Starting Pitching: What to Do?

[spiritof66]

I've tended to be an optimist on this point. I thought, or tried hard for a long time to think, that a rotation of Bundy, Gausman, Miley, Tillman and Asher/Verrett/someone else could keep us in ballgames until the offense got more productive.

I can't force myself to see it that way any longer. It's hard to believe the starting pitching is as bad as it's looked recently, but I don't see any reason to believe Gausman or Tillman will give us many chances to win over the balance of the season. So what do we do? These are the potential approaches that occur to me.

1. Be patient. Keep running the same guys out there (maybe give Ubaldo and/or Wright some starts), and hope for improvement from the existing staff. 

2. Stay with the personnel we've got, but introduce something new to try to improve. Fire McDowell, or keep him but bring in another coach to work with him. I mentioned this possibility in a game thread, maybe a week or so, and a few posters expressed the view that this would be pointless because a coaching change wouldn't solve anything. I don't disagree, but when performances fall short of expectations for so many I think it's worth considering.

3. Upgrade via a trade or trades. It's pretty clear that we don't have a lot to trade that would bring a quality starter, other than a few core pieces (Schoop, Manny, Britton, Brach, Givens) and our top prospects. Trading for a starter while weakening the team elsewhere doesn't make sense to me unless it's part of a broader blow-it-up-and-rebuild strategy.

4. Turn over every rock in an all-out search for help within the system. DFA Ubaldo, option an extra reliever, promote starters from AAA and AA one or two at a time, and give each a start or two while moving Gausman and/or Tillman to the pen (or maybe Tillman to the DL). That will burn up options prematurely. In some cases, it could set back guys with talent who aren't ready to face ML hitters. It probably won't lead to much if any improvement. But we might get surprised and find a guy who can improve the team right now.  

These options all look bad to me. Are there other alternatives?

[LookitsPuck]

Fire McDowell immediately. Tell Gausman to forget anything and everything he told him.

DL Tillman.

DFA Ubaldo.

Put Gausman in the bullpen.

Find some rando Journeyman starting pitcher for the 5th spot.

Call up some randoms from the minors.

Play out the rest of the season with no expectations.

[eddie83]

22 minutes ago, LookitsPuck said:

Fire McDowell immediately. Tell Gausman to forget anything and everything he told him.

DL Tillman.

DFA Ubaldo.

Put Gausman in the bullpen.

Find some rando Journeyman starting pitcher for the 5th spot.

Call up some randoms from the minors.

Play out the rest of the season with no expectations.

So you want the coach fired and Gausman in the pen. If the coach is the problem then why send him to the pen?

[LookitsPuck]

17 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

So you want the coach fired and Gausman in the pen. If the coach is the problem then why send him to the pen?

Because I'm not convinced Gausman in his current capacity is a good option in the rotation. 

I'm not entirely convinced the pitching coach is the only reason for Gausman. 

[sportsfan8703]

It's easy to say DL Tillman and DFA Ubaldo.  Who are you bringing up?  Every SP in AAA has a 6+ ERA.  Ynoa has been getting rocked.  Here's what we got right now,

Rotation-

#1- Nobody ???????

#2- Bundy

#3- Miley

#4 Nobody ?????????

#5- Tillman, Gausman

Bullpen-

1. Closer/Set up- Brach

2. Set up- Givens

_________________________________________

3. MR- Asher

4. LOOGY- Bleier/Hart

5. MR- Wright???????

_________________________________________

6.  MR/LR - Nobody?????????

_________________________________________

7.  LR/Mop up - Ubaldo

 

It's hard to win games with only 2/5 of a rotation and only 3.5/7 of a bullpen.  We essentially only have 5 quality pitchers out of a 12 man pitching staff.  

[Finisher]

I like how DD gave away an entire rotation that is light years better than our own for basically nothing.

 

[Diehard_O's_Fan]

Trade Manny for a starting pitcher. I don't think you have any other choice. 

[eddie83]

Miguel Gonzalez and Chen were worth their weight in gold for this team. Cheap and productive.

I have no answers except that we need to find more of these guys in the future. 

[eddie83]

24 minutes ago, LookitsPuck said:

Because I'm not convinced Gausman in his current capacity is a good option in the rotation. 

I'm not entirely convinced the pitching coach is the only reason for Gausman. 

I think they have to try to get him right in the rotation. 

[sportsfan8703]

Dom Chiti is laughing is butt off in Atlanta right now.  

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/orioles/blog/bs-sp-orioles-coaching-folo-1104-20161103-story.html

[OFFNY]

On 6/11/2017 at 4:14 PM, spiritof66 said:

 

I've tended to be an optimist on this point. I thought, or tried hard for a long time to think, that a rotation of Bundy, Gausman, Miley, Tillman and Asher/Verrett/someone else could keep us in ballgames until the offense got more productive.

I can't force myself to see it that way any longer. It's hard to believe the starting pitching is as bad as it's looked recently, but I don't see any reason to believe Gausman or Tillman will give us many chances to win over the balance of the season. So what do we do? These are the potential approaches that occur to me.

1. Be patient. Keep running the same guys out there (maybe give Ubaldo and/or Wright some starts), and hope for improvement from the existing staff. 

2. Stay with the personnel we've got, but introduce something new to try to improve. Fire McDowell, or keep him but bring in another coach to work with him. I mentioned this possibility in a game thread, maybe a week or so, and a few posters expressed the view that this would be pointless because a coaching change wouldn't solve anything. I don't disagree, but when performances fall short of expectations for so many I think it's worth considering.

3. Upgrade via a trade or trades. It's pretty clear that we don't have a lot to trade that would bring a quality starter, other than a few core pieces (Schoop, Manny, Britton, Brach, Givens) and our top prospects. Trading for a starter while weakening the team elsewhere doesn't make sense to me unless it's part of a broader blow-it-up-and-rebuild strategy.

4. Turn over every rock in an all-out search for help within the system. DFA Ubaldo, option an extra reliever, promote starters from AAA and AA one or two at a time, and give each a start or two while moving Gausman and/or Tillman to the pen (or maybe Tillman to the DL). That will burn up options prematurely. In some cases, it could set back guys with talent who aren't ready to face ML hitters. It probably won't lead to much if any improvement. But we might get surprised and find a guy who can improve the team right now.  

These options all look bad to me. Are there other alternatives?

 

o

 

(JULY 28th)

Starting pitcher Jeremy Hellickson was acquired from the Phillies for AA-Bowie pitcher Garret Cleavinger, Hyun-Soo Kim, and an International signing bonus slot.

 

o