....Zack Britton reunion?

[Moshagge3]

What are the odds that he would put up better numbers than Vespi over a full season? Not high, I don't think.

[sportsfan8703]

4 minutes ago, Moshagge3 said:

What are the odds that he would put up better numbers than Vespi over a full season? Not high, I don't think.

The odds are that he’s Johan Santana 2.0. But when you’ve constructed your roster this way, you gotta take a risk. All Britton cost is cash. 
 

He could pitch in extended ST for 15ish days. Then go on a 7-10 day long milb rehab tour. Hopefully we could get something out of Hall in the pen for three weeks. 

[Tony-OH]

2 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

@Tony-OH Yeah we’re desperate with Givens and Tate out. When you have to trot out Gilaspie, Baker, and Akin, in innings 5-7. You’re desperate. Hall would be the immediate option to band aid right now. Britton could be another band aid. 
 

I don’t want to see this season get away from us. 
 

Also, keep in mind players can only be sent down during the first 10 days/games if there is an injury. So Elias might know we’re desperate. He just can’t make the changes right now. 

I think you jumping the gun on the panic button a bit here. I won't argue with you that the pen is not a strength, but it should be better and will be better then it's been. The team is 3-3 and should be 4-2 if not for a little league drop by McKenna. 

Even yesterday, it was Voth pitching poorly, not the whole bullpen. The pen was great Monday and Tuesday. Nobody pitched well in Boston.

It's just too early to hit the panic button even if the current options don't exactly instill a lot of confidence. 

I really think the Orioles are going to bring Hall up sooner than later and put him in the pen where he belongs. That will give them another high leverage reliever assuming the velocity ticks back up. 

I need to see this pen for a month or so before making an assessment overall, but I do have confidence in Bautista and Perez late in games, and Baker SHOULD be better though he's probably a better 6th/7th inning guy. Gillaspie's fastball and slider are above average pitches movement and velocity wise and his curveball is 2.5 MPH faster with late dive giving him a 3rd goto pitch perhaps. If he can find the consistency he's never really had, he could grow into a decent option late in games to help set up Bautista. 

All is not lost out there.

[SteveA]

2 hours ago, Tony-OH said:

Are the Orioles really desperate? We're six games into the season and while I don't think the pen is a strength, there are guys that should pitch better in Baker, Akin and Voth and Gillaspie has actually been decent. 

If the team finally pulls the DL Hall starter experiment and puts him in the pen, that should help things out as well. I see no reason to panic.

I think our recent history makes us feel we absolutely need to have a really good bullpen.   The Orioles have had 5 winning seasons in the last quarter of a century and all 5 of those teams had a really strong bullpen, ranging from very good to sensational/historically good.    We never have a rotation anchored by Cy Young contenders.

So while some teams like the Phillies in recent years can contend despite not having a great bullpen, it feels to us O's fans like it's a requirement.

[Tony-OH]

22 minutes ago, SteveA said:

I think our recent history makes us feel we absolutely need to have a really good bullpen.   The Orioles have had 5 winning seasons in the last quarter of a century and all 5 of those teams had a really strong bullpen, ranging from very good to sensational/historically good.    We never have a rotation anchored by Cy Young contenders.

So while some teams like the Phillies in recent years can contend despite not having a great bullpen, it feels to us O's fans like it's a requirement.

And I agree that we will need a good bullpen to be competitive this year. I'm just not ready to push a panic button after two guys go down with injuries and after just six games of the season.

I've already said that I have concerns about the current group, though I don't think adding a Zack Britton to is going to suddenly answer any questions. Afterall, he doesn't throw a 99 MPH sinker anymore.

 

[interloper]

I actually view it as a positive that we got through Boston and the Bradish injury and the Grayson start without having to fire up the Norfolk Bullpen Shuttle for the first time. 

[jabba72]

24 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

And I agree that we will need a bullpen to be competitive this year. I'm just not ready to push a panic button after two guys with injuries and after just six games of the season.

I've already said that I have concerns about the current group, though I don't think adding a Zack Britton to is going to suddenly answer any questions. Afterall, he doesn't throw a 99 MPH sinker anymore.

 

I think I'd rather have Vespi in AAA over Britton if choosing between the two. 

[Frobby]

On 4/6/2023 at 12:28 PM, sportsfan8703 said:

At one time all of our last core group owned houses near our ST complex. So it could be appealing to him to pitch down there for a few weeks(close to home), then a couple of minor league outings. 
 

I mean we’re desperate. I don’t that’s an over reaction. Britton should be an option. Give $3 million for 30 IP. That might be enough to save this disaster of a pen until we can Explore other options. 

Yeah, I’m calling this an overreaction. 

[sportsfan8703]

It’s a shot in the dark with zero expectations but if we could kick the tires on him purely for a postseason run after the deadline the results could give us another dominant reliever. We wouldn’t need him to be a savior. Just a 6th/7th inning guys for 20 IP down the stretch. 
 

Maybe he’s got one more run in him and could come home and chase a ring. Stuff like this happens all the time in sports. Maybe he’s getting the itch to just come air it out for the stretch run.

Just a thought. Again no expectations. 

[Tony-OH]

1 minute ago, sportsfan8703 said:

It’s a shot in the dark with zero expectations but if we could kick the tires on him purely for a postseason run after the deadline the results could give us another dominant reliever. We wouldn’t need him to be a savior. Just a 6th/7th inning guys for 20 IP down the stretch. 
 

Maybe he’s got one more run in him and could come home and chase a ring. Stuff like this happens all the time in sports. Maybe he’s getting the itch to just come air it out for the stretch run.

Just a thought. Again no expectations. 

Britton would need to realize he would be at AAA and would be a break glass in case of emergency guy unless he suddenly refound his stuff. But looking at his baseball savant numbers, that stuff has fallen with age (like with almost every pitcher). If he was willing to take a AAA contract and go pitch there with no gaurantees then fine, otherwise you have to pass.

[Frobby]

There’s no reason to think Britton has the potential to be an elite reliever again. If he did, one of the many teams that has seen him work out would have signed him.

[sportsfan8703]

@Tony-OH @Frobby I agree with both of you guys. But… crazy stuff happens in sports. Britton could feel he’s got some unfinished business. Especially after the Blue Jays game. I’m not getting into contract details, but what if he decides he wants to scratch the itch, chase a ring, finish some business, and literally pitch with us in the 2nd half until his arm falls off. 
 

Heck, we could kick the tires. And then just cut ways after some milb outings. 

[EdwinRip]

Most pitchers rely on talent.  They can’t will themselves to pitch good.  Being that he’s 35, and last pitched well in 2020, I don’t know that he would be a target just because he pitched well for the orioles earlier in his career.

[Frobby]

27 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

@Tony-OH @Frobby I agree with both of you guys. But… crazy stuff happens in sports. Britton could feel he’s got some unfinished business. Especially after the Blue Jays game. I’m not getting into contract details, but what if he decides he wants to scratch the itch, chase a ring, finish some business, and literally pitch with us in the 2nd half until his arm falls off. 
 

Heck, we could kick the tires. And then just cut ways after some milb outings. 

I feel like you are singling out Britton because he was a great Oriole for several years.  But there’s probably a half-dozen formerly great relievers out there looking for jobs.

[TommyPickles]

I'm actually pretty surprised no one else has signed Britton. 

The Orioles' bullpen (2.89 ERA) is currently THE BEST IN MLB, so I don't think he makes sense for us.