In another no-brainer type move (just like picking up Darren O’Day’s option), the O’s have exercised Wei-Yin Chen’s $4.75M option for 2015, according to several sources including The Associated Press & ESPN.
After going 12-11 and 7-7 in his first two seasons in the states, Chen had his best year for the O’s in 2014, posting a 16-6 record that included career bests in ERA (3.54), ERA+ (108), FIP (3.89), WHIP (1.23), BB/9 (1.7) and K/BB ratio (3.89). As the only lefty in the Birds’ rotation, it’s hard to imagine Dan Duquette and Buck Showalter spent more than a second or two debating whether or not to bring Chen back.
Chen had one good and one bad start for the O’s in this year’s postseason. In Game 2 of the ALDS, the Detroit Tigers tagged him for 5 ER on 7 H in just 3.2 IP. That was, of course, the Delmon Young game that will never be forgotten in Charm City. In Game 3 of the ALCS, Chen held Kansas City to 2 ER on 7 H over 5.1, but was out-dueled by Jeremy Guthrie in a 2-1 Royals win.
Now that the Birds have locked up O’Day and Chen for next season, they’ll need to stay quite busy as free agency starts rolling. Their first priority is very likely to try to keep their own, namely Nick Markakis, followed by Andrew Miller and then Nelson Cruz. Markakis seems the most likely of those three to return to Birdland, but O’s fans will have plenty to watch as the MLB Hot Stove season really heats up.
Roch Kubatko says the O’s may be nearing a four-year deal with Markakis, but as CBS’s Dayn Perry notes, the Birds need to “be careful not to pay too much” for a guy that’s on the wrong side of 30.
The oddsmakers at My Top Sportsbooks have the Orioles listed as the eighth-highest odds to win the 2015 World Series at 22/1, but as having the fourth-highest odds of any American League team, behind only Detroit (10/1), Los Angeles of Anaheim (12/1), and Kansas City (20/1). We’ll have to keep an eye on how the odds change as players are added/lost this offseason.
