Baltimore Orioles Pitcher Putting Team First Amid Role Change

Sometimes players need to do what is best for the team, and that's exactly what one of the Baltimore Orioles starting pitchers is doing after his change in roles.

May 10, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Cole Irvin (19) / Mitch Stringer-USA TODAY Sports

The Baltimore Orioles have battled some challenges within their starting rotation.

After they acquired Corbin Burnes, the expectation was the former Cy Young winner would be paired with Kyle Bradish and Grayson Rodriguez at the top of their rotation, while John Means took one of the backend spot after his recovery from Tommy John surgery. Then, there would be a competition to see who would take that fifth spot.

Things didn't quite work out that way.

Bradish and Means started out on the injured list, so expected bullpen arms were then bumped into the rotation. Once those two returned, it was Rodriguez who had an IL stint, pushing their ideal starting plans back even further.

However, all three are back healthy and in the mix, meaning someone had to get moved out of their spot in the rotation.

All signs pointed to that being veteran Cole Irvin, despite the fact he posted a 4-1 record and 2.90 ERA over seven starts in what has easily been the best performance of his career so far.

But, he understood this might have been a possiblity and is accepting his new role as doing what is best for the team.

"We need another bullpen guy. Unfortunately, we lost Big Mike (Baumann) and we need Grayson back and he's healthy. Just a numbers thing, you know? I'm going to do my job the way I was doing it at the beginning of the year, the way I did it last year. Like, whatever the team needs of me I'm going to do. So, just keeping it simple, don't think about it too much other than I have a job to do now out in the bullpen," Irvin said according to Roch Kubatko of MASN.

That's certainly admirable.

Starters are largely the pitchers who make the money in this league, when excluding some of the premier closers. It was likely frustrating for Irvin, no matter what he said, to move back into being a reliever after he had performed so well.

But, bullpen is an important piece of the puzzle for a team like the Orioles who are looking to potentially win a World Series.

Irvin was able to make his first appearance out of the 'pen this year during their series finale against the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, pitching two scoreless frames where he allowed just one hit.

If he's able to take continue the output he's had on the mound so far, then he is going to be a major weapon for Baltimore as a reliever, improving the overall profile of this entire pitching staff.