Austin Hays wasn’t in the Orioles' plans for a late-season call-up last September. The team initially left him in the minors when rosters expanded because they thought he could benefit more from six weeks of continuous at-bats in the Arizona Fall League instead of in the big leagues.
Once the rules changed and players who ended the season in the majors were allowed to also play in Arizona, the Orioles changed course and brought Hays up for what was a meaningful and successful run as the team’s everyday center fielder.
Not much is going to change the Orioles' plans for a player’s development or a prospect’s path to the big leagues, but an unexpected developmental benefit might qualify.