The Orioles have moved right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez to the bullpen, as MASNsports.com’s Roch Kubatko wrote last night. His push to the relief corps creates a spot in the starting five for the returning Yovani Gallardo, who has been out since late April with a shoulder injury, but is clearly a disappointing outcome for a pitcher that is in the third season of a four-year, $50MM contract signed prior to the 2014 campaign. (That offseason ultimately yielded three nearly identical ill-fated contracts for pitchers, as Ricky Nolasco and Matt Garza signed for almost the exact same terms and have each failed to provide the stabilizing rotation force their new teams had hoped to be acquiring.)
[Related: Updated Baltimore Orioles Depth Chart]
Jimenez, 32, has been among the league’s least successful pitchers this season, giving Baltimore decision-makers little choice but to take some kind of action. The O’s stuck with Jimenez for 13 starts (62 2/3 innings), but his most recent start — one-third of an inning pitched, six hits and five earned runs — proved to be a tipping point. He’s now sporting a disastrous 6.89 ERA on the season, and while there’s some BABIP and strand-rate luck perhaps bloating that number, the majority of his peripheral stats have taken a step in the wrong direction. Jimenez’s 7.6 K/9 rate is his lowest since 2012, and he’s averaging five walks per nine innings as well just one season after making significant gains in that department. His 7.1 percent swinging-strike rate is the second-lowest of his career, and his 89.8 mph average fastball is also a career-worst.
All that said, Jimenez is just a year removed from a useful 4.11 ERA with 8.2 K/9, 3.3 BB/9 and a 49.1 percent ground-ball rate in 184 innings, so there’s perhaps some degree of hope that the mercurial veteran can get back to being a useful source of innings with some time in the ’pen to work on his mechanics. If, however, his struggles persist, the Orioles will have to consider more drastic options. Kubatko reported earlier in the week that the Orioles were willing to simply release Jimenez if it came to that. Clearly, cutting bait on a pitcher that is owed $7.74MM through season’s end as well as another $13MM in 2017 isn’t an ideal outcome, but at a certain point the contending Orioles may not feel justified in using a precious 25-man roster spot on such a dramatic underperformer.
On a grander scale, the struggles of Jimenez underscore the Orioles’ need to add to their rotation at some point this summer. While Chris Tillman (2.87 ERA, 84 2/3 innings) and Kevin Gausman (3.45 ERA, 60 innings) have been strong pieces, the rest of the team’s starting options have been woefully unimpressive. Jimenez, Gallardo, Mike Wright, Tyler Wilson and Vance Worley have combined to make all of the Orioles’ non-Tillman/Gausman starts this season and posted a collective 5.96 ERA in just over 200 total innings of work.
I have to wonder that if Bud Norris continues to rebound from his absolutely horrible start if the Orioles would possibly deal for him. Norris has some familiarity with Baltimore (and of course vice versa) and I’d imagine could be had for an extremely low cost from the Braves. He has been at least decent in his last two starts with the Braves (although that certainly might change against the Reds today).
No, the O’s will not bring Bud Norris back to Baltimore. They are trying to win games and he already proved to them that he is not very capable of doing that.
I certainly don’t think of Norris as a ‘good’ pitcher but he pitched very well after he was moved to the bullpen for Atlanta and has only allowed 2 earned runs in his last two starts (12 innings pitched 7 hits allowed). IF he can continue pitching well then he might be a very inexpensive option for someone.
The Orioles need pitching, but the problem is that they have next to NOTHING to deal for pitching.. Whomever they acquire will have to be terribly cheap. There is a reason that few ‘experts’ felt that the Orioles would be in the playoff hunt and the end of the season. The Orioles just don’t have the depth of quality players on the big league club or minor league prospects to be able to deal (or fill) holes as the season progresses. Despite the Orioles great start to the year and above expectation production from more than a few players they have issues that may cost them over the course of the long season.
Two decent starts doesn’t override years of mediocrity. The Orioles need pitching, definitely – but Bud Norris is not the answer.
Would love to see him rebound, trade bait or not, improvement helps.
Tough choice but necessary. If he doesn’t get better by the end of next Spring in Sarasota the Orioles will have no choice but to cut him. Hopefully Ubaldo can take time in the pen to work on his mechanics and get back his form. But that’s an uphill battle.
Thanks for noting in the post that there have been several other terrible contracts that happened about the same time. Makes the pain of losing possible solid starters like Zach Davies, Wei Yen Chen, and Eduard Rodriguez a little easier. Had the Orioles not brought in Jimenez with the massive contract at least two of these guys would still be around…and maybe contributing well.
Good move. Ubaldo provides depth, he could bounceback, and could be a nice, long relief pitcher.
How about putting brach in the rotation? He has the pitches to start. Instead of looking for a starter, it’s probably easier to get mid grade reliever.
P.s. Scott Feldman is sitting in Astros bullpen. Has 3 something era. Food for thought.
Maybe the Cubs will give the Astros Arrieta for him
Rofl
I could see Jimenez to the Cubs for Montero, cash,and a lottery ticket? Makes sense on both sides, and very similar contracts.
Lol. Zero chance the Cubs do that.
I had an Idea for a trade of Ubaldo ( No money) Jomar Reyes, Josh Hart and a low-A reliever for Hellickson and Cesar Hernadez of the Phillies, depth for the O’s and a starter that they can save money on by dumping Ubaldo.
I like that but I’m thinking Christian walker instead of jomar Reyes
The Orioles remind me of Ned Flanders’ parents: “We’ve tried nothing, doc and we’re all out of ideas.” When they lost in the ALDS in 2012, critics predicted that lack of starting pitching, an inability to work counts, poor OBP and no speed would be their undoing. It’s 2016 and these problems still have yet to be addressed, either through acquisition or internal development. It’s a shame, because they look like they are going to squander a chance to be a true contender with a solid core of players.