G-Rod Debut Date?

[NCRaven]

A lot of hard contact today.  Couldn't get through 3.  Not a real issue, but not as good as we might have liked.

[Going Underground]

15 minutes ago, NCRaven said:

A lot of hard contact today.  Couldn't get through 3.  Not a real issue, but not as good as we might have liked.

Give or take should have four more spring training starts. Stays on schedule would pitch the last spring training game.

Edited March 7, 2023 by Going Underground

[Moose Milligan]

5 hours ago, Frobby said:

Can we just let the guy pitch in spring training before declaring whether he must or will be on the team?   

Hi.  You must be new here.

[Frobby]

Decent but not great performance today.  Too many walks and was pulled with a 55 pitch count (35 strikes) with two out in the third.  He’s the first of our starter favorites to fail to complete his assigned innings (currently 3).   But, he only allowed 1 run and struck out 4.   

[Tony-OH]

On 3/6/2023 at 12:50 PM, Spy Fox said:

For the folks guessing he's starting in the minors, is there any specific reason other than a general assumption the O's will try to game service time with guys? 

To me Elias' comments have all but stated that Rodriguez is an expected member of the team. He was likely within a week or two of getting called up last summer. They didn't really do any service time shenanigans with Henderson. It's not clear they did any with Rutschman either-- they may have been overly cautious about his injury but I don't think they made it up. And if it was service time related, the team was in a completely different competitive situation then. 

I think they will want all of his innings this year to come where they are most valuable, and that's on the big league club.

I'll be honest, I don't know what the Orioles will do. There seems to be three COAs the Orioles could use with Rodriguez.

COA#1: He breaks camp in the rotation.
Pros: They get one of their best starters in the rotation from the start. They could possibly get an additional draft pick if he finishes in the top 2 in the ROY balloting. Allows Wells to get two-three starts before ultimately going to the pen.

Cons: He becomes a free agent after the 2028 season (28 year old season). They have to manage his innings so he's able to still pitch into late September or into October if the Orioles make the playoffs.

COA#2: They send him down to start the year in AAA where they use him as a 3-inning starter until he gets promoted on April 14th or later.
Pros: Gain an extra year of control (after 2029/29 yr old season). May have more innings left for October.

Cons: No potential draft pick. Fans unable to see their top pitching prospect since Mike Mussina until mid to late April. Potentially annoys GRod, especially if he pitches well this spring.

COA#3: Put him on IL with "tired arm" and don't activate him until home April 21st start against Tigers.
Pros: Gain an extra year of control. Potentially allows him to pitch in October if Orioles make playoffs. Well gets 2-3 starts.

Cons: No potential draft pick. Fans unable to see their top pitching prospect since Mike Mussina until mid to late April. Potentially annoys GRod, especially if he pitches well this spring.

COA#3 is the best decision for the long term view of the organization in my opinion.

[Moose Milligan]

On 3/6/2023 at 12:50 PM, Spy Fox said:

For the folks guessing he's starting in the minors, is there any specific reason other than a general assumption the O's will try to game service time with guys? 

 

No, that's about it.

And to your point, they didn't do that with Henderson and there's a 50/50 chance they did it with Adley last year.  Precedent matters, but this is a pitcher we're talking about and as we've all discussed we're not as deep in the pitching department as we are elsewhere.  Elias has shown that he can stock the system with middle infield talent, I don't believe we'll ever have a concern in regards to a dearth of middle infielders while he's here.  Now pitching, on the other hand, might be a different beast...he might be more apt to game the service clock for a pitcher rather than a MI type.   In other words, starting the clock on Henderson is whatever because Holliday is right behind him.

I'd say there's a 25% chance they do that with G-Rod....ultimately I think he starts the season in Baltimore but I don't think this possibility of him gaming his service clock can be outright ignored.  But I also believe that Elias understands it's time to win now, so this might be hand wringing for no good reason.  

 

[Can_of_corn]

8 minutes ago, Tony-OH said:

I'll be honest, I don't know what the Orioles will do. There seems to be three COAs the Orioles could use with Rodriguez.

COA#1: He breaks camp in the rotation.
Pros: They get one of their best starters in the rotation from the start. They could possibly get an additional draft pick if he finishes in the top 2 in the ROY balloting. Allows Wells to get two-three starts before ultimately going to the pen.

Cons: He becomes a free agent after the 2028 season (28 year old season). They have to manage his innings so he's able to still pitch into late September or into October if the Orioles make the playoffs.

COA#2: They send him down to start the year in AAA where they use him as a 3-inning starter until he gets promoted on April 14th or later.
Pros: Gain an extra year of control (after 2029/29 yr old season). May have more innings left for October.

Cons: No potential draft pick. Fans unable to see their top pitching prospect since Mike Mussina until mid to late April. Potentially annoys GRod, especially if he pitches well this spring.

COA#3: Put him on IL with "tired arm" and don't activate him until home April 21st start against Tigers.
Pros: Gain an extra year of control. Potentially allows him to pitch in October if Orioles make playoffs. Well gets 2-3 starts.

Cons: No potential draft pick. Fans unable to see their top pitching prospect since Mike Mussina until mid to late April. Potentially annoys GRod, especially if he pitches well this spring.

COA#3 is the best decision for the long term view of the organization in my opinion.

The extra year of team control isn't guaranteed.  Just ask Adley.

[sportsfan8703]

45 minutes ago, Can_of_corn said:

The extra year of team control isn't guaranteed.  Just ask Adley.

Bingo. I believe we can’t get two comp picks, but if we have Gunnar and Grayson on the OD roster, then we have a pretty good bet of one of them winning us the extra pick. 
 

I hate the slow play usually, but for here I say pitch him after 4/14 and make him pitch his way out of gaining the extra year. Ugh, I hate saying that because I want him available for the playoffs, I just don’t think that is realistic. If he’s pitching us into the playoffs, then he’s probably not available for the playoffs. 

[Just Regular]

I believe tired arm will factor into the Club's use of this Player but that it may become more of a midseason thing.

Tired arm now is a fig leaf - it will be true after a few months in the Show.

They need him now with Means healing and no trade reinforcements; in August they can plug him back into the charger if circumstances warrant.

I did notice Spenser Watkins throwing length on his day today.

It is a good race if 150 IP of Grayson or 600 PA of Gunnar more likely to produce a Rookie of the Year ~$10mm bonus.

 

Edited March 7, 2023 by Just Regular

[sevastras]

17 minutes ago, sportsfan8703 said:

Bingo. I believe we can’t get two comp picks, but if we have Gunnar and Grayson on the OD roster, then we have a pretty good bet of one of them winning us the extra pick. 
 

I hate the slow play usually, but for here I say pitch him after 4/14 and make him pitch his way out of gaining the extra year. Ugh, I hate saying that because I want him available for the playoffs, I just don’t think that is realistic. If he’s pitching us into the playoffs, then he’s probably not available for the playoffs. 

Only one comp pick per year. Based on future years, they can receive a comp pick for Cy Young consideration and MVP consideration. Each player provide a maximum of three picks. So Adley didn’t provide an additional pick this year but could provide in the future if he finishes high enough in the MVP voting. It is pretty convoluted, but because you don’t get the extra year of service doesn’t mean you won’t get an extra pick out of the prospect. 

[jrobb21613]

Threw a lot of off speed stuff today. That must of been the plan. He Worked from behind a lot.  He did strike out Correa but his stuff was not dominate. Hard line drive off glove hand was a little scary but he shook it off stayed in the game.  

[Going Underground]

2 hours ago, Frobby said:

Decent but not great performance today.  Too many walks and was pulled with a 55 pitch count (35 strikes) with two out in the third.  He’s the first of our starter favorites to fail to complete his assigned innings (currently 3).   But, he only allowed 1 run and struck out 4.   

Decent about right .

Rodriguez needed only 11 pitches in a perfect first inning, freezing Joey Gallo, then surrendering lineouts to Correa and Max Kepler, with his seven first-inning fastballs averaging 98.2 mph. He then needed 44 pitches for only five more outs. Although Rodriguez struck out four of the 13 batters he faced, two others walked, and six of the seven who put the ball in play did so at 96 mph or harder.

[Bahama O's Fan]

Just let him earn it. If he is one of the best five starters at the end of Spring Training, take him north. If he doesn't look ready, send him to AAA

[Can_of_corn]

5 minutes ago, Bahama O's Fan said:

Just let him earn it. If he is one of the best five starters at the end of Spring Training, take him north. If he doesn't look ready, send him to AAA

Huh?

Are you suggesting that what he does in Spring Training has more weight than his entire minor league career?

He's already "earned it".

[Just Regular]

In 2021 the Orioles first 5 games were started by John Means, Matt Harvey, Bruce Zimmermann, Jorge Lopez (who held the Yankees to 1 run the first 4 innings, but ended the day letting 3 more in in the 5th inning) and Dean Kremer.

In 2022 the Orioles first 5 games were started by John Means, Jordan Lyles, Tyler Wells, Bruce Zimmermann and Spenser Watkins.

2023 might well turn over all 5 guys - gotta think year over year that doesn't happen too often.