The Baltimore Sun reports that the Orioles will acquire Jaret Wright for Chris Britton, pending commissioner approval.
Wright, who turns 31 soon, could benefit from a reunion with pitching coach Leo Mazzone. Still, the over/under on his innings pitched is 150. Wright is hard-pressed to make 30 starts or go past five innings in any of those. I would call 2007 a success for him if he posts an ERA below 5. I have my doubts on that.
Besides Wright not being very good, another reason I dislike the deal for Baltimore is that they already have a staff of guys who don’t go deep into games. Erik Bedard, Adam Loewen, and Daniel Cabrera average less than six innings per start, while Kris Benson and Rodrigo Lopez a touch over six. The Orioles needed a Jason Jennings, a Freddy Garcia, a Jon Garland in my opinion. Guys who go seven innings more often than not.
Basically the Orioles managed to both increase their already heavy reliance on a lousy bullpen while subtracting one of their better relievers.
Britton, who turns 24 soon, is a big guy who throws strikes. He has a couple of decent pitches and can be a useful bullpen piece for New York. The deal is a clear win for the Yankees. Getting Wright out of the rotation is a plus, and adding a warm body to the bullpen is just gravy.
