Jake Arrieta Sent to AAA

Jake Arrieta forced the Orioles’ hand this spring, pitching too well to be denied a spot with the club. Today, he forced their hand in the opposite direction. He’s been pitching too poorly to be ignored: blowing leads and abusing the bullpen.

I had begun to wonder if I had been too harsh on Arrieta. Maybe the fact that I had seen him melt down twice in person this season had clouded my judgement. But Buck backed me up on this one. His performance has been unsatisfactory. And that is putting it politely.

The corresponding move was to promote Alex Burnett, a reliever the O’s claimed off waivers. This move makes sense – the bullpen is hurting from all 5 staters’ inability to get deep into games. Guys like MacFarland and Hunter who can be stretched out risk getting blown out if they don’t get some help. These guys can’t go every day, that’s just not how it works.

Look for Burnett to serve as a safety valve, or for mop-up duty. He’ll spend a couple of days with the club and return to Norfolk when another starter is required for Wednesday’s game. There are plenty of options down there, the question is whether any of them are good enough to stick with the club for a considerable period of time.

We’ll talk options for Wednesday (and beyond) on the podcast. Be sure to check back tonight for Episode 32.

In the meantime, feel free to drop us a line and let us know who you think will show up to face the Blue Jays at 12:35 on Wednesday.