Taking a closer look at Matusz versus Bastardo (with Gordon note)

While we wait for the Orioles to reveal their new assistant hitting coach on Thursday, I've heard that former major league outfielders Milt Thompson and Mark Quinn were finalists for the job.

Five candidates were interviewed.

Thompson is a career .274/.335/.372 hitter in 13 major league seasons with six teams. He was the Phillies hitting coach during their 2008 championship season and again when they returned to the World Series in 2009. He was fired in July 2010, served as the Astros minor league outfield/baserunning coordinator and spent the 2015 season as the Royals minor league outfield/baserunning/bunting coordinator.

Quinn spent four seasons with the Royals from 1999-2002 and batted .282/.324/.481. He finished third in Rookie of the Year voting in the American League in 2000. He currently owns a baseball academy in Houston.

The Orioles have more important matters to attend to than upgrading their bullpen, but it remains a hot topic based on their desire to sign another left-hander.

I brought up Antonio Bastardo's name yesterday morning, saying that he has a few supporters in the organization. ESPN's Buster Olney tweeted confirmation that the Orioles and Mets have been in contact with Bastardo's agent from the Legacy Agency, which also represents Kevin Gausman.

So what's going on here? Why another left-hander when the 40-man roster already includes closer Zach Britton, Brian Matusz, T.J. McFarland, Chris Jones, Chris Lee and C.J. Riefenhauser?

We should be in agreement that the Orioles won't carry four left-handers in a seven-man bullpen. We also should be in agreement that the Orioles aren't going with a four-man rotation and eight relievers.

Britton is a lock, of course. Let's not start rumors about Britton becoming a starter again. If that's in the works, it's the best-kept secret in the organization.

McFarland could be inserted into Triple-A Norfolk's rotation, which has happened in the past. Jones, Lee and Riefenhauser must be rated as long shots to break camp with the team. Lee hasn't pitched above Double-A, making seven starts for Bowie last summer. But it's nice depth.

The elephant in the room wears No. 17. It's also the thinnest elephant in recorded history.

Some folks might say that Matusz and Bastardo are redundant. Others might say only one has a last name that's liable to be flagged by Disqus, forcing me to continually check the pending file in the blog's comments section.

(I actually own a Bastardo Phillies jersey. It was sent to me many years ago by one of my longtime readers who no longer posts here, but isn't forgotten, after I wrote that I'd love to have it. I wore the jersey for the first time last year when pressured to "dress up" for Halloween.)

Matusz remains a trade candidate. His name comes up every winter, and you may recall that the Mets were interested last spring as Matusz was stretched out in a starting role and mowing down hitters.

Matusz made $3.2 million last year and is arbitration-eligible for the last time before entering free agency. MLBTradeRumors.com projects a slight raise to $3.4 million, but I anticipate a larger increase. We'll see.

I've heard a few people in the organization question how much the club should pay a lefty specialist. Meanwhile, MLBTradeRumors.com predicted at the start of free agency that Bastardo would land a three-year, $15 million contract from the Mariners.

Bastardo's price may have risen after the Astros gave left-hander Tony Sipp $18 million over three years. Is Matusz a bargain by comparison? You decide.

Matusz, who turns 29 next month, is 6-8 with a 3.16 ERA and 1.170 WHIP in 204 games as a reliever. In 272 career games in the majors, he's averaged 3.4 walks and 7.9 strikeouts per nine innings.

Matusz averaged a career-high 10.3 strikeouts per nine innings last year and posted a career-low 2.94 ERA. He also worked a career-low 49 innings, not counting his eight starts as a rookie in 2009.

Bastardo, 30, is 22-16 with a 3.34 ERA and 1.175 WHIP in 336 games as a reliever. He made five starts in 2009, the extent of his major league experience in a rotation, and went 2-3 with a 6.75 ERA and 1.500 WHIP in 22 2/3 innings.

In 341 career games in the majors, Bastardo has averaged 4.3 walks and 11 strikeouts per nine innings. Control is one strike against him, so to speak. He's also generated a 28.7 percent groundball rate that may raise a few eyebrows at hitter-friendly Camden Yards, but he's surrendered 0.8 home runs per nine innings.

Right-handers bat .299 against Matusz and left-handers hit .207. Right-handers bat .211 against Bastardo and left-handers hit .178. That's quite a separator. However, as I've pointed out in the past, Matusz has lowered the averages of right-handed hitters over the last four seasons from .327 to .302 to .277 to .244. He's also been outstanding with inherited runners until allowing 17 of 46 to score last season. He led Orioles relievers with 46 inherited and 29 stranded.

Bastardo's stock rose in the second half last season after joining the Pirates. He went 4-1 with a 2.98 ERA in 66 games, allowing 19 runs and 39 hits in 57 1/3 innings.

When tracking the careers of both pitchers and offering comparisons, the fact that Matusz was the fourth-overall pick in the 2008 draft and Bastardo was signed by the Phillies as an amateur free agent in 2005 is bound to come up. Another elephant in the room. The Orioles didn't choose Matusz with the idea of converting him into a reliever and matchup guy, but he's been a valuable piece in the 'pen.

There may be teams that still view Matusz as a potential starter. The Orioles raised the possibility of giving him another try if they can't find a left-hander for the rotation, though I wouldn't bet on it.

It's conceivable that Matusz and Bastardo could co-exist in the bullpen along with Britton, Darren O'Day, Brad Brach, Mychael Givens and Dylan Bundy, who might need to handle a long relief role if a starter made an early exit. Or would the Orioles stretch out Matusz to the point where he assumed McFarland's role?

If the Orioles can't provide a serious upgrade to their rotation, they could focus more on their bullpen and try to shorten games. It's not a novel idea.

As always, stay tuned.

Notes: There's been a change to the minicamp roster. Remove pitcher Vance Worley from the list.

Players on the 40-man roster aren't required to attend.

Double-A Bowie first baseman Trey Mancini and outfielder Mike Yastrzemski are working out in California with vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson.

Outfielder Alex Gordon reportedly is staying with the Royals. Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports tweeted that the deal is believed to be "in the four-year, low-$70M range."

Sounds like a bargain to me. It also seems to be an indication that the price is dropping for high-profile hitters.

MLBTradeRumors.com predicted that Gordon would receive $105 million over five seasons.