The Orioles have declined their club options over shortstop J.J. Hardy and lefty Wade Miley, per a club announcement. Both players will hit the open market for the first time.
Hardy, 35, will receive a $2MM buyout rather than playing at a $14MM salary. While Baltimore has relied on Hardy at short for the better part of the past seven seasons, this was an easy decision after he stumbled through an injury-plagued 2017. He ended the season with a meager .217/.255/.323 batting line over just 268 plate appearances.
It is expected that mid-season acquisition Tim Beckham will shoulder the load for the O’s in 2018. Perhaps there’s some possibility, though, that Hardy could be brought back (at a much lower rate) as a reserve. More likely, he’ll set out looking for a chance at more playing time elsewhere.
As for Miley, he would have cost $12MM but will instead take home a $500K buyout. Soon to turn 31, the southpaw starter made all 32 starts but lasted just 157 1/3 frames, limping to a 5.61 ERA while his walk rate lept to 5.3 per nine innings. His departure, anticipated though it was, leaves the O’s clearly in need of at least two rotation acquisitions (if not more).
It has been a few years now since Miley was an effective rotation piece, though by some key measures (swinging-strike rate, hard-hit rate) he has been much the same pitcher as he was previously. Miley will undoubtedly get a shot elsewhere at a lesser rate of pay. Among other things, he’ll need to tamp down on the long balls if he’s to regain his footing in the majors.
Re-sign Miley, sign Ricky Nolasco and Jeremy Hellickson (or, alternatively, John Lackey or Miguel Gonzalez). Boast about how the 2018 Orioles will contend, but then execute a half-hearted firesale in July, retaining too many pieces that will become free agents. I have nothing against the Orioles club, but man… how can you be optimistic about this seemingly inevitable direction?
Yeah sign Rickey Nolasco, John Lackey , Matt Cain and Sean O Sullivan. They would all be perfect for the O’s
Cain retired
Screw Lackey! Called Camden Yards a sandbox when he was with Boston! He wouldn’t be any better than what they already have!
Lackey has never been one to throw bouquets at teams or cities. He hated Boston, too. When he had that one horrendous season with them, he was bitter that the fans booed him.
They should go after Zach Davies, Parker Bridwell, Eduardo Rodriguez, Andrew Triggs, Jake Arrieta…wait, they already had these guys…..
Haha! Brilliant.
Tired joke. Davies and arrieta are the only bad deals out of the bunch. Bridwell and triggs are good mlb starters after 100 innings? Kinda like Ariel Miranda right?
Ain’t no joke….it is the truth! …and kinda like Josh Hader. Watch out for this kid in a few years.
I am not a hater, just at the point where you can only laugh if you want to continue to be an Oriole fan….trust me….been doing it for close to 40 years (being a fan for 40 years, not laughing….but there has been some crying in there….)
You’re insane. The O’s aren’t bringing back Miley or Hellickson. Lackey will be too expensive, and Nolasco is terrible. Gonzo might make his way back, but not with any guarantee of a rotation spot, and he might want that. I see the team penciling in Gausman and Bundy into the first two spots, hopefully looking at Jaime Garcia and Andrew Cashner (or in a more hopeful pipe dream Alex Cobb), and banking on being able to stretch out either Castro or Ynoa into a starter. This site already has predicted Tillman will sign for $10MM per year with Detroit, and the O’s won’t go near that contract amount.
To be fair, they’re more likely to do that than the rebuilding Tigers
Plenty of rebuilding teams sign veterans to contracts of that type. Odds are he’ll land somewhere else — as with basically all of our (or anybody else’s) predictions — but it’s a plausible match.
I don’t think lackey is going to be too expensive. He might retire or not have any interest in being here. Don’t think cost is the problem with him though.
I think we all expected this, but with Angelos you never know. Now we can breathe a sigh of relief because it’s done. Now just don’t resign them Duke.
Both Hardy and Miley feel like Padres targets. Miley might be able to follow the Pomeranz/Richard sort of path; he’s a similar pitcher, a flyball lefty. Hardy would fill the same role the Padres thought they were getting with Alexei Ramirez a couple years ago – a stopgap shortstop to at least play the position adequately. They literally didn’t even bother running an actual shortstop out there in 2017.
Miley isn’t a flyball pitcher. Groundball rate around 50℅
Hardy is probably done
I’d like to see hardy come back as an infield coach. He was top notch defensively.
…and I think this is what the Orioles are going to miss. Beckham was a beast at the plate after the trade, and look forward to him in 2018, but he made quite a few misplays. Stuff that you don’t see on the score card like getting only one out on a clear double play ball because he bobbled it. No error recorded, but Hardy would have done it blindfolded.. Hardy made it easier on all the ground ball pitchers the O’s go after.