masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgSARASOTA, Fla. – Today’s announcement that that Orioles optioned Dylan Bundy to Double-A Bowie was inevitable. It just didn’t appear to be imminent.

The Orioles weren’t going to plug Bundy into their rotation or bullpen coming out of spring training. He’s been projected to begin the 2013 season with the Baysox. It’s been written here all winter and before the open of camp.

The rotation at Triple-A Norfolk will be crowded, but the Orioles can make room later this summer or leapfrog Bundy…SARASOTA, Fla. – Today’s announcement that that Orioles optioned Dylan Bundy to Double-A Bowie was inevitable. It just didn’t appear to be imminent.

The Orioles weren’t going to plug Bundy into their rotation or bullpen coming out of spring training. He’s been projected to begin the 2013 season with the Baysox. It’s been written here all winter and before the open of camp.

The rotation at Triple-A Norfolk will be crowded, but the Orioles can make room later this summer or leapfrog Bundy to the bigs again.

The surprise today is the timing of Bundy’s removal from the roster.

Manager Buck Showalter indicated yesterday that he would wait until after Sunday’s split-squad games to make more cuts.

Asked on Thursday whether Bundy and Kevin Gausman had gotten everything they could out of this camp, Showalter replied, “No. If I said that, that would mean that we’re sending them out. There’s still some other things they can get. Not going to happen today or tomorrow.”

True. It happened to Bundy on Saturday.

“They keep getting feedback and filing information away,” Showalter continued. “What they get is invaluable. There’s still things here they won’t get in Twin Lakes. As long as the innings are there… We have a split-squad coming up. I’ll leave that in Rick (Adair’s) hands. He’s very good with that.”

Showalter told reporters in Dunedin that he wanted Bundy to build up his innings in preparation for the start of the season. The same will be true with Gausman, though he’s still in major league camp.

Bundy also can spend that time refining his mechanics and getting his velocity back. It climbed up a few miles-per-hour in his last appearance.

The move makes sense. It just wasn’t expected to happen today.