Paul Folkemer

Which leftover free agents fit with the Orioles?

While pitchers and catchers report to spring training next week, there are still dozens of MLB free agents that remain unsigned. That may bode well for the Orioles, who in recent years have signed last-minute additions during or after the break of camp.

Here’s a deeper look at some potential fits:

Photo Credit: Jerry Lai-USA Today Sports

OF Angel Pagan

The O’s want to add an outfielder, and Pagan is the most experienced one remaining on the market. An 11-year veteran, Pagan is coming off a solid offensive season with the Giants, during which he cranked a career-high 12 home runs and batted .277 with a .750 OPS. He still has a bit of speed in his 35-year-old legs, stealing 15 bases in 2016, which would’ve led the Orioles by a comfortable margin. Pagan’s recent injury history, however, is a red flag. He underwent back surgery in 2014, missed time with right knee tendinitis in 2015 and suffered a left hamstring strain in 2016 that required another surgery. And while Pagan would add athleticism to the outfield, he has declined defensively in recent years, to the point that the Giants shifted the longtime center fielder to the less physically demanding left field in 2016.

Photo Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA Today Sports

OF Franklin Gutierrez

Once a dynamic player on both sides of the ball, Gutierrez’s career was derailed by an arthritic condition called ankylosing spondylitis, which caused him to miss the entire 2014 season and then reduced him to a part-time role. Used the right way, though, he could provide some value. The righty-swinging Gutierrez did major damage to left-handed pitchers last season, batting .280 with an .884 OPS and 12 home runs. That could make him a useful platoon partner for outfielders Hyun Soo Kim or Seth Smith, who struggle against southpaws. Defensively, the former Gold-Glove-winning Gutierrez is now a question mark. It’s unclear if his arthritic legs can handle the wear and tear of frequent outfield duty.

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Photo Credit: Joy R. Absalon

OF Michael Bourn

If the Orioles are concerned about Pagan’s and Gutierrez’s health, they could turn to a familiar face for outfield help. Bourn instantly improved the Orioles’ outfield defense after they acquired him from Arizona Aug. 31, earning him more frequent late-season starts, including the Wild Card game. Bourn likely wouldn’t see many starts if he re-upped in 2017, but he’d give manager Buck Showalter a capable defensive replacement for Kim, Smith and/or Mark Trumbo in games in which the club has a late lead.

Photo Credit: Joy R. Absalon

LHP Jorge De La Rosa

It seems like the Orioles have been connected to De La Rosa in trade rumors since the Eisenhower administration. So it’s practically obligatory to mention him here. The longtime Rockie, who will turn 36 the first week of the regular season and is coming off a 5.51 ERA in 2016, shouldn’t be penciled into the starting rotation anytime soon. Still, the Orioles could take a flier on him as a veteran swingman, stashing him in the bullpen as a long reliever who’s ready to fill in whenever they need a spot start.

Photo Credit: Tommy Gilligan-USA Today Sports

LHP Travis Wood

Wood is another potential fit for the swingman role, and he has the advantage of being almost six years younger than De La Rosa. Wood pitched exclusively in relief in 2016 — posting a 2.95 ERA in 77 games for the Cubs — but has 133 major league starts under his belt in case the O’s need an emergency starter. He’d give them a more established lefty reliever than youngster Donnie Hart, though at a higher price tag. And hey, he can also play left field in an emergency.

Photo credit: Bill Streicher/USA Today Sports

RHP David Hernandez

Signing Hernandez would reunite the Orioles with one of their homegrown products, a 2005 draft pick whom they dealt to the Diamondbacks in the Mark Reynolds trade five years later. Granted, relief help is not exactly a pressing need since the club is bringing back all of the key members from its stellar 2016 bullpen. But there may be one or two middle-relief spots available, and that’s where Hernandez could slot in. Two years removed from Tommy John surgery, Hernandez’s 2016 ERA (3.84) and strikeout rate (9.9) were both at their best marks since 2012.

Photo Credit: Matt Kartozian-USA Today Sports

RHP Edwin Jackson

There hasn’t been much buzz this winter around Jackson, who will likely have to settle for a minor league deal somewhere. The main reason I mention him is that, if he were to throw a pitch for the Orioles, he’d be playing for his 12th major league franchise, one shy of Octavio Dotel’s MLB record. It took Dotel until the age of 37 to join his 12th team, while Jackson is only 33. Jackson has taken the term “journeyman” to a whole new level.

Paul Folkemer

Paul Folkemer was born and raised in Baltimore and has been writing about the Orioles since high school, when he used to post O’s game recaps to online message boards before finishing his homework. Now a seasoned veteran of Orioles coverage, Paul served as the O’s beat reporter for four years for PressBox and PressBoxOnline.com before joining BaltimoreBaseball.com, and he previously wrote for Camden Chat and Orioles Hangout. He and his wife, Stacey, welcomed daughter Maggie in July 2017. They currently live in Columbia.

View Comments

  • I hadn't heard Franklin Gutierrez's name before now. Tough to add another OF when juggling two Rule 5 guys along with Buck wanting a bigger bullpen, but if you can get him on a minor league deal, why not do it?

  • I was so surprised that it wasn't LaTroy Hawkins who held the record...and then I looked it up and he's darn close but only eleven. Twelve is a lot of teams!

    • Of the outfielders, I think Bourn is the one the O's are most likely to sign. Pagan's and Gutierrez's injury history could scare off the O's, and they already have familiarity with Bourn. It's not the direction I'd go -- I'd rather have a right-handed bat who can start against lefties -- but I think it's what they'll do.

  • They really need someone who can back up Jones and give him a rest in 2017. I guess as the roster is constructed now that's Rickard but if Gutierrez can still play the occasional CF well then he seems like a great option.

    • I'd be happy with Gutierrez for his lefty-mashing skills, but his defense is a real question mark. He hasn't played CF since 2013, so I think these days he's restricted to corner OF duty at most.

  • I'd sign Bourn, but I'm really intrigued with rule 5 guy from the Sox organization Tavarez. My gut says they're going to try and keep him on the roster. Not sure how Bourn would fit if that were the case.

    And oh yeah, welcome Mr. Folkemer. Good luck, this is a tough crowd around here. Hah!

  • I'd sign Pagan and/or Bourn for outfield depth and speed. Plus, Pagan is coming off of a strong season. If he hit 12 bombs playing in that cavern they call a ball park in SF, he'll do just fine at OPACY. If they could grab a few arms on minor league contracts, all the better. A few more that could be shuttled back and forth to Norfolk.

    • With all of those starts, is he someone that could start more than just in spots, or is he completely relegated to swingman role? He appears to be on a better trajectory as a reliever than as a starter, statistically speaking. His last year as an exclusive starter he had a 5.00+ ERA, 1.5+ WHIP, and SO/W ratio of less than 2.0. Since then, his WHIP and ERA are down, although his SO/W ratio hasn't changed much. He can pitch some innings though. He threw 61 last year, but the year before, primarily in the swingman role, he threw 100. He's thrown as many as 200. I wonder if he could slot in as a starter for 15-20 per year. He pretty much got pushed out of a starting role based on the Cubs' strength of rotation, a problem which the O's don't have.

      He allows 1 HR per 9 over his career. Not great, but not too hateful. He's not great versus righthanded hitters, but he slays lefties. By comparison, Wade Miley makes him look pretty good, especially versus lefties. Plus, Wood appears to be statistically on a better trajectory than Miley, who came into MLB as a pretty solid pitcher and has regressed pretty seriously to where he is now. Both are right around league average for career in ERA+, but Wood has gotten better. Miley has gotten worse.

      If Wood can throw starter innings, I'd stick Miley in the pen and hope at some point someone (Seattle, I'm looking at you) is interested in acquiring him before the trade deadline for a decent OF prospect. Probably wishful thinking, but the O's, aside from the Miley trade to begin with, have taken Seattle to the cleaners a couple of times in trades.

      In any case, your comment prompted me to take a closer look at Wood, and I also wonder why he's still there with his potential. It's not like he hasn't attracted interest. ESPN said back in December that there were 10 teams eyeing him. With the dearth of pitching talent in FA this year, I'm surprised he's still on the market.

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Paul Folkemer

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