Question: Now that all the high-profile pitchers are off the market except Jack Flaherty and given how THAT worked out last time, do you think that management will be all in for Corbin Burnes? From: John Fischel
Answer: John, I think that the Orioles should be all in on Corbin Burnes, and I keep thinking that they may surprise with an aggressive bid.
Burnes is the best starter on the market. He pitched well for the Orioles, and they need a top-of-the-rotation starter. If the bidding is for more than $200 million and beyond seven years, that may be unpalatable for them, but I think it’s important to show the fan base they’ll go after free agents who would be a good fit.
Question: Oriole fan from Memorial Stadium days. Saw your response to best Orioles reliever and was surprised not to see you mention Tippy Martinez. He was a workhorse and also the only reliever with three pickoffs in one inning. Thoughts? From: Chris Callow
Answer: Chris, my answer of Zack Britton as the best Orioles reliever in history got lots of pushback. Some thought Gregg Olson. Others went back for Stu Miller, Pete Richert, Don Stanhouse and Eddie Watt, and you weren’t the only fan who mentioned Tippy Martinez.
While Martinez pitched 499 times for the Orioles in relief, he had a 3.45 ERA, far above the ERAs for any of those mentioned.
The three pickoffs in an inning was one of the most memorable innings pitched by an Oriole, but Britton was far more dominating, intimidating and successful in his time as an Orioles reliever.
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.