Imagine your team is in the middle of a playoff chase and your number one pitcher is headed to the DL for four weeks.
Add to that the fact that 3/5ths of your starting rotation on opening day are pitching in Triple-A Norfolk.
That’s the dilemma that Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette will be faced with today.
To fill Hammel’s spot on the roster, the Orioles recalled reliever Steve Johnson from AAA Norfolk.
Wei-Yin Chen is now the last man standing from the opening day roster of starting pitchers.
Hammel was obtained in a December trade with Colorado and leads the Orioles in wins (8-6 3.54) and strikeouts (106)
With the non-waiver trade deadline fast approaching and the Orioles very much in the playoff picture the Orioles will be looking to make trades for starting pitching.
As was reported last week, the Orioles are making a push for the Milwaukee Brewers Zack Greinke.
That being the case, the Brewers might find themselves in a more leveraged position today. Trading for a pitcher the quality of Greinke was never going to be easy or made without sacrificing top prospects in the Orioles organization.
The Orioles have two of the 10 best prospects in baseball in pitcher Dylan Bundy and shortstop Manny Machado and while trading one of them for starting pitching would seem unlikely, the Orioles can ill afford to let this season of opportunity pass by.
Jason Vargas of the Seattle Mariners or Joe Blanton of the Phillies may become targets of Duquette and the Orioles. Based on the news of Hammel going to the DL you can be sure the shopping list for starting pitching for the Orioles just got a little longer.
