Should the Orioles sign Andrew Cashner and Jason Vargas?

[Bahama O's Fan]

2 hours ago, wildcard said:

What is your alternative?

Since it is Buck and Dan's last year under contract, they will "go for it", so no trading for the future. I say take 50 million and offer 25 per year to the two best FA pitchers on the market. If they accept, consider FA finished.

[wildcard]

24 minutes ago, Bahama O's Fan said:

Since it is Buck and Dan's last year under contract, they will "go for it", so no trading for the future. I say take 50 million and offer 25 per year to the two best FA pitchers on the market. If they accept, consider FA finished.

They do work for Peter Angelos.

[Number5]

Frankly, the guys I see being associated with the Orioles - Cashner, Vargas, and Chatwood - have all the earmarks of Jimenez, Miley, and Tillman, part 2, IMO.  Why spend $30-35 million per season for three guys like this when you might get Cobb and Lynn for the same and find some cheap guys or AAA guys to battle for the #5 spot.  It sure seems to me that the odds of winning are better with the latter.

[Finisher]

14 minutes ago, Number5 said:

Why spend $30-35 million per season for three guys like this when you might get Cobb and Lynn for the same and find some cheap guys or AAA guys to battle for the #5 spot.

Because Angelos refuses to pay the going rate for top of rotation arms.

[Redskins Rick]

8 minutes ago, Finisher said:

Because Angelos refuses to pay the going rate for top of rotation arms.

Top of the rotation arms are getting $31 million per year, which is pretty crazy.

[Number5]

15 minutes ago, Finisher said:

Because Angelos refuses to pay the going rate for top of rotation arms.

But Cobb and Lynn aren't top tier.  They are solid 2nd/3rd tier guys.  They aren't Darvish.  They really don't figure to cost a whole lot more than Vargas and Cashner.  MLBTR projects Lynn at 4/$56 and Cobb at 4/$48.  That's $26 million per season.  If you figure the Orioles may have to pay a little more than another team might have to pay to sign these guys, that would still put being able to sign these two plus several guys that would fight for the #5 spot at really no more money than it would take to sign the three lesser guys being talked about.  That's my point.

[Redskins Rick]

https://www.cheatsheet.com/sports/arms-race-5-mlb-teams-spending-the-most-on-pitching-in-2015.html/?a=viewall

Yes, this is dated back to 2015, but it does show you that spending money for pitching, doesn't always work, but sometimes it does.

[Lucky_13]

No to cashner. 

If Vargas was the guy they signed to be the 5th starter and innings eater than I'd be okay with it. But that would mean they had 4 better starters to put in front of him in the rotation. But that isn't the case. 

[wildcard]

By 2019 the O's are hoping that Bundy, Gausman,  Harvey, Akin and Castro are their starters.   Many things can happen to make that hope not become reality but they have to sign starters this off season with that in mind.

[Luke-OH]

2 hours ago, interloper said:

If you love sub-90s fastballs, then these are your dudes right here.

Cashner still sits 93, but he used to sit 98

[Tx Oriole]

1 hour ago, Number5 said:

Frankly, the guys I see being associated with the Orioles - Cashner, Vargas, and Chatwood - have all the earmarks of Jimenez, Miley, and Tillman, part 2, IMO.  Why spend $30-35 million per season for three guys like this when you might get Cobb and Lynn for the same and find some cheap guys or AAA guys to battle for the #5 spot.  It sure seems to me that the odds of winning are better with the latter.

I agree. I'd like Cobb and Lynn better for sure. But would Angelos go with that idea? Is DD capable of signing good pitchers even if Angelos gives the okay?

[Redskins Rick]

7 minutes ago, phillyOs119 said:

Cashner still sits 93, but he used to sit 98

Cashner had 3 sub WAR years, 2 decent WARs, 3 sub WAR and then 1 very good season.

He scares me, to be honest.

But, thats just an opinion and I know, we all have them.

 

[Luke-OH]

8 minutes ago, Redskins Rick said:

Cashner had 3 sub WAR years, 2 decent WARs, 3 sub WAR and then 1 very good season.

He scares me, to be honest.

But, thats just an opinion and I know, we all have them.

 

I agree and I posted at length why I don’t want the Orioles to sign him. I think he’s Gallardo waiting to happen.

I just wanted to clarify that he is not a sub 90s fastball guy.

[jamalshw]

I would much rather sign Cobb and then just bring back Tillman and give the last spot to Castro with the rest of the SP signings merely minor league deals for depth than to sign both Cashner and Vargas. I could swallow one or the other on a one-year deal, but I don't want those two as the primary answers.

[Luke-OH]

The Orioles aren’t the type of team that can afford to pay free agent rates for marginal improvements.

What’s Vargas at this point? A marginally better Jayson Aquino.

What’s Cashner at this point? A marginally better Mike Wright.

Maybe I’m being a bit hyperbolic but if you are going to watch a pitcher struggle, wouldn’t you rather it be a guy who if he does pitch well, the Orioles control for 5 years at a reasonable cost.