So then Bass would be waived serving two purposes: he's out of options and would have to go through waivers to be sent down anyway, and he has to be removed from the 40-man roster to make room for Eaton. No O's writer anywhere seems to realize that Eaton is not currently on the 40-man roster.

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Pete's reply: Yes, we do know he's a non-roster guy, but that's not relevant to the issue of who ends up in the final 25. They'll adjust accordingly.

Why don't they carry 17 pitchers on the 25 man roster ? I love those pitching changes where the reliever threw less than 9 pitches in his appearance.

I can't remember the fewest pitches thrown by a reliever during the Perlozzo/Trembley era. Think it may have been 5.

Carry 17 pitchers & build moving walkways (like at airports) from the bullpen to the mound for those who think too many pitchers would slow the game down.

Pete--Any chance of keeping Adam Eaton in extended spring training until the year 2525?

I can't wait to read the reports about his success in simulated games, giving up 11 runs in 5 innings but "feeling pretty good about the way I pitched. I was working on a few things and I like the way I'm keeping my velocity consistent."

The're going to find out how the rest of the rotation pans out in one week... Come on Pete, you guys can do better than that. They are looking for a trade partner, pure and simple. They know that Bass will be claimed immediately and they're trying to get something back instead of nothing.

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Pete's reply: I don't know that they'll get much for Brian Bass. I think they're just buying time, period.

I think the O's might have made a regrettable mistake this spring in trading Penn. They're not going to win a ton of games this year, so why not give him the opportunity to succeed or fail at the major league level. Aren't they doing that with Pie? "But, Pie was a top prospect." Wasn't Penn? It's not like Hendrickson and Eaton are in the long term plans. The O's traded away another young pitcher a couple of years ago named John Maine who turned out to be pretty good.

Pete, I guess the Orioles are banking on Hill being ready in late April. If he's not ready to pitch late April then it's going to be a long season with callups of pitchers from the minors beginning in May.

Pete,

You don't think they would get that much for Bass. Well then, why don't they put Eaton out there and package him up with Pie. They may come up with basically nothing which would be a wash. Then recall Lou M which is where he belongs. There was no competition for roster spots, " Trembly Lied"

Pete.

They could waive the entire projected starting 5 and not really have to worry too much about any of them other than Koji or Guthrie clearing waivers. These other guys should be filling slots in AA or AAA. The Warehouse is stealing from the fans rolling these non-major league pitchers out at a major league price ticket! This is damn near criminal, and AM should be hauled in front and center for FAILING to acquire just DECENT starting pitching, not great but DECENT. We got Guthrie free off the waiver wire two years ago, we paid $5M a year for Koji who will look good the first time around and we scraped the bottom of cheap and available list for the other 25+ starting candidates in camp and now we know why they were both available and cheap! I'll continue to check you blog, and get my updates but until they put a major league product on the field, I will boycott attendance and will watch attendance drop to below 1.7M! In about 2011 when some major league caliber pitching arrives so will I. This is just pathetic knowing the day before opening day were looking at more than 100 losses. This is like an NFL team starting their season with Ryan Leif of Rex Grossman at the helm, NO CHANCE! Instead I'll go watch the O's best Major League pitcher Brian Matusz in Frederick!

Pathetic!

Poor Dave Trembly, remember Cal Ripken Sr. last season, well 2009 could be far worse! With this starting staff I'm talking more losses than the 2008 National with very little effort! And while the fingers will be pointed and poor Dave left to talk to the media before and after every game he will be the first casualty and it won't be his fault! Dave Trembly is playing poker knowing before the first game he has a 2,4,6, and 8 all in a different suit and just one card to draw! AM has this plan, rip the fans off until the calvary arrives in 2011. Now I know how Custer must have felt!

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Pete's reply: Actually, Custer was the cavalry and he arrived in the wrong place at the wrong time, which creates a great analogy here, since he was a classic example of someone who thought he could compete when he was overmatched and squandered all his resources at the wrong time. If the Orioles went out and signed a bunch of over-priced-yet-average free agent pitchers (many of whom are already out with injuries) it would be like riding down into the Little Big Horn to face ridiculous odds and endanger the future of everyone involved. I think you've got to give the guy a chance to get it done, unless you enjoyed the yearly abortive attempts to be competitive under Syd Thrift and the two ensuing braintrusts.

Pete,

I know your from California, which odds are with me that presumably your somewhat left of center politically. That said, you keep using a Republican argument of going to the worst case scenerio. At least 8 mid level free agent starters who have a .500 lifetime record signed for between $1 -$1.5 million a year and all for 2 years or less. The Orioles are paying more for Baez, Walker and Gibbons and get nothing of substance. So were not talking a lot of money. Were paying an old unproven guy $10M for two years? My point is simple, we needed a two year bridge, and we didn't get a two week bridge! We've got bumpkis in Eaton, Hendrickson and Simon. My grandfather always taught me you get what you pay for, we paid nothing and we have nothing! This isn't about winning this is about keeping the fan base interested during the bridge, keeping attendance reasonable and cable ratings and fan interest at respectable levels. I'm a Republican and even I see through the argument, but my interest is waning, looking forward to being out of games after 1 1/2 innings isn't fun or interesting and we are looking at a lot of those games. We've had 1 starter pitch more than 5 innings once this year. I think with just a little more money say $3.5 - $4.5 million we could have had 3 starting pitchers who had a chance for a quality start. If you believe $4.5 Million would break the bank, I believe your gravely mistaken (see Baez, Walker and Gibbons)!

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Pete's reply: Though your deductive reasoning is probably sound, I must be the exceptional Californian, because I definitely am right of center.

Keep it up, Keith. You are the man. By the way,so are you, Pete

Wow, Keith may be one of the few posters here who hasn't heard you chime in on the NEWS talk shows on WBAL. And left of center because you're from California? Hasn't Keith ever hear of Ronald Regan? Charlton Heston?