The Orioles are in agreement with right-hander Jordan Lyles on a one-year, $7MM guarantee with a 2023 club option, reports Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic (Twitter link). The deal is pending a physical, which is expected to take place after the work stoppage. Lyles is represented by Ballengee Group.
If the Lyles deal is completed, it will mark the Orioles’ largest free agent expenditure since Mike Elias was hired as Executive Vice President and General Manager three years ago. Elias’ previous largest free agency outlay had been a $3MM deal for Jose Iglesias. Adding veteran Major League talent has not been a priority during Elias’ rebuild. In 2022, Lyles and Trey Mancini figure to be the only Orioles to be paid as much as $7MM. The Orioles have run a bottom-four payroll for the entirety of Elias’ tenure.
Drafted 38th overall by the Astros out of a South Carolina high school in 2008, Lyles peaked as a top 50 prospect prior to the 2011 season – around the time Elias moved from the Cardinals to the Astros with fellow executive Jeff Luhnow. Luhnow ended up trading Lyles to the Rockies for Dexter Fowler in 2013.
Lyles, 31, posted a 5.15 ERA, 19 K%, 7.3 BB%, and 37.6% groundball rate in 180 innings for the Rangers this year. There wasn’t much to like about Lyles’ season other than his taking the ball 30 times, which is a big need for an Orioles rotation with no reliable members after John Means. After a decent 2019 season for the Pirates and Brewers, the Rangers gave Lyles a two-year, $16MM contract. The righty struggled throughout his time in Texas.
Given that lack of success, Lyles’ contract is a bit higher than you might expect. Perhaps that’s the cost of luring a pitcher to one of the game’s worst teams. Lyles received more than Rich Hill or Dylan Bundy ($5MM), the same as Michael Wacha, and only $1MM less than Corey Kluber. If the contract is completed, he’ll join Means and perhaps Bruce Zimmermann in the rotation with a cast of pitchers competing for remaining spots – unless Means is traded post-lockout. Prize prospects Grayson Rodriguez and DL Hall should debut at some point during 2022, having both reached Double-A in ’21.
The Orioles love Ex Rangers as much as the Rangers love Ex Dodgers.
Lyles loves losing
@ Armchair
He was drafted to be an Astro….originally
You are correct. Its not about Rangers.
Guardians finished 2nd in the bidding
Guardians finished 3rd. I finished 2nd.
Damn, looking at Lyle’s resumé he’s played for some terrible teams
Terrible pitcher – terrible teams. Great guy though. ⚾️
@lady Not really, lol.
He’s a solid arm. He led the league in earned runs in 2020 and 2021.
He led the league in HRs allowed in 2021 as well.
Nice pick up
Thankfully he’s going to the pitching haven that is Camden Yard to rebound some of his value.
Couldn’t agree more, ‘Chair and JRFC :/
Sarcasm is a character flaw that I’m trying to work on, but you both drew me back into it with your own brand!
Lol
7 million ? How ?? Lol
Idk how Jordan Lyles keeps getting jobs. He isn’t an innings eater. Last year was the first time in his career he pitched 150+ innings. He isn’t good. He has a career 82 ERA+ and his single season career high is 106. How does he keep getting jobs? “He can’t keep getting away with this!”
MLB doesn’t need expansion if this guy keeps getting jobs
It was that deceptive 2019 stretch in Milwaukee after the Pirates traded him at the deadline. Took only 11 starts to quadruple his salary.
Lyle get $7MM because LAD set the price this off season when they signed Heaney for $8.5MM.
I like this move.
The question is: Are you a fan of the Yankees, Red Sox, Blue Jays, or Rays?
None of the above. I just like retreads and subpar players. That, and I’m an Orioles fan.
Helps us get that first round pick again.
Bargain.
Must be a Yankee fan huh… lmao
might as well give that $7 million to charity jeez
Meh…
He’s an innings eater. That about it. I guess that’s all they were looking for.
I guess maybe. But this was the first time in 11 MLB seasons he has pitched more than 150 innings and just the second time since 2015 he has pitched at least 100 innings.
10 years in the bigs and has a negative war for what it’s worth. His agent needs a raise.
He is so busy laughing that he forgot to ask for one.
Why would the Orioles spend $7 million on a guy who has a career ERA above 5?! What a horrible move.
First picks don’t grow on trees…
One week in 2018 I picked up Jordan Lyles in my fantasy league just because I planned to attend his next start. The righthander came through:
mlb.com/gameday/rockies-vs-padres/2018/05/15/53002…
I appreciate memories like these. No sarcasm. I have a lot of favorite players over the years who have never played for my actual favorite team, because they came through for me in fantasy. I end up rooting for them IRL. Fantasy can be a great outlet.
You don’t want to give iglasias a everyday ss 3 mill but you will she’ll out 7 mill for lyles lol
Dylan Bundy signed with Minnesota for $2 million less than Lyles is costing, and is a much better pitcher.
Why is Elias giving a very bad pitcher 7 million?
Bundy had an ERA over 7 last year and got booted to the bullpen. He’s not better.
Lol
I’m surprised people are so anti-Lyles. Good for him for getting overpaid.
It’s only 7 million in Confederate money.
True O’s fans will get the reference.
Nobody get offended.
Man, what a blast from the past… Syd Thrift. What was his signature signing? Rick Helling?
not me.
This guy sticking around still makes me wonder what ever happened to Jared Cosart..
Enjoy the last transaction in a while.
How does this dude keep getting money? He’s horrible.
Orioles sign the guy who led the league in HR allowed. Shrewd.
Probably a little much cost, but two things are true:
1) it’s a one year deal for a bad team. We don’t need to worry about a bad signing affecting competitiveness.
2) Depending on the financials of the team option, this may make some more sense. If we have a similarly costed option on him, then that makes the value of this contract a lot higher, because any solid breakout year from him would just lead to the option being picked up as opposed to him getting a bigger deal.
Man. The Reds suck. Miley on waivers. 10 million. At the recent deals and Miley’s salary, they could have asked for a top 10 prospect. What a horrible organization. Yet… I follow them. Stupid.
Half joking on the prospect. Half.
He only pitches well for Milwaukee.
The Orioles are now officially the East Coast version of the Rockies. What a way to spend 7M!
They’d only be like the Rox if they signed him to play CF
Unpopular opinion, but this is fine. It’s not like the Orioles are contending next year and they need innings. Rather them do this than burn a year of Grayson and DL. And when they institute a salary floor in a month or two this contract might look good given how some teams will have to spend to reach the floor. (All hypothetical of course.)
It probably takes the O’s a little extra to convince FA pitchers to pitch in Camden. But they wouldn’t have signed him unless they saw something they liked or perhaps could fix. I’d rather them do this than spend over $100 million on Robbie Ray whose a walk rate increase away from turning back into old Robbie Ray.
Every team takes these $5-8 mil. lottery ticket pitchers hoping they’ll spike. The O’s get lambasted because they’re rebuilding, but when the Red Sox do it with Wacha and Paxton it’s lauded …
The difference here is that Lyles slots as the #2 starter in Baltimore, which is sad. When the Red Sox do this they are doing it with their last rotation spot and have 3 or 4 competent to excellent starters.
Oh good, the Orioles overpaid for another proven 1st round bust.
Does Lyles at least have a hot, controversial wife?
If he does, the girlfriend is even hotter!
I could pitch to a 5+ ERA, mabybe they’ll give me 7mil?!?!? If I preformed that bad at my job I’d get fired, this dude gets 7mil, WTH?!?!?
No, you could not.
Orioles stuck with Matt Harvey all last season. Lyles can’t really be any worse
As a Orioles fan I really like this move. Yes he maybe not the best pitcher available but he will make his starts and that is what the Orioles need the most so they can see what they truly have in these prospects.
Terrible signing
Methinks Manfred and the Lords told certain teams to get off the ‘rebuilding” nonsense and start spending some payroll dollars, even if you have to be a bit silly to do it. Whatever the landscape is after the CBA gets settled, I think you’ve seen the end of “tanking”. I’d expect the O’s (and Pirates) to start signing players at a high rate once the freeze is over.
Teams have had their way, making a ton of money with the “future fantasy”. The party’s over.
Doubt that bob.
You can’t have a sub 25 million $ payroll and that’s what the Orioles would have run out without a free agent signing.
They’ll be 1-2 more signings. Probably a catcher + a short term 3B. Kyle Seager perhaps. Past Oriole teams had some existing payroll
Lyles is less than the 10 mil that was retained from Cobb last year. Davis’ 17 is still on the tab though. There also aren’t many free spots on the 40 man. I expect it won’t be dissimilar to last years moves. Team kept Severino and went w/ Franco.
Went w/ Leblanc, Harvey and other bargain bin arms. Didn’t get the innings out of them. Think Elias knows that he’s going to need someone to soak up innings because the fringe starter prospects from Duke didn’t work out.
Oh good. I see Mike Elias has now adopted The New Oriole way which is to never spend on pitching so that the team can lose a ton so you can draft high every year so that you can draft a team full of DH’s that you play at other positions because you have a team full of DH’s, draft pitchers every year that break down either before or right after they make the Orioles, or when fans yelling that the team doesn’t spend any money, goes out and overspends on terrible pitchers just to say, “hey, we spent money, we tried.”
They could pay me a million and I could make just as many starts, probably have the same results as Lyles for this team. He is going to let up 30+ homers and have a 7+ ERA for this team if he manages to stay healthy for the full year….which I bet he won’t, because he’s an Orioles FA pitcher signing. They all seem to just get hurt all the time….wonder why?
This team is crap. While Peter Angelos’ health status looms over it and before the rest of the family decides to keep/sell it, that is what this team is going to look like. They aren’t even trying and they won’t any time soon.
Elias has not drafted a pitcher early in any draft.
Which I think is probably not the best because we really do need arms. Odd insult to sling his way
I never said draft a pitcher high in the draft. Please re-read and improve your comprehension skills:
“I see Mike Elias has now adopted The New Oriole way which is to never spend on pitching so that the team can lose a ton so you can draft high every year so that you can draft a team full of DH’s that you play at other positions because you have a team full of DH’s, draft pitchers every year that break down either before or right after they make the Orioles”
Is a DH a pitcher? I guess when you see Chris Davis pitching, you might think so.
The reason why you think it is an odd insult to throw his way is because I never threw it to begin with.
“Draft pitchers every year that break down”
Ok, chief. If you want to play the semantics game we can. None of Mike Elias drafted pitchers have even made the big leagues (in part because he hasn’t taken any early) also because he’s only been in charge for 2 drafts. That’s nonsense.
.
2021 8 pitchers selected
2020 1 pitcher drafted (only had 6 picks)
2019 19 pitchers drafted
He was in charge for 3 drafts. Again, I never said he takes pitchers EARLY, just that he takes pitchers every year that break down BEFORE they make the majors or just after.
Once again you need to understand how words work. This isn’t semantics. This is basic reading comprehension.
You would not come close to Lyles` results,
“They could pay me a million and I could make just as many starts, probably have the same results as Lyles for this team”
No, you couldn’t. This team is still multiple years from being competitive; doesn’t matter they signed him for one year. Plus, did you watch the dogshit the Orioles put on the mound this year? As sad as it is, Lyles is a legitimate improvement to the rotation.