Is Chen injured?

[glenn__davis]

I like Joe. One question. Was it in Seattle?

Indeed it was.

I like Joe too.

3-0 at Safeco with an ERA around 1.

0-4 on the road with an ERA 12.54.

[Flosman]

Incorrect. Wada went on the 15-day DL retroactive to March 22nd (link). That means he could come off the 60-day DL on May 21st.

I have found a reference to allowing a player to be put on the emergency disabled list (60 day) during ST so I think you are correct. I am actually surprised teams don't abuse this.

[fernandodfcosta]

Options

At Bowie

Eddie Gamboa 0-3 4.14 7 7 0 0 0 41.1 40 26 19 4 5 11 32 1.23 0 0

Kevin Gausman 1-4 3.35 7 7 0 0 0 40.1 40 20 15 3 3 4 39 1.09 0 0

Mike Wright 4-0 4.33 7 7 0 0 0 35.1 41 20 17 1 2 12 30 1.50 0 0

Jake Pettit 2-0 3.86 6 6 0 0 0 35.0 29 17 15 3 2 13 23 1.20 0 0

Devin Jones 0-2 6.12 5 5 0 0 0 25.0 32 23 17 2 1 10 19 1.68 0 0

At Norfolk

Jair Jurrjens 4-1 2.62 7 7 0 0 0 44.2 37 14 13 1 0 15 29 1.16 0 0

Freddy Garcia4-0 2.67 5 5 0 0 0 33.2 31 11 10 4 0 2 21 0.98 0 0

Josh Stinson1-1 4.11 5 5 0 0 0 30.2 33 17 14 3 0 12 17 1.47 0 0

Zach Clark 1-2 4.56 5 5 0 0 0 25.2 30 19 13 1 1 7 20 1.44 0 0

Zach Britton1-1 3.38 5 5 0 0 0 24.0 28 12 9 0 1 12 15 1.67 0 0

Jake Arrieta 2-1 2.75 3 3 0 0 0 19.2 16 7 6 1 0 3 17 0.97 0 0

Steve Johnson1-1 4.41 3 3 0 0 0 16.1 17 8 8 2 0 4 19 1.29 0 0

Freddy is up, Arrieta, Britton and Steve are not ready, Zach and Stinson doesn't have it. That leaves JJ and KG as the only viable options ahead.

[crissfan172]

He says he's not in any pain and hopes it's a cramp - per Britt

It's kind of like when you're stomach hurts so bad that you think it has to be appendicitis. Then...you go to the bathroom, take a huge dump and realize you're ok.

[Crazysilver03]

6.1 Ip, 5 H, 1R, 1ER, 3BB, 6K

gets the win to improve to 3-4

I didn't want DD to sign Saunders, I thought the plan was to sign someone better than Saunders.... but when it became clear that wasn't going to happen I thought it was a no brainer to sign Saunders for depth.

Saunders would be the worst pitcher on the team right now. He has more losses than any pitcher on this team. And his losses have been blowouts. His three worst losses would be the worst three performances by any of the Orioles starters. Sure he has a gem here and there but he has clunkers a lot as well.

[birdcrazy]

I say give Steve Johnson another start. Other than that, I would rather see Arietta or Britton next. Both are major league starters. The problem I see with those two, however is the team is too good for them to work through their inconsistencies up here. Instead, you send them back to the minors..and it wrecks their confidence. I mean, if you are Arietta, and and mentally soft anyway...it has to not make things better to see Steve Johnson and Freddy Garcia get the call before you...while the supposed ace Hammel constantly stinks it up.

[Three Run Homer]

Arietta had to be scratched from his start today, so I guess he's out of the running. I'm leery of Jurrjens' peripherals--K/BB isn't great, lots of flyballs plays well in Harbor Park but not so much in Camden Yards. I don't know what scouts are saying about Jurrjens' stuff.

[DrinkinWithFermi]

Arietta had to be scratched from his start today, so I guess he's out of the running. I'm leery of Jurrjens' peripherals--K/BB isn't great, lots of flyballs plays well in Harbor Park but not so much in Camden Yards. I don't know what scouts are saying about Jurrjens' stuff.

Still, he's probably the best option for now. I'd rather give him 2 or 3 starts while waiting for Wada to be ready than rush Gausman up here.

[webbrick2010]

Saunders would be the worst pitcher on the team right now. He has more losses than any pitcher on this team. And his losses have been blowouts. His three worst losses would be the worst three performances by any of the Orioles starters. Sure he has a gem here and there but he has clunkers a lot as well.

Yeah... that's why Buck chose him to start the wild card game and in the ALDS... because he think he thought he was terrible.

Talk about being a homer. Saunders will provide more innings, earn more wins and have a lower ERA than whatever combination of #5 starters the Orioles come up with.

[ShaneDawg85]

Yeah... that's why Buck chose him to start the wild card game and in the ALDS... because he think he thought he was terrible.

Talk about being a homer. Saunders will provide more innings, earn more wins and have a lower ERA than whatever combination of #5 starters the Orioles come up with.

Way to grasp at two starts to ignore the realities of what he is doing right now. Right now, he is awful outside of home, a strong pitchers park. Pitching the way he is right now, in Camden Yards and other ballparks of the AL East, people on here wouldn't be able to get rid of him fast enough, and nobody would be happy having spent $6 million for production like that out of a starter.

[LookitsPuck]

Yeah... that's why Buck chose him to start the wild card game and in the ALDS... because he think he thought he was terrible.

Talk about being a homer. Saunders will provide more innings, earn more wins and have a lower ERA than whatever combination of #5 starters the Orioles come up with.

Ehhh, maybe?

The thing about it is this: the Orioles signed a bunch of depth and had extra options that would be available during the season: Johnson, Jurrjens, Garcia, Gausman, Wada not to mention the likes of Arrieta, Britton, etc.

Right now Saunders has a 5.51 ERA with a 1.521 (the highest of his career) WHIP. His SO/9 is 3.8...easily the worst of his career. His walk rate is the worst of his career at 3.4. His H/9 is nearly the worst of his career at 10.3. The only redeeming factor Saunders has going for him is he's pitching at Safeco.

So, the question came down to whether or not Duquette thought Saunders would be as good or better than the options I listed above AND whether or not he'd be worth the $6 million in the process.

It's not as slum dunk as you make it out to be.

[Tony-OH]

Ehhh, maybe?

The thing about it is this: the Oriole signed a bunch of depth and had extra options that would be available during the season: Johnson, Jurrjens, Garcia, Gausman, Wada not to mention the likes of Arrieta, Britton, etc.

Right now Saunders has a 5.51 ERA with a 1.521 (the highest of his career). His SO/9 is 3.8...easily the worst of his career. His walk rate is the wrost of his career at 3.4. His H/9 is nearly the worst of his career at 10.3. The only redeeming factor Saunders has going for him is he's pitching at Safeco.

So, the question came down to whether or not Duquette thought Saunders would be as good or better than the options I listed above AND whether or not he'd be worth the $6 million in the process.

It's not as slum dunk as you make it out to be.

Agreed. Saunders has not been very good overall this year. He can give you some innings, but the Orioles should be able to get those innings covered with depth.

[Crazysilver03]

Yeah... that's why Buck chose him to start the wild card game and in the ALDS... because he think he thought he was terrible.

Talk about being a homer. Saunders will provide more innings, earn more wins and have a lower ERA than whatever combination of #5 starters the Orioles come up with.

You must not understand the definition of the word homer. Everything in my post is factual evidence from this year.

[webbrick2010]

You must not understand the definition of the word homer. Everything in my post is factual evidence from this year.

You throw out the guy's entire career to make a point about one month of stats... then you throw out his stats in his home park, 1/2 his starts to further your point.

Saunders has a long track record, he has pitched well in other parks besides Safeco.. he will provide a roughly league average starter.

As I said I wanted DD to sign someone better than Saunders... but Saunders should have been the minimum as the O's rotation had almost no long term track record coming into this season.

[glenn__davis]

You throw out the guy's entire career to make a point about one month of stats... then you throw out his stats in his home park, 1/2 his starts to further your point.

Saunders has a long track record, he has pitched well in other parks besides Safeco.. he will provide a roughly league average starter.

The problem is that the Safeco argument is a very valid one. You're right, he's pitched well in other parks before. So have many pitchers. He's on the wrong side of 30 with marginal stuff. Doesn't mean he's doomed, but the bottom line is that he's been quite poor this year.

I think it will be interesting to see the final numbers. Saunders right now is a 3-4 with a 5.51. O's 5th starters, as a quick calculation, are 1-4 with a 7.03. I think the O's group has a much better chance to improve significantly on those numbers. We'll just have to wait and see though.

For the record I would not have been opposed to the O's signing Saunders. But after seeing what he's done so far this year I am glad they didn't.