Bergesen optioned to Triple A

[crawdad]

I think the O's realize they are going to be using a lot of pitchers this season and they want to protect themselves against it. So they are going to use the Baezs and Eatons of the world as well as the Basses and Penns too, hope that they can eat some innings, and then call up guys like Bergesen, Hernandez and Patton.

It sounds like they at least have their priorities straight.

1. Get through the season.

2. Rotate in young talent when they are ready.

I think this is really the best way to handle it. We need to jetison a guy like Walker and keep a good number of long relief and swingmen in the bullpen to provide a buffer. Our SPs will be getting rocked with regularity.

[Guest rochester]

Not a big fan of the move because I think he pitched his way on the team. Eaton, Hendricksen? blah I am just as upset that they would keep Penn over BB

[RShack]

What is Bergesen going to learn in 7 starts in AAA that he won't learn in Baltimore? It makes no sense to leave him down there for only a month or two.

I'm not sure where the number 7 comes from. Dunno about the MiL schedule, but once the ML schedule gets cranked up, a SP gets 10 starts in 2 months. But , OK, let's pick 7 starts anyway...

If 3 starts (and a whooping 11 IP) in exhibition games that don't count is enough to conclusively prove he's a big league talent, then I don't see how it's crazy that 233% as many starts might give him sufficient opportunity to work on areas of needed improvement.

(I can't believe I'm doing this...)

[bpeerce]

What is Bergesen going to learn in 7 starts in AAA that he won't learn in Baltimore? It makes no sense to leave him down there for only a month or two. Why do we need to see Eaton fail first when we know it is going to happen? Just cut him now and give somebody else his spot.

All the catchers who caught Bergesen in ST said he needed a more consistent slider. I assume that this is the missing piece for him to succeed in the majors, especially against lefties. Perhaps this is what he needs to go to AAA to discover.

As for Eaton, the O's have the St Louis disease. Like Duncan, Kranitz can turn BS into caviar. After a month or so, when the AL east hitters see Eaton more the second time, Eaton will be disabled or released. Hopefully, during that first month some minor league pitching coach will show Bergesen the grip or something that gives his slider the break and tilt that it needs to consistently get MLB lefties out.

[Crazysilver03]

Hey, a logical reason:

Roch

Manager Dave Trembley spoke about the decision to option Brad Bergesen.

"He had a very good spring," Trembley said. "He's a guy we all feel would be at the top of the list of the first guys called up here. We needed to get him out so he could get his innings. We think a lot of him. He didn't make the club out of spring training, but I told him it's inconceivable to think the 12 or 13 pitchers that we break camp with are going to be there the whole season. There's going to be changes. And we had to send him out in case somebody gets hurt, so he'd be out at least 10 days. He could be recalled and come back.

"We want him to work on his changeup. We want him to work on getting left-handed hitters out. I told him he didn't do anything wrong here. He's an Oriole guy. He came up through the system. We suspect he's going to pitch in the big leagues for us. It's just probably not going to happen on April 6."

I forgot about the 10 day rule after you are optioned.

Because of yesterday's rainout, Bergesen probably would have been sent to Fort Myers again on Wednesday to pitch in another minor league game against a Single-A lineup. "And I wasn't going to do that to the guy," Trembley said.

"I want him to pitch in a Triple-A game. He's up to 75 pitches. Let's get him ready."

Another decent reason.

[Enjoy Terror]

Baez gets paid whether he is on the team or not.

Cutting Eaton is no big deal at all.

It sounds like this is reason why people don't understand why Brad was sent down. You honestly think that cutting these people is no big deal when the front office does not see it that way. They aren't going to cut people if they don't have to-- aka people with options get sent down. End of story.

[wickedwitch]

It sounds like this is reason why people don't understand why Brad was sent down. You honestly think that cutting these people is no big deal when the front office does not see it that way. They aren't going to cut people if they don't have to-- aka people with options get sent down. End of story.

We understand it; we just don't agree with it.

[Sports Guy]

It sounds like this is reason why people don't understand why Brad was sent down. You honestly think that cutting these people is no big deal when the front office does not see it that way. They aren't going to cut people if they don't have to-- aka people with options get sent down. End of story.

LOL...I am not talking about BB at all. Guys like Pauley, Bass and Penn could be cut if these guys make the team.

[Tony-OH]

Quite simply, the Orioles are going to need 10-12 starters this year to get through the season. Brad Bergesen has never pitched above Double-A which happens to also be a level where left-handers hit .301 against him. Since he has options and has never pitched at AAA, there is absolutely nothing wrong with sending him down to the minor leaguers. He needs to improve on getting left-handers out and I'm not going to be convinced he's ready by a small sample size that is spring training when I have an entire season of data to go on from last year.

Bergesen will most likely get his chance some time this year and hopefully by then he's improved upon getting left-handers out consistently because wihtout that he's going to end up getting hit, and hit hard in the major leagues.

[Tony-OH]

LOL...I am not talking about BB at all. Guys like Pauley, Bass and Penn could be cut if these guys make the team.

I doubt Penn is going to get cut unless they really feel his arm strength is never going to return. As for Bass and Pauley, who really cares? I could take either of them in a long relief role but I also could find another guy like them on just about every team's waivers come late March early April.

[Sports Guy]

I doubt Penn is going to get cut unless they really feel his arm strength is never going to return. As for Bass and Pauley, who really cares? I could take either of them in a long relief role but I also could find another guy like them on just about every team's waivers come late March early April.

Personally, I prefer to give the chance to those 2 compared to Eaton and Baez.

I know for a 100% fact that Eaton and BAez have no future here...I don't know that about Pauley and Bass...It really is that simple.

Ultimately, I agree with you about being able to find these guys but why go find them when you already have them?

[TCAlumni9700]

Do you agree with every criticism JTrea has of MacPhail. I wasn't referring to this one move in particular.

People are pulling for strings when they say this hurts the morale of players. Only Reimold and Bergesen had arguments to make the Orioles out of ST, but they understand that this is a business and they have to earn their way on to the team with performance in Norfolk.

I would think AM & DT don't even want to watch what will be on the field for the next six weeks but they know that is what is in the best interest of the organization moving forward.

No I don't agree with every criticism, just this one. I think he's right.

And why should they earn their way in Norfolk when they earned it in ST? Isn't that the point in ST?

I can see keeping Tillman, Arrieta, Matusz, and even Wieters down, to a certain extent. But Reimold and Bergesen, no. Reimold won the job fair and square (with Montanez running a close second), and Bergesen pitched well and did everything that was asked of him.

Pie shouldn't get a handout, and neither should Eaton. It's pathetic when no one else would take Eaton at all, and then not only do we take him, but we're going to put him in the middle of our rotation over a guy who pitched pretty solidly all spring and won a spot in my eyes.

Pie on the other hand didn't even get to camp on time, has hit poorly, apparently did nothing over the winter to get any better, as opposed to Montanez, who busted his butt to make himself a better outfielder defensively, has hit well, etc. To me it's a slap in the face from the organization. It shows hard work doesn't always reward you with what you deserve.

It's nice to see that being the professionals they are, that Bergesen and Reimold took their assignments with a grain of salt and will work even harder. Kudos to them. Boo to the Orioles brass.

Rant over.

[JTrea81]

I told him he didn't do anything wrong here.

We needed to get him out so he could get his innings.

We suspect he's going to pitch in the big leagues for us. It's just probably not going to happen on April 6."

Now where did I hear that before? Oh yeah:

"I honestly believe, and I told Scott this, that he'll be a regular in the big leagues. But it's not happening right now," he said. "It's almost the same situation we had to do with sending [Garrett] Olson out, [Hayden] Penn out, [Radhames] Liz out, [bob] McCrory out. We had to do what was right -- not what was easy. I told him he needed to go and get some at-bats."

That message was communicated Friday night, when Trembley provided Moore some encouragement.

"I said, 'Hey, listen, you didn't do anything wrong,'" he said.

Sound familiar? Why can't Bergesen get his innings with the ML squad? What have the other pitchers done to deserve their roster spots? Yet again the Orioles send somebody down who earned their roster spot in ST to keep players that didn't earn their roster spots but are either ML veterans or are out of options. And that worked out great for us last time. It's also a great message to send and a confidence booster for any other minor league player thinking they can win a job out of ST. Not on Trembley's and MacPhail's watch...

Bergesen will most likely get his chance some time this year and hopefully by then he's improved upon getting left-handers out consistently because wihtout that he's going to end up getting hit, and hit hard in the major leagues.

As will Eaton and Hendrickson. At least Bergesen has shown that he might be able to eat innings.

[Crazysilver03]

No I don't agree with every criticism, just this one. I think he's right.

And why should they earn their way in Norfolk when they earned it in ST? Isn't that the point in ST?

I can see keeping Tillman, Arrieta, Matusz, and even Wieters down, to a certain extent. But Reimold and Bergesen, no. Reimold won the job fair and square (with Montanez running a close second), and Bergesen pitched well and did everything that was asked of him.

Pie shouldn't get a handout, and neither should Eaton. It's pathetic when no one else would take Eaton at all, and then not only do we take him, but we're going to put him in the middle of our rotation over a guy who pitched pretty solidly all spring and won a spot in my eyes.

Pie on the other hand didn't even get to camp on time, has hit poorly, apparently did nothing over the winter to get any better, as opposed to Montanez, who busted his butt to make himself a better outfielder defensively, has hit well, etc. To me it's a slap in the face from the organization. It shows hard work doesn't always reward you with what you deserve.

It's nice to see that being the professionals they are, that Bergesen and Reimold took their assignments with a grain of salt and will work even harder. Kudos to them. Boo to the Orioles brass.

Rant over.

You have them earn it in Norfolk because that is the better information to base your claims off of. ST stats are more meaningless than they are meaningful. There is consistently unstable level of play and talent. Perez looked really good by stats this spring, but he was pitching the 8th and 9th inning against minor leaguers. Going to Norfolk allows them to play consistently against AAA competition.

Your point about Eaton is a little off. He was released and no one was going to claim him on release waivers, because you are responsible for the salary. The Orioles signed him on the first day he was a free agent, so we don't know if other teams were interested or not.

Pie was late, so what? He has been busting his butt since he got to camp according to all reports. And how do you know he didn't do anything over the winter to make himself better, or are you just making a baseless claim to make Pie look bad and make Montanez to look good.

Montanez still only has the one good year under his belt last year, so he needs to show he can repeat that. He hasn't played well at AAA ever, so let him show he can play against better than AA competition.

[Tony-OH]

Personally, I prefer to give the chance to those 2 compared to Eaton and Baez.

I know for a 100% fact that Eaton and BAez have no future here...I don't know that about Pauley and Bass...It really is that simple.

Ultimately, I agree with you about being able to find these guys but why go find them when you already have them?

Rob, I don't think anyone is thrilled with Eaton and Baez, and if it came down to them or Bass/Pauley, I'd have to seriously look at the pros and cons of each, but in the long run, I don't any of them are going to be here in 2011 so I guess I'm not going to lose sleep over whoever the Orioles pick. I don't you are either of course, but I'm just not worried over these last few spots because from what I've seen and heard, none of these guys we're talking about here are part of a long term future in my opinion.