Baltimore Orioles: Is it time to demote Kevin Gausman to the minors?
By Kyle Cardoza
The Baltimore Orioles’ pitching staff has been a notch below terrible this season, and it doesn’t look like it will make a U-turn anytime soon. Considering that the team is essentially out of contention, Kevin Gausman might see a change of scenery.
Kevin Gausman was on track.
The Baltimore Orioles’ pitcher gradually improved after being promoted to the big leagues in 2013. He faced rough stretches in his first few years, but broke out in 2016 after posting a 3.61 ERA with a 174/47 strikeout-to-walk ratio.
Gausman has looked nothing like the pitcher he was last year, and now he might be demoted because of it.
Manager Buck Showalter’s leash for Gausman has become shorter and shorter, yet the veteran skipper still hasn’t cut him loose. Even after compiling a dreadful 6.39 ERA – worst in the entire MLB – and 1.79 WHIP, the 26-year-old hurler remains in the rotation.
If the Orioles had better options, the former LSU-product likely would have been sent down to Triple-A months ago, or at least to the bullpen. But considering that the team still has Wade Miley and Ubaldo Jimenez in the rotation and a slim number of pitching prospects, he could stay with the club for the remainder of the year.
If this was a top organization, Gausman would've been riding a bus in AAA a month ago. But they have no other arms and are delusional
— BMore Opinionated (@BMOShowPod) July 15, 2017
The right-hander has shown his potential and has added new pitches to his arsenal, but it hasn’t helped. Players are still hitting .323 against him, with his only somewhat effective pitch being his splitter so far.
Gausman has accumulated just five quality starts in 20 attempts. If that statistic doesn’t define the type of season he’s had, I don’t know what will.
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There’s still the option to send the young pitcher down to boost his confidence. He never had trouble in the minors, and with Baltimore declaring themselves sellers at the deadline, there aren’t many reasons why he should remain in the rotation if he’s getting shelled.
Opposing hitters have pummeled the Orioles’ starting staff all season. Baltimore sports the worst team ERA, as starting pitchers have combined for a 5.95 ERA. The only starter with any promise whatsoever has been Dylan Bundy, who would probably be a back-end starter on a contending team.
Orioles’ starters with more than 10 starts (ERA/WHIP/BAA)
Dylan Bundy: 4.33/1.25/.251
Wade Miley: 5.40/1.80/.298
Kevin Gausman: 6.39/1.79/.323
Ubaldo Jimenez: 7.25/1.61/.258
Chris Tillman: 7.90/2.14/.362
Somehow, the squad is still just five games behind the Rays and Yankees for the second Wild Card spot. It seems like Showalter has thrown in the towel for 2017, although the team still possesses trade bait, including a handful of relievers, headed by southpaw Zach Britton.
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Baltimore will be heading into rebuild mode for the rest of the season, and maybe even for the next few seasons. If they plan on keeping Kevin Gausman around for the long run, maybe a trip to the minors will do more good than having him stay in the rotation.