Grantland: Why Is One of Baltimore's Best Starting Pitchers Stuck in the Bullpen?

[Il BuonO]

Correct. Where I'd expect him to be set up for a slider or even a curve ball. I doubt Joseph advised told him to hang it up on the inside corner.

Well, I contend in that count, with that pitch, it's the wrong pitch to begin with. Look, I get he has to throw the pitch but you can throw in counts that minimize damage and certainly don't throw it to a guy who has been shown to be late fouling off arguably his best pitch. He called for the wrong pitch.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Well, I contend in that count, with that pitch, it's the wrong pitch to begin with. Look, I get he has to throw the pitch but you can throw in counts that minimize damage and certainly don't throw it to a guy who has been shown to been late fouling off arguably his best pitch. He called for the wrong pitch.

Problem is Gausman can't strike out hitters with his FB and his secondaries are weak against RHB's. He's faced a lot of RH hitter in his few apearances this year. A slider is not a bad call there (if that's what it was). If it was a splitter, then I think it's a bit more dubious. In any event the pitch was poorly located by Gausman, not Joseph. I thought Gausman snapped a couple decent curveballs early. Bottom line is that Gausman has a lot of warts and if they are going to stick with developing him a that ML level, then he's going to have to throw curveballs and/or slider to RHB's and be effective at it. It was a good count for a slider. It's always a bad pitch when you execute poorly.

So its far more a really bad pitch than the wrong pitch imo.

[Il BuonO]

Problem is Gausman can't strike out hitters with his FB and his secondaries are weak against RHB's. He's faced a lot of RH hitter in his few apearances this year. A slider is not a bad call there (if that's what it was). If it was a splitter, then I think it's a bit more dubious. In any event the pitch was poorly located by Gausman, not Joseph. I thought Gausman snapped a couple decent curveballs early. Bottom line is that Gausman has a lot of warts and if they are going to stick with developing him a that ML level, then he's going to have to throw curveballs and/or slider to RHB's and be effective at it.

So its far more a really bad pitch than the wrong pitch imo.

The first part of your first sentence is a generalization that I agree with but that doesn't mean you ditch your best pitch to Ryan Hannigan. He had him 1-2 and he threw the CU, a pitch he's relearning, not the slider. Yes, he threw a couple that were ok, but they weren't great regardless of outcome. Finally, he never set up outside for the FB after getting the hitter to foul off a couple inside middle.

Obviously, Gausman has to make better pitches but that also can be expedited by the situation and what's in his arsenal. The CU is not his best pitch.

Moreover, to my earlier post and MrOrange82 who I believe have the perception here, is that whether they are using him as a long man (it isn't working) or he needs to be getting work in as a starter something needs to change.

[CA-ORIOLE]

The first part of your first sentence is a generalization that I agree with but that doesn't mean you ditch your best pitch to Ryan Hannigan. He had him 1-2 and he threw the CU, a pitch he's relearning, not the slider. Yes, he threw a couple that were ok, but they weren't great regardless of outcome. Finally, he never set up outside for the FB after getting the hitter to foul off a couple inside middle.

Obviously, Gausman has to make better pitches but that also can be expedited by the situation and what's in his arsenal. The CU is not his best pitch.

Moreover, to my earlier post and MrOrange82 who I believe have the perception here, is that whether they are using him as a long man (it isn't working) or he needs to be getting work in as a starter something needs to change.

I think its questionable what the pitch was. Making him chase on a breaking ball and/or offsped d pitch out of the strike zone was probably the call. Gausman executed poorly. He needs that third pitch (slider and/or curve) for RHB's to take the next step into being a complete/quality starter that we all want him to be. I also think he needs to work on his 2 seam FB. The only way to get good at something is to actually do it. Not continually make excuses that it's not his best pitch.

We're probably just going to have to disagree about this one.

I was mixed about this learn on the job versus AAA plan. That said, I don't think it's as dire is it seams right now. I'm ready to stick it out for awhile and I'm sure the Orioles will change course at some point if they need to. In either case. throwing Gausman back in as a starter over Norris is NOT the action I would take right now.

[Il BuonO]

Well, you know how I feel about Norris but you may be right at this point. I don't like how their plan has been executed, but I'm willing to say I don't feel like his is a personality that is easily damaged and he'll get through this eventually.

[srock]

To be fair to Kevin, he isn't the only guy struggling. Norris and Hunter have been poor and Chen isn't exactly lighting it up.

My point? Most the staff will have rough spells this season. This is who is hurting now. They should get better.

[MrOrange82]

Here are some other starters in the MLB that have logged more than a season's worth of relief innings:

C.J. Wilson

R.A. Dickey

Ryan Vogelsong

Scott Feldman

Josh Collmenter

Adam Warren

Jeff Samardzija

Jerome Williams

Brandon Morrow

Jason Hammel

Andrew Cashner

Chris Sale

Ross Detwiler

David Huff

Justin Masterson

Hector Noesi

Jason Marquis

Brandon McCarthy

Hector Santiago

Carlos Martinez

David Phelps

Adam Wainwright

Tyson Ross

Sale spent 1.5 years in the Sox bullpen - and only the bullpen - at ages 21-22 before becoming a starter permanently. Wainwright? Same story. Dickey is an aberration for the purposes of almost any argument given his transition from "normal" pitcher to knuckleballer. And honestly, I'm on my phone. If you want to look through the others' histories to see whether/how much they were bounced between the majors and minors, starting and relieving, to concretize the point, please do so. I know that guys like Detwiler bounced around...But I don't think any of us want him to be KG's comp. His career isn't exactly blossoming.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Well, from today's broadcast it sounds like they are more strongly considering sending Gausman to the minors.

[Il BuonO]

Well, from today's broadcast it sounds like they are more strongly considering sending Gausman to the minors.

Is there room at Delmarva? Maybe really give him a shot in arm as far as confidence. I'm kidding. But seriously, can we trick him into thinking he never really had a shot at the ML rotation this year and just skip ahead to 2016?

Ok, still not serious.

[CA-ORIOLE]

Is there room at Delmarva? Maybe really give him a shot in arm as far as confidence. I'm kidding. But seriously, can we trick him into thinking he never really had a shot at the ML rotation this year and just skip ahead to 2016?

Ok, still not serious.

Interesting appearance today. FB was better and down even though a few balls got hit hard. Caleb called for slider/curve on 1-2 count and was pretty emphatic that Gausman should keep it down. KG buried it about 20 feet in front of home plate. My gut says they send him down.

[Il BuonO]

Interesting appearance today. FB was better and down even though a few balls got hit hard. Caleb called for slider/curve on 1-2 count and was pretty emphatic that Gausman should keep it down. KG buried it about 20 feet in front of home plate. My gut says they send him down.

If he buries it in front of the plate they can't hit it out. His FB command is first and foremost so yeah, better. Although, I still feel like changing eye level is important. When Joseph sets up for three consecutive FBs on the outer half and knee high to a LHB Gausman's hitting his spot, but the batter never saw a different pitch on a different plane.

If he gets sent down at this point I'd be ok with that because getting him stretched out as a starter is more important than him getting one or two innings in the ML pen. Brach can work as the defacto long man.

[Aglets]

Last 3 appearances:

5 IP 0 ER 3 H 0 BB 6 K

Encouraging, keep it up Kevin! Maybe he'll be able to help us in the rotation sooner rather than later.

[Aristotelian]

Last 3 appearances:

5 IP 0 ER 3 H 0 BB 6 K

Encouraging, keep it up Kevin! Maybe he'll be able to help us in the rotation sooner rather than later.

I think he is in the bullpen because he fills a real need. Because we did not resign Miller, we need a 6th-7th guy who can get outs against lefties and righties. He is the only guy in the bullpen who fits that profile. I think Steve Johnson or Tyler Wilson is our next man up for the rotation. KG should stay where he is for now. Then we give him a rotation spot in 2016.

[Brooks The Great]

I think he is in the bullpen because he fills a real need. Because we did not resign Miller, we need a 6th-7th guy who can get outs against lefties and righties. He is the only guy in the bullpen who fits that profile. I think Steve Johnson or Tyler Wilson is our next man up for the rotation. KG should stay where he is for now. Then we give him a rotation spot in 2016.

No. Gausman will be the first man up for the rotation if we have an injury to one of the current starters, or if Norris continues struggling. Gausman is the future of the franchise. No way the Orioles keep him in the pen and promote Johnson or Wilson over him in the rotation. You'd see Johnson in the pen and Gausman in the rotation before that.

[Aristotelian]

No. Gausman will be the first man up for the rotation if we have an injury to one of the current starters, or if Norris continues struggling. Gausman is the future of the franchise. No way the Orioles keep him in the pen and promote Johnson or Wilson over him in the rotation. You'd see Johnson in the pen and Gausman in the rotation before that.

I would see Johnson or Wilson replacing Garcia if he is DFA (which seems inevitable at this point). If we lose Gausman from the bullpen, that is going to put a ton of pressure on O'Day and Matusz/Wright. I don't think Tommy or Brach are really set up to be dependable bridge guys like Miller was last year. We are going for it this year. We need somebody with shutdown stuff. Who is that guy if not KG? There will be lots of opportunity for KG long term.