Brian Matusz never really wanted to be the Brian Matusz Orioles fans have watched come out of the bullpen as a situational left-hander for the past 3 1/2 seasons.
He came out of the University of San Diego as the top pitcher in the 2008 amateur draft, was the Orioles top pick (4th overall) and moved quickly into the major league starting rotation.
Maybe too quickly.
For part of 2009 and all of 2010 he looked like he was on track to develop into a top-flight starting pitcher, but his career took a dramatic downturn in 2011 (1-9, 10.69 ERA in 12 starts) because of physical issues and the Orioles eventually transitioned him into the bullpen role he handled well from 2013-2015.
Still, it was never the role he sought, so maybe Tuesday's trade to the Atlanta Braves for two minor league prospects will become the vehicle that allows him to go back to his roots and re-establish himself as a starting pitcher.
Who knows where and when that might happen. The Braves made the deal to get the competitive balance draft pick the Orioles sent them along with Matusz. They are expected to designate him for assignment, which means he could become a free agent and sign with any team if he isn't claimed off waivers.
If that scenario plays out, you can bet he'll want to go somewhere he can transition back into a starting pitcher, and he'll come cheap enough to make it worth some team's while to give him that opportunity at the Triple-A level. Whether he can actually take advantage of it and re-establish himself as the solid starting pitcher he sees in the mirror every day is an open question.
He clearly had hoped to get a chance to compete for a place in the Orioles rotation this past spring, but a lower back injury intervened and left the club with little choice but to return him to his bullpen role.
He said publicly he was OK with returning to the lefty specialist role he had carved out for himself in the bullpen, but really wasn't. He also wasn't the same pitcher who appeared in 204 games as a reliever over the previous 3 1/2 seasons and pitched to a very respectable 3.16 ERA.
In his first seven appearances this season, he allowed eight earned runs in just six innings (12.00 ERA).
Matusz made a solid contribution to the Orioles organization, so no one should be celebrating his decline.
He deserves the chance to re-invent himself.