Bergey Back to Bush Leagues

So there was this press release:

ORIOLES OPTION RHP BRAD BERGESEN TO TRIPLE-A NORFOLK


The Orioles have announced that RHP BRAD BERGESEN has been optioned to Triple-A Norfolk. Bergesen was 3-4 with a 6.50 ERA (54.0IP, 39ER) in 12 games (10 starts) for the Orioles this season.

A corresponding move will be announced tomorrow. 


Well, I hate to say I told you so but...I told you so.

...why would Bergesen go to Norfolk for a single start and come back to Baltimore? One solid start against AAA hitters is not enough for me to regain confidence. If you're going to use his option under the premise that he needed to work on his sinker and control, I sincerely doubt that he put everything together in one start. At least three would be my preference.

These are the kinds of things that bother me about this team. The losing sucks and the young players' struggles are concerning but ultimately these things can happen with a team in rebuilding mode. It doesn't always happen on schedule.

But wasting an option on a guy for one AAA start? It just doesn't make sense. Now you've used two options on a guy who may eventually be useful to the big league club. Who really thought that Bergey was all straightened out after one start?

Maybe they think Bergesen is no longer a big league pitcher. Maybe. But they did this with Matt Albers too and now he has no options left, probably the only reason he's still on the big league roster. For some reason, the Orioles seem afraid that someone will claim Albers if they try to get him to Norfolk. But they no longer have the luxury of Albers going to AAA to work out his control, a new pitch or something of that ilk.

If this is how cavalier they are about player options, what else are they not paying close attention to?

And that's when I get nervous.