No Guts, no glory?

Jeremy Guthrie deserved better than a loss last night, but how many times have I written those words? Guthrie didn't get a single run of support. He took a one-hit shutout into the bottom of the sixth and still ended up with the loss. Just his luck that he'd pitch on the same night that Atlanta's Jair Jurrjens decided to take a one-hit shutout through nine innings and into a cab back to his apartment. I mean, what are the odds? With Guthrie, they're pretty good. I wonder if running the bases in the top of the sixth took something out of him. Or maybe he just didn't locate the pitch that Jason Heyward launched for a two-run homer. Guthrie posted a 5.79 ERA in five starts last month, so he wasn't exactly mowing down the competition, but he might be the best 10-game loser I've seen in a long time. His ERA is 3.93. You try doing that with 10 losses. I've read and heard many arguments over the wisdom of trading Guthrie at the non-waiver deadline. He can't win here, so get something for him. The rotation can't afford to lose him, so keep him. Mark me down as being on both sides of the argument. Hey, it's my blog. If a team is offering major league-ready talent, it would be difficult to turn it down. I mean quality talent. Not mid-level prospects who never make it, or stop by for a cup of coffee in September. And it would have to include a starter to take Guthrie's place, because, in case you hadn't noticed, the rotation is thinner than rice paper. And that's my major-ready concern. Trade Guthrie and you've punched another hole in this rotation. As if the Orioles can fill the ones that already exist. Of course, any team inquiring about Guthrie is looking to add a starter, not deal one, so the Orioles might have to go elsewhere for his replacement. Guthrie would be more expendable if Brian Matusz and Chris Tillman were sending postcards to their friends in Norfolk, not showering with them. Right now, Chris Jakubauskas is in the rotation, and he wasn't even invited to spring training. He crashed the party like the captain of the chess team who shows up with a six-pack under his arm and a nervous smile. A reliever will end up starting on Tuesday unless Mitch Atkins gets the call. You remember Mitch Atkins. He was invited to spring training and didn't pitch because of an oblique injury. At least it wasn't his intercostal. Jake Arrieta's been pushed back like that chess team captain. He'll start tomorrow night and hope his elbow doesn't scream like Lindsay Lohan's probation officer. Can the Orioles really afford to trade Guthrie? Can they afford not to? I'll close this entry with one of my favorite exchanges from the sitcom "Frasier." Warning: It has nothing to do with the Orioles, but it always cracks me up, and I stumbled upon it last night in a rerun. Niles throws a party at his house, and an attractive female guest compliments his homemade egg rolls. Woman: "A psychiatrist and a chef!" Niles: "They both came in handy when I cured the ham."