Steve Davis: 6 Man Rotation For O's?
Buck threw out that possibility --or even likelihood-- when Johan Santana gets called up, presumably in 2 weeks, that the Orioles could switch into a 6-man rotation for a period of time.
Let's pretend this was Dave Tremblay or Lee Mazzilli throwing out this idea; we'd be killing the manager for this. Because it is Buck, he gets some leeway and the benefit of the doubt that this could be a great idea. I am not convinced that adding another potentially average pitcher makes the Orioles rotation better.
I understand the premise. Orioles starters aren't pitching deep enough into games, so give them more rest and maybe they will go longer.
However, I doubt that will be the case. Miguel Gonzales seems to benefit from extra rest, but a lot of pitchers don't like the extra rest. In addition, I am skeptical that Santana will be an upgrade. This is not the old Santana. Sure, maybe they can try it for a short period of time and see who it helps, who it hurts, and if anyone separates themselves from the pack in a good or bad way.
At the end of the day, I still think the Orioles will end up with a conventional 5 man rotation.
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