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2015 Orioles preview: Miguel Gonzalez

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With Opening Day less than two weeks away, weโ€™ll take a look at a member of the 2015 Orioles every day as they try to defend their American League East title this season.

March 9 โ€“ Adam Jones
March 10 โ€“ Chris Tillman
March 11 โ€“ J.J. Hardy
March 12 โ€“ Zach Britton
March 13 โ€“ Chris Davis
March 14 โ€“ Wei-Yin Chen
March 15 โ€“ Jonathan Schoop
March 16 โ€“ Travis Snider
March 17 โ€“ Kevin Gausman
March 18 โ€“ Alejandro De Aza
March 19 โ€“ Tommy Hunter
March 20 โ€“ Manny Machado
March 21 โ€“ Brad Brach
March 22 โ€“ Steve Pearce
March 23 โ€“ Darren Oโ€™Day
March 24 โ€“ Caleb Joseph
March 25 โ€“ Wesley Wright
March 26 โ€“ Delmon Young

RHP Miguel Gonzalez

Opening Day age: 30

Contract status: Under club control through the 2017 season

Minor-league options remaining: One

2014 stats: 10-9, 3.23 ERA, 1.30 WHIP, 6.3 K/IP, 25 HR, 159 innings

Why to be impressed: Gonzalez continued to exceed expectations to a dramatic degree in 2014 as he posted the best ERA of anyone in the rotation despite the disruption of a demotion to Triple-A Norfolk in August because of a crowded rotation. He posted a miniscule 2.09 ERA over the final three months of the season, which included the first complete-game shutout of his career in early September.

Why to be concerned: As mentioned above, sabermetricians arenโ€™t a fan of Gonzalez, whose 4.89 FIP (fielding independent pitching) indicates how much he might benefit from his defense โ€” and perhaps some good fortune. The right-hander allowed a career-high 1.4 homers per nine innings, and his tendency to frequently give up fly balls benefited from Camden Yards playing much more like a pitchersโ€™ park in 2014, something you wouldnโ€™t expect to continue this year.

2015 outlook: It remains unclear whether a crowded rotation might force Gonzalez to the bullpen or Norfolk for periods of the 2015 season, but heโ€™s been a dependable contributor for three straight reasons and epitomizes what the Orioles have been about for the last three years. It would be difficult for Gonzalez to match his ERA from a year ago, but I wonโ€™t bet against him posting another season of 150-plus innings with an ERA of 3.75 or better. Simply put, heโ€™s smart and one heck of a competitor on the mound.

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