Orioles Odds and Ends
Before I get started I need to mention the fact that Brian Roberts is a candidate for the final spot on the All Star team. Voting takes place either at mlb.com or by texting “Vote” to 36197 and then replying with A5. There’s no limit to how many times you can vote, and I think it would send a fantastic message about Baltimore — the fans and the city — if we got Roberts in.
Now, here are some points of analysis I want to toss out for discussion.
1. The All-Star Game
Despite what I said up top the game is, as presently constituted, a joke. I used to lament the fan voting aspect of it and think “maybe if the players and coaches chose the whole team…” Apparently that approach gets Jason Varitek in. Seems like every year — no matter what — the lineups have significant issues. Like, for example, the fact that Roberts didn’t make it in the first place.
I freely admit that I’ve got no idea how to fix it, and I’m not even sure it’s worth fixing. Unfortunately, it’s also not really worth watching.
2. Adam Loewen
It’s time to fold this hand. I don’t know if that means trading him, releasing him, or simply reconfiguring his role, but I do know that he should never again be counted on as a cornerstone of the starting staff.
Let’s put this in perspective. Loewen was the #4 pick in the 2002 draft. After negotiations got stretched to the last minute he and the team came to terms on a 5 year, $4 million major league contract — one that stipulated that he had to be on the major league roster by no later than 2007 (here’s a link to the whole story).
Whether it’s the fact that he was rushed, bad luck from injuries, him just not being as good as he seemed — who knows? It’s probably all three of those and then some. However we break it down, though, the plain fact is that he can’t help the team now or in the foreseeable future. It’s a damn shame, yes, but there it is.
3. Who’s next?
With Loewen headed to the DL, we need help. Roch Kubatko has mentioned Alberto Castillo. He’s 3-1 with a 2.05 ERA in 26.1 relief innings at Norfolk. He’s got a 0.84 WHIP (the stat du jour) and has 26 strikeouts to only 6 walks. Seems like a logical choice, except that he’s also 33 years old and has spent a significant chunk of his career in unaffiliated independent leagues. It’s a tough call.
I see an option down with the Baysox that I find intriguing. David Hernandez is 5-1 with a 2.63 ERA in 89 innings (17 starts). His WHIP is 1.24 and he’s got 100 strikeouts to 43 walks. At Frederick in 2007 he went just 7-11 with a 4.95 but led the Carolina League in strikeouts (168) and got the victory in his only playoff start.
He’s only 23 with 3 years of pro experience, but here’s the thing: he’s not really on the radar as a prospect to start (certainly not like Tillman, Arrieta, etc) and his K/BB numbers make a strong case for bullpen help. I see no harm in giving him a look ahead of Castillo or Julio Manon (who’s having a fine season as Bowie’s closer). If he falls flat you pat him on the back, tell him what to work on, and send him on his way. If he doesn’t fall flat he might be the next Jim Johnson.
4. Trades
The pendulum seems to have swung back firmly into Lost Season territory, meaning the calls to trade Huff, Roberts, and Sherrill will reach fever pitch if we don’t go on some kind of streak.
I’m at the zen point with the trade issues. My heart says to keep all of those guys because we still have a legitimate shot at finishing above .500. My head says that if the right deal is there, you let ‘em go. The key is that it has to be the right deal. Meaning, we get back enough in return to justify putting the brakes on the most impressive, inspiring run we’ve had in a decade. There could be a huge psychological cost to a move like that, and it can’t be taken lightly. Not that MacPhail would take it lightly, but still.
5. Contracts
Simply put: extend Markakis and Trembley as soon as possible. Give Nick five years at the market rate and give Dave a two-year extension at very generous compensation, maybe with an option year or two tacked on. These are the easiest decisions MacPhail can possibly make.
I welcome your responses to these, and feel free to add your own lists as well.
You know who you didn’t mention to replace Loewen. My friends and I used to call him Mr. 108. And he looked pretty good tonight.
Please tell me you don’t mean Hayden Penn…
But you know who else apparently looked good tonight, in his Norfolk Tides debut? Kam Mickolio. Two scoreless innings of relief.
I honestly never understood the burning hatred Penn got. He was also rushed, and suffered for it, but most of what happened to him seemed like such weird, quirky crap that he seemed more unlucky than unwilling or unable or too immature, especially compared to Adam Loewen. Nowadays Hayden Penn is looked at some sort of avatar of failure and lost hope and anger. I mean, the guy was awesome until he got called up straight from Bowie and was utterly unprepared for major league hitters (and Mr. 108 refers to his ERA on the fateful day that Sal Fasano of the Yankees took him yard, much to my Yankee loving girlfriend’s delight).
I’m not saying we should call up Penn to replace anyone, BUT I don’t get why Loewen’s leash was so much longer than Penn’s.
I don’t hate on Penn at all, I just don’t think he’s a legitimate candidate to come up right now based on the fact that his injuries early this year really set him back. I’d love to see him close out ’08 strong and be a threat to take a spot next year in the spring.
As far as why he had a shorter leash? That goes back to the contract Loewen got. When a guy has to be somewhere by a given time you’ll do a lot of things you otherwise wouldn’t do with a prospect. I think it’d be a hell of a story if Loewen can come back and help this team, but right now (pending the results of his exam) that looks like it’s a 2010 thing at the earliest. Like I said, it’s a shame.
Hey, I agree 100%, and I doubt we’ll see Penn until September (but we will see him once we’re eliminated in September). But they were treated identically by the warehouse, and responded identically – despite Penn’s normal contract. So it goes, I guess. As long as our new crop doesn’t get rushed, we’ll be stronger for it, right?
Did you guys see that the Sox sent Masterson down so that Clay Bucholz could make his triumphiant return to Boston…for Friday’s game against the Orioles in Fenway? I mean, come on, God…that’s just not fair. Not that Bucholz will be that good again, but we’ll be hearing about it forever.
But I think the difference is that Penn sort of earned his shot, where Loewen basically didn’t. Then when Penn faltered it was easier to send him back. Fan reaction was probably overblown to that, but the truth is that Loewen never would have been here as early as he was were it not for that contract.
Either way you’re absolutely right that both got rushed and suffered for it. I hope that’s a lesson learned.
Does that contradict what I said in the main post about Hernandez? I don’t think so, but it’s an interesting question.
Anyone else know of the substance behind the rumors of Loewen coming back ala Ankiel as an OF? I recall a little while ago Gary Thorne and Buck Martinez talking how strange baseball scouting can be considering that “Nick [Markakis] came up as pitcher and is now hitting, and Adam [Loewen] came up as a position player and is now pitching.”
I think that “rumor”, if you can call it that – I tend to think it’s wild armchair GMing by fans – is as bogus as any can be. Would it be a fun and interesting story? Sure, and at this point I wouldn’t mind seeing it. But whereas Ankiel just flat out couldn’t pitch one day, Adam Loewen still has a few more tries I would think, because it would seem he could get healthy if maybe he shut it down for a long time. Putting a bat in his hand just doesn’t seem like something that the O’s are willing to try yet by a long shot. But it certainly beats flat out releasing the guy.
I’ve been hard on Penn forever and it’s only because I want the guy to succeed. It seems like he’s got his head together and it’s just been injury after injury. The good news is that there none of those injuries have been very concerning – they just seem like bad luck. He’ll be back up here if he stays healthy.
Yeah, I would feel better about everything if Cakes and DT had contracts. Just do it.
If you’re looking for more bad news, Chorye Spoon just went to the DL for the 2nd time this year for a shoulder injury. Another top prospect bites it. Christ…
Just browsing MLBtraderumors.com, there are so many teams that are looking for things that we have: veteran catchers, setup guys, etc. Other teams are looking to trade people – you have to figure the O’s are in the mix somewhere, but there haven’t been any substantial rumors so far. I’m really anxious to see what MacPhail’s next move is.
I would imagine that there’s a lot we have that would pass through waivers, so July 31 isn’t exactly our deadline. Food for thought.
Well, everyone brace yourselves, because if any of you think we’re supposed to win any of these next 6 games, I’d like to know how. But we faced this buzzsaw earlier in the year and excelled. When the going gets tough, will we get going again?
Alberto Castillo is up, Loewen to the DL.
Alright, well…maybe he’s the next Rodrigo Lopez? Something tells me, though, that this isn’t going to go well.
Why bother have spring training when everyone who shows up gets to be on the team anyway?
Esteban Yan is next!