Why National League Pitchers will NEVER come to the AL East

[mcgraw238]

Apparently he had to have micro fracture surgery, Thats' pretty serious from what I have heard.

Micro fracture is serious and the recovery can be quite long but the prospects are much better than years past but still plenty of downside. The injury part does make Kemp a tougher deal to swallow for the O's. I'd like to see something creative to help us take a shot, so far I just don't see anything.

[SteveA]

Easily. It's like they have a farm there. The Rays bloom is off. And Price will leave. In fact, I'll take our 2015 rotation over theirs. Right now.

Like your optimism. Like I said, I have to see it happen before I have confidence. I've seen too many Matt Riley's, Daniel Cabrera's, Sidney Ponson's, Brian Matusz's, Jake Arrieta's, etc to believe that a young pitcher is going to come up throught he Orioles' system and immediately be a top 3 starter for a full season. I hope we can start doing it but I have to see it before I can think of it as anything but another pipe dream.

[Frobby]

Then you better step up at developing it or trading for it. If the OP premise is true, then how smart was it to hinge your whole offseason on a local NL pitcher contemplating retirement and a NL soft tosser prone to giving up HR's.

Burnett was pretty good in the AL East for four years out of six. Pitching in NY, where the media will jump down your throat after two bad starts in a row, is not like pitching in Baltimore. And since everyone knows the AL East parks are hitter friendly, the expectations for a pitcher's ERA simply aren't the same as in the NL. Does a pitcher really care if he wins 5-4 instead of 3-2? Certainly Burnett shouldn't care, since he's not pitching for his next contract. But even for younger pitchers, I don't think pitching in a hitter-friendly environment hurts their value much, if at all. It's not like GM's can't recognize that pitching in the AL East is harder.

[TradeAngelos]

Excuse, excuse, excuse excuse...excuse.

It really is getting old.

[El Gordo]

Burnett, now a more GB pitcher than in the past, would benefit from pitching in front of one of the best IF in baseball. And if Gonzo can have a 3.78 ERA in the AL Beast why can't AJ? Is Gonzo that much better?

[Frobby]

I guess it's just me but in addition to

Gausman

Bundy

Rodriguez

Harvey

Wright

I really like Tilly, Chen, and Gonzo. I bet the MFY would be happy to send us CC plus a ton of cash for two of those three. My problem with the O's pitching was the other 11 guys who started 78 G and won 27 with 25 QS. Maybe we could do something about them?

I really like our top three, too. They're underrated. I'm willing to have another look at Norris, too. I'm hoping I'm wrong about Gausman needing a little more seasoning before he's ready to be a good big league starter.

[El Gordo]

I really like our top three, too. They're underrated. I'm willing to have another look at Norris, too. I'm hoping I'm wrong about Gausman needing a little more seasoning before he's ready to be a good big league starter.

I am confident Gausman will be in the rotation by mid season if not earlier. I hope he bumps Norris to CL.

[clapdiddy]

Burnett would have no problems pitching here. I think pitching here is tough, but many have proven it can be done.

[weams]

Burnett would have no problems pitching here. I think pitching here is tough, but many have proven it can be done.

And I think he does not want to try.

[El Gordo]

And I think he does not want to try.

So Do you think he'll take PIT's 8.5M over the O's 14M because of that?

[Can_of_corn]

So Do you think he'll take PIT's 8.5M over the O's 14M because of that?

If he was going to take 8.5 from Pit he would have simply signed with them instead of announcing he was willing to change teams.

Now if Pitt bumps it up to 10M I think he signs.

[mcgraw238]

So Do you think he'll take PIT's 8.5M over the O's 14M because of that?

The idea of the O's putting $14M on the table almost made me choke on my drink. I'll believe that when I see him walk to the mound wearing an O's jersey, not a minute sooner.

[weams]

So Do you think he'll take PIT's 8.5M over the O's 14M because of that?

I would assume he would take Pittsburgh's "x" over Baltimore's "XXX"

Yes.

[weams]

The idea of the O's putting $14M on the table almost made me choke on my drink. I'll believe that when I see him walk to the mound wearing an O's jersey, not a minute sooner.

So what if we offered More than that. How would that make you feel?

[mcgraw238]

So what if we offered More than that. How would that make you feel?

I'll give then tons of credit for putting a major financial commitment out there to address a substantial need. That strikes me as an aggressive move and one we can commend the club for. That said, results matter and offers made and not accepted only carry so much weight. This team has a problem being philosophically opposed to something or targeting the wrong players which always end with the O's not investing in the product. Maybe Roch was correct that Tim Hudson should have been targeted in an aggressive manner. If they waited out the offseason to get AJ and don't get him, then letting other opportunities pass was a mistake.