Zach Britton is Too Filthy for the Pen

[scOtt]

He was too sexy for those washed up Rays.

.200 hitters. Plus or minus. Mostly minus.

[scOtt]

Remember, Britton had trouble going deep into games when he was a starter. He has a history of imploding in the 5th or 6th when he starts. It's a tough call and I do not envy Buck on this one with Gausman also waiting in the wings.

If nothing else, right now Britton and Gausman are putting some heat on Chen/Gonzo/Norris to perform well (I wish I could add Ubaldo to that list but sadly with his salary I'm sure he's going to get a huge leash this year). Nothing wrong with some healthy competition and if he whips Chen/Gonzo/Norris into shape and makes them sweat a little while eating up innings out of the pen to keep O'Day/Hunter fresh, so much the better. Plus he provides depth for when (not if) one of the starting 5 go on the DL.

The upshot of him being in the pen is we don't have to wait 5 days to watch him pitch...:thumbsup1:

After Kevin's last start... not TOO much heat.

[scOtt]

This looks similar to the healthy Britton we saw in his rookie year. I still don't see a repertoire that will turn over lineups, and he still isn't precise enough with the sinker in the bottom third of the zone. Take away a little precision and velocity in order to spread the effort over 5+ innings and I think you have a back-end guy.

Seems like this is a role that well suits him.

This! I remember him in some early spring starts, making the Yankees his [female dog]. Jeter especially, double-taking the whole way back to the dugout.

[Flash- bd]

A tiny bit. You'd have to regress that 50 innings with, say, another 60 or 70 innings (about a full-time relief season) of league-average performance. That's about 3.75 for a reliever. So that's what... 120 innings, 40 runs, that's a 3.00. So as a starter that's a 4.00. Plus his prior of 250 innings of a 4.86. To me that says he's still somewhere in the Gonzalez/Chen/Norris ballpark. And for me that doesn't merit disrupting both the rotation and pen in mid-season unless something (like an injury or three) has already disrupted them.

Fair. I agree. Though I still think we should really consider selling high on one of those three at the trade deadline, considering we've got 2 rotation spots locked down with Tillman and Jimenez (the second whether we like it or not), and 3 with those three, and of course have a number of arms, not just Britton, on the precipice of making a breakthrough.

[Frobby]

Remember, Britton had trouble going deep into games when he was a starter. He has a history of imploding in the 5th or 6th when he starts. It's a tough call and I do not envy Buck on this one with Gausman also waiting in the wings.

If nothing else, right now Britton and Gausman are putting some heat on Chen/Gonzo/Norris to perform well (I wish I could add Ubaldo to that list but sadly with his salary I'm sure he's going to get a huge leash this year).

I'd say Tim Berry (at AA) is putting some heat on Gausman, more than Gausman is putting it on anyone in our major league rotation. Among pitchers who have started for Norfolk, McFarland (1.00 ERA), Wright (1.80) and Gamboa (2.77) have all had more success than Gausman (4.63) in the very early going. He's putting heat on himself, not any of the major league pitchers, at this point. But I'm sure he'll come around eventually.

[Tony-OH]

Tony' date=' why can't Zach get away with only throwing the sinker? No one squares it up.[/quote']

Name me a one-pitch starter in the major leagues that's not a knuckleballer?

[CA-ORIOLE]

I'd say Tim Berry (at AA) is putting some heat on Gausman, more than Gausman is putting it on anyone in our major league rotation. Among pitchers who have started for Norfolk, McFarland (1.00 ERA), Wright (1.80) and Gamboa (2.77) have all had more success than Gausman (4.63) in the very early going. He's putting heat on himself, not any of the major league pitchers, at this point. But I'm sure he'll come around eventually.

Those guys haven been sick and had blisters.

[utvolzac]

I'm all for Britton to the rotation. This guy was once one of the better pitching prospects in baseball. If he can get back on track to fulfilling that potential, then it's worth the risk.

[weams]

Name me a one-pitch starter in the major leagues that's not a knuckleballer?

That guy retired. And he was a reliever.

[scOtt]

I'd say Tim Berry (at AA) is putting some heat on Gausman, more than Gausman is putting it on anyone in our major league rotation. Among pitchers who have started for Norfolk, McFarland (1.00 ERA), Wright (1.80) and Gamboa (2.77) have all had more success than Gausman (4.63) in the very early going. He's putting heat on himself, not any of the major league pitchers, at this point. But I'm sure he'll come around eventually.

Asking you or anyone, Roch said SJ was put on the 7-day DL. What for? Anything serious?

[Tony-OH]

I'm a big advocate of not Peter Principle'ing pitchers. If they find their niche after years of inconsistent results it's probably because they are well suited for said niche. Not because they suddenly learned how to pitch.

Let's say Britton is a 3.25 ERA reliever. That means he's probably a 4.25 starter, and the O's already have more than five 4.25 ERA starters. Everyone is better in relief, in short stints, going through the lineup once or less.

Heck I even made this bigger to emphasize it even more. I think the people that want Britton to mde a starter again are the same people that wanted to try Johnson again as a starter.

I liked Zach as a starter because he could get grounders, his slider had improved, and he even had a nice split-change at times. Maybe he still has all of these weapons, or maybe, simplifying his delivery by keeping him in the stretch and allowing him to pound his sinker for 1-3 innings is what works best for him. I know it's tempting, and I understand where people are coming from, but I just think Britton has found his role.

[scOtt]

Name me a one-pitch starter in the major leagues that's not a knuckleballer?

Mariano.

That guy retired. And he was a reliever.

Beat me to it.

[Can_of_corn]

Mariano.

Beat me to it.

He didn't do very well as a starter.

[Tx Oriole]

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? Certainly I think he has to be a candidate for some saves if we aren't going to stretch him out. Just my opinion -- what do you all think??

That said, way to go Zach! Glad to have you back (and glad the O's never gave you up).

That's just it. I don't believe he would do as well in a starting roll. If it ain't broke

don't fix it. He is doing well. Leave where he is. IMO

[charles_goos]

I think this is another reactionary thread. The poster has some valid points but I don't think that moving him from where he is successful is a great idea.

Who's going to replace him if he does?

And who's going to pick up the pieces if he fails?

I think Buck is successful because he makes a lot calculated risks not hearty overreactions.