JAKE Today

[jonesing4pie]

Jake is one of the more bipolar (in terms of performance) pitchers in baseball right now. That is probably why he is one of the most frustrating players on this team.

[Il BuonO]

I don't want to see Hunter in the rotation again. Maybe as a spot start, but I'd prefer him in long relief if he's on the roster. Arrieta looks like he's lost all confidence. I'm at a loss because he went through the Rays lineup perfectly for three innings and then the wheels fell off.

[Pickles]

I don't want to see Hunter in the rotation again. Maybe as a spot start, but I'd prefer him in long relief if he's on the roster. Arrieta looks like he's lost all confidence. I'm at a loss because he went through the Rays lineup perfectly for three innings and then the wheels fell off.

That's a repeating theme for him this year. He'll just fall apart mid-start.

I don't want Hunter in the rotation either, but if he pitches well in AAA, and Arrieta keeps this up, then I don't see how you can justify continuing to run him out there.

[Pickles]

I'm likely in the minority, but I'd like to see Jake go to AAA and get some instruction from Peterson. Something is just not clicking with him, and maybe a new set of eyes and thoughts will help get him straightened out. If that doesn't work, then I'd make him the closer in Norfolk and prepare him for life as a relief pitcher in the majors.

Like I said, I don't think we have any clearly superior options, but you can't just keep running him out there to get bashed around. That doesn't do him or the team any good. I'm the last guy to change for change's sake, but in this case, that's what I'm advocating.

[oriole]

I think its about time to put Arrieta back at Norfolk. He is doing awful. Tillman showed signs that he could dominate just like Arrieta does and then blew every other game that he wasn't dominating. Guess where he's at? Norfolk.

I know there just aren't any better options but it may be time to see what Miguel Gonzalez or Steve Johnson or even Dana frikin Eveland can do before Arrieta. He isn't ready for the majors.

/end rant

[jonesing4pie]

You just can't walk the#7 and #8 hitters. Throw one right down the pipe. The worst that is going to come out of doing that to Rhymes is a line drive single, maybe a double.

[CheeryO]

Too many walks and poor command even though he clearly has excellent stuff giving up only one hit through the third. Arrieta looks like a rich man's Daniel Cabrera right now.

[Can_of_corn]

You just can't walk the#7 and #8 hitters. Throw one right down the pipe. The worst that is going to come out of doing that to Rhymes is a line drive single, maybe a double.

You are assuming that Jake was capable of throwing one right down the pipe in that situation.

[Il BuonO]

I think you give Petersen a shot at tweaking him. Right now Johnson needs a few more starts after coming off the DL. I think Tillman has earned another shot. I'd like to see maybe one more quality start at Norfolk and then get him up here. He was lights out his last start.

[Pickles]

Pretty awful. I noticed a change in his mechanics today. He was a lot more fluid but once he got to the stretch you couldn't locate again. Then he was screwed from the windup and the stretch. Notice how he didn't have his normal big breaking downer curveball today. IMO, that's because he eliminated the hesitation where he gets on top of the ball more. He was great for 3 innings, locating his fastball down and down and away. Then the wheels fell off. It's all about the fastball command and for 3 innings it was pretty good. Pretty frustrating but seems silly to bring Tillman or Hunter up to replace him. Neither deserve it at this point. The O's have made too many changes, most because of injury. They need to stick with what they have and get it to work.

The fact is, Hunter has been every bit as good as Arrieta this year. So why has Arrieta earned a rotation spot and Hunter hasn't?

Clearly, Arrieta has more potential and long-term value, but, if anything, that's why I think it's more important to send him down to try fix whatever is wrong w him before he loses all confidence.

I'm not there yet. But I'm real, real close.

[coe76]

I assume other folks have mentioned this previously, but to my vantage point, Jake looks like a mid/long relief guy and not a starter. He has had several starts this year where he is very solid early and then in the 4th or 5th the wheels come off. I would rather move him to the pen than send him down. Hopefully Britton can be ready to come up soon and the move can be made but who knows what Buck, Adair, and Peterson feel about it.

[Pickles]

I assume other folks have mentioned this previously, but to my vantage point, Jake looks like a mid/long relief guy and not a starter. He has had several starts this year where he is very solid early and then in the 4th or 5th the wheels come off. I would rather move him to the pen than send him down. Hopefully Britton can be ready to come up soon and the move can be made but who knows what Buck, Adair, and Peterson feel about it.

Britton is taking Hunter's spot. So either Hunter moves back into the rotation, or Tillman/Evueland/S Johnson take Arrieta's. None of those options thrill me, but you can't just keep running a guy out there who isn't getting the job done.

[Pickles]

I have no interest in having Arrieta dominate AAA hitters. Peterson is a roving instructor. He can come to Baltimore if he thinks he can fix Arrieta and do something that Adair can't. Sending him to the bullpen isn't the worst idea either. I'd give Miguel Gonzalez a start or two before I'd call up Tillman or Hunter. Arrieta went from proclaimed ace to weak link pretty fast.

I never understood some of the infatuation w Arrieta. Not to say I don't think he couldn't be a ML starter, but the idea that he had the highest upside, or best stuff, of the young pitchers was always misplaced imo. Stuff and potential are about more than velocity.

[LookitsPuck]

I never understood some of the infatuation w Arrieta. Not to say I don't think he couldn't be a ML starter, but the idea that he had the highest upside, or best stuff, of the young pitchers was always misplaced imo. Stuff and potential are about more than velocity.

Maybe because Arrieta has great stuff?

[Pickles]

Maybe because Arrieta has great stuff?

Does he?

He has good velocity on a fastball he commands poorly, which is why despite the velocity he's always been homer prone.

He has a good curve, that he can't command consistently.

And a change-up that's pretty much show me.

Matusz has a far superior arsenal. Britton has a better pitch than anything Jake has. And if Tillman is back in the low 90s then I think his arsenal is better as well.