Question: We gave up a lot to acquire Trevor Rogers from the Marlins. I understand that the coaches have been working to help him improve his delivery. Do you think his delivery was to blame for his poor performance for the Orioles? Or health issues? And are you optimistic he can bounce back to contribute this year? From: Stuart Nabors, Richmond
Answer: Stuart, I know a lot of Orioles were disappointed with the trade that sent Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers to the Miami Marlins for Trevor Rogers.
Rogers started four times, had an ERA of 7.11 and was sent to Triple-A Norfolk, where he had an ERA of 5.65.
Mike Elias mentioned the possibility of Rogers being tired during a news conference this offseason. Rogers pitched in 18 innings in 2023 because of multiple injuries.
I’m not sure what the issue was, but I know the Orioles are going to take a long look at him this spring. They gave up a lot for him, and they could use a left-handed starter, but he’ll have to pitch very well in spring training to convince the Orioles he should be in the rotation.
Question: Not an Orioles question but how does a solitary BBWAA member leave Ichiro off their ballot? Are members required to make their votes public and, if not, will writers feel compelled to release theirs so as to not be suspected of being the writer responsible? From: Ed Brause, Timonium
Answer: Ed, members are not required to make their votes public. Peter Schmuck and I as well as the other voters in Baltimore have made their votes public. The Hall of Fame asks if you want your vote made public, and the majority of voters do so. The guess here is that the voter who didn’t vote for Ichiro Suzuki will remain anonymous just as the lone voter who didn’t vote for Derek Jeter in 2020 remains unknown.
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.