Hilarious, Andy. Really.

by 2632 on Feb 11, 2008 4:11 PM EST in News & Rumors

PRESS RELEASE

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE February 11, 2008
ORIOLES SIGN TRACHSEL TO MINOR LEAGUE DEAL

...The Orioles today announced that they have signed RHP Steve Trachsel to a minor league contract with an invitation to their major league spring training camp.

Trachsel, 37, began last season with the Orioles before being traded to the Chicago Cubs on August 31. He combined to go 7-11 with a 4.90 ERA in 29 starts between the two teams. He went 6-8 with a 4.48 ERA in 25 starts for the Orioles after signing the day before the start of spring training, and allowed three or fewer earned runs in 17 of his 25 starts for the Orioles and 2 of 4 starts for the Cubs.

A 15-year major league veteran, Trachsel owns a 141-154 career record with a 4.32 ERA with the Cubs, Orioles, New York Mets, Toronto Blue Jays and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

The Orioles now have 18 non-roster players invited to their spring major league camp.

Welcome back, Trashman. I guess. Or not.

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Comments

oh, hell

Why not, I guess? Maybe he'll impart wisdom on The Kids. Of course he's taking a spot from one of The Kids now, too.

The first fuckin' person to say "Maybe he'll help teach Cabrera a changeup!" is running risk of a boot in the ass.

So now it's Guthrie, Cabrera, Loewen, Trax, and probably Patton. It gon' get ugly.

Gone but not forgotten...

by Scott Christ on Feb 11, 2008 4:21 PM EST reply actions

he's not

taking a spot from the kids, he's got a minor league deal w/a spring training invite. He's insurance. This way we're not screwed out of a rotation spot by offering a 2 year deal to someone like Josh Fogg if the kids in ST show they're ready.

Our fans are better than yours.

by OEutaw on Feb 11, 2008 5:15 PM EST up reply actions

"He's insurance."

I know he signed a minor league deal but he's not quite insurance. The spot in the rotation is his to lose which is a bit different than insurance. For example, signing Cormier is insurance for the bullpen.

Rocky Cherry, O's pitcher, not John C. McGinley's love child.

by birdman on Feb 11, 2008 8:37 PM EST up reply actions

re:

I'll guarantee you he is in the Opening Day rotation.

Gone but not forgotten...

by Scott Christ on Feb 12, 2008 2:15 AM EST up reply actions

you're on.

Batting fourth....playing center field....

by zknower on Feb 12, 2008 2:31 PM EST up reply actions

I'll second that guarantee

The way MacPhail talked about him, and with Tremblys hard-on for vet pitchers, he'll be in the rotation.

by Reddrummer9187 on Feb 12, 2008 5:08 PM EST up reply actions

Agreed...

He starts the season in the rotation.

by RobG on Feb 12, 2008 11:52 PM EST up reply actions

not too bad of a move

eats innings, cheap and doesn't bitch!

Now we need a real vet. to teach these young guys. Bring in Roger for pitchers and Barry for Hitters.

for real what's the harm in getting them for 1 year, real vets that can and want to teach the young guys, hell even bring Pizza man in

by merdon1332000 on Feb 11, 2008 4:21 PM EST reply actions

You are joking, right?

'Cause you know, sometimes it is hard to tell on the internet whether someone is joking. And if you're NOT joking, then I simply lack the capacity to respond to that question without hurting myself or those near me.

by KenDixonFanClub on Feb 11, 2008 4:26 PM EST up reply actions

yes

joking.

by merdon1332000 on Feb 12, 2008 7:02 AM EST up reply actions

you know what, though?

Piazza I wouldn't mind.

Piazza > Quiroz
Piazza > Huff
Piazza > Gibbons

Gone but not forgotten...

by Scott Christ on Feb 12, 2008 2:54 PM EST up reply actions

Bonds

As wierd as this sounds, but i think he could make a good teacher. I heard that he would never go out of his way to tell young guys stuff, but if they did ask, he was like an open vault full of hitting knowledge.

And probably an open vault of steroids as well.

by Reddrummer9187 on Feb 12, 2008 5:10 PM EST up reply actions

Maybe he'll picth OK

and we can get even MORE prospects from the Cubs from them this summer, too! Hell, they fell for it once...

I remember 14 straight foul balls in one at-bat.

by duck on Feb 11, 2008 9:27 PM EST up reply actions

re:

You get coaches to coach.

You don't pay old farts $15 million to take up one of 25 precious roster spots and coach.

Gone but not forgotten...

by Scott Christ on Feb 12, 2008 1:46 AM EST up reply actions

hahahahhahhahahahaa

You don't pay old farts $15 million to take up one of 25 precious roster spots

That defines the Orioles for years now.

Maybe MacPhail will change that. Let's give it a couple years to see if the old man gets antsy with MacPhail's approach.

"This is Birdland"

by drj on Feb 12, 2008 8:02 AM EST up reply actions

Yay!

We can trade him again!

oriolesupdate.blogspot.com

by BrianS on Feb 11, 2008 4:23 PM EST reply actions

So the Cubs just gave us those players for nothing

"If you're not practicing, somebody else is, somewhere, and he'll be ready to take your job." -Brooks Robinson

by exitfare on Feb 11, 2008 4:26 PM EST reply actions

You're welcome

I always liked Scott Moore, he always looked like a decent 3b, but with the Cubs having A-Ram his likelihood of getting to play everyday and show he could play was slim. I saw that Moore got a majority of starts in September for the Orioles and also read somewhere that Mora wasn't too happy with the Orioles for that.

by cubsfan2883 on Feb 11, 2008 8:40 PM EST up reply actions

If Mora could kindly slip on a banana peel...

...into the street, so that his left leg is torn off at the knee by a passing bus and he can no longer play baseball, and insurance paid his salary, allowing Moore to play the entire 2008 season at 3B, that'd be just ducky.

In other words, Mora can kiss my arse. I think most of us would much rather see Moore get a shot than Mora continue to decline out there.

by KenDixonFanClub on Feb 11, 2008 8:48 PM EST up reply actions

Yes

Hear, hear to the both of you!

by Dr Orpheus on Feb 11, 2008 8:51 PM EST up reply actions

So the Cubs just gave us those players for nothing

Traschel did make 4-5 starts for the Cubs didn't he?

Rocky Cherry, O's pitcher, not John C. McGinley's love child.

by birdman on Feb 11, 2008 8:51 PM EST up reply actions

Oh man.

My bad day just got worse.

"Everyone always says 'You don't have to do this.'"

by Jonnypops on Feb 11, 2008 4:31 PM EST reply actions

I second that

Tom Murphy: MVP of the illustrious '99 team.

by Baltimo on Feb 11, 2008 10:53 PM EST up reply actions

well, take heart...

despite trembley's hard on for a vet pitcher, i think it's entirely possible that a young guy could beat trax out in camp. i mean, i think the contract last year was guaranteed, no?

So, I said, uh, lama: how about a little something for the effort?

by jq higgins on Feb 11, 2008 4:38 PM EST reply actions

I just hope

We can all pray that the Cubs need another arm come July.

"Hey Yankees... you can take your apology and your trophy and shove 'em straight up your ass!" --Tanner Boyle

by BirdFanInPhilly on Feb 11, 2008 4:45 PM EST reply actions

I'm fine with this

After trading Trax, it will give us a great excuse to bring up a young arm.

"All I have to say is our partner is going to shock the world because he is none other than THE SHOCKMASTER!"-Sting

by jobe on Feb 11, 2008 5:17 PM EST up reply actions

l look forward to

having plenty of time to go to fridge and cook food and make phone calls in between pitches.

by thewaywardO on Feb 11, 2008 5:09 PM EST reply actions

Let's start a pool

Pick the day when Trax gets released and/or outrighted to Norfolk.

I claim July 8.

Tiebreaker: His ERA when he gets released.

I say 5.67

by pipkin on Feb 11, 2008 5:15 PM EST reply actions

RE:

An ERA of 5.67 isn't getting you released from the Orioles. Cabrera was nearly there last year and he's likely to be our #2.

"Hey Yankees... you can take your apology and your trophy and shove 'em straight up your ass!" --Tanner Boyle

by BirdFanInPhilly on Feb 11, 2008 7:54 PM EST up reply actions

Cabrera has "potential"

Trax is "crafty" (meaning old and with no stuff)

by pipkin on Feb 11, 2008 10:21 PM EST up reply actions

Wily

Trax is WILY, damnit.

Batting fourth....playing center field....

by zknower on Feb 11, 2008 10:29 PM EST up reply actions

I say

May 12, and 6.35

I remember 14 straight foul balls in one at-bat.

by duck on Feb 11, 2008 9:28 PM EST up reply actions

I'm in.

June 19th, 6.98

by KenDixonFanClub on Feb 11, 2008 9:39 PM EST up reply actions

I claim

Trax does not go north with the club.

So there.

Batting fourth....playing center field....

by zknower on Feb 11, 2008 10:30 PM EST up reply actions

Here's hoping the youngin's prove themselves...

...right quick.

by Dr Orpheus on Feb 11, 2008 10:52 PM EST up reply actions

June 9

5.92

Gone but not forgotten...

by Scott Christ on Feb 12, 2008 2:13 AM EST up reply actions

ok

August 10th

5.50

Once nobody wants to trade for him, we just designate him for assignment; however this move ends up saving a year of service time from Patton or somebody like that (before they reach free agency).

by Reddrummer9187 on Feb 12, 2008 5:15 PM EST up reply actions

May 30

With an era of 6.02

Librarians are hiding something

by dfa on Feb 12, 2008 9:39 PM EST up reply actions

June 15

I'll go with my birthday.

ERA: 6.01

"We're so bad right now that for us back-to-back home runs means one today and another one tomorrow." - - Earl Weaver

by Gorilla Bird on Feb 13, 2008 5:45 PM EST up reply actions

I'm fine with a minor league deal

He'll be good to have around spring training and if we don't have 5 of the young guys ready to go in April, let him pitch a month or two.

The problem is, I don't trust Trembley to make the right call here. As others have said, it sounds like he's giving him a slot in the rotation right now instead of treating him as insurance. If Trax was an inning eater to save our bullpen, that would be one thing, but what little gas he has in that arm is gone by the end of the 5th inning.

by silverstadium on Feb 11, 2008 8:44 PM EST reply actions

y'all are jaded like dumped, runner-up prom queens

It's not a bad deal. And it's doubtful he did steroids. If he earns a spot in our rotation, I'll back him up.

by dfleis on Feb 11, 2008 9:47 PM EST reply actions

No shit.

When I saw the news I knew I was going to see folks whinning about it here.

What's the big deal? If you are so convinced that the Orioles are going to leave a bonafide major league caliber pitcher in the minors to open a spot for Traschel no matter how he performs in spring training, then you are jaded.

Personally, I think with Bedard gone the O's are looking at one big question mark with their staff. Who besides Guthrie and Cabrera have shown they belong in the big leagues? Considering how much Cabrera gets bashed here, that leaves only Guthrie as the only reliable pitcher on the staff. A guy who has had one decent season.

If nothing else, Traschel should act as a yard stick for the O's pitching. If he is in the starting rotation, it means Loweun, Penn, Olsen and Patton are not ready. If that's the case, who cares if he's "taking a spot away" from one of these guys? Do you really want to have a staff that learns how to pitch in the majors? Not me. That's usually a sure fire way to ruin young pitchers.

by timg56 on Feb 13, 2008 9:51 AM EST up reply actions

Why shouldn't we be jaded?

Please, explain why we shouldn't be jaded. We've seen nothing but incompetence and mismanagement for a solid decade now.

Secondly, if Trachsel is in the starting rotation, then it means Loewen, Penn, Olsen, Patton, or one of the other many pitchers is not getting their CHANCE at the major leagues, and that's why Trax in the rotation doesn't make a whole lot of sense to me. Who cares about a veteran presence when the team is going to be this bad? The point of this season ought to be to find out which young guys are ready, which are real, which aren't, etc. Trachsel isn't going to be here in 2010, which is the year the Os ought to be targeting as a realistic date to be competitive, so he shouldn't be here now. I hope he bombs out fast, not because I don't like the guy, but because I'd much rather see which of these 57 young arms we've got are real.

by KenDixonFanClub on Feb 13, 2008 10:32 AM EST up reply actions

re:

Oh, I'm jaded as you can get....

But I don't really care about the Trax taking up a position. Let the minor league kids work their way up and gradually get more experience. I'm in the camp that the best way to ruin a young pitcher is to rush him. Limit the number of innings pitched and pitch counts and gradually increase the number of innings pitched. Look at how the Red Sox treat their pitching prospects with kid gloves. I'm a believer in that approach. Let Trax take a beating.

"This is Birdland"

by drj on Feb 13, 2008 10:41 AM EST up reply actions

As these things go I'm getting fairly into the

jaded camp myself. But hopefully not to the point that I critize stuff primarily on general jadedness and ignore the facts.

If Trachsel is in the starting rotation come the start of the season it could mean any of the following:

Loewen, Penn, Olsen, Patton are all not ready.
Trachsel pitched well in spring training and earned a spot
Trembley and his staff are so locked into traditional thinking that they would keep a journeyman innings eater over a young guy who has demonstratingly proven to be the better pitcher.

If it's the first circumstance, well, it doesn't really matter, becaused we'd be sooo screwed. However it's entirely possible that two of these guys can't beat out Trachsel. Loewen is coming back from surgery, Penn has bombed every time out in the bigs and Patton is a big unknown. It's not a stretch to think that Trachsel doesn't have to do much to beat out a couple of these guys.

The second circumstance most likely depends on the first - i.e. more than one of the young guys sucking. I'm not holding out great hope that Trax turns into almost ace material.

I'll acknowledge that the third circumstance is within the bounds of possibility. I don't know Trembley well enough to know how he thinks. The overall sense I got from the folks here was that he was at least somewhat positive as a manager. So I'd lean to giving him the benefit of doubt.

by timg56 on Feb 14, 2008 6:00 PM EST up reply actions

One thing I'll say...

Here, here to Trax! Not to us signing him of course, but to a guy who certainly has enough money, but is still willing to take a minor league contract in a rebuilding Baltimore Orioles organization. I've got to think that the reason he does this is he really loves to play. And that is something to cheer for.

"Everyone always says 'You don't have to do this.'"

by Jonnypops on Feb 12, 2008 12:14 AM EST reply actions

June 16th

with an ERA of 6.13 and an average game time during starts he goes at least 3 innings of 6 1/2 hours.

"When you are in with the Lord there's just one reward, and they'd just as soon make it come true." -REK

by BPinOK on Feb 12, 2008 9:42 AM EST reply actions

For some reason

I can't see his ERA going waaaay over six, I think he will be a pitcher with an ERA around 5.50, high enough for the O's to lose his starts but low enough to keep him on the team.

Tom Murphy: MVP of the illustrious '99 team.

by Baltimo on Feb 12, 2008 4:43 PM EST reply actions

The Trashman is back???

Oh yeah, that's right. The Orioles needed someone for the "Garbage time" in games. Right up there with Cabs. BTW, who argues that Cabs could start on a AA team?

by MurraysLaw on Feb 13, 2008 12:05 AM EST reply actions