MLB News: Did the Baltimore Orioles Get a Good Deal by Bringing Back Chris Tillman on a One-Year Contract?
Tillman is coming off what was arguably his worst season as a Major Leaguer
The Baltimore Orioles have not been making the same big splashes as some of their AL East rivals this offseason, but they did recently pull off a notable move.
According to a recent report from Dan Connolly of BaltimoreBaseball.com, the Orioles have agreed to bring back starting pitcher Chris Tillman on a one-year deal.
The contract will pay Tillman a guaranteed $3 million for this season, and there are incentives included that could push that total up to $10 million.
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As far as free agent deals go, the Orioles' pact with Tillman is on the inexpensive side, so does that mean that this agreement is guaranteed to work out for the team?
Well, considering that it is just a one-year contract, it is hard to imagine it turning out too badly for the Orioles. If Tillman fails to perform consistently, then the Orioles can just take the financial hit and move on in the offseason.
If there is a downside to this deal, however, it is that it has a chance to negatively affect the Orioles this season.
The Orioles' roster could look very different by the time next season rolls around, with high-profile players Adam Jones and Manny Machado among those set to become free agents.
This season could represent the Orioles' last chance to seriously contend for a World Series title with this core group of players.
With Tillman likely to get one of the spots in the rotation, the Orioles will need him not to repeat his performance from last season when he arguably put up the worst season of his MLB career.
Per Baseball Reference, Tillman's numbers from last year include an ERA (earned run average) that ended up at 7.84 and his FIP (fielding independent pitching) doesn't exactly suggest that he was just having bad luck.
If Tillman puts up numbers like those again even during just a brief run in the rotation, that could put the Orioles in a hole they may struggle to get out of.
Re-signing Tillman made sense for the Orioles considering how well they know him and his potential to still be a solid starter, but if his struggles continue, the team should not hesitate to make a change.
