TT: Arrieta takes lead in 5th starter competition

[weams]

I'm not saying McFarland has an edge over anyone. In fact, I'd be really, really surprised if he wins the 5th spot, but he's got something going for him that almost no one else does. The O's lose him if he doesn't make the team. I still think he's the long man in the pen if Matusz makes the rotation. Anyone else makes it as the 5th then I don't see how he makes it as the long reliever/matchup lefty.

Zach Britton.

"That's the best he's thrown this spring. That was impressive. He was real crisp. It was good to see. He could have gotten deep in the ballgame today. He got his pitch count up to where he needed to be and was able to do it within the innings allowed. I thought he started throwing the ball pretty well his last time out and this one, he took the next step. I think guys know where the finish line is and the opportunities they're getting. It happens a lot this time of spring. The arms start coming a little bit. I think you saw it some with Tommy and McFarland, and you've seen it with Britton and Matusz. It's good. I'm not going to over-evaluate it right now because that's for another time for me personally. But I like where we are with our options. It's intriguing. Difficult but it's the good difficult. I've told you before, many times here it was just the last man standing that called himself a starter, it seems like. That's not the case now. I look at it as a good difficult. I've had the bad difficult. Like I've been saying all along, we're looking from within. We like our options from within."

Buck

[Scotto]

I remember reading somewhere several years ago (could be 10 or more ) about how a good young pitcher

comes of age at around 60 starts. I thought it was bs, but as I looked at some of the top pitchers of

the time I was amazed how often it held true for the ones I looked up (SSS alert, I didn't have the patience

if I recall to look up a ton of them, but it held reasonably true enough that I was convinced.... I am easy, though!)

I've looked all over trying to find that info and can't anywhere now.

Anyway, by my count Jake is at 58 MLB starts.... just sayin'

[Mayor McCheese]

I remember reading somewhere several years ago (could be 10 or more ) about how a good young pitcher

comes of age at around 60 starts. I thought it was bs, but as I looked at some of the top pitchers of

the time I was amazed how often it held true for the ones I looked up (SSS alert, I didn't have the patience

if I recall to look up a ton of them, but it held reasonably true enough that I was convinced.... I am easy, though!)

I've looked all over trying to find that info and can't anywhere now.

Anyway, by my count Jake is at 58 MLB starts.... just sayin'

I would also look at their ERA... I doubt most of them were anywhere near a 5.37 after 58 starts.

just saying..

[wildcard]

At this point I think its a tie between Matusz, Britton and Arrieta for the 5th starter. Steve Johnson goes Sunday to try to match them.

[Can_of_corn]

At this point I think its a tie between Matusz, Britton and Arrieta for the 5th starter. Steve Johnson goes Sunday to try to match them.

I think Buck/DD have already made up their minds. They just have nothing to gain by tipping their hand early.

[Il BuonO]

I think Buck/DD have already made up their minds. They just have nothing to gain by tipping their hand early.

Care to shed any light? Britton? I think that's premature. RZNJ may be correct in that they were leaning that way before ST, but that lineup today wasn't much to speak of. He was efficient and induced ground balls.

You are correct in that they won't tip their hand, but do they have one yet?

[Can_of_corn]

Care to shed any light? Britton? I think that's premature. RZNJ may be correct in that they were leaning that way before ST, but that lineup today wasn't much to speak of. He was efficient and induced ground balls.

You are correct in that they won't tip their hand, but do they have one yet?

I don't know which one they will pick I just don't think a decision of this magnitude is going to come down to the last couple of weeks of spring training. Maybe there are two guys left in the running, I can't see four-five guys left in the race at this point. They have access to a lot of information we don't.

[Il BuonO]

If Arrieta wants to make a statement he better do it tomorrow against a team many pick to win the division. The Jays will be at home do there's a good chance he faces many of their regulars. And it would do him some good hearing how underwhelmed Buck was with him last time out.

[JayThomas]

This may come down to the performance of someone not named Matusz, Britton, or Arrieta. It may come down to McFarland. If he is lights out and Matusz is matching Britton and Arrieta (and Johnson, if they give him the innings), they may just put Matusz in the rotation to keep McFarland in the BP. Clearly Dan and Buck like him. They left him alone early and then helped him make a few adjustments and he's been very very good since. I'm sure they want to keep him and the only way that happens is if Matusz or Patton is not in the bullpen.

[sevastras]

This may come down to the performance of someone not named Matusz, Britton, or Arrieta. It may come down to McFarland. If he is lights out and Matusz is matching Britton and Arrieta (and Johnson, if they give him the innings), they may just put Matusz in the rotation to keep McFarland in the BP. Clearly Dan and Buck like him. They left him alone early and then helped him make a few adjustments and he's been very very good since. I'm sure they want to keep him and the only way that happens is if Matusz or Patton is not in the bullpen.

I partially agree. I think that Britton and Matusz are being given the leading chances. Neither has blown it. I am sure that Buck really likes Matusz and he has been pretty critical of Arrieta. I dont think Arrieta has looked as good as Matusz, Britton, Gausman but Gausman will in all likelyhood wont make the rotation at this time(Very surprised if he did). My money is on Matusz, but man we really have some good options this year.

We could have a good rotation that would consist of:

Gausman

Bundy

Britton

Matusz

S.Johnson

or

Chen

Tillman

Hammel

Gonzalez

Arrieta

Amazing to have a team that has 10 starters that are legitimate major league starters...you can argue that Gausman or Bundy arent ready, or that so and so wont cut it over time. But we really do have 10 guys that can go out there and get the job done.

If you look back at 2010 you had:

Guthrie

Millwood-35(4W-16L)

Matusz-rookie

Bergesen-second year

Arrieta-rookie

Tillman-second year

Wow, just wow.

[scOtt]

At this point I think its a tie between Matusz, Britton and Arrieta for the 5th starter. Steve Johnson goes Sunday to try to match them.

I'm REALLY excited to see Steve go! My first look at a ST game! Hope the Twins bring a real lineup.

This whole 5th starter thing is off the hook! Every day ANOTHER candidate ups the ante. *knocks wood* no injuries and pitchers all doing better and better. It's a good problem to have. A GD GLUT of 5th starter candidates. Last week of ST you could make a nice deal for one of them. Get back some cog that really cements the whole 25.

Also just watched a rerun of Mid Atlantic Sports Report. Britt called in and twice she wondered what part Betemit played on this team. Really just clogs Buck's usage of the DH. Nolan needs time. Meat has a pretty club friendly contract too. I'd like to say I expect a trade, maybe even a big one. But there has to be the right circumstance from the other side. Hope DD can find it. If he can't we probably lose McFarland.

[sevastras]

I'm REALLY excited to see Steve go! My first look at a ST game! Hope the Twins bring a real lineup.

This whole 5th starter thing is off the hook! Every day ANOTHER candidate ups the ante. *knocks wood* no injuries and pitchers all doing better and better. It's a good problem to have. A GD GLUT of 5th starter candidates. Last week of ST you could make a nice deal for one of them. Get back some cog that really cements the whole 25.

Also just watched a rerun of Mid Atlantic Sports Report. Britt called in and twice she wondered what part Betemit played on this team. Really just clogs Buck's usage of the DH. Nolan needs time. Meat has a pretty club friendly contract too. I'd like to say I expect a trade, maybe even a big one. But there has to be the right circumstance from the other side. Hope DD can find it. If he can't we probably lose McFarland.

At this point I would be happy sending 2 starters and a utility for a good prospect. I am not good on trade ideas, but if you are sending 2 guys that fill out a SP staff and a utility you should be able to get something good I would think. If you send Arrieta, Britton and maybe someone like Jackson to someone, I would imagine the return would be nice on the prospect side. We are in the position we can actually do something like this and not feel the effects. I am not saying that we should trade these specific guys, but I think something close to this would work nice.

[wildcard]

I'm REALLY excited to see Steve go! My first look at a ST game! Hope the Twins bring a real lineup.

This whole 5th starter thing is off the hook! Every day ANOTHER candidate ups the ante. *knocks wood* no injuries and pitchers all doing better and better. It's a good problem to have. A GD GLUT of 5th starter candidates. Last week of ST you could make a nice deal for one of them. Get back some cog that really cements the whole 25.

Also just watched a rerun of Mid Atlantic Sports Report. Britt called in and twice she wondered what part Betemit played on this team. Really just clogs Buck's usage of the DH. Nolan needs time. Meat has a pretty club friendly contract too. I'd like to say I expect a trade, maybe even a big one. But there has to be the right circumstance from the other side. Hope DD can find it. If he can't we probably lose McFarland.

Betemit looks better physically then he was last year. Buck is playing him a 3B this spring. I think the idea is that he will DH and be the backup at 3B. I know its hard to think he would be good there but I wouldn't rule it out. Buck is using ST to try to improve his play in the field.

[Frobby]

The ommission of Arrieta and, less so, Jurrjens is interesting. Before ST started it was my feeling that Buck and DD wanted Britton to win the job and keep Matusz in the pen. I'm not real sure if that has changed any.

I was thinking this morning about the fact that the O's already have three RHP (Hammel, Gonzakez, Tillman) pretty much locked in to the rotation, so Buck may have a strong preference for a LHP for the final spot. However, the omission of Arrieta probably doesn't mean too much. Let's see how he does today, that means a lot more.

[OFFNY]

.

4.67 innings for Jake today. An error cost him a chance to complete 5.