***Official 2018 Baltimore Orioles Thread*** Pitching Can’t Get Any Worse (2 Viewers)

[Marvelous]

That parochial crap ran Eddie Murray out of town. Fans blamed it on the media, but the writers only picked up on what Ernie in Essex was spewing. Of course, the same guys were screaming "Eddie! in the mid-90s when he deigned to come back. Murray is one of my favorite Os of all time, but I was half-hoping he'd give the finger to Baltimore and go to the Yankees.

I swear to God, if they run Adam Jones out of Baltimore, I will nuke that dump. He's the best leader that team has ever had - I'm putting him above Frank now - his response to some #######'s question last season directly after the Orioles got swept by the Royals about he felt about the season - "It was ####### awesome" - was fantastic.

To piggy-back my own post, it's not only racism that pisses me off about some Baltimore fans (though I think it plays a part in both Murray's & Jones's cases). They hated Doung DeCinces because he "wasn't Brooks" even though he was a fantastic player. Bert Jones, too, because he wasn't Johnny Unitas.

Anyway, enough grousing out of me on that subject.

They're right in the thick of things. 85 games is liable to win this division.

I was too young to know what was going on with Decinces and Bert Jones, although I was a big fan of both, especially Decinces.

By the time Eddie moved on, we had moved away, so I didn't follow all the local coverage. Still don't, I suppose. Huge fan of Murray.

If anyone runs Jones out, I'll be pissed. He's a fantastic player, and appears to be a real leader now.

Jones is signed through the 2018 season. We still have 3 1/2 years left on his current contract. Any talk of Jones leaving is way down the road.

Since Duquette/Showalter have been running the Orioles, the only sizable contracts they have give out are to Jones (2012), Jimenez (2014), and Hardy (2014). The Orioles don't offer many big contracts and Jones has one of them.

Looking ahead to free agency after 2015, both Wieters and Chen are going to get $20 M per year. It is hard to see the Orioles re-signing either player. They will get compensatory draft picks for them. I think Chris Davis is a close call on whether the Orioles give him a qualifying offer.

 

[Marvelous]

The Orioles have a massive roster crunch coming up.

Miguel Gonzalez wlll be activated today. Chen tomorrow night. Jonathan Schoop will most likely be activated this weekend.

The currently have 11 pitchers on the roster with only 3 starters. Mychal Givens is the most likely pitcher to go, but they probably need to clear out two position players. Jones could go in the DL for one. The other will mostly likely come from the glut of backup outfielders.

Lough is safe, since he is the best defensively of the group and the only real backup for CF. Paredes is hitting and should be safe. Parmalee is hitting and Buck likes to ride players like this until it stops working. Travis Snyder is hitting ok and is getting playing time.

Reimold and Pearce have barely played the past two weeks. Delmon Young has not played much in the past week.

Pearce is most likely safe because he plays so many positions and how well he played last year. I think the Orioles like Young quite a bit, maybe more than they should. I think Reimold may be the odd man out and Young is on the bubble.

 

[MattFancy]

They really should start trying to move some of these guys in trades. Add those guys you mentioned, plus Gausman and Bundy. IMO, there's no reason Gausman shouldn't be in the rotation for this team. Let Norris and/or Tillman get right out of the pen or something for now. Enough of teasing Gausman with a few starts and then being sent back down. It's time for him to be part of the rotation.

 

[Marvelous]

They really should start trying to move some of these guys in trades. Add those guys you mentioned, plus Gausman and Bundy. IMO, there's no reason Gausman shouldn't be in the rotation for this team. Let Norris and/or Tillman get right out of the pen or something for now. Enough of teasing Gausman with a few starts and then being sent back down. It's time for him to be part of the rotation.

I think the Orioles have been inconsistent on what to do with Gausman. He is now in the minors getting stretched out as a starter. He will be a starter either with Norfolk or Baltimore the rest of the year. He also needs to build up innings so he can be a full time starter next year.

Gausman will be a starter with the Orioles next year.

Bundy is a problem. Last I heard, he is going to see Dr. Andrews. And no one ever gets good news from Dr. Andrews. Bundy is out of options next year, so he needs to be with the Orioles. But due to Tommy John surgery and currently not pitching, he has never built up innings expected from a starter. The most he has pitched is 103 innings in 2012. He has only pitched 167 innings in 3.5 years in the minors.

 

[MattFancy]

They really should start trying to move some of these guys in trades. Add those guys you mentioned, plus Gausman and Bundy. IMO, there's no reason Gausman shouldn't be in the rotation for this team. Let Norris and/or Tillman get right out of the pen or something for now. Enough of teasing Gausman with a few starts and then being sent back down. It's time for him to be part of the rotation.

I think the Orioles have been inconsistent on what to do with Gausman. He is now in the minors getting stretched out as a starter. He will be a starter either with Norfolk or Baltimore the rest of the year. He also needs to build up innings so he can be a full time starter next year.

Gausman will be a starter with the Orioles next year.

Bundy is a problem. Last I heard, he is going to see Dr. Andrews. And no one ever gets good news from Dr. Andrews. Bundy is out of options next year, so he needs to be with the Orioles. But due to Tommy John surgery and currently not pitching, he has never built up innings expected from a starter. The most he has pitched is 103 innings in 2012. He has only pitched 167 innings in 3.5 years in the minors.

Agree on Gausman. I feel like they don't know what to do with him. It's not like the rotation is stocked with top pitchers in Baltimore. Tillman and Norris have been struggling all season. Why not give Gausman a shot? Can he really be any worse than either of those 2 right now?

As for Bundy, yeah it certainly isn't a good thing when you go see Dr Andrews. Not sure what is wrong with him this time. Thought I heard shoulder problems. He was pitching well in Bowie this year too.

 

[Marvelous]

To summarize the Orioles roster crunch, for 3 positions (LF, RF, DH), they have seven players competing for playing time: Lough, Reimold, Parmalee, Young, Snyder, Parades, and Pearce.

Reimold is starting in CF today, his second start there.

I was thinking Pearce could be the odd man out. Of course, he is 2/3 today with a double.

 

[avoiding injuries]

Not too much to complain about right now, but I agree about Gaussman. It's like they are more concerned with the past than the future. I get it, Norris and Tillman both won 15 games last year. But, they're both FA after this season and have been pitching terrible. (Bud has had two ok starts, but we lost both games) Gaussman is in our future plans. They should start treating him like it.

 

[Marvelous]

Last year, the Orioles were very patient with Jimenez. He made 1 start in early July, sprained his ankle in a parking lot, went on the DL, came back very slowly, and made a couple more starts in August before moving to the bullpen.

I expect some time after the All Star break, the Orioles will start making moves in the starting rotation of Tillman and/or Norris don't turn their seasons around. I could also see Tillman going to the DL with a minor issue and letting him work on his mechanics with some time off. The Nationals just did that with Strasburg, who went on the DL with stiff neck muscles that clears in a couple of days. He spent almost a month working on mechanics and doing rehab assignments.

As I mentioned earlier, the Orioles apparently have a clear plan for Gausman now. He will start either in the minors or for the Orioles for the rest of the year and will be starter for the Orioles next year.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

What the hell has happened to Tillman? Dude was so consistent the last 3 years. I don't pretend to understand advanced stats, but I thought I read somewhere in the preseason that the DDDFHDFG+! (when adjusted for wind shear) showed he had been fortunate in the past. Is he pitching the same and it's just regression to the mean?

I wonder if Buck has blocked Adam Jones on his cell phone. I can imagine him getting 80 texts an hour saying "I'm good, Buck. Put me in today, dammit!"

I agree it's time for Gausman. Take the training wheels off and turn The Nerd loose.

 

[Koya]

Would love to see them win two here today.

 

[MattFancy]

Red hot right now!

 

[The_Man]

18-5 stretch. Ubaldo and Tillman were great yesterday, but I feel like most of this streak can be credited to the bullpen, defense, and Manny. Other than the Man-Child and a little bit of Paredes lately, it's not even like anyone's been red hot. Just a different hero every night - like Lough hitting a 3-run HR at Fenway - it's vintage Orioles magic.

Going to the game tonight - it will be a beautiful night and I've got excellent seats, but not too confident. Texas always gives us fits, Norris has been lousy, and the O's are 0-3 when I'm in the Yard this season.

 

[Koya]

18-5 stretch. Ubaldo and Tillman were great yesterday, but I feel like most of this streak can be credited to the bullpen, defense, and Manny. Other than the Man-Child and a little bit of Paredes lately, it's not even like anyone's been red hot. Just a different hero every night - like Lough hitting a 3-run HR at Fenway - it's vintage Orioles magic.

Going to the game tonight - it will be a beautiful night and I've got excellent seats, but not too confident. Texas always gives us fits, Norris has been lousy, and the O's are 0-3 when I'm in the Yard this season.

Sounds like you're the weak link here, bud.

 

[The_Man]

18-5 stretch. Ubaldo and Tillman were great yesterday, but I feel like most of this streak can be credited to the bullpen, defense, and Manny. Other than the Man-Child and a little bit of Paredes lately, it's not even like anyone's been red hot. Just a different hero every night - like Lough hitting a 3-run HR at Fenway - it's vintage Orioles magic.

Going to the game tonight - it will be a beautiful night and I've got excellent seats, but not too confident. Texas always gives us fits, Norris has been lousy, and the O's are 0-3 when I'm in the Yard this season.

Sounds like you're the weak link here, bud.

True, but I haven't been since they started playing well.

Also, I've taken my daughter the 3 previous games and she's not going tonight - so I'm hoping she's the real problem. It is not lost on me that we did not attend yesterday's Dugout Club game and the O's won without her there.

 

[MattFancy]

18-5 stretch. Ubaldo and Tillman were great yesterday, but I feel like most of this streak can be credited to the bullpen, defense, and Manny. Other than the Man-Child and a little bit of Paredes lately, it's not even like anyone's been red hot. Just a different hero every night - like Lough hitting a 3-run HR at Fenway - it's vintage Orioles magic.

Going to the game tonight - it will be a beautiful night and I've got excellent seats, but not too confident. Texas always gives us fits, Norris has been lousy, and the O's are 0-3 when I'm in the Yard this season.

Sounds like you're the weak link here, bud.

True, but I haven't been since they started playing well.

Also, I've taken my daughter the 3 previous games and she's not going tonight - so I'm hoping she's the real problem. It is not lost on me that we did not attend yesterday's Dugout Club game and the O's won without her there.

Don't blow this!

 

[Marvelous]

18-5 stretch. Ubaldo and Tillman were great yesterday, but I feel like most of this streak can be credited to the bullpen, defense, and Manny. Other than the Man-Child and a little bit of Paredes lately, it's not even like anyone's been red hot. Just a different hero every night - like Lough hitting a 3-run HR at Fenway - it's vintage Orioles magic.

Going to the game tonight - it will be a beautiful night and I've got excellent seats, but not too confident. Texas always gives us fits, Norris has been lousy, and the O's are 0-3 when I'm in the Yard this season.

Sounds like you're the weak link here, bud.

True, but I haven't been since they started playing well.

Also, I've taken my daughter the 3 previous games and she's not going tonight - so I'm hoping she's the real problem. It is not lost on me that we did not attend yesterday's Dugout Club game and the O's won without her there.

Don't blow this!

Wow. The pressure is on.

I think Norris has been a bit unlucky since he returned from the DL. It seems like he has been pitching ok.

I do think Norris is the leading candidate to go to the bullpen once Gausman is put back into the rotation later this year. And maybe Norris will thrive in the bullpen since he won't have to go through the lineup two or three times.

 

[RCon]

18-5 stretch. Ubaldo and Tillman were great yesterday, but I feel like most of this streak can be credited to the bullpen, defense, and Manny. Other than the Man-Child and a little bit of Paredes lately, it's not even like anyone's been red hot. Just a different hero every night - like Lough hitting a 3-run HR at Fenway - it's vintage Orioles magic.

Going to the game tonight - it will be a beautiful night and I've got excellent seats, but not too confident. Texas always gives us fits, Norris has been lousy, and the O's are 0-3 when I'm in the Yard this season.

Sounds like you're the weak link here, bud.

True, but I haven't been since they started playing well.

Also, I've taken my daughter the 3 previous games and she's not going tonight - so I'm hoping she's the real problem. It is not lost on me that we did not attend yesterday's Dugout Club game and the O's won without her there.

Maybe you should have brought your daughter.

 

[RCon]

Rough night for Norris so far tonight. Still, can't complain too much given the way they've been playing.

Still no runs, but Wandy hasn't looked unhittable by any stretch, so the O's may yet make this a game...

 

[Marvelous]

I watched most of the game on tv. Jim Palmer was very critical of Bud Norris. Many of his pitches just weren't very good and too many hung up in the zone. Palmer later was very critical of the home plate umpire, John Hirshbeck. Of course, Hirshbeck had players on both teams complaining about the strike zone. That is never a good sign.

Any chance Bud Norris has an injury between now and Thursday? The Orioles need a roster spot to bring Gausman up. Schoop is also ready to play.

 

[MattFancy]

18-5 stretch. Ubaldo and Tillman were great yesterday, but I feel like most of this streak can be credited to the bullpen, defense, and Manny. Other than the Man-Child and a little bit of Paredes lately, it's not even like anyone's been red hot. Just a different hero every night - like Lough hitting a 3-run HR at Fenway - it's vintage Orioles magic.

Going to the game tonight - it will be a beautiful night and I've got excellent seats, but not too confident. Texas always gives us fits, Norris has been lousy, and the O's are 0-3 when I'm in the Yard this season.

You're not going to any more games

 

[The_Man]

18-5 stretch. Ubaldo and Tillman were great yesterday, but I feel like most of this streak can be credited to the bullpen, defense, and Manny. Other than the Man-Child and a little bit of Paredes lately, it's not even like anyone's been red hot. Just a different hero every night - like Lough hitting a 3-run HR at Fenway - it's vintage Orioles magic.

Going to the game tonight - it will be a beautiful night and I've got excellent seats, but not too confident. Texas always gives us fits, Norris has been lousy, and the O's are 0-3 when I'm in the Yard this season.

You're not going to any more games

Well, Norris has started 2 of the losses I've been to - and I don't we're going to see too many more of those.

For my birthday, my wife got me a great Orioles-style Union Brewing shirt that I've worn to each of the games so far. I'm taking it out of the rotation and will wear something different the next time I go to the game. We've ruled my daughter out as the jinx, so I'm hoping it's the shirt. If changing the shirt doesn't fix it, I'll stop going.

 

[MattFancy]

18-5 stretch. Ubaldo and Tillman were great yesterday, but I feel like most of this streak can be credited to the bullpen, defense, and Manny. Other than the Man-Child and a little bit of Paredes lately, it's not even like anyone's been red hot. Just a different hero every night - like Lough hitting a 3-run HR at Fenway - it's vintage Orioles magic.

Going to the game tonight - it will be a beautiful night and I've got excellent seats, but not too confident. Texas always gives us fits, Norris has been lousy, and the O's are 0-3 when I'm in the Yard this season.

You're not going to any more games

Well, Norris has started 2 of the losses I've been to - and I don't we're going to see too many more of those.

For my birthday, my wife got me a great Orioles-style Union Brewing shirt that I've worn to each of the games so far. I'm taking it out of the rotation and will wear something different the next time I go to the game. We've ruled my daughter out as the jinx, so I'm hoping it's the shirt. If changing the shirt doesn't fix it, I'll stop going.

You get 1 more chance. After that, you're done!

 

[MattFancy]

Of course we're struggling against a team that came in having lost 8 of their last 10

 

[The_Man]

Rangers always kick our butts. Remember the 30-3 game?

Still can't believe we actually beat them in the Wild Card game a couple of years ago. They gotta stop pitching to Moreland. That guy is killing us.

 

[MattFancy]

Rangers always kick our butts. Remember the 30-3 game?

Still can't believe we actually beat them in the Wild Card game a couple of years ago. They gotta stop pitching to Moreland. That guy is killing us.

We seem to struggle against teams like that (Toronto and Texas) that can hit the ball really well, but have bad pitching.

 

[avoiding injuries]

LH Chen is on the mound tonight. Hopefully he stops the Rangers (Moreland) HR derby.

I don't get why we have to keep pitching Norris. He's a FA, so there is 1/2 a year left on his contract. I get why we had trouble last year with Ubaldo, we owed him a ton of money for 4 years.

This whole situation reminds me of Garrett Atkins who we signed for something like 4.5mm for one year and refused to cut ties with him. Once we did, it felt like the orioles had more of a commitment to winning than the payroll. In fact, in my mind, you can trace the entire turn around of the organization back to when they cut Garrett Atkins. (Kind of joking, kind of not)

 

[Marvelous]

LH Chen is on the mound tonight. Hopefully he stops the Rangers (Moreland) HR derby.

I don't get why we have to keep pitching Norris. He's a FA, so there is 1/2 a year left on his contract. I get why we had trouble last year with Ubaldo, we owed him a ton of money for 4 years.

This whole situation reminds me of Garrett Atkins who we signed for something like 4.5mm for one year and refused to cut ties with him. Once we did, it felt like the orioles had more of a commitment to winning than the payroll. In fact, in my mind, you can trace the entire turn around of the organization back to when they cut Garrett Atkins. (Kind of joking, kind of not)

Delmon Young was DFA yesterday. Apparently Nolan Reimold is going on paternity leave this weekend. After that, they can juggle the roster with optioning starters to the minors or go with a short bullpen through to the All Star break.

Here is an article on the not so great moves the Orioles made last off season:

http://www.camdenchat.com/2015/7/1/8874151/orioles-offseason-free-agents-arbitration-payroll-sucky

Note that they spent $10.15 M on 4 players who they have DFA (De Aza, Cabrera, Lavarnway, and now Young). So the payroll is definitely not dictating the personnel moves here.

 

[The_Man]

That's a really interesting breakdown of the off-season moves. Basically they did very little, and none of the things they did helped.

And yet here they are in first. I have so much love for Buck Showalter - what he has does to change the culture and expectations of this franchise continues to stagger the imagination.

Some other thoughts:

Chen is getting himself a huge payday. He is just getting better and better - pretty clear the O's aren't going to keep him, so he'll be a lefty starter in his prime hitting the free agent market. Good for him.

Manny is just unbelievable. He makes the incredible look routine on a nightly basis.

I know SABR guys insist there's no such thing as clutch, and I kind of get what they're saying. But JJ Hardy is f'ing clutch. When there are 2 outs and a runner in scoring position, he gets that guy home. And last night's HR was pure clutch, putting the end to a 2-game skid before things got worrisome.

Zach Britton is a pure shutdown closer. Even if he puts a guy on base in a 1-run game, I don't get nervous.

Davis is a gamer and will do anything to win, but he doesn't belong in RF. If Parmelee continues to scuffle at the plate, it's time to get Crush back at 1st Base.

I'm a huge Schoop enthusiast - I probably like him more and expect more from him than the numbers justify. But I think he is a plus fielder, especially that arm, he is a legit power threat, and the rest of the team seems to love him. I can't wait to get him back out there. Sure will be interesting to see who goes when he comes back. Reimold? I feel like Reimold is just a guy, while Lough is a potential pinch runner and late inning defensive replacement that makes him worth keeping.

My enthusiasm for Schoop's return shouldn't be seen as a knock on Flaherty - that guy has played himself into a legit big league utility man. One of my former scapegoats, I now don't mind him at all (though I will probably never be a booster). My biggest scapegoat by far - a role that he has held for a long time and will never escape - is Brian Matusz. The other night he came into the game to face a lefty and promptly walked the guy. He does that kind of crap all the time, and he's like a batting practice pitcher vs. righties. I wish they would have traded him in the spring when he was getting some hype. Can't wait for him to leave.

 

[MattFancy]

Agree about the job Buck is doing. How many teams can lose 3 key contributors and get nothing from the guys you added in the offseason and still have a 1st place team at the beginning of July?

With the trade deadline in 4 weeks, I wonder what moves we'll make? The main problem is that we don't have much to offer. Unless they unload Bundy or Harvey, which doesn't seem likely. As much as I like what Chen is doing, I wonder if we could get a nice haul for him? It doesn't seem like he'll be back next year, so he could be a trade candidate. But I would only move him for another quality starter and not for a prospect. I wouldn't mind trying to combine a few of our OFs to get another bullpen arm or starter.

I really hope Gausman pitches well tonight. I would love for him to be a regular in the rotation. Let Norris move to the bullpen to work out some kinks and be the long relief guy.

 

[Marvelous]

Agree about the job Buck is doing. How many teams can lose 3 key contributors and get nothing from the guys you added in the offseason and still have a 1st place team at the beginning of July?

With the trade deadline in 4 weeks, I wonder what moves we'll make? The main problem is that we don't have much to offer. Unless they unload Bundy or Harvey, which doesn't seem likely. As much as I like what Chen is doing, I wonder if we could get a nice haul for him? It doesn't seem like he'll be back next year, so he could be a trade candidate. But I would only move him for another quality starter and not for a prospect. I wouldn't mind trying to combine a few of our OFs to get another bullpen arm or starter.

I really hope Gausman pitches well tonight. I would love for him to be a regular in the rotation. Let Norris move to the bullpen to work out some kinks and be the long relief guy.

The Orioles have come up with a really unique model for managing their personnel and it appears to be sustainable.

The are built around a few core players. I mentioned that the only sizable contracts they have done since Showalter arrived is Adam Jones, Ubaldo Jimenez, and JJ Hardy. For the most part, the Orioles go with cheap, controllable players and play whoever is playing well. A month ago, it did not look so good with De Aza, Young, Lough, and Snyder all slumping. But they added Parmalee and Reimold, and the corner outfield positions are now producing.

They have continually shown they make small, minor additions during the off season, see what they have, and then will add players at the trade deadline and in August based on what they think they need. So the first three months of the season are all about seeing what they have as a team this year.

 

[Marvelous]

That's a really interesting breakdown of the off-season moves. Basically they did very little, and none of the things they did helped.

And yet here they are in first. I have so much love for Buck Showalter - what he has does to change the culture and expectations of this franchise continues to stagger the imagination.

Some other thoughts:

Chen is getting himself a huge payday. He is just getting better and better - pretty clear the O's aren't going to keep him, so he'll be a lefty starter in his prime hitting the free agent market. Good for him.

Manny is just unbelievable. He makes the incredible look routine on a nightly basis.

I know SABR guys insist there's no such thing as clutch, and I kind of get what they're saying. But JJ Hardy is f'ing clutch. When there are 2 outs and a runner in scoring position, he gets that guy home. And last night's HR was pure clutch, putting the end to a 2-game skid before things got worrisome.

Zach Britton is a pure shutdown closer. Even if he puts a guy on base in a 1-run game, I don't get nervous.

Davis is a gamer and will do anything to win, but he doesn't belong in RF. If Parmelee continues to scuffle at the plate, it's time to get Crush back at 1st Base.

I'm a huge Schoop enthusiast - I probably like him more and expect more from him than the numbers justify. But I think he is a plus fielder, especially that arm, he is a legit power threat, and the rest of the team seems to love him. I can't wait to get him back out there. Sure will be interesting to see who goes when he comes back. Reimold? I feel like Reimold is just a guy, while Lough is a potential pinch runner and late inning defensive replacement that makes him worth keeping.

My enthusiasm for Schoop's return shouldn't be seen as a knock on Flaherty - that guy has played himself into a legit big league utility man. One of my former scapegoats, I now don't mind him at all (though I will probably never be a booster). My biggest scapegoat by far - a role that he has held for a long time and will never escape - is Brian Matusz. The other night he came into the game to face a lefty and promptly walked the guy. He does that kind of crap all the time, and he's like a batting practice pitcher vs. righties. I wish they would have traded him in the spring when he was getting some hype. Can't wait for him to leave.

This coming off season, Chen, Wieters, and Davis all look like they will get qualifying offers. Then if they sign elsewhere, the Orioles will get compensation draft picks.

Chen is a really solid pitcher, and he is a lefty. I really hope the Orioles resign him because good pitchers are hard to find. But he is going to get over $20M per year.

Wieters was in line for a massive payday before Tommy John surgery. I think he will still get that. He could be looking at a $150M contract. I don't see the Orioles coming anywhere near that.

 

[avoiding injuries]

I'm ok with trading Bundy, Harvey, Gaussman and any other young arm in the organization. Well, everyone except Hobgood.

Our ability/luck at developing the arms isn't very good. Bundy was "untouchable", and now we have very little to show for it.

 

[The_Man]

MATUSZ IS GARBAGE

 

[avoiding injuries]

MATUSZ IS GARBAGE

Ha. Came to post the same thing. I wish the Rangers would have scored the inning earlier so at least he would have gotten the loss.

 

[Marvelous]

Looking ahead at the how the pitching rotation falls with the All Star Break, if every starter keeps their turn, they go 10 days between starts except for Tillman, who will go 9 days.

So I expect to see Kevin Gausman to start Tuesday, 7/7, be optioned to the minors, and called back to start around 7/18.

Chen could be optioned after 7/12, and brought back to start around 7/23.

Each player only needs to slide 1 day to stay in the minors 10 days.

Miguel Gonzalez also has an option, but they may want to save it for another year.

 

[The_Man]

I'm a huge Schoop enthusiast - I probably like him more and expect more from him than the numbers justify. But I think he is a plus fielder, especially that arm, he is a legit power threat, and the rest of the team seems to love him. I can't wait to get him back out there.

SCHOOP!

 

[MattFancy]

So our pitching looks better as of late, but now we can't hit

 

[MattFancy]

Is there a more frustrating team in baseball? Go on a nice streak and win 18 of 23. Proceed to then lose 7 of 10.

 

[RCon]

Ugh. I really thought they had turned the corner 10 days ago. Maybe the home series and the break will be good for them.

 

[avoiding injuries]

Bud Norris is owed $2mm more for the rest of the year. I don't see how they can bring him into meaningful situations anymore.

 

[MattFancy]

Bud Norris is owed $2mm more for the rest of the year. I don't see how they can bring him into meaningful situations anymore.

Zero chance. Just let him come in for mop up duty.

What moves can we make at the deadline? I don't see us making any major moves. I saw we were scouting Cueto, but unless we're parting with one of the young SP prospects, that's not going to happen.

 

[avoiding injuries]

Bud Norris is owed $2mm more for the rest of the year. I don't see how they can bring him into meaningful situations anymore.

Zero chance. Just let him come in for mop up duty.

What moves can we make at the deadline? I don't see us making any major moves. I saw we were scouting Cueto, but unless we're parting with one of the young SP prospects, that's not going to happen.

Britt Ghiroli said there's no chance of Cueto. Our top two prospects are both injured and we don't have trade pieces. She speculated that Dan D has hinted to a setup guy like miller last year and/or a corner OF.

Parmalee, Snider and Chaz Roe are all on the chopping block. Orioles cut Delmon bc of Parmalee, and now that's not looking like a great decision.

 

[MattFancy]

Bud Norris is owed $2mm more for the rest of the year. I don't see how they can bring him into meaningful situations anymore.

Zero chance. Just let him come in for mop up duty.

What moves can we make at the deadline? I don't see us making any major moves. I saw we were scouting Cueto, but unless we're parting with one of the young SP prospects, that's not going to happen.

Britt Ghiroli said there's no chance of Cueto. Our top two prospects are both injured and we don't have trade pieces.She speculated that Dan D has hinted to a setup guy like miller last year and/or a corner OF.

Parmalee, Snider and Chaz Roe are all on the chopping block. Orioles cut Delmon bc of Parmalee, and now that's not looking like a great decision.

They've made alot of questionable moves over the last year. A bunch of the cheap deals they made over the offseason haven't worked out. Young and De Aza are already gone.

Then Bundy and Harvey are both hurt. Add that with 3/5 of the rotation not being very good, you have a recipe for disaster. It's kind of a minor miracle that they are even over .500.

 

[Marvelous]

Here is an article claiming the Orioles pitching, both starting and relief, has been pretty good.

http://baltimoresportsreport.com/believe-os-pitching-staff-59264.html

The biggest issue is that the hitting disappears for weeks at a time. But I don't see them make a trade to upgrade the offense significantly. They really lack talent to trade. The most likely is to get a bullpen arms which will move Hunter to earlier game, lower leverage positions.

The Orioles currently have 3 left handed hitting corner outfielders: Lough, Snyder, and Parmalee. That is a lot. I think Parmalee needs to start hitting again or his time with the team will be short.

 

[RCon]

On the other hand... Schoop!

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Here is an article claiming the Orioles pitching, both starting and relief, has been pretty good.

http://baltimoresportsreport.com/believe-os-pitching-staff-59264.html

The biggest issue is that the hitting disappears for weeks at a time. But I don't see them make a trade to upgrade the offense significantly. They really lack talent to trade. The most likely is to get a bullpen arms which will move Hunter to earlier game, lower leverage positions Norfolk

The Orioles currently have 3 left handed hitting corner outfielders: Lough, Snyder, and Parmalee. That is a lot. I think Parmalee needs to start hitting again or his time with the team will be short.

:wishfulthinking:

Agree that there's just not a whole lot of changes the Orioles can make. Gonna just have to cross our fingers and hope all of the blue bloods have good 2nd halves.

Nice post by Adam Jones on facebook about being a starter in the ASG.

Truly humbled with the events that has taken place that has allowed me to start the 2015 Mid-Summer Classic next Tuesday. We never want a player injured so hopefully Alex Gordon can take this time to heal and return in the 2nd half of the season strong as ever.

While we all love the fan voting process, I feel honored that it was my peers that voted me in. We are going out there and represent the American League! ‪#‎StayHungry‬ ‪#‎BuckleUp‬

 

[Marvelous]

The Orioles outfield situation is clarifies somewhat.

Against righties, Parmalee and Snyder start. Parmalee goes to 1st base and Chris Davis to RF.

Against lefties, Reimold and Pearce start.

Lough is primarily a defensive replacement and backup CF.

Parades is just about the full time DH.

 

[Uruk-Hai]

Man, Miggy was just cruising along and all of a sudden - BAM!

 

[MattFancy]

June: 18-10

July: 3-8

We've only scored more than 3 runs 3 times this month. The offense is ice cold.

 

[Marvelous]

June: 18-10

July: 3-8

We've only scored more than 3 runs 3 times this month. The offense is ice cold.

Hitting has been extremely streaky this year.

In April, I was thinking Coolbaugh was the great hitting coach.

In May, I thought he must be the worst.

July was pretty good and July is not looking good. I hope they turn it around soon.