Orioles Sign Steve Trachsel

UPDATE: The O's wasted no time replacing Benson, signing Steve Trachsel to a one-year $3.1MM deal with a $4.75MM club option for '08.  PECOTA says the Orioles overpaid by $625,000.  Assuming he can hold together for 180 innings, Trax should be a tolerable replacement.

The big news today courtesy of Ken Rosenthal is that Orioles starter Kris Benson is out for the season because of a rotator cuff tear.  It's a bummer for Benson, as it may result in his $7.5MM option for '08 being declined.

The injury leaves the Orioles scrambling to find a starter who can provide 180 innings of 4.90 ball in the AL East.  Rodrigo Lopez might've been that guy; Hayden Penn probably isn't ready to do that yet.  The team will probably bring in a veteran replacement.  Rosenthal mentions Steve Trachsel as the most likely, as well as Mark Redman and Ron Villone.  Villone last started in 2004.

Additionally, there are plenty of trade options, as discussed yesterday.  Mike Maroth would be a nice pickup. 

Comments

[Guitar Hero]

I like Benson. He was a Jay killer last year. Too bad for him, but he might get back on track one day.

[MickS]

Paul Byrd would look great in an Orioles uniform.

[stormstarter28]

No one looks good in an Orioles uniform.

[Guitar Hero]

What the hell is track back?

[chrishickman]

As if the Orioles didn't have a bad enough pitching staff...seriously, the Orioles, Pirates, Royals, and Nationals give hope to every AAA journeyman out there...they're one busted shoulder or elbow away from a job with any of those teams!

[kevybo1]

They should sign Mark Redman.

[plh903]

"What the hell is track back?"

It's the URL you need to use to link to this specific post, instead of the entire blog.

For example, if you wanted to send this link to an Oriole-fan friend to tell him or her that all their high hopes for a World Series victory are gone, like dust in the wind, for 2007.

[touchmymonkey]

What is taking my fellow cub fans so long to post the mandatory Jaque Jones trade wish? JJ and whomever is healthier - Prior/Miller or maybe Guzman for good ol retread Corey Patterson and some scrub minor league P

[allabouthephils]

Chris Ray for Jon Lieber :p call it a day...

[allabouthephils]

Chris Ray for Jon Lieber :p call it a day...

[plh903]

I thought it was Z for Tejada and Bedard. Seriously, Cubs fans, get with the program. The Orioles need a pitcher, let the lunacy begin.

[chrishickman]

Z for Tejada and Bedard? If we were getting a SS and SP back, it would need to be in the realm of like Hanley Ramirez and Scott Olsen. I'd probably do that if we could turn back the clock and wipe out the $300 mil in contracts signed this offseason...

[basemonkey]

"As if the Orioles didn't have a bad enough pitching staff...seriously, the Orioles, Pirates, Royals, and Nationals give hope to every AAA journeyman out there...they're one busted shoulder or elbow away from a job with any of those teams!"

...this statement looks like coming from someone who never watched an Os game and/or only watches NL games for the most part..the Os actually have been building up a lot of pitching depth throughout the minors...and their cache of Bedard, Cabrera, Loewen, and Penn is a very interesting group of top rotation potential starters...true, none of those guys have made the step forward (except Bedard)...but all of them are young...and, after them they still have 5 or 6 arms in the minors who can step in in the near future...

[basemonkey]

...I only mention the above because the Orioles are an improving organization that has been doing it in spite of their owner and horrible reputation...and they've been doing it under the radar of baseball...baseball GMs and scouts realize that things are changing in Baltimore...it is possible to see them in the near future be a version of the '06 Tigers with all of their pitching depth...

[plh903]

>

Three years of Tejada and two (?) years of Bedard? For Z in his walk year? I was trying to think of something crazy because I hate all Cubs fans (except for Aduncaroo) and you say, "not good enough." Hysterical. Please share your drugs.

[basemonkey]

I think it's 3 years of Bedard...

[beeniez]

It would probably take a few untouchables to pry away Z. I doubt he gets traded. Either he hits free agency or signs an extension. The Cubs make a ton of money and they need him really bad, so my bet goes with the extension. I don't think any team will be able to put up a package suitable for Carlos Zamrbano.

[touchmymonkey]

Only way Big Z is traded is if it involves a 3rd team perhaps a fourth. Wherever he is traded ( big if)would need the 72 hr window to extened him otherwise Cubs won't get enough back. He is easily worth $20 per and few will be able to give him that. Hows this for a stretch - Big Z to the Mets for Pelfry, Milledge,Heilman and Maine. Cubs spin Milledge/Heilman/Pelfry to A's for Haren/Kotsay/good prospect (hopefully a catcher) - then Maine and Jones to LA for Penny. Cubs lose out because none of those are close to what Big Z can do long term but 3 yrs of 2 good starters and a CF isn't a crippling defeat of a trade - especially if Z walks after 07. Personally - I would Give Zambrano 4 yrs 84 mil - he would still be more than young enough to score the crazy 7yr type contract and this is his team - not Prior and Woods anymore- he can write his own ticket if somehow they manage a WS ring

[basemonkey]

...Wow, Cubs fans are really absurd in their asking price for Zambrano...those are Johan Santana prices...even young and good Pedro during his big trade to the BoSox in the 90s demanded 2 top pitching prospects...here Cubs fans are asking for a top position prospect, top pitching prospect, All-Star SS, and emerging Ace...Zambrano is in his walk year, fellas...he's a sure top quality pitcher...but he's not worht what you guys are asking for...

[touchmymonkey]

He's only worth anything if other team has the option to talk to him before the trade - otherwise we would be lucky to get a #3 starter. You don't think Mets would offer Heilman/Milledge/Pelfry if they got back Zambrano and signed him for 5 yrs before anyone else could raise the pricetag? Look at his numbers - he is worth at the least same as Zito. If he insists on hitting FA then Mets might only offer Heilman and mid level prospect which would be justified

[Arbopp]

The only real question here should be, Does this mean Benson's wife isn't in the news anymore? :`=(

[touchmymonkey]

Only is Zsa Zsa Gabors husband goes on Larry King to claim he banged her Arbopp

[plh903]

I hope she's out of the news, she looks like Jack Nicholson in that Batman movie. I mean, I'd hit it of course, but she looks batshit crazy with a trailer trash tattoo.

Jack Nicholson now, or Jack Nicholson 1974? Hmmm.

At least the same as Zito? HA! My post is made up of at least two words. You probably mean dollars, as long as we agree that Zito wasn't worth as much as Zito I can probably agree with that. Of course, that fatass has thrown 200 innings and 110 pitches a game for recent memory and his GB dropped while his BB skyrocketed. If any pitcher is worth a 7 year deal it might be him, thing is it's stoopid inherent risky and no pitcher is.

How many five year+ contracts have ever turned out well? Maddux, Mussina? Who else? The amount of money wasted on pitcher contracts of that length probably rivals the GDP of certain developed countries.

[touchmymonkey]

I totally agree plh903... I would never give a P more than 4 yrs but sometimes you have to overpay in length or $$ in order to get a player ( see mets and Pedro - should have not gotten 4th yr or Sori and Cubs- 8yrs???? . Zambrano is a bull - bet if you ask any gm in the league to pick their 5 man rotation - money not entered in equation- at least 20 of them will have him in it

[basemonkey]

It says a lot about this site that in a post about the Orioles losing Benson the topic turns to the Cubs and the Zambrano situation...

[wmk51]

dont diss on this site fool! The only people who care about the Cubs are Cubs fans. I had a dream last night that the Cardinals beat the Cubs 31-5 in a game at Coors Field. (Don't ask, but it was a SOLID dream)

[Aduncaroo]

I think Big Z is worth more than any other pitcher in baseball, except Santana. If you look at his age, consistency, numbers, and stuff, absolutely no one is more valuable. Look at how he pitched last year for the worst team in the NL, and how many he walked. If he cut his walks in half, (which he will make an effort at this season) he probably wins the Cy Young in a landslide. There is no one with better stuff. Every pitch has movement. There isn't a pitch he throws that isn't absolutely nasty, and he is a ground ball pitcher. I think the only three that are in the same caliber are Carp, Oswalt, Webb, and maybe sheets. The thing is, if you factor age, health, and consistency into it, he is more valuable that any.

You guys are right though...if a team doesn't get to negotiate an extension, he isn't going to demand that much. However, if he does, the sky is the limit for what he could bring in. I think its worth listening to if he is not signed at the beginning of the season.

[Aduncaroo]

sorry to interrupt your wet dream by the way....

[boomshwa12]

carp, oswalt, and webb are the only pitchers in the same class? you're talking about 2 cy young award winner, another guy whose finished in the top 2-5 in the cy young race the last 4 years, and two guys who have helped lead their clubs to the world series (not to mention one guy who won it all.) all z has goin for him is good stuff and youth, which will get him an absurd contract. But z has never won more than 16 games in a year, has only had an era below 3.00 once, and has problems containing his emotions. i don't know a ton about carp and webb, but oswalt's win totals the last four years have been 19, 20, 20, and 15 (which was one off the league lead), and has only had an era above 3.00 twice in his career (one of which being a 3.01). he also has a nlcs mvp, he's logged big innings consistently every year, and is a bulldog w/o the emotion problem. and at 29, he still has a lot of quality years left. there's no way you can say he's better than those guys you just mentioned.

[Aduncaroo]

Oswalt is the only one on that list that has won more than 16 games in his life more than once in his career. Wins are very overrated.

I didn't say that he was better than any of them. What I said was when you factor age, consistency, stuff, and numbers, he is the most "valuable", meaning he would make the most money on the free agent market.

If you put Zambrano on a better team for his career, he would have close to 20 wins every year.

Oswalt and the rest are very, very good. I'm not saying that they aren't as good as Zambrano. I just said when you factor those things in, he is the most "valuable" as a free agent.

Zambrano's emotion is something that is now a strength of his. Baker tried to have him harness it early in the year and he started terribly. Baker then told him he wanted to see it back, and Zambrano was absolutely dominant again. His emotions may have been questionable early in his career, but everyone around him loves it and he probably pitches his best when he pitches with the most emotion.

Again, don't get me wrong, I'm not saying right now that he is better than any of them..(although its my opinion that he is better than Sheets). Still, they are all great, but when you bring age, consistency, stuff, and injuries into the equation, I think he is the most "valuable" on the free agent market.

[boomshwa12]

yea i'd agree with that, sheets needs to stay healthy before he can "be better" than anyone. and zambrano will break the bank next offseason. i think the scariest thing is that if z can get something significantly better than zito's deal, what is santana going to get the next offseason if he decides to test the market?

[boomshwa12]

yea i'd agree with that, sheets needs to stay healthy before he can "be better" than anyone. and zambrano will break the bank next offseason. i think the scariest thing is that if z can get something significantly better than zito's deal, what is santana going to get the next offseason if he decides to test the market?

[Aduncaroo]

agreed. If anyone is worth 25 mil or more, its Santana. I just don't know if I could justify giving anyone 25 million a year that only even plays, let alone wins, 20% of the time.

[boomshwa12]

you know speaking of oswalt too, the orioles wouldn't even have a need for an innings eater if they had just bitten on the oswalt/tejada deal they supposedly were offered at the trade deadline. i guess nobody really knows which team actually threw his name into the fire last july, but look at this:

oswalt
bedard
loewen
cabrera
penn

it makes me sick to my stomach as a stros fan to think of the astros trading oswalt, but at the same time how freakin retarded can peter angelos possibly be? the orioles would have actually been good if they had done that and signed a slugger this winter

[Aduncaroo]

and think what Tejada could do with that short fence in houston....

[beeniez]

How does Jason Marquis make double the money of a 15 game winner? This is the weirdest market ever.

[boomshwa12]

haha, i was at the home run derby in 04 and saw what he could do with the short fence...it was impressive to say the least