Before the regular season began, I suggested the Orioles were likely headed for a 60-75 win season and added that there’s “not much to dream on” in Baltimore. My mistake. With two weeks to go in the regular season, the Orioles are tied for first place in the AL East and they’re likely headed for the postseason. Here’s the latest from the division, starting with one of the game’s top pitching prospects…
- The Orioles are promoting top prospect Dylan Bundy to the Major Leagues following their 18-inning win over the Mariners, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports reports. The Orioles hadn’t intended to call Bundy up, but they need pitching and he’s viewed as someone who can help them win.
- The extended absences of Michael Pineda and Manny Banuelos have been damaging for the Yankees in the short term and in the long term, Joel Sherman of the New York Post writes. The young pitchers were expected to provide the Yankees with quality innings and help the team avoid the luxury tax threshold by 2014. Instead, they’ve been injured so the Yankees will feel pressure to re-sign Andy Pettitte and Hiroki Kuroda this coming offseason, Sherman reports.
- The Yankees still have some hope that David Aardsma could pitch this year, Sherman adds. They signed the reliever with 2013 in mind, knowing that most of this year would be spent recovering from Tommy John surgery.
Resigning Kuroda is fine, but even without Manny and Andy the rotation is still:
CC
Hughes
Kuroda
Nova
Pineda
Plus the Phelps of the world
I’m sure there are more than few teams that would love that problem rotation.
Most expect Pineda to start the year in AAA. Alot depends on how his health is looking. Depth is always good with the pitching rotation, but if they can resign one of Kuroda or Andy they should be fine. Although maybe if they bring them both back and use Phelps/Pineda as guys to bring up after injury. If soriano does miraculously opt out that probably gives them the salary space to bring both back.
If I’m the Yanks I resign Kuroda, and try to sign Anabal Sanchez or Shields. I would trade Hughes for an outfielder like Choo. They can free up money by letting Swisher and Granderson go. This would enable them to sign either Hamilton and someone like Ludwick or Tori Hunter short term.
You don’t trade a #3 starter for a good but not great Boras client with a year left on his contract.
I like Choo to replace Swisher but not for a statrting pitcher.
Bundy!
Seems odd to already use a 40 man spot for bundy. he wasn’t signed to a MLB deal last year was he? 40 man spots can be precious and they could have waited at least a year.
He did sign a major league deal.
Thanks
figured had to be a good reason to call him up so soon.
Great move bringing Bundy up to be a part of the maddness.
That is the difference between the O’s this year and teams like the Jays, they are going for it.
that makes less than no sense
you seem shocked
jays should call up aaron sanchez and go all in!
he’s young so he can start the rest of the games. right. stay with me here.. then when we obviously win all of our remaining games
Bud Selig will make a new rule that states regardless of what place you finish at the end of the season if you end on a 15 game win streak you automatically make the playoffs.
Once we make the playoffs, Romero will be like ‘lol jokes’ about his command and pitch 6 consecutive perfect games and win the World Series MVP.
All because the Jays decided to ‘go for it’
The O’s really lucked out because they have an off day thursday. As long as they can get good length from the starter today they will sadly be fine.
Wouldn’t call it lucky since the O’s have to travel across country. Also 5 and 2/3s Saunders is on the mound tonight.
EDIT: Man I was wrong about the inning count on Saunders tonight.
The Orioles need to realize that a Bundy never wins…
There’s no pressure to sign Andy since they will be the only time he will sign with most likely if he chooses to play agian. Kuroda may be a different story however. With the year he’s having in NY, you have to feel many teams, despite him being a bit old, will bein on him.
Kuroda’s list of teams is very short. I think he would maybe sign with the Dodgers, thats a big maybe. And Japan and the Yankees are his only other likely destinations.
If his asking price is high it could be short.
You would have thought he could get a decent 2 year deal after his year with the Dodgers. It maybe is that he wants the best chance to win it all.
I would think the Yanks resign Kuroda, he’s earned it and they need him.
Oh there’s no doubt that they would want him back, but it’s no guarantee he goes back there nor is it a guarantee the Yankees offer him the highest.
There’s not really any great SP on the market next year.
The Yanks are fortunate that they don’t have to get under the cap until 2014. This gives their young players another year to progress, next season they will be under the gun.
Keith Law is probably itchin’ to spin this into an “I told you so” with Bundy…..
He actually said in his chat today that he loved the move.
Ironically, if it weren’t for the innings limits that Law criticized early in the season, this move wouldn’t be possible. He’d be shut down already.
after a season like this it literally doesn’t phase anymore.