Ace in the hole? G-Rod welcomes chance to fill big shoes

SARASOTA, Fla. -- One year ago, Corbin Burnes¡¯ first bullpen session donning the Orioles¡¯ black and orange was a must-see moment when Spring Training opened. Media members lined up by the backfield mounds to capture video of Baltimore¡¯s new ace.

Burnes wasn¡¯t at Ed Smith Stadium as this year¡¯s camp began Thursday, nor will he be back. The 30-year-old right-hander used his tremendous track record and his stellar showing for the 2024 O¡¯s to land a six-year, $210 million deal from the D-backs in December.

The Orioles have lost their No. 1 starter. His presence, however, could continue to be felt in future seasons. Burnes not only delivered quality starts nearly every time he took the mound, but he served as a mentor to younger starters in the clubhouse.

Grayson Rodriguez learned exactly what it meant to be an ace by watching Burnes¡¯ attitude.

¡°You go out and attack every game like it might be your last. You want to leave everything you have on the field,¡± the 25-year-old Rodriguez said. ¡°And you want to be able to handle the pressure.

¡°I think that¡¯s something that I¡¯m ready for.¡±

It¡¯s also something that the right-handed Rodriguez may soon get a chance to prove with the possibility of him taking over the top spot in Baltimore¡¯s rotation.

Despite Burnes¡¯ departure, the O¡¯s didn¡¯t acquire any frontline starters over the offseason, instead adding rotation depth pieces in Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano, experienced right-handers who will fit well in the back end. General manager Mike Elias said the odds of additional moves will ¡°tick down¡± now that Spring Training has arrived.

So that leaves Rodriguez and righty Zach Eflin as the favorites to start Opening Day in Toronto on March 27. Eflin, a nine-year MLB veteran, has more experience and was tabbed to start Tampa Bay¡¯s opener last season. But Rodriguez, a 2018 first-round Draft pick who was once among baseball¡¯s top prospects, may have a higher ceiling.

¡°He¡¯s in great shape, we can see that. He certainly has had the stuff, the pedigree, the performance to take a step forward,¡± Elias said of Rodriguez. ¡°And I think he¡¯s had some health frustrations the last couple of years that hopefully don¡¯t happen this year. I¡¯m very bullish on him and expect a great season from him.¡±

Rodriguez¡¯s first two big league campaigns have featured both flashes of greatness and inconsistency, in part due to injuries. After a tough start to his 2023 rookie season (a 7.35 ERA in 10 first-half starts), the Nacogdoches, Texas, native found a rhythm after the All-Star break, posting a 2.58 ERA over his final 13 outings.

In 2024, Rodriguez was often terrific when he took the mound, recording a 3.86 ERA with 130 strikeouts. However, he was limited to 116 2/3 innings in 20 starts due to two trips to the IL (right shoulder inflammation from April 30-May 18; right lat/teres discomfort from Aug. 7-the end of the season).

After missing most of August, all of September and the Orioles¡¯ American League Wild Card Series loss to the Royals, Rodriguez was fully cleared shortly after the season ended. He went through his typical offseason program, and he¡¯s raring to go for 2025.

His top goal? To mimic Burnes in one particular way.

¡°I¡¯d say being efficient. Last year, Corbin Burnes was pitching in the sixth and seventh inning a lot, simply because he was just going out and going after the hitters. He wasn¡¯t really around the strike zone, he was going right at them,¡± Rodriguez said. ¡°That¡¯s something that I think a lot of us are going to be doing this year, is just going out there, attacking the zone. Not necessarily being around it, but just letting the guys in the field do most of the work.¡±

Another pitcher who could benefit from being around Burnes is right-hander Dean Kremer. The 29-year-old has a 3.85 ERA in 78 outings over the past three seasons, and he could potentially take another step forward this year, which would also be a big boost to Baltimore¡¯s rotation.

¡°Burnesy was a true No. 1 for us last year and pitched like it. It was great for Dean and Grayson to see what that looks like,¡± manager Brandon Hyde said. ¡°I¡¯ve got some high expectations for those two guys this year. I think they¡¯re really, really ready right now. They look great.

¡°The improvement that Dean showed every single year and what he¡¯s been able to do. Unfortunately, Grayson got hurt last year. But I think both those guys have established themselves as good Major League pitchers and continue to get better.¡±