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. The impending return of Kevin Gausman should have Orioles fans jazzed up. Gausman made a rehab start at Norfolk last night and struck out nine over 5.2 innings of three-run ball. Having Gausman back in the majors will help to solidify a rotation that is hanging on right now. The O’s starters have not given the team the innings it craves. Gausman has a lot of expectations on his shoulders, especially with what we’ve seen thus far.
There’s also something to be said for Gausman slotting in that will also help decide the fifth starter. Mike Wright and Vance Worley have filled in thus far, but changes are on the way.
Brian Matusz throws in Sarasota.” width=”728″ height=”485″ />
GulfBird Sports/Craig Landefeld
2. The return of Gausman is going to cause a bit of a roster shuffle in the coming week. Not only is he making his way back, but Brian Matusz is doing the same. More on him in a moment. When these two pitchers return, it’s going to cause two others to head out. That’s where things get messy. Obviously, Wright or Worley is going to be moved out of the rotation to make room for Gausman. My immediate thought is that Worley is moved to the bullpen, and I don’t think they will look to dump him because he’d have to be passed through waivers. Someone would claim him.
In my eyes T.J. McFarland is the most likely to be optioned to make room, despite the fact that Buck Showalter enjoys having him around to back up an all right-handed rotation. After that, it’s anyone’s guess who gets shuttled to Norfolk. Tyler Wilson and Mychal Givens are possibilities, but both have pitched well. Wright is also an option, but then you’d need another starter.
Does Wright get optioned and Wilson take over that role? Much will happen in the coming days, stay tuned.
3. When it comes to Matusz, I’m somewhat bothered yet not at all shocked to see the Orioles stretching him out over multiple innings. He’s expected to be activated Saturday after throwing four innings in a stint at Frederick this week. I don’t know what the future for Matusz is beyond this year, but I’m tired of the played out narrative that he’s going to be a starter one day. Perhaps he will, but I don’t see it happening with the Orioles. To me, he’s nothing more than a situational lefty reliever.
If they want to use him for full innings or maybe even two-inning stretches, that’s fine. Just know that the other way to describe that is “playing with fire.”
4. There continue to be rumors swirling around the O’s and Kyle Lohse. Count me out, but if Dan Duquette wants to take a chance on the guy with a minor-league deal, there’s nothing to lose. That’s reportedly what the Birds have offered him, and he’s holding out for something better. Lohse had an awful 2015 campaign with Milwaukee, posting a 5.85 ERA with 22 starts.
Yovani Gallardo throws for the Orioles.” width=”728″ height=”485″ />
GulfBird Sports/Craig Landefeld
The fact that the Orioles are even sniffing around this guy just shows what little they did this offseason to solve the issue of their rotation. They replaced Wei-Yin Chen with Yovani Gallardo, and that’s it. Not a lot of action there. I don’t sense much happening with Lohse either.
5. I glanced at the schedule the Orioles are facing over the next few weeks and realized how tough it is. Facing the Blue Jays this week, the O’s will take on the defending champions from Kansas City this weekend. They then get another shot at the Rays down in St. Petersburg next week before hosting a red-hot White Sox team. After that it’s a look at the Yankees in the first full week of May.
It’s not going to let up for the O’s, especially in the division. We’ve covered that a bit in this very space, but it’s no secret that they’ll need to scrape up every win they can to have a shot in the AL East this season.
6. If you missed the outstanding Fox Sports piece on Rafael Palmeiro this week, I highly suggest you give it a read. His was a name I hadn’t thought about a whole lot over the years, but this feature really hit me in the feels. Palmeiro was one of my favorite players growing up, and one of the best players of all-time. There’s no arguing that. He may not have the name recognition of Willie Mays, Eddie Murray and Hank Aaron, but at the time he was the only player to join those three in the 500 Home Run AND 3,000 Hit Clubs (Alex Rodriguez has since added his name to the list).
What I was surprised to see following the release of the article, was the reaction. I read many comments that expressed the, “that’s what he gets for cheating” vibe. I don’t think that’s fair. As you’ll read in the article, Palmeiro has battled demons since he was shunned from the game that once gave him so much. No one deserves to be mocked for that.
I don’t know for sure whether or not he actually used any performance-enhancing drugs during his career, but that really shouldn’t matter when you talk about a man’s well-being. I was discouraged to see the reaction by some that believe Palmeiro is getting what’s coming to him. I wouldn’t wish the things he appears to be going through on anyone. It’s important to remember that he didn’t assault or murder anyone. He didn’t steal money from the poor or prevent a solution to world hunger.
He was a baseball player. He was a Hall of Fame baseball player. And now, like many others from his era, he’s dealing with the aftermath of a career that didn’t end how he thought it would.
7. Former Orioles pitcher Milt Pappas passed away this week at the age of 76. Best known as the man the O’s traded to acquire Frank Robinson, Pappas was more than that. He won more than 200 games and was a two-time All-Star who, from everything I’ve read, didn’t want to be remembered as the guy who was the subject of the worst trade in Cincinnati Reds history.
If you’re a sucker for baseball history like I am, you’ll also notice that Pappas is the only player ever to lose a perfect game by walking the 27th hitter he faced. Pappas put up great numbers in nine seasons with the O’s, and was perhaps the first great pitcher in team history. That was until Jim Palmer came along of course.
Hopefully Pappas can be remembered for more than being the center of the best trade in Orioles history. May he rest in peace.
8. Finally this week, in the category of “are we really doing this again?” Natty Boh is apparently out at Camden Yards, which has so many people up in arms. I’m still not really sure why. It’s not like you can’t drink Natty Boh anywhere. It’s still very much available to buy around Baltimore, not that I’m sure why you’d want to. The beer doesn’t taste very good at all.
As someone who lives out of town, I enjoy a Boh when I come back into town only because I don’t drink it any other time, but that’s the ONLY reason. It’s a nostalgia thing, nothing more. I’ll be back in Baltimore for next Thursday’s game against the White Sox and I won’t miss the fact that I can’t drink a Boh one bit.
There are much better tasting beers that can be had at the stadium that are actually from local brewers. Go drink those. Stop bellyaching about not being able to drink a poor-tasting beer.
