Tagged: Troy Patton

June 15, 2009

No Rain, No Rainbows

Yeah, I know. I stole that line from the guy in the Nextel commercial. But if the Orioles wanted to adopt a theme for the 2009 season, that would be as good as any.

Despite this weekend’s series win over the Atlanta Braves, things are not that rosy in Birdland right now. The team has gone into a slump that has seen them lose 10 of their last 14, and the natives are getting restless. Some fans are calling for the dismissal of manager Dave Trembley, while others want the team to start fielding offers for the likes of veterans Jeremy Guthrie, Melvin Mora and Aubrey Huff.

As the losses continue to mount, and the frustration grows, O’s fans need to keep in mind the original objective of the 2009 season. I’ll stop short of saying that it doesn’t matter if the team wins or loses. Fans, especially those who pay to see the team play, don’t want to hear that. The main objective this season was to do the best they could at the major league level, while continuing the development of the team’s top prospects at the minor league level.

In that regard, things are actually going better than expected. We’re a third of the way into the
season, and the Orioles roster already has seen some major changes. Gone are veterans, Adam Eaton, Ryan Freel, Jamie Walker, and Chad Moeller. In their place, the team has added rookies, Brad Bergesen, Nolan Reimold, Jason Berken, and, of course, super-prospect, Matt Wieters.

Bergesen and Reimold have already made significant contributions to the team, and Wieters, though strong defensively from the get-go, has shown signs of coming to life with the bat as of late.

Bergesen has been outstanding in his last four starts, going 3-0 with a 1.68 ERA, culminating with a complete game win against the Braves. Reimold, who has taken over as the starting left fielder, was one of the few hitters who continued to contribute during a team-wide slump the club suffered through the last two weeks. He leads all A.L. rookies in batting average, home runs, RBI’s, and slugging percentage.

Even more exciting is what is going on at the minor league level. Two of the Birds top prospects, Double-A pitchers Troy Patton and Jake Arrieta, have performed so well that they have been promoted to Triple-A Norfolk. Last year’s first round draft pick, pitcher Brian Matusz was selected to represent the Frederick Keys in the Carolina League All-Star game, but was promoted to Bowie instead. Incidentally, the Frederick team had six players chosen to represent them in the All-Star game, tying a club record.

And let’s not forget, 21year-old Chris Tillman, whom many consider the best of the O’s pitching prospects, who has been pitching well all season at Norfolk, and David Hernandez, who, in a brief stint with the big club, made a very positive impression before being sent back down to receive more regular work.

The organization is thin on top prospects in the field, but first baseman Brandon Snyder is having a stellar season at Bowie and could soon see a promotion to Triple-A, while catcher Caleb Joseph is leading the Carolina League in batting average.

President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail was quoted as saying he has never been with an organization that has had so much success at the minor league level as the O’s have had so far this season.

The Orioles m.o. the last three or four years has been to get off to a decent start until around the All-Star break, when the starting pitching goes south. Then the bullpen collapses under the weight of too many innings, and the next thing you know, they’re twenty games under .500. I don’t think that’s going to happen this year, with the difference being, if the starting pitching falters, the team has some quality arms they can turn to in the system.

Gone are the days of Eric Dubose, Russ Ortiz, Victor Zambrano, and Fernando Cabrera. If you don’t see a difference in the quality of player the team can summon from the minors now, compared to the veteran rejects they turned to in the past, then you’re just not watching.

Back to the big league club, the nucleus of the team is now Adam Jones, who, in his second
season as a regular, is playing at an All-Star level, Nick Markakis, Brian Roberts, Reimold, and Wieters. Roberts, who is in his ninth season with the Orioles, at 31, is the oldest of the group.

It may be frustrating to watch, as the plan MacPhail has instituted begins to unfold, but make no mistake, the O’s are on the right path, and things will be getting better. The young players will have their ups and downs, and will suffer through the learning curve most players experience, and MacPhail is going to have to sort through the collection of veterans on the club to see who will be part of the team’s future.

But there is hope for the future, and if things go according to plan, it won’t be too much longer before the Orioles and their fans will reach that pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

May 16, 2009

O’s Must Consider Replacing Eaton In Rotation

On Friday night in Kansas City, Orioles starting pitcher Adam Eaton faced a tough task, opposing the hottest pitcher in the league, the Royals Zack Greinke. The results were somewhat predictable, the Royals roughed up Eaton, scoring seven runs in his five innings of work, and Greinke held the O’s offense in check, in the Royals 8-1 victory over the Orioles.

Eaton left his seventh start of the season with a 7.93 ERA, and
suffered his fourth loss in six decisions. His only quality outing was on April 23^rd against the White Sox where he took a shutout into the eighth inning, eventually being charged with two runs in a 6-2 Orioles victory.

Eaton, who earlier was released by the Phillies, was signed by the Orioles on March 4^th, shortly after spring training began. For a team that struggled to assemble a five-man rotation, Eaton was expected to provide a veteran presence and be an innings eater. In his first seven starts of the season, Eaton has pitched more than five innings only twice, while only lasting four innings two times, hardly filling the role of workhorse.

If the Orioles would remove Eaton from the starting rotation, then they must have a suitable replacement to take his spot. Candidates would include reliever Brian Bass, who has pitched extremely well as of late, and minor league starters Chris Tillman, Jason Berken, and David Hernandez, all currently pitching at AAA Norfolk. At AA Bowie, Troy Patton has been impressive so far and might warrant consideration as a replacement for Eaton.

How long the O’s will stick with Eaton is unsure. The team seems determined not to rush its young talent to the majors, and they recently dropped Mark Hendrickson from the rotation in favor of Rich Hill, who makes his Orioles debut in Kansas City tonight.

300px-AAAA8867_Brian_Bass[1].jpg The move to make would seem to be moving Bass out of the bullpen and into the rotation, while recalling someone to replace Bass in the pen, but Bass has been pitching well in long relief for a club that is having trouble getting innings from its starters.

Whichever way the O’s decide to go, its becoming clearer that the team needs to do something to upgrade Eaton’s spot in the rotation.

May 10, 2009

A Spin On The O’s Rotation

The main source of concern for the Orioles heading into the regular season was the team’s
starting rotation. Despite a long list of candidates in spring training, the O’s were left scrambling to find enough worthy arms to man the five slots in their starting staff. The Birds came north with a rotation consisting of Jeremy Guthrie, Koji Uehara, Alfredo Simon, Mark Hendrickson, and Adam Eaton. The team hadn’t even completed two turns through the rotation before they lost Simon to injury, necessitating the recall of rookie right-hander Brad Bergesen from AAA Norfolk.

The Orioles currently rank twelfth in the American League with a 5.39 ERA. Uehara, who has been the team’s most consistent starter, has pitched to a 4.42 ERA, the best mark among the starters. Guthrie, considered to be the squad’s ace, began the season with two strong starts, then struggled in his next three. Since making a few adjustments in his delivery, Guthrie has pitched better in his last two starts, despite losing both games. Bergesen has held his own in the four games he has started since his recall, keeping his team in the game and was victorious in his only decision.

Eaton and Hendrickson have, for the most part, pitched up (or down) to expectations, which means not to good. Both have pitched well at times, but neither has pitched well enough to solidify their spot in the rotation. Despite throwing three scoreless innings on Wednesday against the Twins, Hendrickson has been touched for 36 hits and 7 home runs in 26 1/3 innings. Eaton has pitched to a 7.18 ERA and has walked 15 batters in just 31 1/3 innings of work.

Lefthander Rich Hill, acquired from the Cubs in the off-season, is currently on a re-hab assignment and, barring any setback, is poised to join the rotation in the next week or so. Who’s spot he’ll take is still up in the air, although I think Eaton is more likely to stay in the rotation.

That leaves the team with a rotation of Guthrie, Uehara, Bergesen, Hill, and Eaton. If that group can pitch up to their capabilities, it represents the best group of starters the team has had the last two seasons.

As far as any help available in the minor leagues, right now no one is busting down the door, forcing their way onto the major league roster. Righthander Jason Berken has just returned from injury and has pitched well at AAA Norfolk. Teammate Chris Tillman is 3-0, with a 2.52 ERA, despite only averaging 5 innings per start.

At AA Bowie, lefthanded starter Troy Patton has been dominant, sporting a 0.95 ERA in 28 innings of work. Though he may get serious consideration for a call to the big leagues later in the season, the O’s want to be cautious with Patton, since he missed all of 2008 because of arm surgery.

Once Hill joins the staff, the rotation should be set for a while, allowing prospects like Patton, Berken, and Tillman to gain experience and put up some numbers down on the farm.

May 2, 2009

How Long Can MacPhail Resist?

The Orioles have lost their fifth game in a row, and thirteen of their last sixteen to fall six games under.500 and into the cellar of the A.L. East. The offense, which carried the team early in the season has cooled, and the pitching, which has been a problem all season, has continued to falter, contributing to the team’s recent slide.

The immediate future doesn’t look promising, either. Their best starter, Jeremy Guthrie, has struggled in his last three starts, and the team’s closer, George Sherrill, has blown saves in his last two opportunities. The Orioles pitching staff ranks next to last in the American League in ERA, and has surrendered the most home runs in the major leagues. Outfielder Felix Pie, who was given the chance to claim the starting left field job has struggled offensively and defensively, and starting catcher Gregg Zaun has struggled mightily at the plate.

As the losses continue to mount, and fan interest starts to wane, the pressure on President of Baseball Operations, Andy MacPhail increases to do what he has said he did not want to do, which is rush the team’s young prospects to the major leagues. Frustrated followers of the O’s are clamoring for the recall of some of the organizations best prospects.

So far, MacPhail has refused to panic. The only pitching prospect to receive a promotion to the big club is starter Brad Bergesen, who replaced the injured Alfredo Simon in the rotation. Bergesen has pitched well in two of the three games he has started, and appears to have earned an extended look from the club. Outfielder Lou Montanez was also recalled from AAA Norfolk, to replace Ryan Freel who went on the DL, and has split playing time in left field with Pie and Luke Scott.

Many fans feel that if the team is going to lose, then they should lose while playing their younger players, allowing them to gain experience at the big league level instead of continuing to play aging and marginal major leaguers like Mark Hendrickson and Adam Eaton. On the other hand, MacPhail has to consider what effect an early promotion may have on a developing player. Will they be adversely affected by the success and failure that inevitably occurs while learning how to become a full-fledged major league player?

5nlEOFBm[1].gif The top candidates for promotion are hot hitting outfielder Nolan Reimold, catcher Matt Wieters, and pitchers Jake Arrieta, and Troy Patton. Of the four, Reimold looks to be the closest to earning a spot on the Orioles roster. With Pie struggling in left, and Montanez off to a slow start since returning to Baltimore, the O’s appear to be ready to make a move to Reimold.

It will be interesting to see what MacPhail will do to keep the fans happy if the O’s continue to struggle. In recent years, the Orioles have gone much deeper into the season before dropping well below the .500 level. For example, in 2008, a year in which they only won 68 games, the O’s never fell below three games under .500 until the 101st game of the season. This year, 25 games into the schedule, they’re already six games under the even mark. Will the team be able to justify throwing the same group of veterans on the field while the future stars mature in the minor leagues?

Let’s hope the O’s are able to turn things around soon, and the team won’t feel compelled to make alot of roster moves. Starting pitcher Rich Hill appears close to joining the pitching staff, which should help, and the return of Melvin Mora from the disabled list solidifies the left side of the infield.