Though this odd, complicated offseason hasn't offered much in terms of predictability, it was a given that the Baltimore Orioles would try to find a free-agent bargain to help their rotation. After all, if there are two staples of the Orioles under Dan Duquette, it's their constant need for starting pitching and their willingness to pounce on frozen-out free agents.
Sure enough, here's what ESPN's Jerry Crasnick tweeted on Wednesday:
The #Orioles have checked out Lance Lynn, Andrew Cashner, Jason Vargas, Alex Cobb and Chris Tillman, among others. They appear content to wait in hopes of signing someone to a short-term deal. Peter Angelos hesitant to commit to 4-year deal after the Ubaldo Jimenez experience.
— Jerry Crasnick (@jcrasnick) February 7, 2018
For those playing along with the at-home version, the O's are casting a wide net. Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn are (rightfully) considered second-tier starters in this market, while Jason Vargas and Andrew Cashner fit the O's usual mold -- that is pitchers coming off successful seasons who did it in unorthodox and potentially unsustainable ways that scare away other suitors.
Chris Tillman doesn't belong in the conversation with those four, in part because he was one of the goats of the 2017 staff. Lest anyone forget, the Orioles received 444 2/3 innings innings of 6.61 ERA ball from the combination of Tillman, Wade Miley, Ubaldo Jimenez, and Jeremy Hellickson. That includes, obviously, Tillman's 7.84 ERA across 93 innings.
Still, the Orioles are arguably worse off now. Their projected rotation features Dylan Bundy and Kevin Gausman -- not bad so far -- as well as Gabriel Ynoa, Mike Wright, and Miguel Castro. Yikes. The Orioles could stand to add at least one starter, and perhaps two. With how the market is unfolding, there's a real chance they do so without giving out a four-year deal.
