Cringing at the Orioles' Starting Rotation

The vast improvement of the Baltimore Orioles’ minor league system brings much hope for an organization trying to break a string of 11-straight losing seasons and return to contention in the cutthroat American League East.However, two decisions made over the weekend signal a harsh reality of the present, and the need for more patience as the organization waits for its bumper crop of starting pitching to mature in the minor leagues.The Orioles optioned pitcher Brad Bergesen to Triple-A Norfolk on Saturday despite the young right-hander being one of the biggest surprises of spring training.Bergesen pitched 11 2/3 innings with a 3.09 ERA and 11 strikeouts, launching himself into consideration for a starting rotation spot before being demoted. President of Baseball Operations Andy MacPhail has been assertive in stating the club’s approach in taking its time to promote their young pitchers, wanting them to gain experience at each level before being promoted to Baltimore. This certainly m...