O's Magic: Orioles 2024 Relief Pitching Preview!
Who will step up with no 'Mountain' in the bullpen in 2024?
Welcome back to another edition of ‘O’s Magic’, a Cool Sports Newsletter series made by a die hard Orioles fan! The Baltimore Orioles season begins in a few days, so we’ve been previewing each area of the team before the season. We just have one more to go, and that is Baltimore’s relievers. Last year, the Orioles had two All Stars in this area; Felix Bautista and the surprising breakout man, Yennier Cano. However, with Bautista sidelined for the season and Baltimore having to go to the ‘Philadelphia Nightmare’ Craig Kimbrel, along with the uncertainties of if Cano will keep up his level of play, Baltimore’s relieving position has a lot of explaining to do. So let’s do it!
For starters, I would like to say I am more than shocked Baltimore didn’t hold on to Shintaro Fujinami, and instead let him walk in free agency. Despite his inconsistency, he had all the pitching ability and talent to be a breakout reliever this year; like Cano last year. Instead, he’s gone. We’ll see if the move pays off.
First, let’s start with Cano. Because he confuses me. It is very rare for relievers to be consistent. Cano came to Baltimore with an 18.00 ERA. A completely irrelevant player. However, he broke out last season into a star, not allowing an earned run until his 18th game of the season, and finishing the year with an All Star appearance, a just over 2.00 ERA, 196 ERA+ and over 8 SO/9. He was incredible. However, you have to wonder how long he can sustain that level of play, which kept Baltimore’s bullpen relevant after the injury to Bautista. Though I do feel he will play well, I don’t think it will be at that same level.
Behind him is where it gets interesting. Baltimore traded D.L. Hall to Milwaukee in the Corbin Burnes trade, so he’s out of the bullpen. To be a 2024 replacement to Bautista (well not a replacement but more of a guy who has to be put in his shoes), the Orioles signed Craig Kimbrel to be their closer. And to clarify, it is not 2013! Phillies fans hated Kimbrel last year because of his horrible play in the playoffs and his inconsistency. However, most forget he was an All Star with a way above average ERA, 132 ERA+ and 23 saves in 2023. In a new environment, you have to think he’ll be that player, and not the player Phillies fans hated in October.
So that’s the O’s top two. They also have perhaps the most underrated pen-pitcher the game has in Danny Coulombe. Last year in 61 games (was minimized due to injury), he had an under 3 ERA, 148 ERA+, over 10 SO/9 and didn’t allow more than two runs once…and he only did that twice. Not named Bautista, he was the most reliable pitcher on the team. Coulombe won’t do THAT again, but he should be another reliable arm and weapon when needed as a setup man to Kimbrel.
Those are the three stars the Orioles have. After that there are question marks. I love Dillon Tate and the value he can add to Baltimore; he posted a 127 ERA+ in 2022. However, he was not able to get healthy to play last year. How reliable is he after not playing since Patrick Mahomes had one Super Bowl? I do like Jacob Webb however, a player Baltimore signed off waivers mid-season last year. And in 25 games posted a 3.27 ERA. Hard to think he could sustain that for a whole season, but he shouldn’t fall off too much from that success out of the pen.
So those are five talented arms; four of which I have confidence in to thrive in 2024. The rest are just arms; not quite sure they’re talented or trustworthy…but they’re arms. I would be lying to you if I said I was happy that Bryan Baker and his minor league level pitching in 2023 is a setup man on this roster just a year later. Keegan Akin can be okay, but was not last year (over 6 ERA) and hasn’t even played 50 games in a season. Mike Baumann is a more positive weapon, winning ten games with an above average ERA and ERA+. But he was sent down to the minors for two games in August and September because of his atrocious play. He’s the last thing from reliable. But I think he’s okay enough and talented enough to be a middle reliever.
I am, though, really high on Cionel Perez. Perez was fantastic with a 278 ERA+ (!!) in 2022 in 66 games. In 2023, he started off slow and was very inconsistent and unreliable. As the season went on, he harnessed his ability and dialed in to finish with a still very good season. I expect another similar campaign in 2024; some bad performances here and there, but overall a talented arm you don’t want to mess with when he’s hot. I do also want to open the possibility of him being an All Star level player this coming year.
The only other players I could see being a reliever are actually a few. Tyler Wells and Cole Irvin; two players who I very well expect to be in the starting rotation until Kyle Bradish and John Means recover from injuries, will 100% be valuable players in the pen with great ability and stamina. Chayce McDermott, a piece Baltimore got from the Trey Mancini deal a few years ago, has been developing at a massive rate and him and his talented fastball could land him a spot on this list towards the end of the year. And Bruce Zimmerman, a Baltimore native, has found himself in and off of this list many times over the past few seasons. So this bullpen could change drastically, also depending on the play of some of Baltimore’s questioned arms. However, they have the talent in the bullpen. It’s just about putting it together and surviving one more year before ‘The Mountain’ returns!
Chase Coburn
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