Could Orioles have kept Kyle Stowers? | MAILBAG

Question: Do you think the Orioles made a mistake keeping Colton Cowser and/or Heston Kjerstad instead of Kyle Stowers?  [Hindsight is great, right?]  Or, in the trade for Trevor Rogers, did the Marlins require the O’s to give up both Connor Norby and Stowers? From: Robert Stier

Answer: Bob, you are correct that hindsight is great. Both Cowser and Kjerstad were number 1 picks in the draft, and Stowers wasn’t. Teams will generally give more opportunities to their highest picks, though Kjerstad, like Stowers, hadn’t gotten enough chances until this season. Kjerstad also had a concussion just before the trade deadline last year.

I don’t know if Norby and Stowers was the asking price for Rogers. At least for the Orioles’ sake, Rogers is pitching much better this season than he did in four starts last year. Hopefully, he’ll continue and perhaps eventually, it can be said it was a trade that helped both teams, but Stowers’ performance on Sunday will always be remembered.

Question: In the lead-up to the draft and actually selecting a certain player, does the drafting team have the ability to speak with the player, their family and their agent?  If a player falls to a lower position on the draft board because of a college commitment, do the Orioles have a chance to better understand their signability through direct conversations? How does that work? From: BaltimoreCastaway

Answer: Mike, teams do have the ability to speak with the family or the representative for the player to determine how likely it is they’ll accept an offer. It’s done often, and teams often make offers that is above the suggested slot value for a lower pick to entice players to sign instead of going to college. It’s not done blindly.

Question: Can you please explain how a competitive balance draft pick works? What teams get them and how do they qualify? Thank you. From: Edward Burns

Answer: Edward, competitive balance picks are awarded to teams based on winning percentage, revenue and size of markets. There are two rounds, one preceding the second round, and another after the second round. The Orioles already had a pick before the third round, and they used that to draft right-handed pitcher JT Quinn. They acquired the 37^th pick from Tampa Bay in exchange for Bryan Baker and used it to draft outfielder Slater de Brun.

Those are the only draft picks that can be traded. A team that acquires one in a trade may not trade it again.

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.