Reality: Our 2009 Rotation

[Sports Guy]

I know people knee jerk about Johnson in the rotation, but I'm not quite sure why.

The back end of the bullpen is going to be crowded next year with Ray, Baez, Sherrill, Cabrera, Walker (he ain't goin' anywhere unless they cut him), and Sarfate.

Obviously, this team will be desperate for starting pitching after Guthrie. Johnson has been a starting pitcher his entire career with limited success, and after a winter/spring mechanics transformation, was stashed in our bullpen. We all know what has transpired since then.

There is no harm in seeing if Johnson's success can translate to the rotation. His two seamer is nasty and his velocity should sit somewhere between 92-95 mph. His curveball is tighter than it's ever been.

Give him a shot in the spring to see if he can get through the lineup two or three times. If he can't, then put him back in the bullpen. What's the risk, here? Are we going to destroy Johnson mentally? Based on the above article, I sincerely doubt it.

My 2009 rotation (assuming we can sign Burnett reasonably) would be :

Guthrie

Burnett

Johnson

Cabrera

Olson

But the Orioles aren't going to do it.

[Hank Scorpio]

But the Orioles aren't going to do it.

We'll see.

It's illogical to not give him a look, IMO.

[Sports Guy]

We'll see.

It's illogical to not give him a look, IMO.

Actually, the logic is very simple.

They feel he is more valuable going 1-2 innings....Seems pretty reasonable to me.

[Hank Scorpio]

Actually, the logic is very simple.

They feel he is more valuable going 1-2 innings....Seems pretty reasonable to me.

This year, yeah.

Going into next year they'd be silly not to give him a shot given the status of the rotation, unless they manage to miracle Sheets and Burnett... and honestly I wouldn't give a gigantic deal to anyone, including Sheets.

[Ruzious]

I know people knee jerk about Johnson in the rotation, but I'm not quite sure why.

The back end of the bullpen is going to be crowded next year with Ray, Baez, Sherrill, Cabrera, Walker (he ain't goin' anywhere unless they cut him), and Sarfate.

I would be very very very afraid with that bullpen - outside of Sherrill.

[Hank Scorpio]

I would be very very very afraid with that bullpen - outside of Sherrill.

How would you feel about a rotation of

Guthrie

Burnett

Cabrera

Olson

Penn/Liz/Burres

[Hank Scorpio]

I would be very very very afraid with that bullpen - outside of Sherrill.

Also, who are you cutting from that bullpen and how much money are you eating?

[Fan4Life]

Let's stop dreaming about all the high profile SPs. We won't be getting a single one let alone dream about getting all four.

1.) Guthrie

2.) Jim Johnson

3.) Kyle Lohse / Paul Byrd type player

4.) DCab

5.) Matt Albers/Troy Patton

8th inning - Chris Ray and 9th inning George Sherrill with Chris taking over mid way with us trading Sherrill at the deadline if we are out of contention. Ideally, I hope we lock Ray into a long term deal if he shows his old form. Let's not let a BJ Ryan situation re-occur where we make him the closer before his FA year and have him leave.

Our #1 target will be Mark Tex because our offense will not repeat the same run production without him. It'll be real sad if we don't land a big bat. As bad as Baez was in 2007, hopefully him and Ray will be a good replacement for Albers and Johnson. Once again, we'll be lucky to be .500 but if our rotation stays solid with young arms coming up. Maybe we can be the Rays of 2008 but in 2010.

If that's our rotation to start 2009, I won't be watching.

[Ruzious]

How would you feel about a rotation of

Guthrie

Burnett

Cabrera

Olson

Penn/Liz/Burres

The same as I'd feel if Johnson replaced Olson. Regardless, I don't think Penn and Burress will be considered - at least, I wouldn't consider them.

[Hank Scorpio]

The same as I'd feel if Johnson replaced Olson. Regardless, I don't think Penn and Burress will be considered - at least, I wouldn't consider them.

I'm just saying... MacPhail is saddled with Baez and Walker and there's not much he can do about it unless he wants to eat a bunch of money.

[NewMarketSean]

I think we need 3 veteran or proven starters -- at the very least 2 -- (acquired by trade or FA) and to rid ourselves of D. Cabrera or else we're going to be in the same situation we are now, next year.

We have to remember that pitchers get hurt and don't perform and need to be replaced. We have to set up a buffer level between the MLB rotation and calling up guys who may not be ready and watch them get shelled.

So I am looking at it like this:

#1 - Guthrie

#2 - New SP

#3 - New SP

#4 - New SP

#5 - whoever wins the job in ST out of Penn, Olson, Liz and maybe Hernandez, Berken and Bergeson.

Any other SP's in our system who appear to be MLB ready but lose the job can go to the BP if they have nothing else left to prove in the MiL.

[Ruzious]

Also, who are you cutting from that bullpen and how much money are you eating?

If Baez can't pitch, it doesn't matter how much I'm eating - he's not going to be on the team. I'd keep Sarfate - unless he stinks it up in Spring Training. So what if you keep Walker - he's a 40 innings pitcher. Ray and Cabrera have to prove they belong on the team in ST. And I want to put Liz and Penn in the bullpen - at least to start the year. If Sherrill is traded, I want Johnson to be the closer - as there are no other candidates.

[JTrea81]

The starting rotation should look like this in 2009 IMO:

Guthrie

Burnett

Berken

Bergesen

Olson/Cabrera

and in 2010

Guthrie

Burnett

Berken/Bergesen

Tillman

Matusz

[Fan4Life]

I think we need 3 veteran or proven starters -- at the very least 2 -- (acquired by trade or FA) and to rid ourselves of D. Cabrera or else we're going to be in the same situation we are now, next year.

We have to remember that pitchers get hurt and don't perform and need to be replaced. We have to set up a buffer level between the MLB rotation and calling up guys who may not be ready and watch them get shelled.

So I am looking at it like this:

#1 - Guthrie

#2 - New SP

#3 - New SP

#4 - New SP

#5 - whoever wins the job in ST out of Penn, Olson, Liz and maybe Hernandez, Berken and Bergeson.

Any other SP's in our system who appear to be MLB ready but lose the job can go to the BP if they have nothing else left to prove in the MiL.

I couldn't agree more. I would like to see Mussina as one option for various reasons. I like Burnett and would give him 4/48, but if he wants more, I pass. I'd like to go after Sheets, but I doubt a 4/64 deal would get him. So that leaves us with at least one and possibly 2 open slots where we need to trade for or sign a SP.

[NewMarketSean]

I couldn't agree more. I would like to see Mussina as one option for various reasons. I like Burnett and would give him 4/48, but if he wants more, I pass. I'd like to go after Sheets, but I doubt a 4/64 deal would get him. So that leaves us with at least one and possibly 2 open slots where we need to trade for or sign a SP.

I wouldnt be against Mussina for a year so he can retire an Oriole, but I think he'll still be on a quest for a ring and who knows if he would come back and work for Angelos again after Pete ran him out of town 8 years ago.

I would also be fine with 3 guys who can pitch 160-200 IP and have ERA's below 5. Nothing flashy, but guys who can give you 6 IP each time out and keep you in the game when the BP takes over. We saw what happened when we could do that consistently at the beginning of the season. We won a lot of close games.

As long as we don't sign them to expensive long-term deals (I wouldn't go more than 2, but would probably cave in and give 1 of them a 3 year deal), I think it's a good idea. Then say if a Randy Wolfe or AJ Burnett is having a good year and one of Tillman, Berken, Bergeson or Hernandez is knocking down the door, we can trade the one of the vet SP's and insert young pitching prospect into the rotation and still have 3 other guys who you know will give you innings.

The last thing I want to see is 3-4 of that young crop of pitchers come here and struggle and have a full season of what we've seen these last 2-3 weeks.