Baltimore Orioles Roster
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The Baltimore Orioles and right-hander Jordan Lyles agreed to a one-year deal worth $7 million on Wednesday night, pending a physical. However, the deal is unlikely to become official until the new Collective Bargaining Agreement is completed. Lyles' deal could be worth $17 million if his 2023 option is picked up. The 31-year-old had a 5.15 ERA in a career-high 180 innings over 30 starts for the Texas Rangers in 2021. Lyles led all of baseball with 38 home runs allowed, and that could again be a problem in 2022 at hitter-friendly Camden Yards and in the tough American League East division. On a bright not, Lyles had a 2.87 ERA and 0.99 WHIP after Sept. 1 when he started using his sinker and curveball more to attack hitters. Lyles has a career 5.21 ERA and 1.43 WHIP with seven different teams.
Word has gotten out that the Baltimore Orioles would listen to trade offers for star center fielder Cedric Mullins, and teams are lining up to give it a shot knowing that it's probably a long shot. The asking price for Mullins is understandably extremely high, with teams like the Philadelphia Phillies, Texas Rangers, Houston Astros, San Francisco Giants and New York Yankees likely to be interested because of their need for a center fielder. Mullins was an All-Star in 2021 and finished ninth in the voting for American League MVP after hitting .291 with 30 home runs, 30 stolen bases, 91 runs scored, 37 double and an .878 OPS. He's only 27 years old and won't be a free agent until 2026, which only raises his price. Mullins certainly would be more attractive in fantasy playing for a contender like the Yankees.
The Baltimore Orioles have claimed pitcher Cionel Perez off waivers from the Cincinnati Reds. The Orioles announced the move in a press release on Wednesday. Perez pitched to a 6.38 ERA, a 6.30 FIP, 25 strikeouts, and 20 walks in 24 innings for the Reds last season. He's logged a 6.04 ERA and a 6.02 FIP in 50.2 career innings at the Major League level. The left-hander will give Baltimore some additional depth in the bullpen. Last season, the Orioles bullpen finished with the 15th-highest fWAR in baseball, but they also had the highest collective FIP among all bullpens.
Other teams are saying that the Baltimore Orioles are dangling left-hander John Means on the trade market. Means is expected to receive around $3 million in arbitration while coming off a season in which he was excellent in the first half (2.28 ERA) but struggled in the second half (4.88 ERA) and dealt with shoulder problems. He has three years of team control left but will be 29 years old next April, and the rebuilding Orioles are still several seasons away from contending after losing 110 games this year. Means has a 3.73 ERA (125 ERA+) with a 4.2 K/BB ratio in 345 1/3 innings in the last three seasons as Baltimore's ace. The southpaw had a 5.07 ERA in his last 15 outings, but he'd be even more attractive in fantasy if he left the O's and the tough American League East.
Baltimore Orioles outfielder/first baseman Trey Mancini was named the American League Comeback Player of the Year for 2021 on Monday. Mancini won the award by beating colon cancer and returning for the fourth 20-homer season of his career. He missed all of 2020 while undergoing treatment for Stage 3 colon cancer. Mancini had surgery to remove a tumor and went through six months of chemotherapy before returning in spring training cancer-free. The 29-year-old finished the year hitting .255 with 21 home runs, 71 RBI and 77 runs scored in 147 games played. Mancini even competed in the All-Star Home Run Derby and lost to Pete Alonso in the finals.