O’s to Promote Gausman?

Jon Morosi of FOX Sports is reporting (and local beat writers are starting to confirm) that Kevin Gausman will be called up for a start on Thursday. Orioles fans should be excited enough to see the 4th pick from the 2012 draft, but there may be even more to the eye, here. Consider the formula that the organization used when dealing with its last highly touted prospect:

1. Have the prospect prove himself in AA
2. Hold your cards to your vest as long as possible
3. Address a hole on the 25-man roster
4. Bring him up because he’s ready, and keep him in the majors

Manny Machado seems to be doing OK for himself, right?

OK, let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. There’s a very good chance that Gausman comes to Baltimore, gets roughed up over a couple starts, and needs to be sent back to the minors for some seasoning. But Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter would not be promoting Gausman unless they believed he was ready. The organization’s reputation for talent evaluation has improved drastically in the last year. If the Orioles think he’s ready, I’m willing to give them the benefit of the doubt.

For a club who is struggling to get starters into the 6th, Gausman could be a huge shot in the arm. They don’t need him to be Cy Young. They need him to be a capable #5 starter. Can Gausman possibly live up to our expectations? There’s no way to know at this point. What is known for certain is this: for the first time in a while, Thursday will be Must See TV.