Getting back to a baseball topic while awaiting next move for Orioles

It was a sad day and night in Baltimore on Monday. The right decision was made to postpone the Orioles game with Chicago and take people out of a potentially dangerous location and situation.

Watching the local TV coverage and seeing rioting and looting just made me sad, and innocent people and businesses were no doubt damaged and hurt. Again, just sad.

As we wait to find out when and where the Orioles can play again and if they will play at home, let's divert back quickly here, or at least try very hard, to something about baseball.

Something that pales in comparison in the large scheme of things, but at least makes sense for what we do here.

Along those lines ...

This question is being asked often already by Orioles fans, and it is a legitimate one: How long can the Orioles carry Rule 5 pick Jason Garcia?

First, let's say that Garcia clearly has a good arm and that he a strong spring. It wasn't that long ago that many fans were saying here they'd like to see the club find a way to keep him.

Second, if the Orioles eventually do have to send him back to Boston, it would probably be in part because some things that are happening are beyond Garcia's control.

For one, the starting pitchers are not getting deep enough in games, taxing the bullpen. However, that started to get better in the Boston series. For two, the bullpen has gotten off to a slow start. For three, most of the bullpen pitchers cannot be optioned to the minors, so the 'pen is lacking in roster flexibility.

If the starters begin to get deeper in games more often and the bullpen pitchers start throwing better, carrying Garcia becomes a little less of an issue or concern.

Another factor is the win-loss record. That sometimes trumps all else. If the Orioles fall several games out of first place, the urgency for wins will become even greater.

Before someone says a winning team can't carry a Rule 5 pick, the Orioles are a winning team that did just that in 2012 with Ryan Flaherty and 2013 with T.J. McFarland. They had a winning record both years and made the playoffs with Flaherty in 2012.

Sometimes, I think fans don't understand the Rule 5 draft and expect the player you get in that draft to be an everyday or even star player. Hard to do that in the Rule 5, but Flaherty is a valuable guy on the roster with his defensive versatility and McFarland pitched to a 2.76 ERA last season, which included a 2.01 mark after the All-Star break.

But, if the Orioles don't feel confident enough to use Garcia, with this bullpen and its lack of roster flexibility, that is going to be an issue. He went 10 days between his second and third appearances and then pitched back-to-back days, once in bitter cold and rain.

That would be a challenge for any pitcher, much less one with so little experience facing big league hitters for the first time.

It will be hard for Garcia to pitch well, I would think, getting such little work.But in recent days, he has started to get more work, pitching three times in the last six games.

He has a 6.97 ERA over 10 1/3 innings and has allowed 10 hits and nine runs (eight earned), with seven walks and five strikeouts. He pitched a scoreless inning versus Boston on Friday and struck out both David Ortiz and Mike Napoli in the ninth inning. But Sunday, he gave up four runs in 2 1/3 innings, allowing two homers to Hanley Ramirez.

I think there is a chance Garcia could help this team. But if the Orioles are reticent about using him except in blowout situations, they may be better served calling on Mike Wright, Steve Johnson, Oliver Drake, McFarland or any other deserving pitcher at Triple-A Norfolk.

How long can they hold on to Garcia? That depends how well he pitches yes, but also on several other factors that don't involve whether he gets American League hitters out or not.