Baltimore Orioles: Time for Wade Miley Experiment to End
By Joe Serpico
The Baltimore Orioles need to give up on the Wade Miley experiment after last night’s debacle against the Boston Red Sox.
There comes a point where a team has to say enough is enough. That’s where the Baltimore Orioles have to be with Wade Miley.
It was another disastrous first inning for Miley, allowing four runs before recording a single out. The Red Sox would tack on another two runs before Buck Showalter finally had seen enough after an inning and a third.
Ten of the 12 batters Miley faced reached base and his stat line since joining the Orioles is abysmal. He has allowed 33 earned runs in 35 1/3 innings in eight starts. That is an ERA of 8.41. Even Ubaldo Jimenez can laugh at those numbers.
Showalter is in a predicament. The reason why the O’s brought in Miley was to add a left hander to the rotation. He is under contract for another year for a hefty price. But every time he takes the mound, you wonder if he is going to make it out of the first inning.
Baltimore is in the middle of a pennant race and every game matters from here on out. They are going to play several of the teams contending them in the American League East and wild card. They cannot continue to put Miley out there with the risk that he is going to implode every fifth day.
A decision has to be made about the rotation with Chris Tillman coming off the disabled list on Sunday. Jimenez has earned the right to continue to start. Miley has not.
Looking ahead, both pitchers are under contract next season for a combined $25.5 million. That is 15 percent of the Orioles payroll. Will Peter Angelos be willing to pay both going into 2017? Probably (and hopefully) not.
The Orioles starting pitching has been a strength as of late despite Miley’s struggles. However, there are still plenty of question marks going forward. Dylan Bundy looks like he could be wearing down. Jimenez has been pitching well for the past month, but Orioles fans are on pins and needles waiting for that melt down to happen. Yovani Gallardo and has both been a liability as well.
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With all that said, Miley has one win since coming to Baltimore. Wins are at a premium in September and he is not getting the job done. Showalter needs to move Miley to the bullpen and maybe he can contribute next season because he is too risky to trust in crunch time.