The Orioles have agreed to sign Luis Ayala to a one-year, $925K deal that is pending a physical. The deal includes a $1MM team option for 2013 ($100K buyout). Ayala has a base salary of $825K in 2012 and could earn more by reaching incentives. The Orioles have announced their deal with the Paragon Sports International client.
Ayala, 34, posted a 2.09 ERA with 6.3 K/9, 3.2 BB/9 and a 50% ground ball rate in 56 innings for the Yankees last year. The Red Sox, Rays, Yankees, Blue Jays, Angels, Mets and Tigers were all linked to him earlier in the offseason.
Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com first reported the agreement and Dan Connolly of the Baltimore Sun added the terms. Alden Gonzalez of MLB.com, Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports and MLBTR added detail (Twitter links).
Phew!
This roster is crowded.
I’m hoping that “crowded” means that each of these guys will have to actually fight for a spot on the roster. Competition breeds performance. For the O’s case, not enough performace, but it is still refreshing to see.
Have fun watching him allow all those inherited runners to score.
How’s that gonna happen when the entire city of Baltimore isn’t gonna allow a single hit this year?
We actually have enough pitchers that if one lets up a hit, we just send him down.
the angels could not match or exceed an offer from the orioles?
Yeah, but he wanted to sign with a team that actually has a chance at winning a title… Obviously Baltimore will get you there…
milledge? that’s all i need to know.
If you are trying to bad mouth Lastings, I will hear none of it. Don’t worry Lastings, I’ve got your back.
hey, i like your camaraderie.
Good for Ayala. He deserved a Major League deal after the way he pitched for the Yankees in 2011.
Not bad.. Take him over Lindstrom at least, but still curious about late innings here.. It’s shaky at best if they don’t get Uehera back, or find another option over Gregg.
Sounds like they’re gonna give Jim Johnson a good chance at taking over as closer.
We always getting the old washed up players now. I’m not saying he’s washed up, but he’s old!
Agreed. It’s time we get some dirty players.
Need to clear a roster spot now…chances Gregg will get dumped?
No one likes Gregg, but he wasn’t THAT bad that he should be dumped while we eat his 5 million dollar salary.
” but he wasn’t THAT bad that he should be dumped”
he was dumped by ever other team that had him was the point am pretty sure as a failure. think many O’s fans even will attest that gregg is a nail biter on the mound, worse than Marmol, as he enjoys walking every other batter he faces and nothing he has is over powering.. he crumbles under pressure and is better suited to be an 8th inning setup guy, rather than a closer and am surprised nobody has just relegated him to that like Toronto did when they figured out he was awful at closing.
I say this as a Marlins (and Boston) fan who endured many of his nail biters..
Toronto knew he was an awful closer before signing him. AA only wanted him as a draft pick while doing the tear-down. The draft pick parlayed into Dwight Smith. I am surprised Orioles didn’t do the same thing with Gregg.
he wasn’t a free agent at the end of last year, and I don’t think he would’ve been type b anyway
“he was dumped by ever other team that had him” … but teams continue to sign him to ridiculous deals anyways.
40 walks in 60 innings. That’s six walks per nine.
Need I say more?
I like Gregg, but no one will ever agree with me. I just don’t like him as a closer.
If he’s half as good as his brother, Domingo, this is great sign. …he’s no semi-pro.
For those unfamiliar with Domingo Ayala, do a youtube search on his name. It’s worth it.
Domingo Ayala taught me how to hit a home run!
Took an offer from Orioles over Angels??
Must be a Ranger fan at heart. Poor soul.
Opening Day Dan Duquette should sing a song, grant I am quite certain he’s no Frank Sinatra, but he certainly could sing his rendition of “My Way”.
If that doesn’t work Marketing Team MASN could come up with a spoof of March of the Penguins by re-working it so it could be called “March of the Orioles”!
If none of this works, then “The Gong Show” should be resurrected in OPACY so all Oriole Fans can give Peter Angelos, Dan Duquette, and the rest of the “Brain Trust” – “The Gong”!
I take it you don’t like the signing, eh?
Wouldn’t it be easier for them to just hire Mel (the smell) proctor back as an announcer? he was such a homer that he could (and did) spin anything favorably towards the orioles.. reminds me of another couple of announcers.. Like Phil “scooter” Rhizzuto and Kaye of the NYY as horrible homers who always seem to both now spin anything toward the home team, or did.
Remember that Palmer even would get aggravated with proctor sometimes he would go so far over the top.
So.. if there is/was someone to sing “my way” they ought to bring proctor back to spin the… Tall tales…
There were some pretty darn good teams that showed interest in him.