BUNDY TO START FOR ORIOLES

Dylan Bundy is a hurler I broke down just a few days ago in this Daily Trends piece. In that article I talk about how well he has pitched this year, how he was at one point one of the top pitching prospects in baseball, and how there are just no innings on his arm. Let me recall that last part of the discussion here.

2012: 105.1 innings
2013: None
2014: 41.1 innings
2015: 24.0 innings
2016: 38.0 innings

He had Tommy John surgery in 2013.

In 2015 his regular season ended early because of shoulder woes. He then had to be shut down in the Arizona Fall League after the season with a sore arm.

To sum up, after throwing 105.1 innings in 2012 he’s thrown a total of 103.1 innings in three and a half years since.

I ended that piece saying I just couldn’t see Bundy starting this season. Well, turns out I was wrong about that since Bundy will be asked to start for the Orioles Sunday against the Rays. Why was I wrong? Because the Orioles, well, they either bold face lied to us, or they simply decided to completely change their point of view with Bundy. From a report at MASN Sports.

“On June 10 in Toronto, manager Buck Showalter said this of Bundy: ‘We are hopefully going to get 60 to 75 innings out of him (this season) and be ready to go next year. The big thing we have to decide is if and when about adding his slider/cutter back. That may be next spring.”

Showalter then went on to say the following. “With Dylan, I’m not going to start pitching him back-to-back. Keep our priorities in mind with him. Not going to put him in harm’s way. Can’t get our heart ahead of our brain. Can’t think of anything worse than him not getting through the year physically (healthy). We are not going to take that chance.”

That’s what the manager of the club said a month ago. That’s what the plan has been with Bundy since the calendar flipped to 2016.

What does Bundy think is going on? After all, it is his career we’re talking about. “I haven’t heard about pushing past 80 or anything like that yet,” he said. “Haven’t really been addressed about it lately. I’m sure, come mid- to late August, we’ll talk about it again, but right now I’m happy with going with 75-80. I don’t really know yet. Maybe when we get further along in the innings, to 65 or so, you can ask that again.”

Now we get that Bundy is starting this weekend, and then there is what O’s executive vice president of baseball operations Dan Duquette is saying, in direct opposition to everything we’ve heard to this point. “I’m going to tell you something: I have been very careful with pitchers only to see them get hurt. I have been more aggressive with some and seen them pitch well,” Duquette said. “So this is not an exact science where you say you can only do this or that. There are some guidelines you can follow, but pitching is a very delicate thing and we’ll see where it goes. Very encouraged by how he has done so far.”

Bundy has thrown a total of 103.1 innings in three and a half years which includes 38 innings this season. Let me say it again… he hasn’t thrown 50 innings in any of the last three years.

Bundy is currently at 38 innings.

Given his track record I think it would be completely irresponsible to allow him to throw 100-inings this season. Completely. Maybe the bump his innings up to 85 frames, but this is Julio Urias II folks. The Orioles simply cannot increase the innings of Bundy this season by a massive amount. They can’t.

Even if he doubles what he threw in the first half he would still be just about 75-innings, the absolute upper limit they had set for him when the season began.

Let’s say he is allowed to throw 90 innings.

That’s fifty innings from now forward.

If he throws five innings a start that’s 10 starts.

That means he would still be shut down early.

Can he even throw five innings at this point? Shouldn’t we ask that question?

Bundy hasn’t thrown more than three innings in an outing this season.

In 2015 he didn’t throw more than four innings in an outing.

The last time he threw five innings in a game was July 22nd, 2014. Think about that. It’s been two years since Bundy threw five innings in a game.

Be EXCEEDINGLY CAUTIOS with your Dylan Bundy love.

RED SOX ADD A HURLER

The Red Sox needed a starting pitcher. They got their man Thursday.

Red Sox Acquire: Drew Pomeranz
Padres Acquire: Anderson Espinoza

''We think (Pomeranz) makes us better now,'' president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski said in a conference call with reporters. ''We know there's a sacrifice for the future.''

Espinoza is ranked as the 19th best prospect in baseball according to Baseball America, 73rd at Baseball Prospectus and 39th according to MLB.com. The 18 year old righty hurler has a 4.38 ERA, 1.37 WHIP and 8.5 strikeouts per nine over 17 starts at Single-A ball. He is a big time prospect, but we won’t see him for years.

Who is Pomeranz?

A 27 year old lefty, Pomeranz is coming off an All-Star first half with the Padres, Drew has a 2.47 ERA, 1.06 WHIP, 10.15 K/9 mark over 17 starts covering 102.0 innings. He’s never pitched anywhere near that level in his six MLB seasons. (1) He has never had a K/9 rate above 8.58 before. (2) His 3.62 BB/9 rate, while better than his 3.84 career mark, is still a half batter worse than the league average. (3) His .240 BABIP would be a career best and is well below his .271 career mark. His 15.1 percent line drive rate light years below his 19.1 percent mark. He’s not holding on to the rate he currently owns. (4) His 0.71 HR/9 mark would be a career best and well below his 0.94 rate. His 8.8 HR/FB ratio is two points below his 10.7 percent mark.

Now he’s in the AL East.
He’s facing the DH and not opposing pitchers.
He’s pitching in Fenway.

Two other points.

I noted the numbers above that reflect his performance this season. He’s been impressive in those 17 starts. However, look at the numbers he posted his first 49 big league starts: 4.60 ERA, 1.51 WHIP. Not good at all.

Second, and I’ve been saying this all year, where are the innings on this guy’s arm?

2011: 119
2012: 147
2013: 113
2014: 115
2015: 88
2016: 102

Where are the innings? He’s never thrown 150-innings at the big league level. He’s only thrown 120-innings one time. How is he going to hold up this season as the frames pile up? Can’t think well.

This is bad news for his fantasy outlook. I already had little interest in Pomeranz. Now my level of interest is virtually nil. For more, listen to my thoughts.

GLASNOW DEMOTED BY PIRATES

Tyler Glasnow has been sent to the minor leagues. At the same time, Pirates GM Neal Huntington said that Glasnow is certainly a “viable option” to start for the club in the second half.

Here’s what we know for now with the Pirates.

Francisco Liriano will pitch Friday, Gerrit Cole Saturday and Chad Kuhl Sunday (Cole returns from a DL stint for a strained triceps). Then it’s a crapshoot for the final two spots.

Sounds like Jeff Locke and Jonathon Niese could be candidates to be dealt, but they can also start until that happens.

Jameson Taillon is nearing a return from a DL stint for a tired shoulder.

Then there is Glasnow.

That’s four men for two rotation spots… if Kuhl sticks in the rotation. Are the Pirates really prepared to have their starting rotation filled by three rookies in Kuhl, Taillon and Glasnow?

Glasnow and Taillon are super exciting arms, but until we know they are healthy, and that they have an actual spot in the rotation, then they are nothing other than frustrating owns.

 

Ray Flowers can be heard Monday through Friday, 7 PM EDT and Friday on SiriusXM Fantasy Sports Radio (Sirius 210, XM 87). You can also hear Ray Sunday nights at 7 PM on the channel talking fantasy sports. Follow Ray’s work at Fantasy Alarm and on Twitter (@baseballguys).