Orioles still in the market for one more SP + late inning RP (Update: Johan Santana signed)

[lovetoaster]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Johan Santana <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23orioles&src=hash">#orioles</a> deal is for 1 year</p>— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) <a href="

">March 4, 2014</a></blockquote>

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This is so dumb. Why not a 2 year deal. We fix him then he rolls.

He is not going to sign a 2-year deal for what teams are offering. He is an unknown at this point and no team is going to offer significant guaranteed money, which is what he hopes to get after this deal.

It's not dumb, it is reality and what makes sense for both parties.

[OFFNY]

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Woo hoo !!!

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Let's get him !!!

It's late February, and he's just coming back from surgery/injury. By early July, he could be throwing somewhere in the neighborhood of 90 M.P.H. Send him to AAA-Norfolk for a couple of months, and if he is pitching well down there, bring him up to the major league club in late August or early September.

If he isn't pitching really well in AAA-Norfolk, don't bring him up. Keep him there until the Tides' season is over, and we will have a good chance to have first dibs on him for 2015 (considering the fact that we will have given him a chance at all with our organization in 2014, and that we will have been "playing ball" with his comeback and his career.) Sometimes pitchers coming back from surgery take more than a year to completely rebound (the ones that do rebound.)

Duquette and his people have had excellent judgement for that last couple of years.

In 2012, Duquette signed a pitcher who had previously never pitched in the majors (Miguel Gonzalez), and he wound up being one of our best and most consistent starters over the last 2 seasons (2012 and 2013.)

A few months later, Jamie Moyer was pitching outstanding at AAA-Norfolk. In 3 outings, he threw 16 innings, gave up 1 earned run, walked 0, struck out 16, and had a W.H.I.P. of 0.688. Duquette released him (much to my puzzlement.) The Blue Jays picked Moyer up, he was bombed in two outings for their AAA affiliate, the Blue Jays released him, and I was no longer puzzled about why Duquette released him.

Now, we have a chance to snatch up a former two-time Cy Young Award winner that pitched the only no-hitter in Mets franchise history (1962-Present) on the cheap.

Do it, Dan. You/we have everything to gain, and almost nothing to lose by signing him to a minor league contract.

http://forum.orioleshangout.com/forums/showthread.php/139218-Orioles-were-among-other-teams-looking-at-Johan-Santana-in-Fort-Myers-today?p=3393149#post3393149

[xian4]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23Orioles&src=hash">#Orioles</a> make Johan signing official. Minor league deal. Spring invite</p>— Roch Kubatko (@masnRoch) <a href="

">March 4, 2014</a></blockquote>

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[NCRaven]

Great low risk signing. Spring training invite just means he'll stay in Sarasota with the ML training staff instead of going to Twin Lakes Park. No chance he contributes before July, IMO.

[TonySoprano]

I'm curious how a guy whose pitching velocity is way down, and won't be M/L ready until this summer(?) passed a physical.

[xian4]

His signing is the icing on the cake.

[MDK02]

I'm curious how a guy whose pitching velocity is way down, and won't be M/L ready until this summer(?) passed a physical.

My guess is that minor league deals probably don't have a real thorough physical test, I could be wrong.

[xian4]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Johan Santana gets $3M plus performance bonuses on minor-league deal. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23orioles&src=hash">#orioles</a></p>— Jon Heyman (@JonHeymanCBS) <a href="

">March 4, 2014</a></blockquote>

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[SurhoffFTW]

How much did you think the contract would be? 700k?

[DrOrioles90210]

For a minor leauge deal, under $1 M unless he makes the team. Trying to figure out if this $3M is activated if he cracks the roster at some point, or what.

This is what MLBTradeRumors is implying.

[OFFNY]

I'm curious how a guy whose pitching velocity is way down, and won't be M/L ready until this summer(?) passed a physical.

Good question, that had not even crossed my mind.

My guess is that minor league deals probably don't have a real thorough physical test, I could be wrong.

Good answer, I suspect that you may be correct.

[TakebackOPACY]

So THIS is the reason the O's seemingly cut Chris Jones for no reason last week...

O's resigned Jones.

Split contract for Johan. I wonder if he has a release date; a date on which he can demand his release if he doesn't get called up. (This is often not leaked until it comes into play.)

[OFFNY]

So if the O's potentially view Santana as a lefty reliever, that's a hefty salary for a bullpen guy. Not for a closer, though.

It is, but as I suggested in another thread, I'm hoping (fingers crossed) that Duquette has his eyes on Santana for 2015 as well, even though this contract only covers 2014. Nobody knows for sure just how much of his previous form that Santana will (or will not) be able to regain, and since we're giving him at least $700,000 (and as much as $3 Million) for a guy who is such a question mark, while simultaneously allowing him to pitch in the upper levels of the minor leagues to rehabilitate himself, there could be an understanding between the two (Santana and Duquette) about us getting first dibs on him for next year.

I may be being naive, but I still think that there is something to be said for good faith, even in an era in which the average player in M.L.B. makes more than $3 Million a year.

[LA2]

His signing is the icing on the cake.

Then what would the other Santana signing be?

[OFFNY]

His signing is the icing on the cake.

Then what would the other Santana signing be?

The candles.