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Baltimore Orioles Minors Monday: Tanner Scott and DJ Stewart

By Kristen Bentley

BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 23: Tanner Scott #66 of the Baltimore Orioles pitcher sin the ninth inning during a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 23, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - SEPTEMBER 23: Tanner Scott #66 of the Baltimore Orioles pitcher sin the ninth inning during a baseball game against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on September 23, 2017 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images) /
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In an interview with MLB Network Radio personalities, Baltimore Orioles Dan Duquette took time to talk about two specific minor league players.

During the interview, the Baltimore Orioles General Manager shared his excitement for the future of both Tanner Scott and DJ Stewart.

After the interview, Jim Bowden immediately began to analyze the message that Duquette was sending by mentioning two strong minor league players during the Winter Meetings. Since Duquette also seemed more enthusiastic about making trades for players rather than signing free agents, Bowden decided that Duquette dangled those names as possible trade bait.

Chatting during the Winter Meetings

Since their names popped up on MLB Radio during the Winter Meetings, it seemed appropriate to take a look at both Scott and Stewart to see what they could offer as trades and if they stay with the Orioles organization.

The details about Scott

Tanner Scott is a 23-year-old left-handed relief pitcher who was drafted by the Orioles in 2014. After being drafted, he made his way through the organization up to the Double-A Bowie Baysox. In Bowie, he pitched in 24 games with an ERA of 2.22 and a WHIP of 1.319. He also pitched with the Orioles 1.2 in September, but his numbers were notable in a negative way – he faced nine batters and ended up with an ERA over 10. Scott also pitched in the Arizona Fall League and did not do well either. In 9.1 innings, he saw 50 batters and ended up with an ERA of 12.54.

Scott has some upside that has been evident in his minor league performances. It is common for young pitchers to have difficulties when they make short appearances in the Big Leagues. Fangraphs expects Scott to make his arrival in MLB in 2019, which makes perfectly good sense. What is particularly exciting about Scott is the velocity on his fastball, which can hit 100 MPH. His biggest issue is being able to control that velocity. But, in another minor league season, the pitching coaches can help him master the speed and possibly dial it down a bit to gain control over it.

All about Stewart

More from Orioles Prospects

The other young player, DJ Stewart, is an outfielder who was described by Duquette as being very fast. Duquette even mentioned that Stewart might even be the fastest young man in the farm system. He was drafted by the Orioles in 2015. Like Scott, Stewart played on the Double-A team in 2017. With the Baysox, Stewart hit 21 home runs and had a slash of .278/.378/.481. Notably, he stole 20 bases – which shows his speed.

Stewart also received a few notes from Fangraphs. His speed was not evident while he was playing college ball at Florida State. But, Stewart did show that he can hit and has the patience to take a walk. Despite his speed on the bases, Fangraphs mentioned that he would be a better first baseman rather than an outfielder.

Next: The Orioles Winter Meetings necessities

The data on these two players is not as spectacular as Duquette’s words made them sound. They both have work to do before they get to the Big Leagues and that work might be better spent with another team. They could be useful trade chips for pitching from teams looking to bulk up their farm systems.

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