Could this O's reliever be converted to a starter?

It was interesting to read a report from MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko a few days ago about the Orioles approaching Zach Britton earlier this year to gauge his interest in returning to a starter's role. It seems Britton was just fine with staying as a closer and all of this happened before his recent Achilles surgery, which will delay his start to the 2018 season.

While the Orioles seem very unlikely to move a reliever into a starter's role for 2018, I have often thought the reliever best suited to make such a move is right-hander Brad Brach.

That is because he has three legitimate pitches that can all be plus pitches. Brach throws a mid-90s four-seam fastball along with a changeup and slider, and on a given night, all three can be outstanding.

Last year, Brach allowed a batting average of .167 when batters put his fastball in play. He yielded a .211 average off his changeup and a .280 average off his slider. That number was .220 off his slider the year before. Brach's split-finger changeup can be particularly good and he got 17 percent swings and misses on the pitch in 2017.

The three-pitch mix - Brach also throws a sinker 4 percent of the time - makes him effective versus both left- and right-handed batters. For his career, right-handed batters hit just .203 against him and lefties bat .234. Both strong numbers.

Brach is a big, strong and durable reliever. With three solid pitches, if any O's reliever could move to a starter's role, he is probably the best candidate. But he's also too valuable in the bullpen right now. With Britton's injury, talk of moving anyone to the rotation from the 'pen is likely muted for the moment.

Dauer on the comeback trail: It was uplifting to read this story about former Oriole second baseman Rich Dauer. While the Houston Astros and their fans were celebrating a World Series win earlier this year, Dauer, their first base coach, was in a battle for his life.

He became ill at the victory parade with blood on his brain after a fall the day before where he struck his head. He thought nothing of the fall, but this quickly turned into a very serious life-and-death situation.

Dr. David Cech, upon arriving to operate on Dauer, found him in a coma and "almost brain dead." After surgery, Cech told Dauer's wife, Chris, that her husband would "never be the same."

But Dauer has been making a miraculous recovery. Maybe it is just another Christmas miracle. What great news about a great Oriole and such a key member of the Orioles last World Series winning team in 1983.

In 2012, Dauer was inducted into the Orioles Hall of Fame along with former pitcher Mike Mussina.

"I grew up an Oriole and the organization has meant so much to me for so many years," Dauer said that night. "I follow them all the time. My family was here. My wife and I had two children here. We have a lot of friends here and this is really special."