Duquette's goal with the pitching depth he's built

[Jordan Tuwiner]

After watching Duquette's interview with The Sun, I think it's clear what he's going to do with the rotation.

He said he wants to keep the young pitchers in the minors until they are 100% ready. He stated that in past years the young pitchers have been forced to the majors, but that the depth this year is going to allow them to develop properly in the minors.

I believe regardless of what happens in Spring Training, Brian Matusz, Jake Arrieta, Chris Tillman, etc. are going to the minors.

Not that most weren't saying this already, but we're most likely looking at a rotation of Wada, Chen, Hammel, Hunter, Britton.

I do think we'll eventually see Wada and Hunter shifted to the bullpen if they struggle or if/when Matusz and Arrieta earn a promotion.

[Don]

Quality depth was important to this organization. The need to have an arm in the bullpen, or AAA that could come into the rotation because of injury or ineffectiveness will allow the team to stay competitive. It beats being forced to pick up a street free agent or someone who is DFAed at some point during the summer months.

[TuckerBlair89]

Quality depth was important to this organization. The need to have an arm in the bullpen, or AAA that could come into the rotation because of injury or ineffectiveness will allow the team to stay competitive. It beats being forced to pick up a street free agent or someone who is DFAed at some point during the summer months.

which is exactly what happened last season with jakubauskas and jo-Jo reyes.

Depth was a huge need this year. While they might not have better talent, they still have arms to fall back on when pitchers' falter.

[thezeroes]

I was wondering if the Orioles will set back the Arbitration Clock, Super Two Status Availability, and Innings Worked of Britton by putting him a AAA until some point in May???

They wanted to last year but with the injury to Matusz, they were forced into moving him up to the parent club early. His brief stint when opted back to Norfolk on July 9 to July 30 did not set him back on his "Clock" so this option for the club still remains. He has little to prove at Norfolk but they could monitor his innings better there than at Baltimore along with allowing the ball club the extra year of service time before "Arbitration".

[osforlife]

I would still like Wada to be a swing man and Arrieta make the rotation but we'll see. I like what DD is doing.

[ofahn]

This is a rare, legitimate WIN - WIN situation. If the kids start the season in AAA we get the chance to allow the veterans to prove themselves so we can build trade value for the good ones and DFA the rest. With each move, one of the kids can move up. For the first time in a loooonnnnggg time our young players will have to face the fact that playing in the majors is a PRIVILEGE, not a right. Maybe they'll LISTEN to the coaches at AAA this time.

[A_K]

I think it's important to define the upside of this plan, in both the short and long term.

In the short term, I'd say there essentially is no upside. If all of the new additions perform to the best of their ability and hold a spot all year, we're likely to be looking at, at best, a marginal improvement of a few wins over last season. We'd certainly still be a below-.500 team.

In the long term, the upside is more clear, but also more unlikely. If the depth afforded by the new additions truly allows the young pitchers the time they need to develop in the minors, and they go on to crack the rotation after the all-star break or next spring before becoming viable, 3+ WAR starting pitchers for the rest of their careers, the moves will have been highly successful and extremely cost effective. But what are the chances that happens? Seems to me the hope that Dana Evelend will allow Brian Matusz to become a better pitcher is comparable to last year's misguided notion that the veteran presence of Vlad Guerrero and Derrick Lee would mean a career year for Markakis. Isn't it generally the case that players succeed or fail on their own merits?

[ofahn]

If all of the new additions perform to the best of their ability and hold a spot all year

If the new additions NEED to hold spots all year then we have SERIOUS problems.

IMO the new guys are just place holders until DD feels the kids are ready. I would expect to see promotions beginning in late May, and at least Britton, Arietta, and Matusz being productive members of the rotation by July. If that's the case then we have a chance at a .500 season or better.

The best case scenario would be that the new guys pitch well enough during their short rotation stay to garner a modest or better return we trade them.

[CSPitt17130]

Seems to me the hope that Dana Evelend will allow Brian Matusz to become a better pitcher is comparable to last year's misguided notion that the veteran presence of Vlad Guerrero and Derrick Lee would mean a career year for Markakis. Isn't it generally the case that players succeed or fail on their own merits?

This isn't the same thing at all. Duquette wants Matusz and the others to go back to AAA until they've completely gone through the entire development process and not be given a spot in the rotation just because there's no one there that's a better option. He believes they all need more minor league seasoning and that they were rushed to the big league rotation. That's different than thinking that Markakis will have a career year at the age of 27 by taking the pressure off him by batting him second and placing "legitimate" big league hitters directly behind him in the order.

[Zach]

More importantly neither of those players were pushing Markakis for his spot on the Major League roster. They were not competition for him, but rather supposed to be complimentary pieces.

[Old Sneakers]

Honestly when I think back on the disastrous 2009 rotation I am perfectly pleased with the number of options this year. I do not expect it to be "Thrilling" by any means. However, seeing options on players like Chris Tillman and Brian Matusz wasted (as has been) is foolish.

I think Arrieta and Britton both deserve rotation slots this year, but I am ok if one or both end up starting out in AAA.