Send Ubaldo To The BP

[SteveO]

How are you going to know that Jimenez is back on track in the bullpen? He's good for innings and even games at a time now. Gonzalez is a guy who could be dominant out of the bullpen, or go back and forth to give the starters an extra day. In addition, Gonzalez has never started in the majors over a full season and has needed extra rest each of the last two years. He's good. He's just not durable. That's my guess. Jimenez stays in the rotation. Gonzalez is used as a swingman who can also pitch out of the pen.

Jimenez is a guy who seems to be all or nothing. His history tells us that MOST seasons he eventually gets it going. I doubt the O's bail on a guy who can do the things he can when he is going good. I doubt that DD or Buck are anywhere near ready to put him in the pen. Its not like he has been lit up every time out, the flashes have been there the consistency is lacking. The only gamble here that makes sense if you want a shot of going to the postseason and going deep is to ride him and hope that he finds some degree of consistency.

I would go with the 6 man rotation until such time as someone clearly loses a spot or an urgent need in the bullpen dictates someone fill a role. Jimenez, Norris, Chen, Tillman, KG, Gonzales. Gonzales is my choice as the guy who would handle the swingman duties pretty effectively. Norris might be next choice after him.

[FlaO'sFan]

I had my response all but typed out before even finishing the original post but will refrain as it is basically identical to what CoC said.

[LookitsPuck]

So let me get this straight, Chris Tillman has been absolutely dreadful aside from a start against the Royals, Astros, and a hapless Red Sox team?

Since April 18: 6.47 ERA

Since May 1st: 6.00 ERA

However Ubaldo Jimenez since May 1st: 4.01 ERA

Prior to his most recent clunker against the Athletics: 2.90 ERA

[Norfolk orioles]

Would you trust a guy with terrible mechanics to come in and get clutch outs from the pen out of the stretch? I sure wouldn't.

Maybe as a long man but like others said, you don't pay 12 mil a year for a long man. He will continue to start the rest of the year regardless of how good or bad he is but I wouldn't be surprised to see a phantom injury if he continues to suck.

[Il BuonO]

So let me get this straight, Chris Tillman has been absolutely dreadful aside from a start against the Royals, Astros, and a hapless Red Sox team?

Since April 18: 6.47 ERA

Since May 1st: 6.00 ERA

However Ubaldo Jimenez since May 1st: 4.01 ERA

Prior to his most recent clunker against the Athletics: 2.90 ERA

I said in earlier posts Tillman's stats for the season were close to that of Jimenez. His walk rates aren't as bad.

[charles_goos]

If anyone, Gonzalez.

Yup, demote the only guy who doesn't blow up in every star. You're brilliant Weams.

[Ohfan67]

They are not putting the 12 million dollar pitcher in the bullpen in mid-June of the first year of his contract. It ain't gonna happen. Plus, Jiminez has shown the ability to string together many excellent pitched games. He's obviously a highly variable pitcher with long stretches of stinkers as well, but he is capable of stringing together 10 or 12 excellent starts. But the bottom line is the Orioles didn't pay him to be a bullpen pitcher and they are not going to demote him to the bullpen after 13 GS with a 4.53 ERA. It may not be "fair" to Gonzalez, but Jiminez is not going to be demoted to the pen. The O's gave Gonzalez, a 28 year old journeyman at the time, his big break. He might never have made it to the bigs if it wasn't for the O's, so he can only be so ticked off if he's put in the pen IMO. It's interesting to note that Jiminez is only four months older than Gonzalez. Jiminez has pitched 1345 innings in the majors while Gonzalez has pitched 335, all with the O's. Anyway, regardless of what's "fair" Jiminez is not going to the pen. I think they would fake an injury and put him on the DL before they would demote him to the pen. I also think Gonzalez will be more effective out of the pen than Jiminez. He could become another nasty weapon who go two or three innings if needed. If Gausman is for real, then Gonzalez in the pen would strengthen the team. And that's what really matters.

[isestrex]

You agree with C_o_c that the contract makes it difficult for them?

I agree as well. Regardless of performance, Ubaldo is untouchable now. If they really need to take him out of the rotation it will be through stretching the truth on an injury and placing him on the DL. It will not be through demotion.

[Can_of_corn]

I said in earlier posts Tillman's stats for the season were close to that of Jimenez. His walk rates aren't as bad.

Considering Tillman's main issue has to do with the first two innings of his starts I am not sure how a trip to the pen would work.

[LoyalBirdFan]

IMO, all 6 six pitchers need to remain stretched out and available to start. I'm not in favor of demoting any of them to the pen (yet).

[DrungoHazewood]

I don't have an issue with it but I don't think the big free agent acquisition is going to get sent to the pen in the first year of a four year deal.

Isn't there some logic behind not demoting him? They signed him to a (relatively, for the Orioles) big free agent deal because of his multi-year track record as a starting pitcher. You don't demote pitchers with a good track record because of some bad results over a couple months. Not unless something has dramatically changed since they signed him that makes you think he's permanently lost effectiveness.

Like a lot of things in baseball, I think this situation resolves itself by doing nothing. Let Ubaldo pitch and it probably gets better.

[DrungoHazewood]

Considering Tillman's main issue has to do with the first two innings of his starts I am not sure how a trip to the pen would work.

Have him throw a simulated two innings in the pen at full effort before bringing him in as a reliever.

[primetime]

Yup, demote the only guy who doesn't blow up in every star. You're brilliant Weams.

I guess you can view it as a demotion, or you could use perspective and look at is what could potentially be best for team.

Because of Jiminez delivery and also, when right, his ability to pitch deep into games; neither of those things profile well to the bullpen. Also, there's the reality of the economics of Ubaldo's contract.

On the flip side, while Miggy has been pretty good since his first couple of starts, his reality is that he's a 95 pitch max guy that needs extra rest as much as possible when starting. He could potenially be a weapon out of the bullpen; and also available to spot start.

Lastly, having a quality arm like Gonzalez move to the bullpen, we could ship McFarland back to Norfolk.

Based on that, I'd say Weams is very much onto something.

[sfosfan]

Yeah, I think Ubaldo needs a change of scenery on this team. But the thing is, even now he can give you three decent innings in a row. It's the one BAD one that gets him in trouble, and sometimes that happens later in the game. However, it does seem that part of the problem Ubaldo has is pitching with men on base and Ubaldo to the pen pretty much forces him to work on his problem. Two thumbs up on this idea.

[LookitsPuck]

I'm going to say this again: Ubaldo needs to be put in the bullpen/change of scenery because he had a 4.01 ERA in 8 starts in May and June? But Chris Tillman doesn't even though up until his last start he had an ERA approaching 7?