Tony Pente on 105.7 The Fan at 5:20 PM - Talking Os and Prospects

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THURSDAY, JULY 2nd

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Tony, you are G.M. For a Day, yesterday. Do you agree with the DFA'ing of Delmon Young ???:

TONY:O You know, that was a really tough decision. When you look over options, Young was the best choice to be DFA'd. The only other choice was Reimold, and Reimold has played very well in his brief playing time so far, and he has great speed on the basepaths, so yeah, I agree that Young had to go. They are going with Davis in rightfield and Snider in leftfield against right-handed pitchers, so there really wasn't a lot of plate appearances to go around for the right-handed batters, such as Reimold and Steve Pearce.

Might Delmon Young be back ???

TONY:O Yes, it's very possible. The Orioles have a recent history of DFA'ing guys and then getting them back if they pass through waivers without being claimed by another team. So yes, I can see Young possibly coming back with the Orioles later this season. We would love to get him back for the stretch run if he passes through waivers.

Where does Young's bases-clearing triple against the Tigers in the 2014 A.L.D.S. rank among all-time great Oriole moments ???

TONY:O I'll tell you something, I was in the press box for the game, and I had a really hard time NOT cheering wildly when it happened. I did get in a fist-bump with Stan the Fan. For me, it ranks right up there with Tito Landrum's home run to beat the White Sox in the 1983 A.L.C.S. which sent us back to the World Series.

Did Steve Pearce's versatility help him out in not being the one who was DFA'd ???

TONY:O Absolutely, unquestionably. Pearce REALLY helped himself out by going out and playing 2nd base adequately earlier this year, even though he had never played the position as a professional before, not even in the minors. At the end of the day, Pearce was more flexible than Young, AND he had a great year last year. That combination (flexibility PLUS the overall great season that he had last year) really made the choice easier for Duquette to keep Pearce.

What about Nolan Reimold ???

TONY:O Reimold, even though he has been effective so far, is (along with David Lough) in dangerous territory with roster crunches still to come (in addition to Young being DFA'd.) I like Reimold, but even with Young having been dropped yesterday, he and Lough are both still fighting for their lives in terms of staying on the 25-man roster.

If the Orioles lose anyone to injury, do they have depth/help awaiting in AAA-Norfolk ???

TONY:O Yes. Christian Walker and Dariel Alvarez are both coming on strong lately. In addition to his power (14 HR's and 12 double in 321 plate appearances so far this year), Alvarez can play his position(s) in the outfield very well, and we know how Buck values defense. Walker has hit very well in the last 10 games, and is batting .333 in the last month.

Do the Orioles necessarily need a big splash in terms of trade(s) ??? Can they win with this group as currently constructed ???

TONY:O I don't know if they need a really big splash. Right now, this is anyone's division. There is no team that scares me. The O's have enough to win the division ...... although you can pretty much say that about ALL OF the A.L. East teams, even the Red Sox. I believe that the month of September will decide this division, unlike last year when the Orioles put it away well before then.

What is your biggest overall concern about this team ???

TONY:O The ONE BIG CONCERN for me is the starting pitching. Tillman has pitched better lately, and even Norris had a couple of pretty games recently, but ON A CONSISTENT BASIS, they have not done enough. They both need to pitch better consistently, or Duquette will have to seriously consider replacing them as the season progresses.

Kevin Gausman ???

TONY:O I like Gausman, but I AM NOT yet convinced that he can be the ace guy that we have been hoping and anticipating him to be. He has been a 2-pitch pitcher, which is why he has struggled to get past the 5th and 6th innings. I hope I'm wrong, but I don't see him being an ace unless he develops that slider as a solid 3rd pitch.

Who is your celebrity pick for tonight's game ???

TONY:O Manny Machado.

There was talk here that Alvarez was not a good defender. He's made 4 errors this season. I am glad to hear otherwise.