O's sign Russ Ortiz

[scOtt]

I don't see how this can possibly be a bad deal... worst case scenario: he continues to suck and the O's waste just over 300k on him. Best case: Mazzone works him back into a solid starter.

Is where I stand. The downside is minimal at worst. The upside could be much better.

[ejf1025]

Is where I stand. The downside is minimal at worst. The upside could be much better.

Well, let's see the contract first...a 2 year deal at a million per would be awful.

I don't think they're that stupid, but they've proved me wrong before.

[scOtt]

Well, let's see the contract first...a 2 year deal at a million per would be awful.

I don't think they're that stupid, but they've proved me wrong before.

True.

.

[nevadaO]

I won't like this if he bumps someone out of the rotation just in the hopes that he can suddenly put it all together. He needs to pitch in the minors for a bit and get it together using Mazzone's guidance.

Our pitching staff has been completely reworked since the beginning of the year. It's finally starting to get better, and if Ortiz can work on his stuff before taking the mound for the O's I would be a lot happier with all of this.

[DrungoHazewood]

I don't see how this can possibly be a bad deal... worst case scenario: he continues to suck and the O's waste just over 300k on him. Best case: Mazzone works him back into a solid starter.

I'd say 12 starts of a nearly 8.00 ERA and about 20 baserunners per nine would be pretty bad. The way he's pitched for the last 18 months we'd be better off with just about anyone on the Ottawa staff.

Leo better have some serious magic for it to be worth hauling in Ortiz' carcass.

[rolliefingers]

Well, let's see the contract first...a 2 year deal at a million per would be awful.

I don't think they're that stupid, but they've proved me wrong before.

What?! I can't imagine it's anything more than a one-year deal for the league minimum. Nobody wanted him, I'd wager.

Bigbird, didn't you mention at one point that Mazzone didn't think much of Ortiz, or was I dreaming about that?

[rolliefingers]

I'd say 12 starts of a nearly 8.00 ERA and about 20 baserunners per nine would be pretty bad. The way he's pitched for the last 18 months we'd be better off with just about anyone on the Ottawa staff.

Leo better have some serious magic for it to be worth hauling in Ortiz' carcass.

True, but he's still only 32. I'm willing to see what he can do.

[RShack]

I'm not enthused... am just trying to look at it different ways... trying to see what the FO is seeing...

I think it's only bad if we somehow assume that Loewen is about to quit throwing so many BB's any minute now... or if we assume that Penn is gonna charge in here all gangbusters in a couple weeks, ready to save the day. Without either of those 2 things happening, it's lookiing to me like we've got 4 starters we can more-or-less count on... but we need 5.

The best way to look at him is that he does 200 IP a year and averages 15 W's, that last-year-and-so-far-this-year is some aberration that Leo can fix, and if you get rid of last-year-and-so-far-this-year, his career ERA rounds up to 4.00. He's not especially old as modern-day pitchers go. Maybe Leo watched some film and said, "OK, I see it..."

Does it mean anything much when baseball-ref.com lists "Most similar by age"? Because of the 7 names it lists as most similar to him, 3 of them are Bartolo Colon.

So, what do we suspect they agreed on here? The O's have to pay him only the MIN, right? So I guess they figure they're getting an inning-eater for nothing. Do we assume there's some sort of deal about what happens next year if Leo can turn him around? Or is this some kind of rental to buy time for Loewen and Penn? Or what?

[2632]

Washington Post says it's done.

League minimum, thank God.

[ejf1025]

What?! I can't imagine it's anything more than a one-year deal for the league minimum. Nobody wanted him, I'd wager.

Bigbird, didn't you mention at one point that Mazzone didn't think much of Ortiz, or was I dreaming about that?

I wouldn't do anything more than that either...I'm just saying let's let the dust settle on this....

[ejf1025]

Washington Post says it's done.

League minimum, thank God.

In that case, this move doesn't really pull me one way or the other. As has been pointed out, at worst you cut him after a couple starts. I don't even want Loewen in the rotation next year, so I'm not too concerned about him being sent back down. He'll be back soon enough.

[Sonny76]

Washington Post says it's done.

League minimum, thank God.

Gosh...the update on the Rowell negotiations is disturbing. He wants slot money and we are haggling over $100,000. Great way to start his Oriole career.

[ejf1025]

Gosh...the update on the Rowell negotiations is disturbing. He wants slot money and we are haggling over $100,000. Great way to start his Oriole career.

I was just about to post on how annoyed I am about this...

Especially, since we prob just spent the difference on signing Russ Ortiz.

Rowell better get done soon.

[rolliefingers]

Gosh...the update on the Rowell negotiations is disturbing. He wants slot money and we are haggling over $100,000. Great way to start his Oriole career.

Yeah I was thinking the same thing. So stupid. The kid wants to be an Oriole, get it done!

[rolliefingers]

Especially, since we prob just spent the difference on signing Russ Ortiz.

Good point!