
Originally Posted by
weenie
They sure do in Baltimore. The list of glorified middle relievers signed by the O's to 3 yr contracts in recent yrs is quite unimpressive. Bradford, DeJean, Baez, Walker, Timlin.......
Ironically, O'Day is IMO proving himself superior to all of them and his contract is for much less than any of those past deals, but of course that's due to multiple factors including yrs of service.
Bullpens win games, and they are the least expensive component to address. I for one am confident O'Day can step back in and resume the setup guy role he assumed last fall. I just hope Strop proves capable of adjusting. The O's in '13 will need both a 7th and 8th inning guy. O'Day was the 7th inning go to guy for most of '12 but who is that guy in '13. Hunter, Strop, Matusz, Patton, McFarland.......? It may be a bigger element in the success or failure of the coming season than most folks realize.