Orioles ace in 2009?

[Killabee]

Who do you think will be the Orioles ace when the 2009 season starts. Adam Loewen, Jeremy Guthrie, Daniel Cabrera, someone who comes along in 2008 and pitches well, or an off-season trade / free agent? My vote is for Adam Loewen (if he stays healthy)

[J W]

Most people seem to agree with you Killa. Loewen needs to get his walk rate down though; he won't be an ace until he does so. That and the health problem.

[Erik Bedard]

Loewen's most similar pitcher through age 23 is Al Leiter, which isn't a bad indicator for his career arc.

[Killabee]

I notice 2 people voted for Offseason acquisiton, curious as to why and what anyone thinks about it ... who are good fa pitchers after this year? Anyone know?

[Westlake]

Loewen's most similar pitcher through age 23 is Al Leiter, which isn't a bad indicator for his career arc.

Dude, he has 142 innings. Have you even heard of half the guys on that list? I haven't. Daniel Cabrera is on that list too.

[Erik Bedard]

6 out of 10. More than half. But at least it's reassuring that somebody decent started out his career as wildly as Loewen has.

[Westlake]

6 out of 10. More than half. But at least it's reassuring that somebody decent started out his career as wildly as Loewen has.

Congrats. 6. Sadly, you probably wish you hadn't heard of some of them.

Is Loewen really supposed to be that good? His minor league stats aren't impressive.

[Erik Bedard]

Congrats. 6. Sadly, you probably wish you hadn't heard of some of them.

Is Loewen really supposed to be that good? His minor league stats aren't impressive.

The only way I remember Jesse Foppert is because he was in MVP 04 and he had a funny name. Looked pretty good before he got hurt.

He's a scout special. Great strikeout stuff, though his control is off-and-on. He's had some really dominating performances. The one I always point out is against team USA in the WBC, where he faced 12 or so of the game's top hitters without giving up a hit. And his minor league numbers are better than Chris Tillman's, who was the centerpiece of the Bedard deal (though Tillman did play in the California league).

[Imgran]

I notice 2 people voted for Offseason acquisiton, curious as to why and what anyone thinks about it ... who are good fa pitchers after this year? Anyone know?

I have this hunch that if the O's put up a good offense this year, and show up with at least 2 decent SP's, which is possible, they might exhiit another side of Peter Angelos' schizophrenia, go nuts with the checkbook and shock everyone next offseason to pick up Sabathia and Teixeira in the interest of credibility. It'll be the 10 year anniversary of the last time the Orioles were relevant after all.

[edsachs1]

I notice 2 people voted for Offseason acquisiton, curious as to why and what anyone thinks about it ... who are good fa pitchers after this year? Anyone know?

C.C. Sabathia is the big one. So far he's the only one that's really certain (others either have options or may sign extension half way thru the season). But personally I doubt we sign any big pitchers. In fact the only real FA I see us trying for is Teixiera, and only because he's a local guy.

It'll most likely be Loewen. He showed signs of greatness his first season up here. He won't be like Bedard, but he'll probably be our best pitcher. I see Guthrie falling back to earth this season, I think last year was a bit of a fluke. And D-Cab is way to erratic to tell. Overall though I think Chris Tillman will eventual be an ace. Roch Kubatko of the Sun says he's been very impressed with him so far in Spring Training (plus he's only 19).

[bryanac625]

I voted for Cabrera, not so much because I think he will be THE ACE, but because I think he will step it up some now that the real ace (Bedard) is gone.