Should Orioles use an opener ahead of Trevor Rogers? | MAILBAG

Question: Do you think Trevor Rogers would benefit from having an opener like Chris Bassitt has benefited? I think it would be of some benefit to the club also if they used a couple of openers right now. The openers could be stretched out for two-to-four innings. That way, relievers who had been starters (e.g. Tyler Wells and Albert Suárez) could also make spot starts when necessary. Suárez was just designated for assignment again, but I think he and Wells are very important to the team’s success, especially with the pitching injuries the team has? From: Mitch

Answer: Mitch, the opener was used with Bassitt because there were left-handed hitters in the top third of the Athletics and Tigers orders and using Keegan Akin gave an advantage to the Orioles for that one at-bat.

If you used an opener for two innings, it prevents them from being used the next day, and if you used one for three or four, they might not be able to pitch for up to four days, perhaps hurting the bullpen in the long run.

The Orioles view Wells as a reliever, not a starter, and it’s certainly possible that Suárez will stay in the organization if he passes through waivers. I agree that both are valuable, but I’m not sure the opener will spread beyond Bassitt.

Question: Do you have any information as to how the total number Oriole strikeouts compares to our opponents’ strikeouts when playing each other. My impression is that the O’s consistently strike out more frequently in any given game than their opponents. On average, how many times per game do the O’s strike out? From: Joe Rees, Aiken, South Carolina

Answer: Joe, entering Monday’s game, the Orioles struck out 489 times, an average of 9.2 per game. Their opponents struck out 427 times, an average of 8.1 per game. 

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.