It’s official.
1 Jim Johnson = 1 Grant Balfour + 1 Ryan Webb (+ Bonus: anything positive Jemile Weeks can contribute)
As happy as myself and Birdland are that Duquette finally followed up his promise of “reallocating our resources,” the O’s front office CANNOT be done yet.
It is great that we have replaced JJ with a strong closer and another solid back-of-the-bullpen guy and all, but as fellow blogger @BalSportsReport pointed out, if we don’t do something to improve our starting rotation it won’t matter who is pitching the ninth inning.
Last year, the Orioles starting rotation was ranked 27th in the MLB, posting an ugly 4.57 ERA. The only real bright spot of the rotation was the emergence of Chris Tillman: 16-7 3.71 ERA 206.1 IP.
The struggles of the back end of the rotation (Hammel, Feldman, Norris, and Chen) made it almost impossible for the Orioles to string together any wins.
Don’t get me wrong, Chen and Norris both are solid starters who are currently penciled in as part of the starting five, but the Orioles need another solid number two or three guy to stabilize the rotation. Specifically, a durable veteran who can hopefully post over 200 innings.
One quick look at the free agent pool and the name Bronson Arroyo stands out. Arroyo isn’t the ace every O’s fan is dying to have, but he has logged over 200+ IP (199 IP in 2011 – close enough) for nine straight years! Not to mention he has 0.89 ground ball to fly ball ratio, something very valuable when pitching in the hitter friendly Camden Yards.
Although Arroyo would not be the key to making the Orioles rotation something to fear, he would at least add a veteran workhorse to mentor a very inexperienced rotation, as well as lighten the load off an overworked 2013 bullpen.
But, as in the case of every free agent starter this off-season, Arroyo’s asking price is a hefty three-year deal. He already has a two-year deal in his pocket from the Twins, but seems to be holding out for a third year. Considering Arroyo is 36 years old, and Duquette’s unwillingness to spend big on FA pitchers, it is unlikely the O’s will dish out the cash needed to real him in.
That is why the more realistic option, one the O’s are still sitting on, is whether A.J. Burnett decides to put off retirement and return for at least another year.
The fact that the O’s, who should still have a solid chunk of change to spend (12-25 million as estimated by @CamdenDepot), are waiting on a 36-year-old veteran to consider playing one more year just about sums up DD’s willingness to pursue FA starting pitching.
Burnett would be a solid addition, providing a similar veteran presence but with a much higher K/9 ratio (9.8 in 2013 – highest in his career). He also wouldn’t command nearly the type of commitment the other FA starters are looking for – right up DD’s alley.
While overpaying for Ervin Santana, Matt Garza, or Ubaldo Jimenez may be out of the Orioles’ comfort zone, the Orioles must find a way to upgrade their rotation. Whether it be through a “high profile” free agent, or waiting for a man who had just booked his retirement in Florida to reconsider pitching for one last year, the O’s can’t afford to stand pat.
Oh yeah, we kinda need a left fielder too…and so it goes.
