What is the upside to waiting for Bud Norris to get better?

We are three games away from the season't halfway mark, and the only thing we know for sure about Bud Norris is that he won't be getting a qualifying offer once the season is over.

With Gausman waiting in the wings, is there really any point to waiting for Norris to get better? Maybe he'll turn it around in his next outing or two. But even if he does, what's the advantage? As the fifth starter, he would probably have no more than 15 starts remaining this season. Do you really want to see him in a playoff game? And once this season is over, he won't be back.

What's more, if you take a look at last season's numbers, there wasn't much difference between Norris and Gausman as starters, except the talent. Gausman, learning OTJ, put up very similarl numbers to the much more experienced Norris. And now Norris has fallen apart.

Gausman's ceiling is much higher than Norris's. And, even though the results haven't been as good for Gausman in sporadic duty this year as they were last year, he still has pitched much better than Norris, who continues to take the ball every fifth day.

I'm hoping that tonight's start by Gausman has Buck and DD asking themselves this question.

Veteranosity and bulldog demeanor are sterling qualities. There must be a trade in the works....:scratchchinhmm:

Listening to Buck last night, I think he's lost his rotation spot unless one of the other five get hurt. He said Chen would pitch on five days rest. In the likely event that Wilson gets sent down for Gausman, Gonzalez will pitch Sunday. Tillman and Jimenez will pitch Friday or Saturday. Bud now becomes a reliever.

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We are three games away from the season't halfway mark, and the only thing we know for sure about Bud Norris is that he won't be getting a qualifying offer once the season is over.

With Gausman waiting in the wings, is there really any point to waiting for Norris to get better? Maybe he'll turn it around in his next outing or two. But even if he does, what's the advantage? As the fifth starter, he would probably have no more than 15 starts remaining this season. Do you really want to see him in a playoff game? And once this season is over, he won't be back.

What's more, if you take a look at last season's numbers, there wasn't much difference between Norris and Gausman as starters, except the talent. Gausman, learning OTJ, put up very similarl numbers to the much more experienced Norris. And now Norris has fallen apart.

Gausman's ceiling is much higher than Norris's. And, even though the results haven't been as good for Gausman in sporadic duty this year as they were last year, he still has pitched much better than Norris, who continues to take the ball every fifth day.

I'm hoping that tonight's start by Gausman has Buck and DD asking themselves this question.

I think he is currently in the pen awaiting re-evaluation.

I think he is currently in the pen awaiting re-evaluation.

Sounds good to me. He might do well out there.

Listening to Buck last night, I think he's lost his rotation spot unless one of the other five get hurt. He said Chen would pitch on five days rest. In the likely event that Wilson gets sent down for Gausman, Gonzalez will pitch Sunday. Tillman and Jimenez will pitch Friday or Saturday. Bud now becomes a reliever.

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Makes sense. You now have a long man and no roster moves till Schoop comes back.

We are three games away from the season't halfway mark, and the only thing we know for sure about Bud Norris is that he won't be getting a qualifying offer once the season is over.

With Gausman waiting in the wings, is there really any point to waiting for Norris to get better? Maybe he'll turn it around in his next outing or two. But even if he does, what's the advantage? As the fifth starter, he would probably have no more than 15 starts remaining this season. Do you really want to see him in a playoff game? And once this season is over, he won't be back.

What's more, if you take a look at last season's numbers, there wasn't much difference between Norris and Gausman as starters, except the talent. Gausman, learning OTJ, put up very similarl numbers to the much more experienced Norris. And now Norris has fallen apart.

Gausman's ceiling is much higher than Norris's. And, even though the results haven't been as good for Gausman in sporadic duty this year as they were last year, he still has pitched much better than Norris, who continues to take the ball every fifth day.

I'm hoping that tonight's start by Gausman has Buck and DD asking themselves this question.

I think you have to relegate him to the pen, but who do you get rid of out there? I would have Gausman in the rotation.

But remember, Norris is just 11 starts removed from a solid year as a starter. I doubt that he's suddenly forgotten how to pitch. If his contract wasn't up there would be incentive to fix what's wrong.

But obviously you can't keep throwing out a starter with a 6.70 ERA in a pennant race if you don't have a very strong indication that he's going to pitch better. Not unless you have no other options, and if that's the case you make a trade.

Remember a few years ago he was arguably ly the second best starting pitching option after Tillman for the playoffs?

Chen and Gonzalez typically tire in late June and July.

Chris Tillman is sporting an ERA north of 5, and other than his last start had not looked very good at all this year.

Gausman has never shown sustained success at the major league level.

Norris looked decent when he came off the DL. He has not been doing himself any last two starts, but then again neither has the defense behind him or the offense in giving him any sort of early game run support.

You don't think the O's have incentive to fix what's wrong with Norris and haven't been trying to? They couldn't fix Ubaldo last year and they had plenty of incentive to do that.

We currently have an 11 man staff. No need to get rid of anyone when Norris goes to the pen. McFarland and Wilson stay in Norfolk. Position player goes when Schoop comes back.

We have a 12 man pen. I'm assuming that when Gausman comes up today, Wilson will go down and Bud will take his place in the pen.

Dan has kept 6 starters because there might be an injury. That hasn't changed. That is the upside to keeping Norris on the staff.

You don't think the O's have incentive to fix what's wrong with Norris and haven't been trying to? They couldn't fix Ubaldo last year and they had plenty of incentive to do that.

Sure they do, and I'm sure they have been. But at some point, with three months left until he walks, you have to change the approach. You can't keep hoping he suddenly gets better when you have other options like Gausman available. There has to be some break-even point where using someone else in his role is more productive than continuing to try to fix him for his last X starts while continuing to absorb 5-inning, 4-run starts.

He had a year far better than any he had prior, and his peripherals were screaming out regression.

I think that's a bit of an exaggeration. He had basically the same year in 2011, and 2013 wasn't far off of '14. He was in line for a bit of regression, but coming into the year his career FIP/xFIP was a touch over 4.00 and he pitches in front of a very good defense. If I were making a projection I'd have pegged his likely 2015 ERA in the high 3.00s.

You don't think the O's have incentive to fix what's wrong with Norris and haven't been trying to? They couldn't fix Ubaldo last year and they had plenty of incentive to do that.

We currently have an 11 man staff. No need to get rid of anyone when Norris goes to the pen. McFarland and Wilson stay in Norfolk. Position player goes when Schoop comes back.

He's relegated to the 'pen starting today. Book it.

I hope you are correct. Otherwise, Gausman will be sent down and another reliever brought up.

I hope you are correct. Otherwise, Gausman will be sent down and another reliever brought up.