Hill, Wieters Succeeding in Unexpected Ways

Well I am back from my two-week hiatus, and I wish I could say it felt like forever. However, I just couldn’t let Falco and Windsor flail around on their own on this thing, could I? With the O’s getting hot and the young guns mowing down batters as of late, this is just the perfect time for me to jump in and talk some baseball. As for last night’s game against the Mariners…

1-0? Not exactly what any of us expected out of these 2009 Orioles, but I suppose they haven’t done much but surprise us in the small ways that do just enough to keep a fan base interested but not quite enough to take the leap we all expect them to make in 2010. With David Hernandez, Jason Berken, and Brad Bergesen in the starting rotation it is easy to forget about what could become the best acquisition the Orioles made in this offseason- Rich Hill. I won’t rehash Hill’s incredible 2007 success and his “rising star” status in the majors before he came crashing down to Earth in 2008, but it seems as though there couldn’t have been a better spot for the former Cubs’ starter. He has put his complete trust and confidence in Baltimore’s pitching coaches Rick Kranitz and Alan Dunn and it has paid off. After two solid (albeit short) outings to start the season, and one early yank at the hands of the Blue Jays, Hill found his groove against the Mariners last night, pitching 7 innings (one of the longest any starter has gone this season for Baltimore) and allowing only 2 hits. Most importantly, he walked just three batters- this time last year he was throwing wilder than Daniel Cabrera. Hill knows that he needs this group of coaches and this organization to succeed. The Orioles know that a composed and effective Rich Hill does wonders for the starting rotation. It may be one game, but it could be a sign that this pitcher is regaining his front-end-starter form.

It was reported that Wieters would be DHing last night, so it was a pleasant surprise when the rookie catcher got behind the plate. While his bat may not be catching up to major league pitching just yet (2-15), I have been impressed with his ability to handle pitchers thus far. Granted, he has gotten to catch for Jeremy Guthrie, but the numbers don’t lie. In his starts behind the plate (and the Orioles last 4 games including Zaun's catching on Sunday), Orioles starters have had a 1.93 ERA compared to 5.13 overall (28th in the majors and 2nd to last in the American League). Moreover, Wieters is doing an excellent job of blocking the plate, which was on display when I was able to see him on Saturday. Will this continue at this pace? Of course not, and I am sure that he has a long way to go in handling pitchers- that is the part of his game that always needs work as a young catcher. He may not be starting the way O’s fans would like with his bat, but for now he appears well ahead of schedule with his glove.

It seems as though Erik Bedard has rediscovered the talent that made him such an attractive trade piece in 2008, bringing the Orioles Sherrill, Jones, and Chris Tillman in return for the leftie. His 2.48 ERA is good for 4th in the American League, and he is no longer harping at his manager or refusing to throw more than 100 pitches in a game. It will be intriguing to watch what happens tonight when the Seattle starter goes up against his old team for the first time (he was injured and his rotation spot was not up the last two series’ these teams played). Bedard has not allowed more than 3 runs in any start this season- and he is going up against David Hernandez, who was excellent in his solitary start this season. Veteran ace vs. a rookie who probably should still be in AAA? Let’s hope the Orioles bats are louder tonight than they were yesterday.

He's Back.......Erik Bedard against O's on Tuesday in Seattle

For the first time since the infamous trade that dealt him to Seattle in 2008, Erik Bedard will be facing the Orioles on Tuesday. It has been over 15 months since the deal. The game is in Seattle. Bedard had normally been out when scheduled against the Orioles last season.

The big deal had the Orioles shearing a lot of the sheep of the Mariners. Among the players sent to Baltimore included Adam Jones, the future star centerfielder, George Sherill, the Orioles closer, and Chris Tillman, a current top prospect and bigtime starting pitcher in the farm system.

This year, Bedard has been showing his stuff of old. In his nine starts he has fanned 54 batters with just 15 walks and a 2.48 ERA. But he is facing similar problems when he was with Baltimore; he has a 3-2 record. Very often he is not getting run support. But he is still showing his stuff.

This is quite the reunion between Bedard and the Orioles. Bedard did not seem happy in Charm City, especially in his final year with the O's. After Andy MacPhail got here, he needed to rebuild the farm system, and with Bedard being a relatively low paid pitcher with the possibility of being an ace, the O's shopped him around and found a suitor in Seattle. MacPhail also traded Miguel Tejada, but this deal was the headliner. When asked about the game today, Bedard told the media, "Seeing the guys again, I'll try not to laugh."

This is also a reunion for the other traded players. Seattle was an extremely disappointing team last season, and Adam Jones and Chris Tillman were two of the best prospects in the system that were lost in the trade. Though Tillman is still in the minors, Jones has been shining for the O's. But him coming back more is the reminder of last season. Last year Seattle was supposed to compete in the American League, and the acquiring of Bedard was supposed to push them over the top. Instead, despite a large payroll, the team lost over 100 games as saw the firings of GM Bill Bavasi and manager John McLaren. Though it happened yesterday and not today with Bedard pitching, in some ways it was just as important.

David Hernandez will be on the mound for the Orioles. After a huge game from Rich Hill on Monday, the Orioles look for the series win today. But the reunion between the two is finally here. It should be an interesting game.

(Photo credit: Baltimore Sun)

Looking Back: 2008 Orioles Trades

The Orioles went absent from this year's trade deadline, which isn't entirely surprising. Earlier, George Sherrill seemed to peak some team's interest, but MacPhail's wanting a future shortstop halted most talks. Perhaps the struggle to sign 2008 5th round pick Gregory Miclat had something to do with that (he is finalizing a deal soon, Windsor I expect a Prospect Report on him before the year ends!). But, let's take a stroll down memory lane and take a look at the Orioles trades this year and see how they worked out.
(Note: all pictures show players from their former teams)

December 11th, 2007: Orioles trade shortstop Miguel Tejada (left) to the Houston Astros for outfielder Luke Scott (middle), pitcher Dennis Sarfate (right), pitcher Matt Albers, pitcher Troy Patton, and third baseman Mike Costanzo.

The reasons: All right, I'm cheating by a month, but it mainly affected 2008. Tejada supposedly wanted out of Baltimore and his value had gone way down since two years before. Two days before he'd be named in the Mitchell Report, Tejada was traded to the Houston Astros for five players. The Orioles big land was Troy Patton, a possible future star pitcher.

Results: Often trades don't work out for both teams, but this trade seemed to. Though Patton got hurt before serious work, the Birds found usefulness in three other players. Scott has been a fan favorite as the primary left fielder, Sarfate has been a solid reliever in the new bullpen, and Albers was a solid long reliever before his season-ending injury. Despite controversies with his age and steroids, Tejada became an All-Star shortstop for the Astros. Everybody wins on this deal.


January 2, 2008: Orioles give cash to Philadelphia Phillies for centerfielder Chris Roberson.

The reasons: Don't worry if you never heard about this, Roberson was on the Phillies Triple-A club. The Orioles were trying to rebuild their farm system before the season's start, and Roberson's decent play when up in the majors briefly must have enticed MacPhail. The Phillies got cash for Roberson.

Results: Baltimore getting Adam Jones the next month would nullify the need for a future centerfielder. Though he has had decent success with the Norfolk Tides, 28-year-old Roberson isn't expected to be a big part of the Orioles future.















February 8th, 2008: Orioles trade ace Erik Bedard (left) to Seattle Mariners for outfielder Adam Jones (center), and pitchers George Sherrill (right), Chris Tillman, Tony Butler, and Kam Mickolio.

The reasons: The Orioles, still trying to rebuild the farm system with solid future prospects, were trying to deal Erik Bedard, a low paid lefty ace that wasn't happy in Baltimore. They found a suitor in the Mariners, who were looking for a top ace for a possible race in the AL West. Seattle traded their best prospect, Adam Jones, along with four other pitchers to the Orioles. Both sides seemed happy, Seattle got their ace and the Orioles got solid future players.

Results: Jones immediately began as the Orioles centerfielder, steadily improving during the year and is a big part of their future. Sherrill took the role as closer, making to the All-Star Game and as of today saving 30 games, not to mention a fan favorite with the duckbill cap. Mickolio and Tillman have shown decent progress in the minors. As for Bedard? The Orioles seemed to have a crystal ball on this one. Though Bedard is 6-4 in 15 starts, he's constantly been on the injured list and seems to be just as unfriendly in Seattle as he was in Baltimore. Big, big, big win for the Orioles. The Mariners might still get the ace in Bedard, but it looked like they blew it on this one.

July 19th, 2008: Orioles trade infielder Mike McCoy to Colorado Rockies for infielder Juan Castro.

The reasons: With the injury of Alex Cintron and the struggles of Freddie Bynum and Luis Hernandez, the Orioles were looking for a new shortstop. Knowing they weren't going to get a star in trades, MacPhail elected for the temporary fix, trading Mike McCoy for the veteran Juan Castro.

Results: Though not showing much with the bat, 36-year-old Castro is helping out with the glove, giving strong defensive help at short, which would send Bynum out of the majors. McCoy is doing well in the Rockies farm system in his short time with the Triple-A Sky Sox (I just wanted to say Sky Sox on this blog). Neither is expected to be a huge deal, but time will tell for 27-year-old McCoy.

Overall, McPhail has done a very good job so far on trades with the Orioles. These trades have landed key pieces to the Orioles system without giving up too much. But, as we always have mentioned around here, more work needs to be done before the Orioles can be back to glory days.

(Photo credits: Minorleaguebaseball.com (Jones), MLB (Bedard, Sherill, Scott, Sarfate, Castro), ESPN (Tejada), Sportsline.ca (Roberson)