With FanFest coming on Saturday and the last big name off the board in Masahiro Tanaka, Orioles fans are growing increasingly impatient with the lack of moves this offseason.
We’ve discussed it all before. This team is one or two solid moves away from making a serious run. Buck knows it, Executive Vice President of Baseball Operations Dan Duquette knows it, the league knows it, and the fans know it. But what are the moves this team needs to make?
The most glaring need is starting pitching. In 2013, Orioles starters ranked 27th in ERA, 22nd in innings pitched, allowed the eighth-highest batting average against, and allowed the third most earned runs in all of baseball. They also combined for just two complete games and 78 quality starts.
The team has been outspoken in its desire for a starting pitcher to slot behind Chris Tillman. The Birds have been linked to Bronson Arroyo, A.J. Burnett, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Ervin Santana. All four have issues with signability.
Arroyo–37 in February–is looking for a three-year deal and the Orioles are seemingly looking for a two-year agreement.
Santana is looking for a four-to-six-year deal, an unlikely scenario for a team that would sooner sell Camden Yards to the Yankees than hand out more than a three-year deal to a pitcher. Signing Santana would also cost the team their first-round pick since he declined the Royals’ qualifying offer for 2014.
Jimenez, once seeking four or more years, is rumored to have lowered his demands to a three-year deal, a number right in the Orioles’ wheelhouse. The problem is, much like Santana, Jimenez would also cost the O’s a first round pick – a pick Duquette is reluctant to part with.
That leaves Burnett. The 37-year-old righty earlier this week decided to return for the 2014 season and let it be known he would test the open market. This despite rumors early in the offseason that he would pitch for the Pittsburgh Pirates or simply retire.
Burnett would appear to make the most sense. Along with his willingness to accept a one-year deal and his close proximity to Baltimore–he and his wife live in Monkton–Burnett has eight seasons in his 15-year career with a sub-4 ERA, seven seasons of 190+ IP, has pitched in the postseason in four different seasons and has two World Series rings (though he did not pitch in the postseason for the Marlins in 2003). Burnett has also spent six seasons pitching in the AL East (three with Toronto, three with New York).
The problem with Burnett is that he will probably give the Pirates first crack at retaining his services. Burnett has resurrected his career in Pittsburgh after two subpar seasons in New York. His 3.41 ERA in the “Steel City” is his best with any club and there is no pressure on him playing for a team that features the likes of Gerrit Cole, Jeff Locke, Francisco Liriano and Wandy Rodriguez.
So what are the Orioles going to do? My guess is that they make a strong push for Burnett (according to Peter Gammons, they are “all in” on him – whatever that means). And he may choose to sign elsewhere which will lead to seven inevitable spring training weeks of hearing about the upside and potential of Zack Britton, Brian Matusz, and Kevin Gausman.
The bottom line is simple. The Orioles need improvement from their starters to compete in the AL East. They need to get deeper into ballgames and guys like Wei-Yin Chen and Miguel Gonzalez need to learn how not to implode once they hit the sixth and seventh innings. Adding a veteran starter with a history of success will certainly help. Either way, Buck and Duquette are in for some bumpy fan forums on Saturday at FanFest.
Introducing a new starter would be a great way to ease the tension.
