Baltimore Orioles: Disappointing Dylan Bundy era comes to end

Dylan Bundy was supposed to be the next staff ace for the Baltimore Orioles. Instead, his disappointing tenure has come to an end as he has been traded to the Los Angeles Angels.

At one point, Dylan Bundy was expected to be the next ace of the Baltimore Orioles. He was a consensus top five prospect prior to the 2013 season, a pitcher that was expected to lead the Orioles to greatness. Instead, a litany of injuries hampered his development, leaving Bundy as a back of the rotation arm instead of the ace he was expected to be.

Now, his time with the Orioles has come to an end. On Wednesday, Bundy was dealt to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for four prospects. His disappointing tenure is over.

Overall, Bundy departs Baltimore with a 38-45 record, posting a 4.67 ERA and a 1.330 WHiP. Over his 641.1 innings, he struck out 602 batters while issuing 206 walks. Bundy has been bitten by the home run ball over his career, as he has allowed 114 homers, including a league leading 41 long balls in 2018.

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Even with those struggles, this is a solid move for the Angels. Their rotation had been decimated by injuries last year, as they became the first team in a century to not have a single pitcher make at least 20 starts. Bundy, meanwhile, has been relatively healthy in each of the past three years, making a total of 89 starts in that time. He also comes with two years of team control, making him far more than a rental.

On the Baltimore side, the return has to be somewhat disappointing. Only Kyle Bradish ranked amongst the Angels top 30 prospects, coming in at the 21st spot. Bradish appeared in 21 games in the California League, posting a 4.28 ERA and a 1.416 WHiP, striking out 120 batters, but issuing 53 walks in 101 innings.

Isaac Mattson is the only other pitcher to have seen action last season. The right handed reliever pitched at three levels, ending the season in AAA. Over his 73.1 innings, he posted a solid 2.33 ERA and a 1.009 WHiP, striking out 110 batters with just 27 walks. Given the state of the Orioles bullpen, it would not be a surprise if he got a long look in Spring Training. Kyle Brnovich and Zach Peek were both selected in the 2019 MLB Draft, and were rested by the Angels organization.

This deal could work out in the Orioles favor. If Bradish can harness his stuff, he could end up being a solid middle of the rotation option for Baltimore. Mattson could slot in as a respectable setup man. Peek and Brnovich each have one excellent offering, but need time to develop. However, at this point, given what Bundy was supposed to be for the organization, the return can be viewed as disappointing.

The Dylan Bundy Era is over for the Baltimore Orioles. Maybe the return will turn out to be better than Bundy had been.