We have reached the point in spring training where I am refreshing every weather website ten times a day to see what the outlook will be for Monday. That’s how close we are to Opening Day. However, with the start of the regular season days away, the Orioles still have questions to be answered.
STARTING ROTATION
Miguel Gonzalez struggled this spring and most thought he was pitching for his job on Tuesday night. Gonzalez answered the bell, but apparently that wasn’t good enough. The Orioles decided to part ways with a pitcher who has been a part of the big league team since 2012. Not many saw that coming and it now brings up the question, where do the Orioles go from here?
Kevin Gausman is expected to miss the first two weeks of the season which is about two turns through the rotation. Buck Showalter says he knows what the rest of the rotation will be like after Chris Tillman, Yovani Gallardo and Ubaldo Jimenez, but he is just waiting to make the announcement.
Its apparent Mike Wright and Tyler Wilson will get the first crack, but Showalter made it known Vance Worley is still competing for one of the last two spots. We have been surprised before, but it’s hard to imagine Worley winning a spot. Regardless, the last two starters will have to impress in their starts as one will be demoted when Gausman returns.
The frustration of this is that the rotation was a huge weakness last season and remains the biggest question mark heading into 2016. We’re going to be watching fireworks all season long by the offense, and it’s becoming clearer the same can be said of the rotation.
LINEUP
Showalter has tinkered with the lineup every game in spring training and I have a feeling it will be like that throughout the regular season. Buck loves splitting up the righties and lefties in the lineup, but it will be difficult to do that all the time. He has experimented with Pedro Alvarez and Matt Wieters in the second slot, but I’m not sure how realistic that is.
Joey Rickard has had a great spring, but no one knows if that will translate once the regular season begins and Showalter may not be comfortable using a rookie at the top of the order to start the year.
I’m as curious as everyone how Buck will construct this lineup on an everyday basis. Regardless, we know this team will score their share of runs throughout the year.
BULLPEN
The bullpen once again will be lock down, but there are still some questions as to how it is filled out. The locks: Zach Britton, Darren O’Day, Brad Brach, Mychal Givens, Dylan Bundy. That leaves two spots with Brian Matusz starting the season on the disabled list. The O’s have to find a way to get left-handers in the bullpen with an all-righty starting rotation.
T.J. McFarland figures to be in the bullpen and recently acquired Zach Phillips will more than likely hold down Matusz’s spot until he returns.
With Bundy proving he can pitch two innings this spring and his arm responding, this bullpen should once again have plenty of depth to cover up the starting rotation deficiencies for most of the season.
