Between Cavalry Charges

Dylan Bundy made waves this week when he said that he is looking to return to pitching in June. Since then, fans have breathed a sigh of relief, as the highly expected prospect could be ready again to make an impact. The actual context is somewhat important. Here’s what he told Eduardo Encina of the Baltimore Sun:

I want to be competing by mid-June, something like that, and hopefully no setbacks happen. As far as getting back to the big leagues, that’s their decision. That’s up to [manager] Buck [Showalter] and the front-office people. However it goes, that’s how it goes. I can’t really predict the future.

I think Bundy is wise with his expectations, here. He’s focused on getting back to competitive ball, and acknowledges that a promotion to the majors is not a given. Dylan Bundy is a hugely hyped prospect for a reason. He’s got every chance in the world of being a terrific MLB starter. He was worth every bit of the fourth overall draft selection the O’s spent on him because he might be (to use a baseball cliche) special.

But the key word is might.

I don’t want to sound like Debbie Downer, but I refuse to get excited about an Orioles’ pitching prospect. I’ll believe they can convert “can’t miss” guys into major league starters when I see it. The club’s track record in the last several years should speak for itself, but in case you’ve forgotten the horror show that is their first round draft history, take a look:

[table id=13 /]

How many times have we been told that “The Cavalry” was coming? That promising young arms would deliver a disgraced franchise back to relevance? The answer is “too many.” The Orioles have effectively cried “wolf.”

The Orioles, and their fans cannot depend on Dylan Bundy to get healthy in June, and rescue an unimpressive starting rotation. That just isn’t very likely. Sure, I can build myself a fantasy in which Bundy storms back from injury and dominates the American League, leading the Orioles to the pennant. But that would have no basis in reality.

Here’s the reality: Bundy is a very talented pitcher who has exactly 16.2 IP at the AA level and 1.2 IP in the majors. For all his potential, and all of his physical gifts, he is every bit as unproven a commodity as Brian Matusz was. Or Kevin Gausman is. These guys might very well be the future of this team, but they’re not the present – not yet.

In the meantime, these They can’t be used as an excuse for not addressing this team’s starting pitching as a needs. Fans need to set their expectations on stun, when it comes to Bundy, and they shouldn’t give the Orioles a free pass for sitting on their hands in the offseason because he’s “on the horizon.” The future looks bright, but we are still where we have always been – between cavalry charges.