As The Rotation Turns

Coming into the 2014 season the biggest question mark for the Baltimore Orioles was their starting pitching. They went out and spent big money in the offseason to bring in Ubaldo Jimenez to try and help solidify the rotation. As the season has progressed we have seen the emergence of Kevin Gausman as a rotation mainstay, Chris Tillman continue to turn himself into a top of the rotation pitcher, and Bud Norris, Wie-Yin Chen and Miguel Gonzalez pitch more like #2 or 3s,than 4 or 5s. The biggest disappointment would have to be the big ticket prize of Ubaldo Jimenez. He has struggled with command and keeping his pitch count down, leading to early exits from games. He has gone 5 innings or less in 5 of his 18 starts. While he hasn't pitched great, he also has had little run support. In 12 of his 18 starts the Orioles have scored 3 or fewer runs. Even with Jimenez's struggles the Orioles are in first place. And have seen their starting pitching turn a giant corner which has lead to the bull pen being dominant. In April the team ERA was 4.49, May 4.00, then in June 3.46,July 2.96, and thus far in August 2.66. Since June the team's ERA is 3.34. That is pretty darn good.

With Jimenez set to return from the DL, the question now becomes what to do with the rotation. At this point the Orioles have 5 starters who are going out and pitching well almost every time out. The team hasn't lost back to back games since June. So what do you do? Jimenez is going to start,there is no question about that. Should someone like Miguel Gonzalez be moved to the bullpen? Do they attempt the dreaded six man rotation? What I think may happen is something similar to how Buck used his starters at the end of 2012. The Orioles did not have a set rotation in September of 2012. Steve Johnson would get a start here and there and go back to the bullpen. Zach Britton made a few stars. Buck was able to give extra rest to Chen and Gonzalez and push guys back to match up with certain teams. I think Tillman, Norris Gausman and Chen will be the ones that stay on turn more or less. And Buck will then use Gonzalez in both the bullpen and starting. I can see Jimenez being skipped and trying to match him up and possibly even see him in the pen.

The other question with Jimenez coming back is who gets sent down? It would appear that either T.J. McFarland or Brad Brach would be the logical choices. They both have options but both have pitched well out of the bullpen. Could the sending down of either of them end up hurting the pen with a rotation that may be filtering guys in and out of the pen and rotation? I think as long as the starters continue to pitch the way they have been that losing Brach or McFarland won't hurt too much as they have been more long relief pitchers anyway. All in all, having too many pitchers is a good problem to have. Hopefully the Jimenez othe Indians got last year during the stretch run  shows up for the Orioles starting today.

-Matt Baggette, @mlb930