Bergesen optioned to Triple A

[BaltimoreTerp]

They said they weren't going to rush guys and now everybody's upset because they're not rushing guys? I don't believe Bergesen has pitched one inning in triple A. Let him come down here and do just what he has done this spring and he'll be back before long. I just don't understand why so many of you get so upset about something as insignificant as this will be in the long run.

It's one thing when we aren't trying to hurry someone like Tillman or Arrietta or even Matusz. It's another when you have dominant minor-league players like Bergesen and Wieters and Reimold who look like they are ready and for one reason or another you force them to stay down.

THAT'S the difference. Bergesen is likely to outperform Eaton and Baez, and is someone that people might actually get excited over.

[Capn Vivi]

Perhaps people can start to see why the signing of Eaton really bothered so many of us.

I'm still waiting to see Penn/Pauley DFA'd before I get angry. But if that happens... my faith in MacPhail will be shaken.

On the other hand, there's a large disparity between what we see in the numbers and what our scouts see at the games. I'm certain that Bergesen wasn't as surprised to hear he was being re-assigned as we were. Hopefully we'll get some quotes from Kranny and Trembley later about how they assured him he'll be up soon.

I wonder why everyone's seriously upset at this news though. In February, we all expected this and I don't see how 11 2/3 innings in the spring matter. Last year, at one point, Liz and Waters each gave us 8 innings of shut-out ball. Does that mean we should start them? Long-term results are more important than any one spring's statistics. There were people calling for Markakis to get sent down in May of '06, but someone in the organization kept him up.

I'll be excited to see him in May/June (or even April, possibly) after he's worked on his pitches against AAA competition. Of course, I'm working on the assumption that the organization sent him down because he's still got something to work on, and not in ignorance of how completely ready he is.

I know I wouldn't have cut him from where I am, sitting here in Baltimore, at a computer, having never seen him pitch. But then again, I can't assume the team is incorrect just because I'd convinced myself Bergesen was the answer.

[BaltimoreTerp]

I'm quite relieved by this move. It means the O's are staying on target philosophically.

That can be a bad thing if they aren't doing it for the right reasons.

[Sports Guy]

Maybe. What the hell do I know?

Whatever the reason, If he's good in AAA while Eaton is putting up a 6+ ERA, he'll be up soon enough anyway.

No doubt and they aren't losing BB, so it only means so much.

That being said, it is still a stupid decision and guys like Eaton and Baez have no business making this team.

So while it won't matter in the grand scheme of things, that doesn't make the decision any smarter.

[olehippi]

Given the sad state of Orioles pitching, I truly don't understand this move. Quite honestly, it disturbs me.

[bluedog]

I understand to a degree not "rushing" guys up but how many guys are we going to baby? We need to give some of the young guys a chance or we'll never know one way or the other. And if we do continue to baby all of them they'll be 28 or injured in the minors before we know it. Let some of these kids play. Just annoyed with the same old same old. Lame, worthless, over-the-hill AAAA veterans.

Bergesen will almost certainly be with the O's by June. How is delaying his debut by less than 3 months babying him? Do we really believe that a handful of starts from Berg will give us any better chance of making the playoffs this year? Then what's the rush?

[Leitch]

It's one thing when we aren't trying to hurry someone like Tillman or Arrietta or even Matusz. It's another when you have dominant minor-league players like Bergesen and Wieters and Reimold who look like they are ready and for one reason or another you force them to stay down.

Tillman dominated AA a lot more than Bergesen. I think the difference here is not that Bergesen is better than Tillman right now, but that he offers less projection.

[bluedog]

That can be a bad thing if they aren't doing it for the right reasons.

What reason do you think they are doing this for if it isn't the right one?

[Sports Guy]

Tillman dominated AA a lot more than Bergesen. I think the difference here is not that Bergesen is better than Tillman right now, but that he offers less projection.

Also, BB isn't likely to learn much from more MiL time. He is what he is.

[MCL1021]

What a stupid move.

Well, he'll be up soon enough when Eaton sports a 6.00+ ERA and Baez is getting smacked around the park. :angryfire:

Can't wait to hear the reasoning on this one.

[Fan4Life]

I'm quite relieved by this move. It means the O's are staying on target philosophically. If as AM and Kranitz have said, young pitchers will need to establish themselves at each level before making the move to the bigs, then they should make an exception for Bergesen no matter how good he looked this spring.

I think I like Bergesen's chances to become a solid part of our ML rotation for a long time to come as much or more than most people, but sending him to AAA to start the season just makes too much sense. He has options. This will preserve an extra year of team control down the road. It sends the correct message to other pitchers on what to expect as they progress through the minors. It reinforces that the current O's front office is building for the future and will do it the right way, instead of making knee jerk decisions for the short term that might prove have negative long term repercussions.

Bergesen will be up with the O's very soon I think. Almost nothing to be gained from having him on the roster to start the season and quite a bit to be lost.

I agree with all of this and once again refer to SG's thread "Does it matter who starts OD"... his answer was no... it only matters who finishes this season to prepare for 2010. So as long as all of our qualty guys don't end the year at AAA, this move is largely irrellevant.

[BaltimoreTerp]

What reason do you think they are doing this for if it isn't the right one?

None of us knows.

[RShack]

I think it's beyond comprehension based on our alternative options. I'd rather throw him out there and let him take his lumps than watch Eaton, Baez, Simon, Pauley, Hendrickson, etc be throw out there every fifth day. So yes, it is quite beyond comprehension.

It's "beyond comprehension" that don't wanna throw him to the lions just yet and are not persuaded by your personal preference to see him take his lumps?

Look, some folks here are saying that looking at how he did in a few exhibition games is all we need to know. Evidently, the folks who watched him closely think it will be better for both him and the O's if he works on some things first. I understand that some folks think their judgment from 1000 miles away is better, and that's fine. But to say it's "beyond comprehension" is a bit much.

[bluedog]

It's one thing when we aren't trying to hurry someone like Tillman or Arrietta or even Matusz. It's another when you have dominant minor-league players like Bergesen and Wieters and Reimold who look like they are ready and for one reason or another you force them to stay down.

THAT'S the difference. Bergesen is likely to outperform Eaton and Baez, and is someone that people might actually get excited over.

So AM should ignore what he's been telling people about making players perform at AAA before they jump to the Majors, ignore the benefits of an extra year of control at the end of a players contract, ignore the face that he's got players he wants to keep who are out of options and ignore the fact that even if Bergesen starts with the O's and pitches like Sandy Koufax, it won't help the O's get any closer to competing this season and just throw all those reasons out the window to get a few fans more excited?

Yeah that's a recipe for a well run organization...

[SrMeowMeow]

Thank god! The FO saw sense and wasn't blinded by a small sample size in ST!