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Baltimore Orioles: Chaz Roe is Getting it Done!

By Randy Buchman

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May 30, 2015; Baltimore, MD, USA; Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Chaz Roe (65) pitches during the eighth inning against the Tampa Bay Rays at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Tampa Bay Rays defeated Baltimore Orioles 3-0. Mandatory Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA TODAY Sports

I am pretty sure that none of you reading this were thrilled to the core when Chaz Roe was brought up from Norfolk to the Baltimore Orioles a couple of weeks ago. It certainly did not rock my world or even nudge my hopes for the O’s and their 2015 campaign.

I am really trying to not be prejudicial towards the 6’5,” age 28 right-hander. But I can’t help it. I’m sure we’ve all known some despicable character in our past whose name forever changes that particular name for us. Yes, I knew a Chaz, and he was a total idiot—especially on a ball field.

But I am starting to like this guy; and why not? He picked up the win on Tuesday night in his eighth game for the Orioles. He has now given up just one run in 12 innings on six hits, while walking four and hitting one batter (maybe he hit him – did not look like it on replay).

So who is this Chaz Roe guy?

That is a question I asked during spring training, back in an article on March 23rd. I was not positive, nor was their reason to be …

"Every year at spring training we see a handful of players with little to no future with the Orioles who get on the field a good bit early in camp. Roe has appeared in six games so far, the most for any O’s pitcher along with Wesley Wright and Logan Verrett. He has given up 15 hits in 9.2 innings and has a 6.52 ERA. This does not look encouraging."

So where did he come from?

This is another of the Orioles/Duquette moves of plucking a former first-round pick from the dust bin of baseball. It was 10 years ago this past Sunday that Roe was the 32nd overall pick in round one of the draft by the Colorado Rockies. But he never made it to Denver.

After six uninspiring years as a starter in the Rockies organization, he was traded to the Mariners. In 2011, they turned him into a reliever where he finished the AAA season with an 0-7 record, 6.59 ERA, and WHIP of 1.716! They released him.

In 2012 in played independent league baseball at Laredo of the American Association and revived his career with a 1.47 ERA and WHIP of 0.956.

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After that season, he signed as a free agent with the Diamondbacks. Registering some AAA success, he played 21 games for Arizona – mostly in August and September – putting up a 4.03 ERA in 22.1 innings. But Roe was far from done with his travels.

He was selected off waivers by the Texas Rangers, but then granted free agency. In February of 2014, he signed with the Marlins. After another decent AAA season, he was purchased by the Yankees and appeared in three late-season games for them. One of those games was against the Orioles, where Alejandro De Aza hit a triple off him.

Finally, in the past offseason, he was claimed off waivers by the Pirates, but later granted free agency in December. Ten days later he signed with the Orioles.

Before being called up to the Orioles, Roe was 3-1 with Norfolk Tides, having an ERA of 2.19 in 17 games and 24 innings.

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Altogether, Roe has competed for a total of seven MLB franchises. Counting waiver claims and the independent league season, it totals 10.

Can a journeyman of this sort actually put it together after a decade of trying, and can he actually stick for a long time and have continued success? Logic would seem to tell you that this is expecting quite a lot. It would be great for the Orioles, and a great story. I hope it happens.

But there is another reason I struggle to like Roe. It is that curly hair sticking out from behind his cap. That used to be me. Now, what is left of it is white and straight. I’m so jealous. The bum!

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