On Thursday night, the Orioles signed a minor-league contract with lefty reliever Fernando Abad, whom fans may best remember for being the guy whose inside pitching led to him and Manny Machado getting ejected from a game in July 2014. Well, water under the bridge, I hope. Whether Abad ends up in the 2021 bullpen or not, the signing signals that Orioles brass is not content to rest this year’s pitching hopes on the young (albeit strapping) shoulders of a crop of rising prospects.
The good news, though—for the front office and fans alike—is that there is already something of an excess of riches on this team when it comes to pitching, especially starting pitching.