Tillman back. Are we happy?

[ChuckS]

3 mil is pennies.  They can easily cut their losses.  I just don't want to see him in the rotation past April if he struggles.  

The upside is that you get the Tillman of old at a significantly reduced price. 

We still need another starter. 

[OsFanSinceThe80s]

16 minutes ago, nadecir said:

Sure $3 million is not a lot of money in today's Major Leagues.

But are there much better uses for $3 million that went to Chris Tillman for one year?  How about spending it for some young players in the international market?  How about using that $3 million and save it in order to apply it later to locking up some pre-arbitration players?

If you are going to give Chris Tillman a one-year guaranteed major league deal, at least get an attractive team option for him in 2019.  If the Orioles win the lottery and somehow Chris Tillman is successful this season, get the option to have him around inexpensively for another year.

Sometimes, the lack of foresight by the Orioles is mind-boggling.

The Orioles don’t invest in the international market.  So they are stuck gambling that Tillman can bounce back.

[Frobby]

I’d stated earlier that I’d like to sign Tillman if the guaranteed portion was $3 mm or less, so I’m fine with this deal, so long as the O’s are willing to walk away if they have to.    I feel $3 mm is a reasonable risk for a guy who could be worth $15 mm+ if he returns to form.    And yes, I realize he’ll make more than $3 mm if he’s effective, and that’s fine with me.

One question I have is whether the $3 mm is truly guaranteed, as reported, or whether the O’s could cut him on March 28 and pay only 45 days of termination pay.    My assumption is it’s the former, based on the report of his $3 mm “guarantee,” but I think reporters are sometimes loose with that term.   

I do not think that a $3 mm deal prevents us from picking up a better/less risky starter, and I hope they do.    You won’t hear me saying they couldn’t sign Lynn because of the Tillman deal.    

In any event, I hope Tillman’s healthy and can return to form.   I agree it’s not at all clear he’ll be able to do that, and we’ll see.

[atomic]

5 minutes ago, esmd said:

Yeah I don't see $3M being an obstacle.  $12M that Jimenez was getting - yes.  But not $3M.

3 million is what Brian Matusz made when we had to give up a competitive balance pick to get rid of him. 

[webbrick2010]

So I suppose there is a non zero chance that Tillman earns 3 million dollars this year

but the bottom line is that the O's were the ONLY team to offer him a ML contract.

So as I've been saying all offseason DD is once again true to his MO of overpaying for players that would otherwise go unsigned.

So now I have Tillman, Davis, Trumbo, and Cashner as players I don't ever want to see. Not much sense in paying for MASN when I'd be flipping to other channels to avoid so many players.

[TouchemAll]

It's as close as you can get to flushing 3 mil hoping for the best.

[Finisher]

So if Tillman pitches to like a 5-6 ERA and we have nothing behind him and stick with him, he's getting 1/10?? Would've just signed Garcia or Vargas. If he's godawful again you now have a black hole in the rotation you can't fill. People are acting like Tillman will either revert back to good form or be awful but the likeliest outcome is he's somewhere in the middle.

We had a historically bad rotation last year and we are going for it ... and your solution is bringing back Tillman and signing a guy coming off an insanely fluky season in Cashner. 

[Aristotelian]

28 minutes ago, esmd said:

Consensus - we're happy as long as they sign another quality SP and relegate Tillman to competing for the 5th spot.

We are most definitely NOT happy if this is it and Tillman is penciled in as one of the top 4 starters.

Then you are not happy.

[jabba72]

15 minutes ago, webbrick2010 said:

So I suppose there is a non zero chance that Tillman earns 3 million dollars this year

but the bottom line is that the O's were the ONLY team to offer him a ML contract.

So as I've been saying all offseason DD is once again true to his MO of overpaying for players that would otherwise go unsigned.

So now I have Tillman, Davis, Trumbo, and Cashner as players I don't ever want to see. Not much sense in paying for MASN when I'd be flipping to other channels to avoid so many players.

I definitely get the sense the O's are more optimistic than anyone else about Tillman. Hopefully someone already on the 40 man will step up and help everyone forget about this signing. 

[Finisher]

24 minutes ago, webbrick2010 said:

So as I've been saying all offseason DD is once again true to his MO of overpaying for players that would otherwise go unsigned.

Does seem bizarre Tillman gets minor league offers from a couple other teams and we offer 3 million guaranteed. Also 1/10 if he pitches the full year after his historically bad year last year? Literally bidding against yourself.

[Can_of_corn]

6 minutes ago, Finisher said:

Does seem bizarre Tillman gets minor league offers from a couple other teams and we offer 3 million guaranteed. Also 1/10 if he pitches the full year after his historically bad year last year? Literally bidding against yourself.

They didn't want to seem disrespectful.

[bpilktree]

9 minutes ago, Finisher said:

So if Tillman pitches to like a 5-6 ERA and we have nothing behind him and stick with him, he's getting 1/10?? Would've just signed Garcia or Vargas. If he's godawful again you now have a black hole in the rotation you can't fill. People are acting like Tillman will either revert back to good form or be awful but the likeliest outcome is he's somewhere in the middle.

We had a historically bad rotation last year and we are going for it ... and your solution is bringing back Tillman and signing a guy coming off an insanely fluky season in Cashner. 

Vargas got 8 million a year guarenteed while Tilman is 3 million.   Derrek Holland  was about as bad a Tilman and has been much worse over the last few years and got 6 million.  Tyson Ross was worse then Tilman and got 6 million as well and he was  even worse in his few innings in 2016.  3 million is basically nothing.

 

Tilman was awful last year no doubt but he was good in 2016 and not bad in the second half like some here are saying.  Yes he had a bad few starts there but he had these splits in the 2nd half.

July 38 ip  2.79 ERA and 1.15 whip.  He had 4 straight starts where he went 7 innings and gave up 1 run.

August 15 innings and a 6.60 ERA but it was really just 1 start.  In his other 2 starts 6 ip 3 runs and 7 innings 2 runs.

September  19 ip 3.79 ERA 1.42 Whip

Then he had the post season start and he was ok in that as well.

 

[Satyr3206]

Before last year what kind of deal would Tillman have gotten. 3/45 maybe 4/60? He was a pretty good pitcher for quite a while. 3 mil to find out if he can get back to that is a pittance. If he can't you pay him the 3 mil and say goodbye. Let's hope he earns every penny of incentives. It's hard for me to get worked up over any 1 year, 3 million dollar deal.

[Can_of_corn]

2 minutes ago, Satyr3206 said:

Before last year what kind of deal would Tillman have gotten. 3/45 maybe 4/60? He was a pretty good pitcher for quite a while. 3 mil to find out if he can get back to that is a pittance. If he can't you pay him the 3 mil and say goodbye. Let's hope he earns every penny of incentives. It's hard for me to get worked up over any 1 year, 3 million dollar deal.

I'm not sure he gets that after the shoulder injury in 2016.

[clapdiddy]

1 minute ago, Satyr3206 said:

Before last year what kind of deal would Tillman have gotten. 3/45 maybe 4/60? He was a pretty good pitcher for quite a while. 3 mil to find out if he can get back to that is a pittance. If he can't you pay him the 3 mil and say goodbye. Let's hope he earns every penny of incentives. It's hard for me to get worked up over any 1 year, 3 million dollar deal.

I wasn't a fan of a Major League deal for Tillman, but I agree with what you say here.    It's easy to swallow the 3M if he can't cut it.