Over the past several years, the Orioles have had modest success with the Rule 5 draft. Ryan Flaherty has been with the team the past four years. TJ McFarland has spent time with the big club and is currently in the Norfolk starting rotation.
This year, the Orioles picked up Jason Garcia in the Rule 5 draft. Garcia had never pitched above A-ball. This season, he’s pitched in 4 games out of the bullpen, compiling a 6.43 ERA. He has hit two batters in seven innings pitched and started the brewhaha Tuesday night when he threw behind Jose Bautista.
Garcia may be a great talent and may make it in the majors but right now, the Orioles cannot afford to keep him. Over the past couple seasons, Buck Showalter has been credited with his masterful use of the bullpen. But this year the ‘pen is made up of veterans who don’t have any options left. It would be hard to make a move without putting a player on waivers. The starting rotation hasn’t done the bullpen any favors, either. Through 16 games, the Orioles have three quality starts. The bullpen is taxed and the team doesn’t have a day off until next Thursday (4/30).
I understand that building up the farm system and using the Rule 5 draft is how the Orioles build the team. Signing big name free-agents what isn’t what the O’s do, but with 10 pending free-agents, the time for this team to win is now. Dan Duquette needs to do everything he can to have the O’s be the “last team standing in October” as Buck likes to say.
That might mean letting go of Garcia to free up a roster spot for some help in the bullpen.
2 Responses
get rid of Davis and Hunter ,then you will have room!
1 IP 2k 0h 0bb 0er for Garcia last night. He was throwing 94. The last guy in the bullpen is there to eat garbage innings and Garcia is more than capable. Just because the fan base is wetting their pants in April doesn’t mean Garcia should be thrown into the volcano. TJ Macfarland won’t save the season.