| 26 March 2009
First off, a big move was made -- well, it was very much expected; nevertheless, it is still very much noteworthy...
From the Baltimore Sun: The Orioles told top prospect Matt Wieters on Thursday that he will be reassigned to the Triple-A Norfolk roster effective Monday.
Manager Dave Trembley met with Wieters following Thursday's exhibition loss to the Florida Marlins and informed him of the club's plans, but the assignment is not yet official. Wieters will remain with the team over the weekend and is scheduled to accompany the Orioles to Jupiter for Friday's Grapefruit League game against the Florida Marlins.
-- and --
The move is both strategic and economic. The club wants to give Wieters the chance to excel at the Triple-A level the same way he did at Single-A Frederick and Double-A Bowie. Team officials also want to hold him back for at least a few weeks to preserve a seventh year under club reserve, a strategy employed by the Tampa Bay Rays with Evan Longoria that led to him signing a long-term contract at favorable terms for the team.
Wieters needs to stay down for the first 12 days of the regular season to keep the free agent clock ticking for an extra year, but team officials have indicated he'll probably play at Norfolk for a month or two to get some more professional experience before moving permanently into the major league starting lineup.
We all knew he was going to be sent down, and while I hoped he'd start the season in Baltimore, this move makes complete sense. I'm sure when he comes up, they'll be a buzz in the air and excitement we have not seen in a long time.
Also, the team reassigned pitcher Ross Wolf to their minor league camp in Sarasota.
***
Second, the Baltimore Orioles got shelled 11-6 by the Marlins, and it looks like Hayden Penn's chance to start has taken a huge, huge hit. The hurler only lasted 2 2/3 innings and gave up seven runs.
From Roch's Blog: Penn was charged with seven runs, and manager Dave Trembley doesn't blame faulty mechanics.
Penn might get one more opportunity to pitch before the Orioles break camp. How much of an impact will today's game have on his chances to make the rotation?
After pausing for a few seconds, Trembley replied, 'Obviously, you have to evaluate what you saw today."
That isn't good if you're Hayden Penn.
Trembley didn't use the defensive lapses behind Penn as an excuse for the right-hander's horrible line.
"I don't think that had anything to do with it," Trembley said. "He just didn't throw enough first-pitch strikes and fell behind and walked people. You're going to have situations where plays aren't made. You're going to have four-out innings. You've got to have enough to minimize the damage and he didn't have it, for whatever reason. I don't think it was his stuff."
I say he still gets one more chance to make an impression; however, if he fails to do anything on the mound, I see him being waived and possibly sent to Triple-A assuming he doesn't get claimed. He's still only 24 -- young, but certainly away from the prospect stage -- therefore, he's still got time to get better and become consistent. He's had some back along with immaturity issues, so I hope he gets a chance in the majors.
***
Third, former Oriole Miguel Tejada was sentenced to one year of probation, fined $5,000 and ordered to perform 100 hours of community service for lying to Congress about his knowledge of performance-enhancing drug use in baseball. He got off easy because he didn't have a record; however, the damage to his reputation because of his involvement with PED's in baseball is irreversable.
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