trade, is projected by a scout as a backup with power who must improve defensively. Left-hander Bruce Zimmermann, the local kid from Loyola Blakefield and Towson University, is a soft-tosser, pitching depth and, yes, an "up and down guy." Third baseman Jean Carlos Encarnación is 20 years old, raw and viewed by many as the most promising player taken from the Braves.

"He has to have power and right now he's not strong enough, but he's young," said another scout. "He isn't a great athlete but he's OK. He strikes out a little bit and he hasn't shown power yet, but he's just 20.

"The best part of that deal was the $2.5 million (international signing bonus slot). They got a lot of salary dumped, especially with O'Day."

The criticisms that I keep hearing over the deals is the lack of a stud pitching prospect or a "really special player," though outfielder Yusniel Díaz, part of the package from the Dodgers in exchange for Manny Machado, has the tools to be impactful and he's already vaulted to the top of the organizational rankings.

You'll hear "toolsy" a lot from scouts who evaluate Díaz.

Pitcher Dillon Tate, the fourth-overall pick in 2015 who was obtained from the Yankees in the Zach Britton trade, is considered the second-best acquisition.

"Dillon Tate is a very athletic guy," a scout said. "Most people have him as a four/five starter. He's got a power arm. He's 92-96, pitches at 94-95, with a really nasty slider. He's a little hard-hard in that his change is his third pitch and he hardly uses it. Slider is 82-85. It's a really good out pitch.

"He's an aggressive guy. He fights fastball command, but he keeps on getting better and I think he's a fourth starter. I don't know if he's ever going to be a top of the rotation guy, but he could be a solid four kind of guy. He's a big strong kid with a power arm. And he's learning how to pitch more. He's more of an aggressive thrower over a guy who has more feel and pitchability, but he's not just a thrower. He's more than that. But he's a little hard-hard because he doesn't really use his change.

"He really needs to incorporate that a little bit more. And the separation needs to be better on that. But he's going to be OK. If everything works out well, he could surface in the big leagues next year. He's not ready now.

"His delivery isn't terrible. It isn't violent. He's really athletic. He's a very fast worker, he's a plus-fielder and he's got upside. He's got a chance to maybe be a two or three starter. He was one of their guys who's really been coming. He's making strides."

The other starter in the trade, left-hander Josh Rogers, tossed seven scoreless innings with Triple-A Norfolk in his debut.

"The lefty is a classic fifth starter guy," said the same scout. "He's a command and feel guy, 89-93, pitches at 90. He's got a real good breaking pitch, a good change, he really knows how to pitch. Mixes, locates. Not a lot of margin for error, but is a guy that knows how to pitch and competes. And I think his ceiling is a fifth starter, maybe a long reliever/spot starter guy.

"He's a guy that can pitch in the big leagues this year, but he's not a high ceiling guy."

Right-hander Luis Ortiz, 22, came to the Orioles from the Brewers in the Jonathan Schoop trade and I've heard him rated as the third-best acquisition last month. He was the 30th overall pick by the Rangers in 2014.

The Orioles moved him up to Norfolk yesterday.

"Our guys have him as a fourth starter," a scout said. "He's got to really watch his weight. He's kind of heavyset, burly guy. He's OK. And he's pretty close. He could come within a year."

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