Trevor Rogers only started four times for the Orioles after Mike Elias acquired him at the trade deadline, but it feels like he’s been around for much longer.
Overall, Rogers allowed 15 runs in 19 innings with Baltimore, resulting in a 7.11 ERA and abysmal strikeout and walk rates. Elias did come out and tell Orioles fans how excited he was to sign the young left-hander, but his short time with the O’s was as bad as it could be.
Fortunately, the Orioles have decided to pause this experiment and announced Thursday that Rogers will go to Triple-A Norfolk to try to fix some of the mechanical issues we’ve identified.
Rogers was once a good pitcher in Miami. He had a stellar season in 2021, posting a 2.64 ERA in 133 innings while striking out 28.5% of batters. Since then, he has struggled with various injuries, including a back strain, a latissimus injury, and most recently a bicep strain that cost him most of 2023.
While it would be nice to say he hasn’t looked like himself since the trade, the sad reality is that he’s been mostly a mediocre pitcher up to this point in his career. In parts of 5 major league seasons, he’s only posted an ERA under 4.00 once, in 2021.
His career ERA of 4.36 is heavily influenced by that one good year. In his four other seasons combined, Rogers has a 5.20 ERA with mediocre strikeout and walk rates that raise doubts about his suitability as a future starter in this organization.
The two players Rogers traded for, Connor Norby and Kyle Stowers, have not performed well in their short time in Miami, which is a bit of a positive considering Rogers’ recent performance. But the fact remains that Rogers’ signing at the deadline was a questionable move even then, and his demotion only confirms the fears many Orioles fans have about him.
While Rogers will get every opportunity to get his development back on track in the minors, O’s fans won’t be holding their breath waiting for his return to Baltimore. It’s possible he could recover and become a useful starter down the road, but any expectation that he’ll return to his 2021 form feels like wishful thinking.
