Orioles Card "O" the Day

An intersection of two of my passions: baseball cards and the Baltimore Orioles. Updated daily?

Monday, February 17, 2014

Cal Ripken Jr., 2005 Topps Turkey Red #305

Look, up in the sky! It's a bird! It's a plane! It's...Ubaldo Jimenez? Provided that he passes the ever-perilous physical, the Orioles have finally made a significant free agent signing. The ex-Rockies and Indians righty agreed to a four-year, $50 million contract with the O's. It's risky business, as Baltimore is giving up their first-round draft pick and giving out their most expensive free agent deal since Miguel Tejada's five-year, $65 million contract a decade ago. Jimenez was very good in 2010 (19-8, 2.88 ERA, 214 K's), but had a much worse go of it in 2011 through the first half of 2013. He probably earned himself a bigger paycheck based on his second-half numbers last season (1.82 ERA, 100 K/84 IP), but it remains to be seen whether that was an anomaly or if he's figured some things out. But I'm just encouraged to see the Birds taking some action.

3 comments:

Zach said...

I have a feeling this is either going to be the best signing of the MLB offseason or the worst. Granted, Cano's will be by default the worst since the princely sum he is being paid is going to anchor expectations, making a .310/35/110 season seem terrible, but Jimenez's signing is right in that yearly amount that will prove to be either genius or a salary albatross.

Anonymous said...

I would be greatly surprised if the Orioles reject Jimenez for medical reasons, if only because it would completely destroy their reputation among future free agents.

I like Jimenez, so I'm hoping it works out. Can't work out any worse than Albert Belle, right? Please tell me I'm right.

Commishbob said...

I sure as he'll hope he's more like the Jimenez who I watched one hit the Astros in 2010 and not the one who I watched get KO'd by the very pathetic Astros last May. But I think that was your point.

Fingers crossed