Factor in the thin free-agent crop of starting pitchers poised to come out this winter and it might be an even tougher sell, but an experienced front-line starter - someone like John Lackey or Rich Harden or even Erik Bedard - might just turn Guthrie into a strong No. 2 and help in the development of the young pitchers behind him.
The Orioles' front office used a semblance of that reasoning in the early 1990s, when the team signed veteran Rick Sutcliffe to make the inaugural Opening Day start at brand-new Oriole Park. Sutcliffe absorbed the pressure that comes with being a staff ace so that Ben McDonald and Mike Mussina would have time to develop without that kind of pressure. It worked out for Mussina, though McDonald was unable to remain healthy enough to reach his full potential.
Of course, there's still more than half the season left, and Guthrie could get on a roll at any time. If he could get back to where he was the past two seasons - from an ERA standpoint - the combination of that and an improved Orioles offensive lineup might be enough to justify his place at the top of the rotation.
