The Orioles have a lot of depth in the squad. So many of you might be thinking, do we even need to make additions to the squad in the offseason? But the Orioles rotation has been a problem for some time now and it looks as though none of the current players can offer a solution.
A possible solution could be to sign an experienced player who can offer consistency throughout the year. It does not need to be a high profile athlete who will cost us dearly. There are a host of free agents who could be worth signing.
Here are the three best options that the Orioles should consider.
James Shields
There are a lot of difficulties in signing James Shields. Firstly, he’d cost us too much. Secondly his production would not be satisfactory and finally, the player himself might not be interested in the move. But Shields has the most sought after quality that makes one a top professional: he is unbelievably consistent. He has had a thirteen year long career and only twice has he failed to reach thirty-one starts.
This wouldn’t be the signing that will excite many but at least there will be certainty in what you are buying. The White Sox chose not to offer him a new contract and he could be an option for the O’s. He has amassed a wealth of $113M in his playing career so money is not his primary concern now that he is 37 yrs old, so he might settle for a lesser fee.
Signing him might be a masterstroke for the Baltimore Orioles.
Jeremy Hellickson
Not many Orioles’ fan held Jeremy Hellickson in high regard given his disappointing performances in the one year he played for us. In the 2017-18 campaign though he surprised us all and has had a massive impact for the Washington Nationals.
He is another player who has been very consistent throughout his career. He started his career in 2010 and since then he has only failed twice to make fewer than twenty-seven starts. Unlike Shields Hellickson will be a much cheaper option given that he earned only $2M last year. So if he is signed for between three and five million dollars both parties could benefit from the deal.
Tyson Ross
Tyson Ross proved to be an outstanding as a pitcher for the Padres in the two years that he played there. He has an excellent strikeout rate of 19.2%. However in the past three years he has had to deal with injuries to his arm, and has also struggled with thoracic outlet syndrome. Even without the injuries he was never the most consistent player.
Despite his struggles he has proven to be very effective in this past year in which he played for two teams namely the Padres and the Cardinals. He registered a FIP of 4.39 and a groundball rate of 45.9%. Even though he could be signed for as low as $2M he comes with a risk. He’ll definitely perform if he stays fit but if he gets injured the investment will prove to be futile.
