When the O's trade for Kevin Millwood last winter, I felt that it was a good move, especially seeing that Chris Ray was a little more than just dead weight on the roster at the time. However, this season hasn't panned out the way that Millwood or the Orioles wanted, with Millwood's record standing at 3-14 and a 5.14 ERA. However as we know, not all of this is his fault in that he's gotten next to no run support this season, and has been injured. However of late he's gone in the right direction, as he has a 3.54 ERA for the month of August. In fact, the Orioles stand at 16-10 for August, and are guaranteed of their first winning month since June of 2008!
Over the weekend the San Diego Padres expressed some interest in Millwood. So would the Orioles pull the trigger? Survey says: probably. When he was aquired, I saw Millwood as a good pickup but also as good trade bait, much like Miguel Tejada. If the Orioles can turn around and deal Millwood for a couple of mid-level prospects, I'd say they should pull the trigger on that. Not only would the Orioles get something in return for a player that's probably going to walk after the season anyways, but they'd also open up a rotation spot in time for September call-ups. Odds are that Zach Britton could get his chance to pitch in the majors if things go down as such. If the O's truly wanted Millwood to return next season, he'll be a free agent after the season and they could go and sign him. (Odds are against that happening.)
In the mean time, the O's swept the Anaheim Angels over the weekend, as well as for the entire season. For whatever reason, the Orioles seemed to have the Angels' number this summer, as they didn't lose to Anaheim at all. Jeremy Guthrie finished things off yesterday with a four-hit performance over 8.1 innings, giving up no runs. The O's will now head home, where they'll take on the Red Sox and the Tampa Rays before heading for NY. This will begin the end of the season for the Orioles, and while it's been disappointing, we have to believe that they're headed in the right direction at this point in time. To say the least, it has been entertaining.
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