Should Orioles use 6-man rotation? | MAILBAG

Question: Do you think the O’s are considering a six-man rotation? There doesn’t seem to be much difference between starters 3-6, with a lot of good but not great arms. From: Bill Connor

Answer: Bill, if the Orioles went into the season with a six-man rotation, that would mean they could have only seven relievers. That could be difficult since many of those in the projected bullpen don’t have options and can’t be freely sent to the minor leagues.

I think they’ll add another starter, hopefully a pitcher who can fit into the No. 1 slot, and then the rotation will be stronger.

I’m sure the team will be careful with 35-year-old Tomoyuki Sugano, whom they just signed, and I think there will be a lot of rotation juggling.

The time to use a six-man rotation is late in the season, preferably after September 1^st when they add another pitcher to the bullpen and you can have eight relievers with the six starters.

Question: What’s the status of Kyle Brnovich? Do the O’s still view him as a future major leaguer, or is he just organizational depth at this point? From: Warren Brock

Answer: Warren, I think 2025 is a big year for Brnovich, who’s now 27. For fans unfamiliar with him, he was acquired along with Kyle Bradish from the Angels in the 2019 trade for Dylan Bundy.

Brnovich had Tommy John surgery in 2022, and had a nice season for Bowie last year, though he did miss some time. He was 6-2 with a 3.96 ERA in 19 games and averaged less than seven hits per nine innings.

The Orioles had high hopes for Brnovich before his surgery, and if he has a good year in 2025, then perhaps he’s a future big leaguer. He’s not listed among the top 30 prospects, but neither was Brandon Young until recently. He’s older than almost all their starters in the minors, so he’ll need to show well next season in order to move up.

Most weekdays, I’ll be answering at least one Orioles question. If you’d like to submit a question, send it to: Rich@BaltimoreBaseball.com. Questions may be edited for clarity, length and style.