Roch: O's focused on adding LH reliever

[wildcard]

Of course, every other MLB is looking for the same thing.

I agree. Which means Matusz is not gone yet.

[DrungoHazewood]

If I'm Brian Matusz, the writing is on the wall. However, I'd hate to see the O's overpay for a LH reliever.

Overpayment is relative. An average lefty reliever makes about $1.5M. They're pretty clearly dumping Matusz for $3M or so. If they find a reasonable one with a decent track record and pay him $2M I won't be upset. If they Jeremy Affeldt somebody to the tune of $7M, that's another story, but I find that overwhelmingly unlikely.

[DrungoHazewood]

I agree. Which means Matusz is not gone yet.

Matusz fails on the cheap part, and the getting righties out part. So I'm pretty sure he's gone unless he's non-tendered and comes back for maybe $1.5M.

[AlbionHero]

I hope we're looking for a lefty replacement for Miller and not Matusz if we're willing to trade starting pitchers. I wouldn't give up any of our starting pitchers for a LOOGY.

[Roll Tide]

Ahhh yes, the trading from starting depth blurb is sure to get the spitballing speculators into high gear. I assume this could mean Chen since he is due to be a free agent after next season....though he's the only lefty in the rotation. Or perhaps Bundy? Would you trade Bundy and Wieters to LA for Joc Pederson? Oh crap, I just spitballed! But really though, would you trade Tillman or Gausman unless it was a major move? Gonzalez like Tillman is under team control through 2018. Norris is under control for two more years and is coming off a solid 15 win season, he's probably in play. I wouldn't mind moving one if it was the right deal?.and to me that means likely getting a good young bat in return. The LH reliever thing is a totally separate front.

Either way you don't trade SPs for an RP. You can get a reliever for a mariginal prospect

[DrungoHazewood]

If it's a FA lefty reliever that looks better than Matusz on paper, it will cost more than Matusz 2015 projected salary for sure. If they trade for someone like Will Smith http://www.baseball-reference.com/players/split.cgi?id=smithwi04&year=2014&t=p

I'm afraid they might give up too much. My concern is that the word "focus" doesnt' become tunnel vision.

I wouldn't be looking for an established lefty reliever, I'd be looking for a mediocre starter who throws lefty. I would certainly not pay anything like Matusz' projected ~$3M salary, nor trade anything of value.

[Number5]

Matusz fails on the cheap part, and the getting righties out part. So I'm pretty sure he's gone unless he's non-tendered and comes back for maybe $1.5M.

I'm thinking that this is a distinct possibility.

[fearthenoodle]

I'm very curious what type of deal Zach Duke is going to get. He really re-invented himself as a lockdown reliever in 2014. Was able to get guys out from both sides of the plate. Great strikeout rate. Great groundball rate.

Forget about Matusz for a second and think about whether they are looking for a Miller replacement who would require less years and dollars than Miller will get. Duke could be that guy.

[sportsfan8703]

I wouldn't be looking for an established lefty reliever, I'd be looking for a mediocre starter who throws lefty. I would certainly not pay anything like Matusz' projected ~$3M salary, nor trade anything of value.

Great post. This is also a spot to target a lefty in the rule 5 draft. Matusz is getting non tendered. Personally I'd like to see Hunter traded and using the Matusz and Hunter savings to go toward Miller. DD is going to do his usual thing and bring in a bunch of relievers on minor league deals. We already have McCoy, Chris Jones, and Gurka in the system. I don't know if Additon and De La Cruz are back/going to be back. Brad Mills or Bruce Chen could be good candidates for a non guaranteed ST invite.

[Aristotelian]

Bud is a blue collar gamer with spunk that also gets along great with his peers in the clubhouse.

He also struggles against lefties, costs 9 million, and is coming off a career year. Perfect time to trade him and he is replace able.

[sportsfan8703]

Memo to Dan Duquette:

Spend the damn money and sign Miller. Bullpen problem solved

Birdwatcher 55:cool:

That money might be going towards Cruz.

[Redskins Rick]

He also struggles against lefties, costs 9 million, and is coming off a career year. Perfect time to trade him and he is replace able.

I think Bud pitched pretty darn good, this past season. IMO

Regardless of how either of us feels about Bud and how great he was, or how he struggled against lefties, roster decisions are made by Bud&DD.

What I said was, IMO, listening to Buck talk about Bud, I believe Bud will be extended.

[wildcard]

Very doubtful, IMO. The Orioles will gladly pay Tillman his arbitration numbers for the next 2-3 years as he becomes more expensive. They will happily have Gausman cheaply for the next 2 years before he starts to make money. They are locked into Jimenez for 3 more years at 10+M per year. I think it's very unlikely the O's are going to extend Norris at 3-4 years (why else would Norris extend if not for 3-4 years) at 10M per year.

Norris might be their kind of guy but he's not their kind of guy for their kind of money. Let's face it. Norris is a #4 starter in a good year. I think we saw the best of him last year and even that was only for 160 innings.

I see no reason to label Bud as a #4 starter. Yes he averages 6 innings a start but that times 32 starts is 192 IP. I see no reason Bud can't do that at his 3.65 ERA. That's a pretty good starter. Would he sign a two or three year extension? Its worth a try.

If Jimenez increases his value before the trade deadline next year I would trade him in a salary dump. I would much rather have Bud and Ubaldo. Chen will be gone after 2015 so there will be rotation changes.

[Redskins Rick]

He also struggles against lefties, costs 9 million, and is coming off a career year. Perfect time to trade him and he is replace able.

Very doubtful, IMO. The Orioles will gladly pay Tillman his arbitration numbers for the next 2-3 years as he becomes more expensive. They will happily have Gausman cheaply for the next 2 years before he starts to make money. They are locked into Jimenez for 3 more years at 10+M per year. I think it's very unlikely the O's are going to extend Norris at 3-4 years (why else would Norris extend if not for 3-4 years) at 10M per year.

Norris might be their kind of guy but he's not their kind of guy for their kind of money. Let's face it. Norris is a #4 starter in a good year. I think we saw the best of him last year and even that was only for 160 innings.

15-8 isn't TOR material, but better than #4 starter.

He isn't perfect, but to me, is a very solid #3 guy.

We shall see, extremely hard to predict the future, who knows which pitcher needs TJ and miss 18 months of baseball.

[GoldGlove21]

15-8 isn't TOR material, but better than #4 starter.

He isn't perfect, but to me, is a very solid #3 guy.

We shall see, extremely hard to predict the future, who knows which pitcher needs TJ and miss 18 months of baseball.

Look through the starting staff depth charts for all teams and count the pitchers you would take before Tillman. When you find 64 of them let me know. Tillman is a solid #2. He will get paid in the James Shields category IMO.