Bundy vs Bradish, battle of the trade targets
In June 2011 the Orioles drafted Dylan Bundy with the 4th overall pick and, like many once hyped prospects in their system, he was never really able to get it together. He got a surprise call up in 2012 for two games, but he then missed the 2013 season with injury and didn’t make it back to the majors until 2016.
He never was able become the pitcher people expected he would. Was it overuse in high school? Poor development by the Orioles? Bad luck? A little bit of everything? I don’t know, but his failure to pan out was one of the more disappointing prospect failures of the recent past.
In December 2019, Mike Elias traded Bundy to the Los Angeles Angels for a four-player package that included Kyle Bradish, who make his major league debut with the O’s this past Friday.
Bundy had a disappointing tenure with the Angels and, upon becoming a free agent, signed with the Twins. And that’s how we got to tonight, where the former #2 prospect is facing off not only against his own team but also against the player the Orioles traded him for.
One start means very little in the long run, of course, but it’s fun to build the narrative anyway. Will Bundy outpitch the man who was traded for him and make the Orioles wonder what could have been? Will Bradish prove he was the right player for the Orioles to target when they decided to trade away their underachieving pitcher? We’ll have to wait and see.
Bradish had a good major league debut that could have been better with some better defense, but I’ll take two earned runs in six innings every time. As for Bundy, his time in Minneosta has been good so far. He started the season with three very good 5-ish inning starts, but got knocked around good by the Rays on 4/29.
This isn’t Bundy’s first time facing his former team. He started against the Orioles last August 24th but had to come out of the game in the second inning. He went on the IL the next day with a shoulder strain and missed the rest of the year. I hope the Orioles beat him tonight but wish him no harm!
Orioles lineup
1. Cedric Mullins (L) CF
2. Trey Mancini (R) DH
3. Anthony Santander (S) RF
4. Austin Hays (R) LF
5. Ryan Mountcastle (R) 1B
6. Rougned Odor (L) 2B
7. Ramon Urias (R) 3B
8. Robinson Chirinos (R) C
9. Jorge Mateo (R) SS
SP: Kyle Bradish (RHP)
Twins lineup
1. Luis Arraez (L) 2B
2. Carlos Correa (R) SS
3. Jorge Polanco (S) DH
4. Trevor Larnach (L) RF
5. Jose Miranda (R) 1B
6. Nick Gordon (L) LF
7. Gary Sanchez (R) C
8. Gio Urshela (R) 3B
9. Gilberto Celestino (R) CF
SP: Dylan Bundy (RHP)
Let’s go O’s!