Brad Bergesen and other ongoing issues

Brad Bergesen looked good in his first major league appearance. Not great, but good. Its a sign of how bad our starters have been that 3 runs allowed in 5 2/3 makes him seem like a savior. He's not a future ace and he will have some bad outings this year. I hope fans are patient with him.

With Bergesen's success, lots of fans want more youth in the rotation. If Eaton has another bad start tomorrow, would anybody object to seeing Chris Waters? At 28 years old, the team would hardly be rushing him. He has to be better than Eaton, right?

Alfredo Simon is out for the year, about to have surgery. Tough luck. He'll be 28 in a couple more weeks and this might have been his last chance. With the kind of talent the organization has in the minors, there is no reason to invite him back next year.

Ryan Freel is on the DL and not happy about it. I really feel bad for the guy. The O's traded for him then didn't have a place for him. I think his salary is too high to make him a trade candidate. My prediction is that Freel and the Orioles will have an unhappy relationship for as long as it lasts. On the good side, Lou Montanez came up and went 1 for 5 with a double and an RBI.

Speaking of the outfield, Felix Pie is in the doghouse with many O's fans. He is off to a 5 for 37 start, including 11 strikeouts. I've avoided stating an opinion on the matter because there are so many variables in his situation, but here I go. I can be patient while seeing if his hitting will develop. I just want to see the plus defender I was promised. This team is built on defense. If he can't play D, I'll turn on him quickly.

Can we please rest Adam Jones' hamstring for a few days? I don't want to see this linger for weeks, then turn into a stint on the DL, as happened with Melvin Mora.

Matthew from Roar from 34 left a comment a few days ago on my post about Radhames Liz. This is a part of it, and I think it sums up our current situation quite well. At least as well as it can be in a couple sentences: "They're clearly stocking up on talented arms in the farm system, which is a huge step in the right direction. The next, equally important step is knowing how to manage that talent." I agree fully. Andy MacPhail and his team have done a nice job accumulating talent. They need to find how to best put it to use now.