Zach Britton is Too Filthy for the Pen

[waroriole]

Sooner or later we will need a spot start. I think they would like Zach to be ready.

Not likely since you can expand the roster to 26 for doubleheaders.

[Redskins Rick]

Here's a novel idea. How about we wait another month or two. Then see how he and others are pitching before you make a determination on where he should be pitching. I realize this requires some patience, which seems to be lacking around here.

[waroriole]

And in the meantime, recognize and appreciate that having Britton in the bullpen as someone who can pitch 2-3 innings in tight games means that you're making the bullpen significantly deeper and better-rested.

Must spread rep, but this exactly.

[Frobby]

I'm sorry, but if this continues, we really need to consider whether he should be back in the rotation. This is the guy we were all drooling over 3 years ago, velocity + sink + control. Don't we owe it to this team to not waste this on the bullpen forever if there is a chance he could do it for 200+ innings a year instead of just 70? .

FWIW, Britton is on pace to throw 131 innings right now. That's distorted by today's outing, since Zach may not be available for a couple of days now, but he's clearly on pace to throw 100+ innings. I love the way Buck has been using him.

That said, if one of our starters went down with an injury, I'd have to give serious consideration to inserting Britton into the rotation rather than bringing someone up from Norfolk for that purpose.

[Tony-OH]

Britton is filling an important role for the Orioles, especially considering the fact that their starter's aren't exactly know for going deep in game outside of Tillman and Jimenez to a lesser extent.

He's filling the Arthur Rhodes, three inning shut down reliever role and it's something I was hoping that the Orioles would fiill given their rotation.

I realize that it's tempting to think Britton would be just as good as a starter, but remember, he's pitching from the stretch and almost primarily having these results by throwing one pitch, a hard sinking fastball.

Add in the fact that Britton generally uses a lot of pitches per inning, and he would really be a five or six inning starter. I'd much rather see him pitch in this role that saves the bullpen and is still able to get some key outs when needed. Britton has been huge for this team in this role.

I think it's his best role.

[waroriole]

Britton is filling an important role for the Orioles, especially considering the fact that their starter's aren't exactly know for going deep in game outside of Tillman and Jimenez to a lesser extent.

He's filling the Arthur Rhodes, three inning shut down reliever role and it's something I was hoping that the Orioles would fiill given their rotation.

I realize that it's tempting to think Britton would be just as good as a starter, but remember, he's pitching from the stretch and almost primarily having these results by throwing one pitch, a hard sinking fastball.

Add in the fact that Britton generally uses a lot of pitches per inning, and he would really be a five or six inning starter. I'd much rather see him pitch in this role that saves the bullpen and is still able to get some key outs when needed. Britton has been huge for this team in this role.

I think it's his best role.

This. I was thinking Rodrigo Lopez when he was killing it in the pen as a 2-3 IP guy. That's very valuable.

[oriole]

I don't get why the general consensus is so opposed to moving him to the rotation at sine point. It's pretty obvious it's not happening right now but no one in the rotation not named Chris Tillman has looked particularly great overall. If Britton can pitch better as a starter than Norris (as an example) then why not put your better player in? Britton has always been a starter...it just happens to coincide that first year he is truly healthy in while he is dominating in the role that was open to him. Its not like he had a high bar to surpass regarding our current crop of starters.

[MrOrange82]

I don't get why the general consensus is so opposed to moving him to the rotation at sine point. It's pretty obvious it's not happening right now but no one in the rotation not named Chris Tillman has looked particularly great overall. If Britton can pitch better as a starter than Norris (as an example) then why not put your better player in? Britton has always been a starter...it just happens to coincide that first year he is truly healthy in while he is dominating in the role that was open to him. Its not like he had a high bar to surpass regarding our current crop of starters.

You want to trade a lockdown reliever who can pitch in close games thrown by multiple starters for a fifth starter who throws once a week or less? As others have pointed out, Britton throws a lot of pitches, and he's probably not someone who's going to give you 7-8 great innings as a starter, so you're talking about taking him out of a key bullpen role for the sake of getting 5-6 innings from him in a starter's position, at best, once every five days (and that's if he replaces Chen or Gonzo).

Not even close to a good idea, IMO.

[Frobby]

Not that I think the two players are analogous, but does anyone remember when we started calling John Parrish "The Truth" back in 2007 when he compiled a 0.00 ERA in his first ten appearances? The guy looked unhittable for three weeks to open the season, and then -- poof! -- whatever he'd discovered was gone.

[Frobby]

You want to trade a lockdown reliever who can pitch in close games thrown by multiple starters for a fifth starter who throws once a week or less? As others have pointed out, Britton throws a lot of pitches, and he's probably not someone who's going to give you 7-8 great innings as a starter, so you're talking about taking him out of a key bullpen role for the sake of getting 5-6 innings from him in a starter's position, at best, once every five days (and that's if he replaces Chen or Gonzo).

Not even close to a good idea, IMO.

I would not necessarily assume he'd be a 5-6 inning pitcher, just because that's his past track record. That was also a knock on Tillman before he reinvented himself.

[WV O's]

does anyone think that Zach could get away with one pitch a la Mariano?

[Shabadoo25]

I think a better question would be why isn't he the closer? Or for that matter:

Britton>Meek>Hunter

Hunter's ability, i.e. Rasmus, to serve up a dinger via straight fastball worries me.

[Rene88]

He probably will be called on before Gausman but why do we always have to mess a good thing up? He is doing great and helping the team...

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[MrOrange82]

I would not necessarily assume he'd be a 5-6 inning pitcher, just because that's his past track record. That was also a knock on Tillman before he reinvented himself.

Zach doesn't have Tillman's arsenal. And (again, just my opinion), I don't think he'd prove himself possessed of Tillman's endurance, either. Two very different pitchers.

[Tony-OH]

I would not necessarily assume he'd be a 5-6 inning pitcher, just because that's his past track record. That was also a knock on Tillman before he reinvented himself.

Tillman didn't reinvent himself almost purely with one-pitch like Zach. Zach right now is dominating with a filthy 92-95 MPH sinking fastball. He's also admitted that going purely from the stretch has simplified his mechanics a bit and helped him throw more strikes. If he was throwing three different pitches and commanding them all I'd be more apt to think about it, but what I think the Orioles found was a guy who's best role is in the bullpen.