Thursday Thoughts: The Emergence of Dylan Bundy

This is a weekly column that dives into eight random thoughts about the Orioles/MLB. Why eight? It’s a nod to Cal Ripken Jr. of course. That, and doing 2,632 of these would be a little overboard. – A.S.

1. So, that Dylan Bundy sure can pitch, right? The 23-year-old has now made four starts and three of them have looked really, really good. In my eyes, Bundy has already surpassed Kevin Gausman as the young pitcher I’m most excited to watch.

That’s not really a slight against Gausman, either. That’s how it was supposed to be all along. Bundy was always the more highly-touted prospect when considering both were healthy. Watching Bundy now shows us why. He’s got sneaky potential to be a secret weapon down the stretch for the Orioles.

2. There is one element to Bundy’s emergence as a starter that has me nervous, and that’s his innings. The Orioles appear to be saying all the right things when it comes to a cap on Bundy, but the math doesn’t work out. If they really believe he can continue to start and stay under his innings limit, calculators in the warehouse must be broken.

That said, I’ve never really seen any definitive proof that holding a firm innings limit can prevent further injuries to pitchers. Protecting Bundy is obviously of high importance, but the O’s are also in a position where they don’t have a ton of other great options as starters.

I’ve seen comparisons to the Blue Jays’ Aaron Sanchez, but they are different situations and different players. Toronto is going about things differently than the O’s by moving Sanchez back into the bullpen. This are all moving parts and things can change on a dime.

This will be something to watch closely down the stretch.

Craig Landefeld/GulfBird Photo

3. We might be reaching that starting point of being nervous about Brad Brach. In his last five outings, Brach has allowed four runs, three earned. I’m not sure if Brach is showing fatigue (like just about everyone would at this time of year) or if something is mechanically off, but it is concerning. Brach had a spectacular first half of the season, as evidenced by his All-Star nod.

His ERA has only jumped up to 1.27 across his last few outings, so it’s not like there’s much to complain about. But if things keep trending the way they are trending, there will be. It’s nice to have Darren O’Day back, but the O’s will need Brach down the stretch as well if they want to be competitive.

4. I really have no idea what to expect when Wade Miley makes his Orioles debut. Miley certainly might help the Orioles, but he could also make them look foolish for even trying with him. It’s a sad state of affairs in Birdland when we all sit back and recognize that Miley makes this rotation much better.

If nothing else, he gives them the depth to move some pieces around, and he’s a lefty. If Miley can pitch like he has in four of his last five starts, he’ll be great. If he pitches like he has throughout basically the rest of his career, he’ll only be another piece to a muddy pitching puzzle for the O’s.

5. Steve Pearce is back, and I seem to be one of the only people in Birdland that isn’t jumping for joy. It’s nothing against Pearce, at all. I like him and am happy to see him in black and orange once again. But this could’ve happened last winter. As I wrote in our Knee-Jerk Reactions this week, it’s one of the more perplexing moves I’ve seen. Pearce can play, but why was it necessary to give something up to get him? The O’s could’ve spent what the Rays did to keep Pearce this offseason.

That idea wouldn’t have been so crazy then. Perhaps Jonah Heim was never going to make it as a catcher for the Orioles. But no one knows that. The Orioles’ propensity to continually give away pieces is baffling.

Whether it’s prospects or draft picks, the Orioles don’t seem to have a real grip on – or interest in – building a farm system.

Craig Landefeld/GulfBird Photo

6. I’ve been one to question what exactly Pedro Alvarez “does here” when it comes to his place on the Orioles, but he’s proven me wrong of late.

Boy, Pedro Alvarez has been a bit frustrating to watch this season. Really thought that would be a nice signing.

— Andrew Stetka (@AStetka) July 21, 2016

I’ll eat a little crow on this one. El Toro has been tearing the cover off the baseball over the last few weeks, and it’s given a lifeless offense at least something to stand on. I don’t know exactly what Pearce’s acquisition means for Alvarez’s playing time down the stretch, but if he continues to hit the way he has, there’s no way he can be kept out of the lineup.

Luckily one hits from the left side of the plate and the other from the right, so there are platoon possibilities here.

7. If I had one takeaway from the trade deadline, it was that the AL East got tougher for the Orioles.

The Yankees absolutely crushed it and the Red Sox did the smart thing by not giving up the farm. New York was in the unique position to be a seller, and didn’t waste it. Brian Cashman has been viewed in years past as perhaps a bit overrated as a GM. He has a massive payroll and has always been able to have the freedom to do what he wants. But convincing the Steinbrenner family to be sellers has to be one of his greater feats. I think it proves that Cashman is very good at what he does. The Yankees now have a top-5, perhaps top-3 in the eyes of some, farm system. They may stink the rest of this year, but they have set themselves up nicely for the future.

Boston on the other hand could’ve given away players like Yoan Moncada and Andrew Benintendi in a possible deal for Chris Sale, but didn’t. I’m not saying getting Sale would’ve been a bad move, but the Red Sox remain a top-10 system because they maintained the course. I long for the day when the O’s have a strong farm system like that.

8. Watching Brian Matusz pitch on a national stage this past Sunday night was sufficiently awkward. I don’t think the Chicago Cubs believed what the media was portraying they believed. Joe Maddon saw enough of Matusz in the AL East to know that he wasn’t some reclamation project for the Cubbies. They weren’t showcasing him for a possible trade. No one wanted Matusz in a deal, even if he was a throw-in. He was never the second coming of Jake Arrieta.

For Matusz, it may be nearing the end. He never figured it out after showing some decent life as a left-handed relief specialist once upon a time. For all of the strange moves the O’s have made this season (I’m looking at you, Miguel Gonzalez), Matusz appears to have been the right one.