The project to make Tyler Wells a starter is thriving

Teams love to dream about turning a solid relief pitcher into a valuable starter. The Orioles are no exception here. Not so long ago it felt like an annual spring storyline that Zack Britton, or Brian Matusz, was switching back to a rotation role. That never happened, of course, and ever since it has felt like the type of thing a team says but doesn’t really intend to follow through on.

Effective starting pitching is hard to find. Major league lineups are deeper than ever, and facing one multiple times in a day without imploding requires a combination of “stuff”, stamina, and precision. A standout reliever, though, tends to focus heavily on that first attribute. You can see why a theoretical…