Headlines

  • Red Sox Likely To Activate Alex Bregman Tomorrow
  • Astros To Promote Brice Matthews
  • Phillies Reportedly Targeting Controllable Relievers
  • Yankees Prioritizing Pitching, Also Searching For Infield Help
  • Orioles Trade Bryan Baker To Rays
  • Yankees Release DJ LeMahieu
  • Previous
  • Next
Register
Login
  • Hoops Rumors
  • Pro Football Rumors
  • Pro Hockey Rumors

MLB Trade Rumors

Remove Ads
  • Home
  • Teams
    • AL East
      • Baltimore Orioles
      • Boston Red Sox
      • New York Yankees
      • Tampa Bay Rays
      • Toronto Blue Jays
    • AL Central
      • Chicago White Sox
      • Cleveland Guardians
      • Detroit Tigers
      • Kansas City Royals
      • Minnesota Twins
    • AL West
      • Houston Astros
      • Los Angeles Angels
      • Oakland Athletics
      • Seattle Mariners
      • Texas Rangers
    • NL East
      • Atlanta Braves
      • Miami Marlins
      • New York Mets
      • Philadelphia Phillies
      • Washington Nationals
    • NL Central
      • Chicago Cubs
      • Cincinnati Reds
      • Milwaukee Brewers
      • Pittsburgh Pirates
      • St. Louis Cardinals
    • NL West
      • Arizona Diamondbacks
      • Colorado Rockies
      • Los Angeles Dodgers
      • San Diego Padres
      • San Francisco Giants
  • About
    • MLB Trade Rumors
    • Tim Dierkes
    • Writing team
    • Advertise
    • Archives
  • Contact
  • Tools
    • 2025 Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Agency Database
  • NBA/NFL/NHL
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors
  • App
  • Chats
Go To Pro Hockey Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Orioles To Sign Nate Karns

By Jeff Todd | February 7, 2019 at 11:44am CDT

The Orioles have struck a deal with righty Nate Karns, per Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports (Twitter link). He’ll earn $800K on a one-year term, with up to $200K in incentives.

This signing, the first of new GM Mike Elias’s tenure, looks to be a nice match for all involved. Karns will help fill out the O’s rotation, which had some questions at the back end. He’ll have a chance to show he can finally move past the health issues that have plagued him in recent years.

There’s upside here as well for the Baltimore organization. If Karns is at all successful, he ought to represent an appealing arbitration asset next fall. That’s not too great a concern for Karns, since he only would have one season of arb eligibility remaining. Effectively, the O’s pick up a club option the value of which will float with Karns’s on-field contributions. That contract situation also boosts the potential trade appeal if things go well.

Karns had hoped to get back on track last year after thoracic outlet surgery cut short his 2017 campaign. He agreed to a $1.375MM deal with the Royals for his first arb-eligible season. As it turned out, though, elbow issues arose that cost him all of 2018.

Previously, Karns had established himself as a talented, if somewhat inconsistent, MLB starter. He has thrown 310 2/3 total innings at the game’s highest level, carrying a 4.37 ERA with 9.3 K/9 and 3.6 BB/9.

Karns relies primarily on a four-seamer that sits just below 94 mph and a curve that he has historically spun on about one of every three pitches, with a change and sinker also rounding out his arsenal. That combination showed particular promise early in the ’17 campaign, with Karns carrying a personal-high 12.5% swinging-strike rate before going down.

Share 0 Retweet 8 Send via email0

Baltimore Orioles Transactions Nate Karns

Phillies, Marlins Working Out Details Of Prospective J.T. Realmuto Swap
Main
Mets Re-Sign Devin Mesoraco
View Comments (29)
Post a Comment

29 Comments

  1. twinsfan368

    6 years ago

    This is the last signing before Machado signs with the twins

    2
    Reply
    • Stevesabers

      6 years ago

      Twins could never afford Machado!

      Reply
  2. baldimur

    6 years ago

    The Orioles staff is solidified. So is mine.

    6
    Reply
    • twinsfan368

      6 years ago

      Heck no it’s not, right now karns is ur number 3 bro

      1
      Reply
      • baldimur

        6 years ago

        Ok but the second part is still true

        3
        Reply
      • Stevesabers

        6 years ago

        Bundy, Cobb and Cashner. So number 4

        Reply
  3. FOmeOLS

    6 years ago

    Because No performance statistics were included, it’s difficult to judge this acquisition only on me factor of cost, but 800 K is nothing.
    Dan Duquette would have re-signed an equivalent player for 20 times as much, so this is at least a step in the right direction, regardless of performance.

    1
    Reply
    • jorge78

      6 years ago

      That’s why you click on his name (when it’s highlighted in red) to link to Baseball Reference…..

      Reply
  4. HBan22

    6 years ago

    Always liked this guy. Hopefully he can get healthy this season.

    4
    Reply
  5. sadosfan

    6 years ago

    This is perfect for a rebuilding team. Low cost and a player who is looking to get back into the game. If he is good then flip him for prospects at the deadline or keep him as a low cost innings eater.

    3
    Reply
  6. TreyMancini

    6 years ago

    This is a great deal, only 800k for a guy with a lot of upside. That’s barely more than the league minimum, and who knows, maybe we can flip him.

    2
    Reply
  7. oct27

    6 years ago

    I’m a big fan of Nate Karns – was hoping the Royals would re-sign him. Yeah – chances of him pitching a full season are slim – but the upstairs is there.

    2
    Reply
  8. realgone2

    6 years ago

    Fine signing here.

    2
    Reply
  9. txtgab

    6 years ago

    Now it makes sense that this deal was in the works. I was wondering why the Orioles were passing on some DFA players, Chase DeJong in particular, he is much better than some fringe 40 man candidates the Orioles have. My guess is Aruajo gets DFA’d

    1
    Reply
    • FOmeOLS

      6 years ago

      No, Wright Or one of our vast quantity of useless infielders will probably get tossed.

      Reply
      • osfandan

        6 years ago

        Last in, first out. The guy with the long R name, haha.

        Reply
        • Oxford Karma

          6 years ago

          Nailed that one. New article just appeared.

          Reply
      • txtgab

        6 years ago

        Yea wright needs to go too… I don’t think infielders move until spring gets deep. Benefit of slow offseason on rebuilding teams, they can swoop in on unsigned free agents after they asses rule 5 picks. I’m pretty sure by mid March they will know that they won’t hold onto Martin/Jackson for whole season

        Reply
        • AceKing

          6 years ago

          Please keep Wright and see what the new regime can do with him. One of the best arms in the system. Relax.

          Reply
  10. baseballhobo

    6 years ago

    Nate the Great!

    Reply
  11. Grizalt

    6 years ago

    Thoughts and prayers

    Reply
    • AceKing

      6 years ago

      Really? From a SD fan? When were you guys good again?

      Reply
  12. attgig

    6 years ago

    great signing. another option is he pitches himself into a tradable piece during the trade deadline, helping to bring back a quality prospect to help the O’s farm system.

    1
    Reply
  13. allweatherfan

    6 years ago

    Needs to be moved to the pen.

    1
    Reply
  14. timewalk42

    6 years ago

    Good signing

    Reply
  15. jonesadoug

    6 years ago

    great potential but simply can’t stay healthy

    Reply
  16. camdenyards46

    6 years ago

    Great pickup. No risk at all. Could end up being half decent.

    Reply
  17. FromTheJuicingEra

    6 years ago

    Will he pass the physical though?

    Reply
    • AceKing

      6 years ago

      This is not really funny anymore. The Os were right about all of their failers.

      (what happened to Grant Balfour anyway? Oh…..his arm fell off after some OTHER team signed him)

      It wasn’t funny to begin with, but it is really lame and sad now. Har har har.

      2
      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Please login to leave a reply.

Log in Register

    Top Stories

    Red Sox Likely To Activate Alex Bregman Tomorrow

    Astros To Promote Brice Matthews

    Phillies Reportedly Targeting Controllable Relievers

    Yankees Prioritizing Pitching, Also Searching For Infield Help

    Orioles Trade Bryan Baker To Rays

    Yankees Release DJ LeMahieu

    Trevor Williams To Undergo UCL Surgery

    Nationals Fire PBO Mike Rizzo, Manager Dave Martinez

    Brewers Activate Brandon Woodruff

    Clarke Schmidt Expected To Undergo Tommy John Surgery

    Bobby Jenks Passes Away

    Braves Release Alex Verdugo

    Top 40 Trade Candidates For The 2025 Deadline

    Rays Reinstate Ha-Seong Kim

    Yankees Have Shown Interest In Ryan McMahon

    Royals Interested In Bryan Reynolds

    Rangers Option Josh Jung

    Kevin Pillar Announces Retirement

    Braves Place Spencer Schwellenbach On IL With Elbow Fracture

    Giants Exercise 2026 Option On Manager Bob Melvin

    Recent

    Trade Deadline Outlook: New York Yankees

    Trade Deadline Outlook: Atlanta Braves

    Which Other Relievers Might The Orioles Shop?

    Lee Elia Passes Away

    Red Sox Likely To Activate Alex Bregman Tomorrow

    Poll: Which Teams Should Make The Biggest Push For Jarren Duran?

    MLB Finalizes Home Run Derby Field

    Astros To Promote Brice Matthews

    Giants Outright Sergio Alcántara

    Joe Coleman Passes Away

    MLBTR Newsletter - Hot stove highlights in your inbox, five days a week

    Latest Rumors & News

    Latest Rumors & News

    • Sandy Alcantara Rumors
    • Luis Robert Rumors
    • Alex Bregman Rumors

     

    Trade Rumors App for iOS and Android App Store Google Play

    MLBTR Features

    MLBTR Features

    • Remove Ads, Support Our Writers
    • Front Office Originals
    • Front Office Fantasy Baseball
    • MLBTR Podcast
    • Trade Deadline Outlook Series
    • 2025-26 MLB Free Agent List
    • Contract Tracker
    • Transaction Tracker
    • Extension Tracker
    • Agency Database
    • MLBTR On Twitter
    • MLBTR On Facebook
    • Team Facebook Pages
    • How To Set Up Notifications For Breaking News
    • Hoops Rumors
    • Pro Football Rumors
    • Pro Hockey Rumors

    Rumors By Team

    • Angels Rumors
    • Astros Rumors
    • Athletics Rumors
    • Blue Jays Rumors
    • Braves Rumors
    • Brewers Rumors
    • Cardinals Rumors
    • Cubs Rumors
    • Diamondbacks Rumors
    • Dodgers Rumors
    • Giants Rumors
    • Guardians Rumors
    • Mariners Rumors
    • Marlins Rumors
    • Mets Rumors
    • Nationals Rumors
    • Orioles Rumors
    • Padres Rumors
    • Phillies Rumors
    • Pirates Rumors
    • Rangers Rumors
    • Rays Rumors
    • Red Sox Rumors
    • Reds Rumors
    • Rockies Rumors
    • Royals Rumors
    • Tigers Rumors
    • Twins Rumors
    • White Sox Rumors
    • Yankees Rumors

    Navigation

    • Sitemap
    • Archives
    • RSS/Twitter Feeds By Team

    MLBTR INFO

    • Advertise
    • About
    • Commenting Policy
    • Privacy Policy

    Connect

    • Contact Us
    • Twitter
    • Facebook
    • RSS Feed

    MLB Trade Rumors is not affiliated with Major League Baseball, MLB or MLB.com

    Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

    hide arrows scroll to top

    Register

    Desktop Version | Switch To Mobile Version