Orioles left-hander Cole Irvin is looking to be part of his first playoff run this season with Baltimore after joining the club in an offseason trade.
Irvin was acquired from the Athletics alongside minor league right-hander Kyle Virbitsky in January in exchange for infield prospect Darell Hernaiz. Irvin started 62 games with the Athletics from 2021-2022, compiling a 19-28 record with a 4.11 ERA.
“We play the game to win a World Series and that’s definitely my objective and I want to do it with this group,” Irvin said on Glenn Clark Radio July 20. “Anything that this team needs, I want to be doing everything I can to help it.”
Irvin, 29, began his career with Philadelphia as a reliever but transitioned to a starting role after an offseason trade to Oakland ahead of the 2021 season. Irvin opened this season with the Orioles in the starting rotation, starting Baltimore’s third game of the season against the Boston Red Sox.
The front office envisioned Irvin as an innings-eater for the club after he pitched more than 175 innings in the two previous seasons. Instead, Irvin was optioned to Triple-A Norfolk in April after three disappointing starts to begin the year.
Irvin found his way back into the starting rotation in June after going 6-1 with the Tides with a 3.21 ERA. When Grayson Rodriguez rejoined the Orioles’ rotation last week, manager Brandon Hyde announced that Irvin would move to the bullpen. Irvin started five games in six appearances between June 10 and July 7 with a 2.92 ERA and 1.22 WHIP.
“[I was] wrestling a little bit with, ‘Dang, I want to still be a starter,'” Irvin said. “When that [All-Star break ended], I was like, ‘All right, if this is what I’m going to be in the postseason, all right, let’s get used to it. Let’s try to do this the right way and just get the job done. And so if this is my role moving forward, so be it. I’m ready for it.'”
Irvin’s first outing out of the bullpen since the change came on July 18 against the Los Angeles Dodgers. Irvin threw four innings in relief, allowing two runs and four hits.
“Being a long man out of the bullpen is arguably, if you talk to other pitchers and staff, probably one of the toughest things to do in Major League Baseball especially,” Irvin said. “… You need strikeouts in certain situations but at the end of the day, it’s all about just getting the outs and getting that team back in the dugout to hit.”
Despite the change in roles with the team, Irvin has embraced the culture of the young clubhouse.
“I don’t know if there’s a guy in this clubhouse that isn’t an amazing dude off the field and in the clubhouse and just true professionals all the way around,” Irvin said. “… It’s been really enjoyable growing this culture with these guys.”
Baltimore’s pitching staff has a collective 4.19 ERA entering play July 27, ninth best in the American League. A trade for another starting pitcher is speculated for Baltimore as Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells are the only starting pitchers with ERAs below 4.00. Meanwhile, starting pitcher John Means hopes to rejoin the rotation sometime later in the season as the former All-Star recovers from 2022 Tommy John surgery and an upper back injury.
“The guys have been so good,” Irvin said. “And anytime I’ve rejoined the rotation I’ve done my best to live up to the standard that they’re setting, which is fantastic. The rotation is pushing each other pretty hard and expects a lot out of each other.”
Baltimore is currently 62-40 in sole possession of first place in the AL East after winning three of four games against Tampa Bay. The Rays had held first place in the division since the beginning of the season after a 13-0 start. Baltimore is now 1.5 games ahead of its division rival.
“The fact that we’re at the top of one of the best divisions of baseball, arguably the best division in baseball, it’s extremely rewarding,” Irvin said. “But at the same time, the job’s not done. We still have a long way to go.”
For more from Irvin, listen to the full interview here:
Photo Credit: Colin Murphy/PressBox