If you were the GM, would you put Britton on the OD roster, or wait?

[OFFNY]

You also have the benefit of looking at the result. IMO, it's never a good idea to lose an extra year of control for 2 weeks

unless you're the MFY, and money just doesn't matter.

EDIT:

MF Yankees is right. This is how they treated their pitcher who had just won 19 games for two consecutive years. They tore up Alex Rodriguez' contract of $25 Million per year to give him an extension at $ 33 Million per year because he said that he was "underappreciated", but they busted Chien-Ming Wang's chops over $600,000. Wang wanted $4.6 Million, the Yankees offered him $ 4 Million, and the Yankees won.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/yankees/item_mi3g4HtZRd7sHj3DzHUIKL

[adam_jonzin']

As GM I vote no. He'll most likely be given an innings limit and so we can either have him at the start of the season and lose him 6 years from now to FA, or we can have him in September or later and get that extra year.

I can totally see both sides though.

As a fan I vote yes, and I'll defend my position by pointing out that all it took was (IMO) a few heartbreaking losses at the start of the season to throw the team completely off their game.

Getting off to a hot start is key here, and opening the season with the best possible rotation is the right thing to do.

[DrungoHazewood]

No for a pitcher it's 27 or slightly earlier based on the type of pitcher you are.

Fastball pitchers like Britton tend to peak a little earlier.

A pitcher generally remains effective until his strikeout rate dips below a certain level, usually assumed to be around 5.0 K/9. Strikeout rate is pretty highly correlated to fastball velocity. So as long as a guy can stay healthy, the best indicator of effectiveness and career length is strikeout rate, which is dependent on his fastball to a fairly large extent. Of course there are exceptions, but this is true in general.

It's no coincidence that almost everyone on the career innings pitched leaders list at least started out with a strikeout rate above league average.

[Slappy]

This is a prime reason why the current service time rules are idiotic. I don't understand why they just can't say "if you play over X innings or pitch over Y innings (or appear in over Z games), it counts as one season". That way, if you are going to have a guy contribute, you put him on the OD roster.

[OFFNY]

Alex Rodriguez opted out.

OK, thanks. But still, the point is they went running after him with a blank check (which wound up being $33 Million per year after "only" getting $25 Million per year in his previous contract) while "doing business" with Wang over $ 600,000.

[ShaneDawg85]

Name somebody you have more faith in against those 4 teams based on this spring and all the tinkering that Connor has done?

If that doesn't summarize just about everything that is wrong with the arguments going on here, then I don't know what does.

[Phantom]

As a fan I vote yes' date=' and I'll defend my position by pointing out that all it took was (IMO) a few heartbreaking losses at the start of the season to throw the team completely off their game.

Getting off to a hot start is key here, and opening the season with the best possible rotation is the right thing to do.[/quote']

So it is your belief that a few tough losses made this team play poorly for the next 100 games? I'm going to go with the mountain of statistical evidence, and common sense, and say no.

I'll be generous and say that the difference between having Britton on the team OD and having him after a few missed starts is 1 win. If we miss the playoffs by one game, then we should have started him on the team. This is assuming of course he didn't hit his innings limit. In every other situation, we are doing the right thing.

[The Epic]

The Rob Long Show has almost the same poll up.

80% have said that they should wait for the extra year.

[Say O!]

Is anybody considering that Britton is on an inning limitation this year? Say you send him down to Norfolk for a couple of starts and pull him after 3 or 4 innings. Thereby, you are saving some innings in April for Sept. when godwilling we will need them!

Not sure why this point went unnoticed.

For those advocating Britton begin the year in the rotation, how do you propose to overcome the innings obstacle?

Given the O's philosophy's and general industry practices regarding the 30 IP per year bump, Britton will be restricted to no more than 180 IP. Assuming ~6 IP per appearance, that's roughly 30 starts. If Britton makes the rotation and pitches in the 3 or 4 slot as Trea advocates, Zach surely would be on pace for 34-35 appearances.

So assuming success for Britton, at some point you need to shut him down or skip starts here and there. Why not start in the minors where you can get at least 1 of the appearances back because Norfolk does not begin their schedule until April 7th?

[DrungoHazewood]

Not sure why this point went unnoticed.

For those advocating Britton begin the year in the rotation, how do you propose to overcome the innings obstacle?

Given the O's philosophy's and general industry practices regarding the 30 IP per year bump, Britton will be restricted to no more than 180 IP. Assuming ~6 IP per appearance, that's roughly 30 starts. If Britton makes the rotation and pitches in the 3 or 4 slot as Trea advocates, Zach surely would be on pace for 34-35 appearances.

So assuming success for Britton, at some point you need to shut him down or skip starts here and there. Why not start in the minors where you can get at least 1 of the appearances back because Norfolk does not begin their schedule until April 7th?

Not to mention that a minor league start does not come with the same level of stress or fatigue that a major league start does. When half the opposing lineup is Rhyne Hughes or Adam Stern you can put it on cruise control most of the game.

[scOtt]

I don't know if it's been mentioned... but it does have to be the first 21 days, not later in the season sometime.

From Roch's comments:

Fernando Costa March 29, 2011 10:47 AM Reply

The Britton case: these 21days to not reach full year ML service must be the first 21 or can be during the season?

--------------------------------------------------------------

First 21. - Roch

[Sports Guy]

I don't know if it's been mentioned... but it does have to be the first 21 days, not later in the season sometime.

From Roch's comments:

Fernando Costa March 29, 2011 10:47 AM Reply

The Britton case: these 21days to not reach full year ML service must be the first 21 or can be during the season?

--------------------------------------------------------------

First 21. - Roch

This is partially true.

Those first 21 days means he gets an extra year...But if he came up and got sent down later in the season, the Orioles could still accrue an extra year of service time...it will just take more than 21 days to do it.

[scOtt]

This is partially true.

Those first 21 days means he gets an extra year...But if he came up and got sent down later in the season, the Orioles could still accrue an extra year of service time...it will just take more than 21 days to do it.

How much more? Do you know?

[Sports Guy]

How much more? Do you know?

It depends on the amount of days he accrues up until that point.