12:55pm: The Orioles confirmed that Lyles’ option has indeed been declined.
12:47pm: The Orioles have declined their $11MM club option on Jordan Lyles, tweets Jon Heyman of the New York Post. He’ll instead be paid a $1MM buyout and become a free agent.
Despite coming off a pair of rough seasons in Texas, Lyles landed a surprisingly strong $7MM guarantee with Baltimore just prior to the league’s implementation of last winter’s 99-day lockout. The veteran righty, who just turned 32 a couple weeks ago, gave the O’s everything they could’ve reasonably hoped for and generally succeeded in turning that modest investment into a bargain.
Through a team-high 179 innings, Lyles posted a 4.42 ERA with an 18.6% strikeout rate, a strong 6.7% walk rate and a 40.2% ground-ball rate. The innings were particularly vital for a Baltimore club that was generally relying on young, unproven arms who cycled through the other four rotation spots behind Lyles. The stability he provided the team every fifth day both helped to spare the bullpen and to more effectively manage some of the workloads of an otherwise largely untested group of rotation candidates.
As MLBTR’s Anthony Franco explored recently, that steadying performance gave the team genuine cause to contemplate picking up Lyles’ option. While a net $10MM commitment (when accounting for the buyout) in the first week of the offseason would be aggressive for a pitcher who’s typically been more of a back-of-the-rotation arm, the O’s are still lacking in rotation certainty and have already pledged to increase payroll in 2023. Doling out a one-year pact to a veteran righty who drew heaps from a young staff that considered him a mentor and clubhouse leader might’ve been a defensible decision — particularly if Lyles were able to replicate his 2022 performance.
Instead, Lyles will return to the open market, likely in search of a multi-year commitment this time around. It stands to reason that, after landing a $7MM guarantee on the heels of a pair of dismal seasons with the Rangers, he might indeed be able to land a two-year deal with a vastly better performance now under his belt. It’s also possible that Lyles could yet return to the O’s — perhaps at a lower annual rate. Nathan Ruiz of the Baltimore Sun tweets that the Orioles issued a statement that while they preferred to let the pitching market develop rather than exercise Lyles’ option at this time, they’ll remain in touch with him and will not rule out a return at a later date.
Though he’s just 32 years old, Lyles already has more than 11 years of Major League service time under his belt. Selected by the Astros with the No. 38 overall pick back in 2008, he ranked among the sport’s top pitching prospects during his minor league days and ascended to the Majors before he’d even turned 21. It’s arguable that the ’Stros rushed him to the Majors, as he never really found his footing early on and still has a career track record featuring more valleys than peaks.
Still, Lyles had success with the Padres in 2018, with the Brewers in 2018-19, and now with the Orioles in 2022. He’s been a durable source of solid innings for the bulk of the past five seasons, which should make him an appealing option for teams that, as the 2022 Orioles were, are on the lookout for a veteran rotation stabilizer with a good chance to make 30-plus starts and generally keep the team in the game. That may not sound like a glamorous role, but average innings have value — and teams pay for them every offseason.
Jordan Lyles and Pirates reunion?
Mhm, innings! Delicous! So nutritious!
O’s must have their eyes on some FA pitching. 10 mill not really a lot , for ten mill u don’t get much anyways do you ?
Must be earmarking the ten mill plus more for a good pitcher.
Let’s see
They’ve got Means, Kremer, Wells, Bradish, Watkins, Voth. I would guess they’ll add 2 arms that would be better than Lyles, so they don’t need a 10 million dollar pitcher when they have cheap depth that has played before.
Plus they got Grayson Rodriguez on the way and likely will give DL Hall a shot at the rotation at some point in 2023. But I agree going after a couple of more arms, either on the FA market or a trade, is a good idea and the way they might go.
I think the O’s are definitely checking out the whole market and they don’t want to jump out and set it super high by overpaying on an option before free agency even kicks off. In other words, I think this says less about Lyles (who pitched decently) and more about the O’s larger plans.
Wouldn’t be surprised to see Lyles still end up with the O’s. Maybe even similar money but as an incentive-based deal rather than the full guarantee he was due to receive. $10M fully guaranteed for a backend (yet durable) starter just isn’t the signal they want to send out early into the market.
This would be such a cardinals move if they signed this guy. 12-11 4.42 era… this is right up their alley
Phillies probably aiming higher, but 160 + innings out of a fourth spot would be a nice break from bullpen games every fifth day.
Jordan Lyles is HR prone but he gives innings.
It’s possible the Orioles re-sign Lyles @ $8 – 8.5 MM. That would match up for a free agent with his 2022 1.0 WAR
Makes sense. I see our front office exploring trades for the likes of Lopez, Alcantara, Burnes etc and wouldn’t be surprised to see us involved with FAs like Rodon. I do see trades as the more likely route. Not many teams can match what the O’s could offer in trades right now.
And from an Orioles standpoint, they need to trade some position players, as there will soon be too many outfielders on the team, and potentially middle infielders as well. Teams like Miami would match up well in that regard.
If orioles are increasing payroll they better start in house as no one will be eager to play in Baltimore on the worst team in AL east
you must be smoking some good crack.because the orioles were not the worst team in the east.the red sox were.the orioles were 83 and 79 and only missed wild card by 3 games
I’d be ok if the Orioles signed him to a lower cost 2 year deal to be a back end starter and hope for league-average performance. But that would mean 4 superior (above average!) starters being ahead of him in the rotation, something that they have not had in this century. If they don’t resign him then no big loss.