Baltimore Orioles: Get Ready For Another Dose Of Dan Straily

Should the Baltimore Orioles continue moving pitchers at the trade deadline, expect to see Dan Straily return to help fill the void.

On Tuesday evening, Andrew Cashner climbed the bump to take on the Toronto Blue Jays, something he has done a handful of times recently. This time, he wasn’t wearing the black and orange of the Baltimore Orioles, but instead toed the rubber for his first outing as a member of the Boston Red Sox after he was shipped north for two teenage position player prospects.

It was only a matter of time before Cashner was moved, especially after his big first-half performance which saw him post nine wins and a 3.83 ERA in 17 starts for the Orioles. I know, pitching win and losses don’t mean much in terms of evaluating a pitcher, but to pick up nine wins on a team with 28 total wins in 93 games is pretty impressive. Based on recent reports and rumors, it’s likely that Cashner won’t be the last pitcher dealt before the July 31st MLB trade deadline.

As recently reported, the Philadelphia Phillies are interested in both Dylan Bundy and Mychal Givens, while the Washington Nationals, Atlanta Braves, San Diego Padres, and Arizona Diamondbacks appear to be interested in Givens, as well. For teams who aren’t able to land the big relievers on the market, such as Kirby Yates, Will Smith, or other high-profile arms, a pitcher like Mychal Givens could be the next target, at a much lower price.

No one on the roster is untouchable and if Mike Elias is offered a deal he can’t pass up, he’s not likely to be too concerned about how it impacts the 2019 pitching staff and their historically bad numbers.

Even if no one is moved, there is sure to be more shuffling as it’s unlikely Tom Eshelman, Asher Wojciechowski, Aaron Brooks, and Gabriel Ynoa successfully navigate through the final two-plus months of the season. The Orioles are going to need help, unfortunately, there isn’t much available down in the minors (arms who aren’t rising prospects who should be kept far away from Camden Yards in 2019).

Sure, there’s Chandler Shepherd, who the Baltimore Orioles claimed off waivers from the Chicago Cubs a few weeks ago. He’s 0-7 with an 8.08 ERA and 1.90 WHIP across 59 AAA innings this season. He doesn’t typically walk a lot of guys and his strikeout numbers are decent, but his stuff has been hit hard on a routine basis with the Tides. There’s also RHP Tyler Herb, a minor league veteran acquired in return for outfielder Mike Yastrzemski in a trade with the San Francisco Giants earlier this season. Both may see time, neither show much promise as major league contributors, although Herb does flash occasional potential when he’s able to command his pitches and use his sometimes-impressive breaking repertoire.

While new faces would be fun to watch, you have to imagine that a familiar face gets another opportunity with the big league squad in the near future. In case you forgot, or pushed it out of your memory, Dan Straily is still in the organization after being designated for assignment back on June 20th.

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Since he accepted an assignment to Triple-A Norfolk, Straily has made four starts and has been…impressive. Put it this way, I’ve watched each of his starts without cringing uncontrollably. Averaging just north of 5 IP/GS, Straily owns a 3.00 ERA and 1.00 WHIP for the Tides, striking out 24 International League hitters and walking just four. In his short time in Norfolk, Straily’s groundball rate is nearing career-high levels, his home run rate has been slashed from 4.15/9 IP to 1.71 HR/IP, and his walk rate has dropped from 4.15/9 IP to 1.71/9 IP.

Yes, those are Triple-A numbers, but the effects of the juiced baseball have reached Triple-A and offense both in the International and Pacific Coast Leagues are approaching, or have already surpassed, record numbers. I have been as hard on Straily as anyone, even boycotting watching any game he made a start in when he was at the major league level, but credit where credit is due. Straily has pitched well since his demotion and is doing everything he can to earn another shot.

While I wish we were discussing other news other than a potential return of Dan Straily, we are talking about the 2019 Baltimore Orioles. Brandon Hyde wanted Straily to stay in the organization after being DFA’d, and he did. Now let’s see if Straily can salvage his reputation after an abysmal first-half to the season.

Should the Baltimore Orioles continue moving pitchers at the trade deadline, expect to see Dan Straily return to help fill the void.

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