Inside The Orioles

Baltimore Orioles Reportedly Targeting Former Yankees' Pitcher in Free Agency

The Baltimore Orioles are reportedly pursuing the former pitcher of their division rivals.

Tyler Maher

Baltimore Orioles Reportedly Targeting Former Yankees' Pitcher in Free Agency
Baltimore Orioles Reportedly Targeting Former Yankees' Pitcher in Free Agency /
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The Baltimore Orioles need a starting pitcher, but they aren't willing to pay for one.

Not in free agency or in a trade.

They want to keep building their team as cheaply as possible rather than spend money on legit big leaguers. Why else would they be talking to Domingo German, especially after initially saying they weren't interested?

Incredibly, they aren't the only ones.

According to a New York Post article, Baltimore is one of six teams having discussions with German, two of which have made him an offer. 

The competition for German's services is surprisingly fierce given everything he's been through over the last few months.

German's season ended on Aug. 3 last year when he left the New York Yankees to seek help for alcohol abuse. That followed an ugly incident where he flipped over a couch and smashed a television in the their clubhouse.

German completed his treatment program and is looking for a second chance this year after New York non-tendered him. In six seasons with the Yankees, he was 31-28 with a 4.41 ERA and 1.18 WHIP.

While the right-hander has been effective throughout his career, he's often dealt with injuries and hasn't come close to pitching a full season. He's topped 110 innings only once and has yet to surpass 150.

With his durability issues and personal baggage, the Orioles should look elsewhere, especially when there are still big-name pitchers like Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery available.

German may be a nice depth option, but he's not going to move the needle much. He's also not what Baltimore needs -- a legitimate ace at the top of its rotation.

The Orioles are already familiar with German from his time in the AL East, but they can do better. 

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Tyler Maher
TYLER MAHER

Tyler grew up in Massachusetts and is a huge Boston sports fan, especially the Red Sox. He went to Tufts University and played club baseball for the Jumbos. Since graduating, he has worked for MLB.com, The Game Day, FanDuel and Forbes. When he's not writing about baseball, he enjoys running, traveling, and playing fetch with his golden retriever.

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