What do the starters really need to do for us to contend for a wild card spot?

[wildbillhiccup]

2 minutes ago, eddie83 said:

A collective ERA of around 4.50. 

As much as the addition of Cashner and return of Tillman are huge, Bundy and Gausman to me are the key.  Hard to fathom the team having a decent rotation if one of them struggles/ injured. Going to need 60-65 starts from them with an ERA at worst around 4.  Hope for ERA of around 4.50 for Cashner and Tillman and the number 5 spot not to be a total debacle. 

For the SPs? There's zero chance of that happening with the current pitchers on the roster. 

[Can_of_corn]

7 minutes ago, wildbillhiccup said:

For the SPs? There's zero chance of that happening with the current pitchers on the roster. 

They could mess with the ball again.

[wildbillhiccup]

1 minute ago, Can_of_corn said:

They could mess with the ball again.

Best case scenario. Chris Davis switches from chewing tobacco to cigars and they invest in a humidor. 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

21 minutes ago, wildbillhiccup said:

Claim him and trade Brach or GIvens for starting pitching. This isn't rocket science. Trade. For. Pitching. 

Braves designated RHP Mauricio Cabrera for assignment.

The move clears a spot on the 40-man roster for Peter Moylan. Cabrera was a disaster in the minors last season, but he's just 24 and can touch triple digits on the radar gun, so he figures to get scooped up on waivers.

Some curious DFA's the past couple days in MLB.  Orioles need to put in a claim for Cabrera assuming some bad news isn't going to leak out on him.  

[billw76]

Have the best season of their careers

[OFFNY]

o

 

The Orioles need to acquire one more significant starter (Cobb, Lynn, or Arrieta.)

At that point, they need all 4 of the top spots in the rotation to pitch a 4.60-or-better ERA ........ each and every one of them.

If ALL FOUR of the top 4 starters pitch to a 4.60 ERA or better, then I believe that they can survive a wing-and-a-prayer in the 5th starter position, and still contend for a playoff berth.

 

So to me, the collective ERA of the top 4 spots combined is more important than the collective ERA of all 5 spots combined ........ hence, in a worst-case scenario, I would rather have 4 solid starters and one awful starter than to have 1 or 2 solid starters and 3 or 4 mediocre starters (while having 0 awful starters.)

 

o

[Tx Oriole]

1 hour ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

Need another starter either Cobb or Lynn.

I agree. 

[wildcard]

Bundy and Gausman 200 innings each

Cashman 160 IP

Tillman 150 IP

? 5th starter

Cortes, Mesa, Wright, Ynoa .... who ever stays with the team fills in with starter innings.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

10 minutes ago, Tx Oriole said:

I agree. 

I think you need both, but Orioles aren't going to make that big of a splash.  

[mdbdotcom]

It really won't matter if Davis and Trumbo both have down years again.

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

Just now, mdbdotcom said:

It really won't matter if Davis and Trumbo both have down years again.

That's because Buck won't bench them even if there are better options on the 25 man roster.  

[mdbdotcom]

3 minutes ago, OsFanSinceThe80s said:

That's because Buck won't bench them even if there are better options on the 25 man roster.  

But there aren't better options who have proved themselves. If Davis and Trumbo produce as they did last year, it won't matter how good the pitching is. We simply won't score enough runs.

[Moose Milligan]

As much as I'd probably be rooting for them to get a WC spot, it could arguably be the worst thing to happen to this team.  

If they're plugging along at a 70 win pace come the trade deadline, the writing is absolutely on the wall (as if it already wasn't) that they need to trade Manny as well as others.  Let the kids come up and play full time, stock the system and rebuild.

Anyway, that said....Bundy and Gausman need to pitch to a 3.50-4.00 ERA, Tillman has to look like he used to in some degree. Cashner can't crap the bed entirely and whoever we have at #5...well, they just need to be able to keep the team in the game.

I don't think that's realistic.  Bundy probably can pitch just as well as he did last year, Gausman will always be inconsistent, who knows what to expect from Tillman, Cashner isn't great and the Orioles have the vision of Mr. Magoo when it comes to scouting so #5 doesn't matter.

[El Gordo]

The rotation needs to combine for at least 65 QS, Then we have a shot at 85 + W with our pen. Say Bundy gets 19 and Gausman 16 then the botton three need to average 10 each. I think that's doable. Last year Bundy had 19 Gausman 15, and the guys who filled in at #5 combined for 14 QS. Problem was #3 and #4 combined for 13.

[MDtransplant757]

Not totally crap the bed like last year.