Still uncomfortably thin in their starting rotation, the Orioles watched another veteran free-agent option find a home elsewhere on Tuesday.
The Chicago White Sox agreed to a one-year, $3 million contract with right-handed pitcher Mat Latos as the 28-year-old will try to rebuild his value after a disastrous 2015 campaign. The Orioles had reportedly shown some interest in the longtime National League pitcher this offseason, but free agent Yovani Gallardo has been linked to the club more frequently.
Though considered by many to be a handful from an attitude standpoint, Latos owns a career 3.51 ERA in seven major league seasons and is only a year removed from a 3.25 mark in 2014. A lingering knee problem contributed to the worst season of his career in 2015 as Latos posted a 4.95 ERA split among Miami, the Los Angeles Dodgers, and the Los Angeles Angels.
His low base salary with the White Sox could lead one to believe Latos isn’t fully healthy and may not have even passed the Orioles’ rigorous physical exam. Of course, a one-year pillow contract pitching at Oriole Park at Camden Yards may not have been too appealing for a pitcher competing in a new league in 2016, either.
If those weren’t major factors, you have to wonder why the Orioles wouldn’t have shown more interest in a still-young starting pitcher who owns a strong track record and comes at a very low cost. Of course, this signing makes a marriage between the Orioles and Gallardo even more logical with the start of spring training less than two weeks away.
The current contenders for the No. 5 spot in the Baltimore starting rotation include Vance Worley, Odrisamer Despaigne, Mike Wright, and Tyler Wilson.
