The Orioles have made Ubaldo Jimenez available in trades and have discussed the right-hander with several teams during the GM Meetings, MLB.com’s Tracy Ringolsby reports.
Jimenez signed a four-year, $50MM free agent deal with the O’s last offseason but his tenure in Baltimore got off to a tough start. The veteran righty posted a 4.81 ERA and a career-high 5.5 BB/9 over 125 1/3 IP, a performance that saw him get dropped from the O’s rotation in August. Jimenez wasn’t used during the ALDS and wasn’t even on Baltimore’s ALCS roster, and his troubled season also included a month on the DL with an ankle injury.
Needless to say, the Orioles would be selling low on Jimenez. Suitors could be hard to find given the three years and $38.75MM remaining on the righty’s contract, though the O’s could eat some money in a trade or look to swap Jimenez for another unfavorable contract. CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman speculates that the Indians, one of Jimenez’s former teams, could be a possibility given that they’re looking for rotation depth. Jimenez posted a 3.30 ERA, 9.6 K/9 and 2.43 K/BB rate over 182 2/3 IP for the Tribe in 2013, a solid season that paved the way for his four-year free agent deal.
Someone take him PLEASE! We’ll take a bag of baseballs for him
Would you take Swisher for him? Two bad contracts but you’d get yourself a bonafied cheerleader.
well.. no.. not Swisher… that might be a worse contract. I’m a Clevelander before moving to Paris so I’ve seen that unfold too closely
Swisher isn’t that bad of a swap. Injuries have hurt him, but if he can rebound, he is exactly what the Orioles need. A left handed bat that can get on base.
I don’t know about Swisher, but maybe Michael Bourn?
I’d consider Swisher if you make the money even out as I think he’s owed a bit more. The only issue is how much of his last two years (namely 2014) is injury and how much can we expect him to bounce back in his age 34 season. Ubaldo is a couple years younger and only a year removed from a very good season whereas Swisher is two years removed from a very good year and a year removed from a passable one. Jimenez does still have the stuff, he just needs to put the ball in the strike zone more frequently.
They better be some cheap assed baseballs….
I hope the Cubs stay out of this.
Agreed. This guy has had flashes of being great….very short lived though
Ubaldo and De Aza for B-Up and Gattis as centerpieces for a trade?
We want De Aza haha.. but Ubaldo you could probably give us a bullpen arm and a pack of chewing gum and we’d consider it
Not a bad idea. BJ Upton has been even less productive than Ubaldo and is owed about 7MM dollars more but Gattis’ years of team control help offset that.
I don’t hate this idea at all. I think this would be a win/win trade for both the O’s and Braves and would allow B-UP and Umbaldo to attempt to find their missing talent in a new environment. Admittedly I have not watched to many Braves games. I know B-Up’s offense has been non existent, is he still elite defensively?
Haha……no.
Absolutely not.
I’d average at best in CF but could be a plus in LF.
Would have to be LF don’t think he would take Jones’s spot.
I would love to see the Look on Jones’ face if the Os told him he was moving to left because they got B-Upton who is making more than Jones
No but to give A. Jones a day of from the out field or move A.Jones to right are possibilities.
BJ is avg to above avg on D and can still run the bases (if he ever gets on) but his contact is skills are long gone. The total package is replacement or less.
We already have Lough, and I have a feeling his bat will come around if he gets some more ABs.
and possibly De Aza…. I don’t see room for B-Up in the outfield… especially if his defense has only been average and he can’t hit above .200
Yeah I really like De Aza/Lough filling in LF. (add in Cruz if he’s on the roster, but Im not getting ahead of myself.)
me too… I’d rather stick with Ubaldo than dump him for B-Up
Yeah. Ubaldo’s upside, if there is any, would be better than B-up.
It would moreso be for getting Gattis in return
No. He takes terrible routes and is inconsistent on routine plays. He’s essentially a pinch runner at this point in his career, because running the bases is the only thing he’s above-average at anymore.
Pedro Alvarez for Ubaldo and cash
done
A cheap somewhat productive player for an expensive unproductive player, have to think PIT says no.
okay what if we let Pittsburgh keep Alvarez, and we keep the cash.
No one is going to take on Ubaldo’s contract or give up a productive player for him. At this point Baltimore best shot is a bad contract swap.
Pedro Gomez for Ubaldo.
I find this news disappointing.
However, what can you do?
well.. it doesn’t really mean anything until a deal is in place. All it could mean is Dan said to someone “hey what do you think about Ubaldo?”
Andre Ethier for Ubaldo and be done with it
That was my first thought. Get Ubaldo back in the NL and fill a need in the #5 starter hole.
Crawford could be another possibility
That isn’t a bad idea.
This please. Come on O’s. Let me sell you on Ethier. Last year was the first season he had an OBP lower than .350, it was also the first year his SLG dipped below .420 and he still was close to league average with an OPS+ of 97 and a wRC+ of 98. Dodgers should be willing to throw in a little cash, 5 mill a year would make his next 3 look like Ubaldo’s. Twist our arm and we’ll buy out his 2.5 mil option in 2018. Dodgers get an expensive long relief swingman, O’s get a lefty corner outfielder.
Is Ethier’s defense still above average?
He’s aging but can still hold down a corner spot over 6 UZR last year in RF and -3 DRS. The Dodgers have played him in CF for over 500 innings each of the last two years and he wasn’t as bad as you’d expect. His arm is still decent, he’s a perfect fit for a platoon LF/DH against righties. He’d be a pretty good LF if he could get some days at DH in my opinion. As a Dodger fan his defense seems to have gotten a lot better from when he was in his mid twenties. A couple years ago he turned the corner and started taking better routes but his speed is only diminishing.
Would the Orioles trade Ubaldo for BJ Upton and $10M?
No 10MM would just equalize their contracts and BJ Upton has been even less productive than Ubaldo. The Braves would have to include a player with positive trade value, for example Gattis, or a lot more cash to facilitate a trade.
Basically saving 2.5MM dollars over 3 years isn’t a good reason to put up with BJ Upton.
True but Orioles are better at getting more out of their hitters and fixing mechanics. B-Up still has defense value even if platooned. Ubaldo would be better getting out of a hitters park and out of the AL. Braves are pretty good at fixing a pitcher or at least getting the most out of them. There does seem to be a match even with pieces thrown it to make it work.
Sure… I’m just not sure the Orioles have any room for another outfielder on their 25
Braves would never include Gattis in a trade for Ubaldo. Gattis has plenty of value. I could see the Braves including more money (15M?) and/or a prospect.
…and BJ Upton has enough negative value to offset Gattis’ positive value IMO.
I could see the Braves throwing a bullpen arm in to balance a trade but not Gattis. Gattis has a lot more trade value than being a throw in. He is similar to Trumbo, defensive sub-par with a big bat. He has a better hit tool and plays at a more desirable position but would be better suited as a back up. The Angels got Santiago and Skaggs for Trumbo, expect Atlanta to get more for Gattis.
Really?! You think we can get more for Oso Blanco than that? I’d be happy with that package…if something similar was offered to ATL. Gattis is directly tied to a developing market for JUp/JHey, if there is no market for them, we might have to move Gattis in an attempt to free ourselves from BJ. Don’t see that happening when you read how many times people are considering Gattis as an every day OF (which is crazy to think about — I’d re-sign Bonifacio at that rate).
Yes I do. I think the Braves could get Peterson from Seattle for him. He fits what they are looking for.
Peterson is more of a 1st baseman than a 3rd. Probably as good C. Johnson defensively but more power.
I don’t think this happens, but one can hope. The Phillies may be a partner; they have some contracts they seek to unload.
The O’s are not a team that will take on bad contracts. Rarely, they may risk “big money” on someone (see the Ubaldo signing last year).
I’d see if the Diamondbacks are interested in return for Aaron Hill. Can’t tell if they need another starter or not.
Hmm.. that’s interesting.. can he play 2b too? You always need another starter…..
Hill is a second baseman. I wouldn’t trust Jimenez to play at second base.
Ah for some reason I thought Hill was a SS… if he plays 2b then yeh… that could be something that works out well. We have Schoop but I’d consider Hill definitely
Would a conversion to relief pitcher make sense for Ubaldo?
would you pay a relief pitcher 12 million a year with his walk rate?
1. The idea would be that his Walk Rate would go down if he only had to throw 20 pitches at a time.
2. The Tigers would probably be willing to trade Nathan and a prospect for him, if year 2 and year 3 cost would be about $6MM each for the Tigers.
I wonder… he often starts off games walking two batters….
I don’t think the O’s want Nathan, though.
ufff… would be going the wrong direction for the pen
Bad contract for bad contract. That is the only way out of this mess. Nathan’s contract is done after 2015.
I’d rather keep Ubaldo.. he’s not THAT bad He could turn it around this year
Ship him back to the National League where he can get somebody out…..
Do they swing at balls very far out of the strike zone in the National League? Ubaldo couldn’t find the plate all season but if people swing they surely won’t hit him
I’m shocked no Cubs fan has said that they should swap Jackson for Ubaldo because that makes perfect sense right?
Not sure if that would help either team really.
it would basically save the O’s $16 million and on the cubs side they trade someone they know can’t pitch for them for a roll of the dice on whether Ubaldo can rebound from an off year. Kind of a high price on that type of gamble. Probably best to just cut EJax.
How about a bad contract for bad contract trade with Arizona? Arizona gets Ubaldo in exchange for Cody Ross? Arizona needs pitching and Baltimore will need outfield depth especially if Cruz and Markakis sign elsewhere. Ross is not signed to a contract as long as Jimenez, so Baltimore may still need to kick in some cash too.
The Os will still have Lough, De Aza, Pearce and Jones even if Cruz and Kakes go elsewhere. Lough and De Aza aren’t very good but both are easily better than Ross. Maybe Ross could be a DH against left handed pitching?
Hill and Ross is more interesting but the D-Backs would need to chip in money for 2015 in return for money in 2017.
Orioles send Ubaldo to Atlanta for BJ Upton and $10m, BJ moves to a corner spot to fill in for Markakis, Davis plays 1B, Lough in the other corner, Pearce sees most of his time at DH.
Atlanta is on the hook for $48.75m instead of $46.35m but gets a healthy starter with a chance to bounce back. O’s are on the hook for only 3/36.35 (MLBTR predicted 4/48, fangraphs crowdsourced 3/33) which might actually be cheaper than Markakis and get a guy who can bounce back and be a dynamic offensive player.
uff… i’d rather put up with the Ubaldiwalk 2000 over BJ “I can’t hit as well as Flaherty or field as well as Cruz” Upton.
Cruz is by far worse than B-Up defensively.
sure I overreacted.. but Cruz isn’t that bad defensively .. compared to Delmon Young
That’s because D.Young is a bench bat at best. It doesn’t take hardly anything to be better than him defensively.
Pass. Ubaldo can bounce back. BJ Upton was a bad signing to begin with.
If the O’s make this trade, I will shun them the entire term that Upton is an Oriole.
Ubaldo for Elvis Andrus, let Elvis play 2B for the O’s
Schoop occupies that position, and doesn’t have $100M+ owed to him over the next 8 years.
Big fat no.
Probably not given Andrus’ contract and the fact that what little value he actually has is tied up in his glovework at SS.
It is balanced out with the little value Ubaldo has for not being very good
Not sure that’s worth an extra $81.25 million in salary commitments for the O’s.
WHY would anyone trade for Jiminez?
Balt gave him that silly contract and they are stuck with him.
$12.5 million per for three more years??
NO ONE wil take him unless O’s eat most–as in $9 or $10 mill per–of the deal. Maybe then some GM might bite. Buts that’s the only way it happens.
Ubaldo’s definitely tradeable. Start by thinking what a team would pay for him right now as a free agent. He’s not Ryan Howard; it’s not $0. He had a poor year in 2014, but with a few good starts, after an excellent year in 2013. What could he get on the open market?
I’d say 2 years, $15 million is not out of the question. So if he’s due 3 years, $36 million, the Orioles only have to come up with a $20 million way to make him palatable.
Yes, that’s a lot of money, but there are quite a few players in MLB who would be even harder to trade. If the Orioles offer Jimenez and $20 million, they’d have multiple suitors.
What if the Royals traded Jeremy Guthrie for Jimenez and a low level pitching prospect like a Jon Keller. Baltimore gets a much smaller contract and a pitcher that they are familiar with. And the Royals take on the contract but get basically two lottery tickets. If Jimenez can’t make it with this Royals defense I am not sure there is much hope for him. He has had success in the AL central before.
O’s aren’t looking for another starting pitcher in return.
P.S. MLBTR, you can’t stop me!
Would we make him a shirt that says, “This Royal isn’t an O” ?
I can see a Jimenez for Ethier trade possibly? Orioles need OF help and the Dodgers need some back end of the rotation innings. A few million evens out the contracts.
tough to trade, from either direction. The acquiring team doesn’t want to give up much, and have to pay, and Baltimore may be afraid last year was just one of those years, and he will turn into post-Yankee AJ
BJ Upton?
Braves do need starters..but this is a starter I’d rather not have.
Cubs. Ubaldo and Edwin Jackson providing a lethal one-two punch.
Orioles exploring trades for Jimenez. Rest of us still exploring why the Orioles ever thought it was wise to sign him to that huge contract.
Dodgers need a SP since Josh Beckett is retiring… and Andre Ethier is available. Not sure if we can lock up both Nelson Cruz and Nick Markakis (or any). He’d love to hit at Camden!
Take BJ Upton please
I’d put 15-20Mil in that bag of balls if they’d take B.J.
Ubaldo’s much more likely to go back to being a 3-win player, though, and BAL probably needs pitching more than they need a 5th OFer. I’d think ATL would have to eat more than that.
Honestly, BJ isn’t going anywhere. There’s just no way any team is going to think they’re better off acquiring him than they would be just standing pat with whatever Ubaldo-type of player they already have. I just can’t see it.