Why is our number 1 prospect being used for 1 inning out of the pen?

[oriolesmagic9]

Man, you must have been a real joy to be around from 1998-2011

Oh my. I drank. Dark days my friend.

[Norfolk orioles]

:agree: yes yes and yes! They allow their pitchers to get their feet wet in the pen, get some confidence and learn how to pitch 1-2 innings at a time in the ML, then let them start.

That's a very interesting theory, but if it were really that simple everyone would be doing it.

Bundy did it last year and it didn't really help him. The tigers never put verlander in the pen. Dodgers-Kershaw, mariners-felix, lincecum-san fran (old lincecum not whatever is going on now) etc.

I'd rather him become the next Kershaw or verlander than a lance Lynn, Jamie Garcia, or Shelby miller. Wainwright would be just fine though....

But I wouldn't make relieving a long term thing for him. Get him back in the minors to work on that slider where it'll do him some good because he still can't throw that thing in the majors with any effectiveness.

[mark_beckens]

That's a very interesting theory, but if it were really that simple everyone would be doing it.

Bundy did it last year and it didn't really help him. The tigers never put verlander in the pen. Dodgers-Kershaw, mariners-felix, lincecum-san fran (old lincecum not whatever is going on now) etc.

I'd rather him become the next Kershaw or verlander than a lance Lynn, Jamie Garcia, or Shelby miller. Wainwright would be just fine though....

But I wouldn't make relieving a long term thing for him. Get him back in the minors to work on that slider where it'll do him some good because he still can't throw that thing in the majors with any effectiveness.

Not saying it's the right way or only way or best way. Just saying it's A way, the Cards have had some success with it the last few years and their SP's seem to do well. Why not try it? Has OUR way been working for the last, ohhhhhh, say 20+ years?

[oriolesmagic9]

Man, you must have been a real joy to be around from 1998-2011

"Older" O's fans like myself probably felt that pain even more. I grew up worshipping the Oriole Way. We always won. Then to hit 14 years wandering in the desert with no foreseeable light at the end of the tunnel except an oncoming train. I'm not saying anything new here, but I'm just giddy that this franchise is back.

[mark_beckens]

"Older" O's fans like myself probably felt that pain even more. I grew up worshipping the Oriole Way. We always won. Then to hit 14 years wandering in the desert with no foreseeable light at the end of the tunnel except an oncoming train. I'm not saying anything new here, but I'm just giddy that this franchise is back.

Was rough being an O's fan in Upstate NY in the late 80's.

[Norfolk orioles]

Not saying it's the right way or only way or best way. Just saying it's A way, the Cards have had some success with it the last few years and their SP's seem to do well. Why not try it? Has OUR way been working for the last, ohhhhhh, say 20+ years?

Absolutely not.....you're right about that. But that doesn't mean what works for the cardinals will work for us either.

Plus gausman is buck and dan's first real draft pick is it not? Bundy was the pick of the previous administration was it not? Maybe they are trying to do something different to break the string of suck we've trotted out for quite some time.

I guess well see soon enough.

[JLee2027]

You know for years it was not uncommon for highly thought of SP prospects to work out of the BP

If I recall correctly Jim Palmer started like 6 or 7 games his rookie year and made like 20 or so appearances out of the pen

If you have a guy who has the obvious goods to be a stud then letting him work on ML caliber hitters is never a good thing so long as it can be done in a way that is beneficial to the team. Personally I like the idea. Seemed to have very little negative impact on David Price

Yes, this was the normal route for decades. Learn in the bullpen, then start. I like the way Buck and DD work out problems. They attempt different solutions. I really like the idea of Gauman staying with the team as a reliever, and available to spot start.

[mark_beckens]

Absolutely not.....you're right about that. But that doesn't mean what works for the cardinals will work for us either.

Plus gausman is buck and dan's first real draft pick is it not? Bundy was the pick of the previous administration was it not? Maybe they are trying to do something different to break the string of suck we've trotted out for quite some time.

I guess well see soon enough.

Or maybe they think he can help them win this year and learn to be a ML pitcher from the BP. He has the best stuff on the team. Just needs work on his control and breaking ball.

[Norfolk orioles]

I totally get all the history and theory behind the idea, I really do.

But here's my main concern......coming into this year we were thinking in 2014 both gausman and bundy should be in the rotation. Some were even suggesting they'd both be in the rotation by the end of this year.

Now, here it is July 2013 and bundy is on the shelf for probably all of next year and gausman was shelled in the few starts he got in the majors and now we are using him as a reliever and 1 inning at a time?

He need to be stretched out and starting from the jump next year and able to go deep. He needs to develop that slider and work on command as well as and establish his stamina as a starter. I just don't see how it is possible that a guy who only pitched a handful of starts at the minor league level so far will now be ready to be an ace of a staff next year simply by coming into games like he did tonight??

I highly doubt that's how the cardinals used wainwright and I know it isn't how the rays used price.

[Norfolk orioles]

Or maybe they think he can help them win this year and learn to be a ML pitcher from the BP. He has the best stuff on the team. Just needs work on his control and breaking ball.

Arrieta taught us all what having good stuff is worth. Gausman isn't ready yet, he didnt even get a complete season in the minors!

Throwing him into the bullpen for one season is not where he should be right now for his long term development, at least that is how I see it. He was too raw when we called him up then and he's still just a little too raw now.

Finish the season at AAA as a starter, then get called up for September. That's what I would do anyways.

[mark_beckens]

Arrieta taught us all what having good stuff is worth. Gausman isn't ready yet, he didnt even get a complete season in the minors!

Throwing him into the bullpen for one season is not where he should be right now for his long term development, at least that is how I see it. He was too raw when we called him up then and he's still just a little too raw now.

Finish the season at AAA as a starter, then get called up for September. That's what I would do anyways.

Who's to say he's staying in the pen? Who's to say he's not the one going down when Chen is activated or when Feldman is added to the roster. I think we're jumping the gun. Right now his best place on the ML roster is in the bullpen. His stuff plays better for 1-3 innings. And if Buck thinks his best place is in the bullpen all season, I'll defer to his knowledge of the game and his players to anyone elses here including mine.

[oriolesmagic9]

Was rough being an O's fan in Upstate NY in the late 80's.

God bless you, my child. How you survived I'll never know.

[oriolesmagic9]

I HATE HATE HATE the idea of him being sent down to Norfolk.Did I mention I HATE this idea?

Guess what? Gausman is one of our rotation's top arms and should be used somewhere in a

significant role...NOT in 1 inning relief..or mop up. At worst he should be a long man.This is a

mistake. Im telling you now..with all his youth issues, he's better than Feldman, or will prove to be

at the very least he should have a role with the Baltimore Orioles,NOT the freaking Norfolk Tides.

That's what I hate about you, Roy. You are never clear about what you think.:thumbsup1:

I think both you and Norfolk are right. If he can help us get it done at the big league level this year, let him do it. I don't care what his freakin role is. But, if he's better served going to the minors, I'll help him pack. I'm personally of the opinion that hr can help the O's at the big league level.

I will support whatever decision the O's make. Not sending Gausman to Norfolk this year does not impede his ability to be a starter with the O's next year, IMO. There's a long time between now and opening day of 2014. And who says he has to be our #1 starter on opening day? Does that really matter when you have 162 to play?

[Norfolk orioles]

To be clear, I also think he can help the O's at the MLB level this year.

I'm just not sure if its such a good idea if there is any chance it impedes his progress as a starter which given his very few minor league starts, seems like a possibility.

I know he pitched in college, but pitching professionally is very different.

He never even got a chance to get his feet wet in the minors before he was called up to start in the majors and he got hit hard and then put in the pen. I don't see that as a great plan for long term success. I'm pretty sure wainwright and price and sale got a chance to pitch at least one full minor league season before being stuck in their teams pen, although maybe I'm wrong about that.....I haven't checked.

Regardless, its just one man's opinion, maybe it'll work and all this fretting is for nothing.

[oriolesmagic9]

To be clear, I also think he can help the O's at the MLB level this year.

I'm just not sure if its such a good idea if there is any chance it impedes his progress as a starter which given his very few minor league starts, seems like a possibility.

I know he pitched in college, but pitching professionally is very different.

He never even got a chance to get his feet wet in the minors before he was called up to start in the majors and he got hit hard and then put in the pen. I don't see that as a great plan for long term success. I'm pretty sure wainwright and price and sale got a chance to pitch at least one full minor league season before being stuck in their teams pen, although maybe I'm wrong about that.....I haven't checked.

Regardless, its just one man's opinion, maybe it'll work and all this fretting is for nothing.

It's all good because I think we all know the O's are gonna do some good things over the next few years. The Yankees are screwed. Boston and Tampa don't scare me. And Toronto, well.....lol.