nice to know you and Roch check each other's stuff out.

Any other pitchers that we already have worth blogging about?

Hey Ghost,

I don't think the rest of us need to know that they "check each other's stuff out"

Happy New Year!!!

Hayden Penn has just had some horrible luck when it comes to injuries. He's a tremendous talent though. I think he's more talented than Garret Olson and Adam Loewen and will make it to the Orioles roster as a relief pitcher.

Pete,

You've gotta be seriously concerned about the rotation. You shot down the idea of Pettite and Sheets, who would you look at if you were McPhail to fill these slots and keep us competitive?

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Pete's reply: I don't know if anybody's going to make them competitive. I'd like somebody like Lowe, but he wants to play for a winner and so do most of the other pitchers who are going to have a choice.

We've been hearing about Hayden Penn for so long that most people think he's 29 by now, but he's only 24.

So yes, if he looks healthy in Spring and pitches well, he could very well find a spot in the rotation or at the very least be another long man out of the bullpen. But with his injury track record, you can't really depend on him for very long. Hopefully he breaks that trend and can stay healthy.

And if the above does happen, I am sure he would get claimed. Everybody wants cheap, young, talented pitching.

I was hoping the Orioles would have been able to get Don Veal in the Rule 5, but the Pirates took him right before the Orioles had their pick.

OK Pete, which is the more likely scenario for Hayden Penn by the end of spring Training:

A} Surgery to reattach his labrum

B} Tommy John Surgery

C} 90 days on the DL after straining his oblique hooking up his X Box 360

D} 90 days on DL after walking on a stonefish while wading

E} Makes the staff and comes North with the team

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Pete's reply: I'll go with D. I think the law of averages is on his side.

i liked what i saw of Penn a couple years ago....reminded me of a young Palmer. Long shot, but who knows?
Pete--we are desperate for starters: Jim Johnson should be one, agree?

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Pete's reply: Not necessarily. Want to see how the staff shapes up.

Pete,

Just got to this post, and have to say thank you! First post in a while that talks about current O's and potential, versus talking about over the hill never were's. Any word on Brob or Nick signing? Keep it positive and keep on the front office heels!

Hey, if Penn is healthy, and remains so, he's about as good as any of our other pitchers. It still looks like Guthrie and pray for rain. Sure hope Andy has something planned that on the surface resembles a real improvement.

Go O's!

Hey Pete....just a thought but how about a rotation of guthrie hendrickson penn and sign pavano and maybe perez and let the kids compete for their spots because what i have seen the past few years is that our scouts are horrible or they just were not ready....it might suck but it would save the kids....my question to you is out of all the free agent pitchers out there would would consider coming here?

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Pete's reply: The O's need to sign Kawakami and one other medium free agent. I'm not that thrilled with anybody who's still out there.

Pete,

If he's healthy, I think Hayden Penn can be contributing part of the Oriole pitching staff. He was brought up too quickly and was injuried a couple times after being called up to the majors. But what do you do with Baez(6 million) and Walker(4 million). I think they ought to let Baez tryout as a starter in Spring Training. Maybe they can package both(plus a minor league prospect) and get another experienced starter?

Pete,

I'd like to see what the kid (Penn) can do when healthy & hopefully a little wiser. Hendrickson doesn't do much for me, but as you said, it's a low risk signing. And this guy does seem to find work every season.

Pete,

I'd like to see Jim Johnson get a shot at starting. I know Trembley likes him in the 8th, I do too, but when you have almost zilch at SP give him a try. If he turned out to be as dependable as a starter he'd benefit us more that way. Maybe he's Curt Schilling reborn.

Pete, Patton was viwed as a potential starter last year before his injury. What would be wrong with the top four being Guthrie, Johnson, Albers and Patton. If Penn survies he could be in there also BUT that's a BIG IF!

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Pete's reply: My beat guys tell me that the O's want to start Patton at Triple-A, but I believe just about anyone who pitches well in spring training will be in the mix for a major league job.

I'm not mistaken when I say that the whole reason Johnson was moved to the bullpen was because he struggled mightily as a starter am I?

I know we are seriously hurting in the rotation this year but we look to have a really solid bullpen coming together with Sarfate, Johnson, Sherrill, Baez (hopefully), and Ray (if he comes back half way descent). Is there a reason we want to mess with this to try to make Johnson a starter? It's not like we're winning this year anyways.