At least there’s Corbin Burnes, the youthful talent in Birdland, and a podcast!
Good Morning, Birdland!
Well, what was supposed to be an exciting week turned into a huge bummer pretty quickly. Kyle Bradish is definitely starting the year on the IL, and John Means admitted on Friday that he’s likely to do the same. The difference is that Means expects to be back in April while Bradish will need a bit longer. The lack of specifics on the righty is alarming, although unsurprising.
Mark laid out the current state of the Orioles rotation yesterday. Turns out, it’s not an absolute disaster or anything. These aren’t the Matt Harvey-era Orioles after all. But it is certainly disappointing compared to where we thought things were headed just a couple of weeks ago.
Tyler Wells and Cole Irvin are capable of filling the gaps to begin the season. But removing them from the bullpen weakens a unit that is already down Félix Bautista and fresh off a trade of DL Hall. That will need to be addressed, and the internal solutions aren’t terribly exciting. However, I remain a Mike Baumann fan that believes there is more juice to squeeze out of his talent.
Or the O’s could just keep one of Wells or Irvin in the ‘pen by signing a stopgap veteran to place in the rotation. Someone like Michael Lorenzen or Hyun Jin Ryu could fit the bill, and they might be willing to accept a one-year deal.
Something more significant, like trading for Jesús Luzardo or signing Jordan Montgomery, could also be on the table, but neither move feels terribly Mike Elias-y at this point. Elias is one to let things shake out and then evaluate. Making a trade or a big signing right now feels like a panic decision.
What it really comes down to is the Orioles understanding their players better than the public.
It seems possible (perhaps even probable) that Means isn’t even really “hurt” so much as being intentionally held back to ensure that once he is pitching that he can continue to pitch the rest of the year.
Bradish is more of an unknown that will clear up as spring training unfolds. If he is throwing without pain and continued imaging doesn’t turn up any red flags, then he will be back this season. But even in that scenario it feels like a ticking time bomb.
The Orioles will be alright. It might just force the front office and the coaching staff to be a bit more creative than originally anticipated.
Links
Means unlikely to be part of Orioles’ Opening Day rotation | MLB.com
This makes sense given all of the information we have heard to this point. Means has just started throwing, and he has struggled with his health recently. If he does get back in April, that actually feels pretty good. It might still be a good idea for the O’s to go add a veteran swingman type in the interim.
‘This could be the future:’ Spring Breakout lets O’s field a prospect superteam | MLB.com
The Orioles have spoiled us with the recent success of most of their top prospects. Will that run continue? Jackson Holliday certainly seems like the real deal. Who knows beyond that?
Corbin Burnes ‘changes the whole complexion’ of the Orioles. The ace’s new teammates agree. | The Baltimore Sun
The sort of dependability that comes with employing a legitimate “ace” pitcher is an unfamiliar feeling in these parts. As good as Kyle Bradish and Grayson Rodriguez were in the second half last year, they never quite gave that feeling of inevitability simply because they were so new to that sort of big league dominance.
Now the scramble to sort out O’s rotation after Thursday’s developments | Steve Melewski
Because it’s two starters that went down, this actually feels rather straightforward. Cole Irvin was probably going to be the swingman on this team. Instead, he should take a rotation spot. Tyler Wells was quite good as a starter early last year. He is another obvious solution. If the team does add someone like Lorenzen or Ryu, then it becomes more interesting. Right now, it feels like they need another bullpen arm too.
How Good is the Orioles Starting Rotation? | Ep. 129 | The Warehouse Podcast
Would you like to travel back in time to when we were all infatuated with the Orioles’ rotation? Then this ill-timed podcast is for you! There is also a YouTube channel if that’s more your bag.
Orioles birthdays
Is it your birthday? Happy birthday!
- Scott Williamson turns 48 today. The right-handed pitcher tossed 14.1 innings out of the O’s bullpen in 2007.
- The late Alan Wiggins (b. 1958, d. 1991) was born on this day. He spent three seasons with the Orioles from 1985 through ‘87, where most of his time came at second base.
- Mike Hart is 66. His O’s stint lasted just 34 games in 1987.
- Willie Kirkland celebrates his 90th birthday. The outfielder spent part of the 1964 season in Baltimore before he was purchased by the Washington Senators in August.
This day in O’s history
1955 – The Orioles acquire pitcher Erv Palica from the Dodgers in exchange for first baseman Frank Kellert and cash.
1995 – Amid the ongoing player strike, the Orioles announce that they will not play exhibition games against teams using replacement players.
2003 – Orioles pitcher Steve Bechler dies from multi-organ failure after a spring training workout. An autopsy concludes that several factors, including a pre-existing liver condition, mild hypertension, and the toxicity of a dietary supplement called Ephedra, contributed to Bechler’s death. His ashes would later be scattered on the pitcher’s mound at Camden Yards.