Baltimore Orioles: End of the line for Mike Wright

Mike Wright was sent to triple-A following the Baltimore Orioles’ blowout loss to Toronto. What should the Birds do with Ubaldo Jimenez?

It’s tough for the Baltimore Orioles to win when Mike Wright and Ubaldo Jimenez have nights like they had last night. Wright’s line: 3.2 IP, 6 H, 8 R, 1 BB, 3 K. My thought was that Wright was being optioned after the game to begin with. However after seeing him fall apart in the fourth inning and seeing Showalter’s quick hook, that pretty much sealed it.

Wright was optioned to triple-A Norfolk after the game, most probably for a more permenant amount of time in this case. Gallardo will take his roster spot when he’s activated from the DL this afternoon. Wright gave up a three-run homer to Saunders, and a solo shot to Donaldson through the first three innings. The O’s kept things interested with RBI-singles from Machado and Trumbo, but that was somewhat of a mirage.

By the end of the fourth inning, Toronto had put 11 runs on the board through various home run balls. In the middle of the inning however, Wright was lifted and into the game went Jimenez. And the barrage continued. If anything, it got worse. The Orioles did get one run back on a Flaherty homer in the ninth, but obviously the game was well out of hand by then.

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So we know Wright’s fate beyond any shadow of a doubt. But once again, here we are asking what the Birds should do with Jimenez. I maintain that the best course of action is to literally invent an injury. Is that the most honest thing in the world to do? I suppose not. But it wouldn’t be the first time and it won’t be the last time. And every team has done something like that.

I’m also on record as saying that the Orioles can’t DFA Jimenez. Regardless of how much he’s struggled with the Orioles, someone would pick him up before he cleared waivers. It’s all but a given, and it might even be someone in the AL East. Then the O’s would literally be paying Jimenez to pitch for another team – perhaps even against them. And for the next year-and-a-half at that.

That would be a very poor fiduciary move. However at some point does it become a worse move to keep him on the roster? My personal answer to that is still no – it would be a very poor business decision to DFA Jimenez. But would you be in favor of the O’s making  a poor business decision to get him off the roster?

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This is why I say that the DL is the least of all evils. They might have to fudge a few things here and there, but it protects their investment, and if anything perhaps Jimenez can use rehabs starts to find his command. At the end of the day he’s still a professional, and you don’t want to throw a pro out there to embarrass himself every night.

Next: Baltimore Orioles: Adam Jones swings Birds into first

The Orioles will try to even the series this afternoon with Toronto. Yovani Gallardo will come off the DL and make his first start since April 22nd, and he’ll be opposed by Toronto’s R.A. Dickey. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.