The newly-acquired Joe Saunders makes his Orioles debut tonight against the White Sox as the O's look for their fifth straight victory. A Baltimore win would put the Orioles just 2.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Here are some notes from Charm City…
- Dylan Bundy won't be called up for the Orioles' pennant drive, manager Buck Showalter told reporters (including MLB.com's Brittany Ghiroli). The right-hander will instead pitch in the instructional league once the Double-A season concludes. While Showalter "couldn’t ask for a better progression” of Bundy's minor league development, he and the team feel that the 19-year-old Bundy isn't yet ready for Major League hitters.
- The Orioles don't appear to be interested in left-hander Erik Bedard, tweets Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com. The Pirates released Bedard yesterday after the southpaw posted a 5.01 ERA, 8.5 K/9 rate and a 2.11 K/BB ratio in 24 starts in Pittsburgh. Bedard spent five seasons with the O's before being traded to the Mariners in 2008 in the deal that brought Adam Jones and Chris Tillman (among others) to Baltimore.
- Showalter also told reporters (including Rich Dubroff of CSN Baltimore) that the team is looking at Randy Wolf as a starting pitcher, though he isn't ruling out using Wolf out of the bullpen. The Orioles will sign Wolf and activate him before Friday but the deal hasn't yet been officially finalized.
- GM Dan Duquette hasn't been afraid to make moves this year, as FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal notes how the Orioles' willingness to shuffle their roster has helped the team to their surprising record.
Angry Disgruntled Sox Fan
Erik Bedard > Randy Wolf
Carl Langley
I’m sorry, maybe I’m emotionally invested, but I want Bedard over Wolf or Saunders. We got the other two, pick up a third. You can’t have enough lefties going into September. You aren’t going to call up young bucks to fill the 40-man, get some experienced vets for cheap.