The Guardians and free agent southpaw John Means may be nearing an agreement, as MassLive.com’s Chris Cotillo hears from sources that the two sides are “in advanced talks.”
Means underwent a Tommy John surgery last June, so it is possible his recovery process might prevent from pitching at all during the 2025 season. It stands to reason that Means and the Guards could be discussing a two-year contract that would pay Means a limited salary in 2025 and then a larger guarantee in 2026 when he would presumably be ready to take on a full workload.
Cleveland re-signed Shane Bieber (coming off a TJ surgery of his own) to something of a similar structure this offseason worth $26MM in guaranteed money, though it is fair to assume Means will be landing less money due to his more checkered recent health history. Means has pitched only 52 1/3 MLB innings since the start of the 2022 due to not one but two different Tommy John procedures.
These injuries brought a sour end to an overall successful seven-season run for Means with the Orioles, as the left-hander posted a 3.68 ERA over 401 innings for the only organization of his professional career. This stint in Baltimore might technically not be over yet since the O’s have had interest in re-signing Means, but Cleveland has now emerged as perhaps a more ardent suitor for Means’ services.
Means wouldn’t be an option for the Guardians until the second half of the season at the absolute earliest, so he could join Bieber as some late-season reinforcements to a rotation that has a few question marks heading into 2025. Luis Ortiz, Slade Cecconi, and swingman Jakob Junis were brought to help bolster a rotation that was average at best last season, though Ortiz is the only one of that trio projected for a rotation spot at the moment. Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, Ben Lively, and Triston McKenzie are penciled in as the rest of the starting five, though there figures to be some fluidity as the Guards figure out how to best get the ball to their elite bullpen.
Please do it Tribe! Means is legit!
He *was* legit.
Like 4 years ago.
Was terrific last year before going down again.
In 20 innings.
Then he blew out his elbow.
Again.
He’s had 2 TJ’s, yes?
I Means it !
He’s good but he just doesn’t have the Means to stay healthy.
Means to an end…
Better than an end to Means.
By all Means, sign him.
Might catch lightning in a bottle.
John Means business.
$2.5M with incentives?
It’s going to be MUCH higher than $2.5M. Probably $10M – $12M at the lowest. He’ll get $2M for this lost season and $8 – $10M+ for 2026, prior to any incentives.. Sandoval got close to $20M from the Red Sox this year and he’s in the same situation, except I think Sandoval had his TJS a couple of months earlier than Means did. Means is a very good pitcher when healthy and would command $18M+ per season if 100% healthy.
Wonder if boyd’s recovery and success last year has tj victims looking differently at cleveland.
Dude is a great pitcher when healthy. Really hope he can stay injury free the rest of the way, hate to see those things derail a career.
Cleveland is doing a sneaky good job of building depth for their rotation. The way they work with pitchers, I’ll bet they hit on a couple of these moves. Well done.
A solid lefty if he is healthy. Hope this surgery and rehab has gone well for him.
If you have a roster spot to lend, then it is a decent guy to risk it on.
Not that he keeps that spot for longer than it takes to put him on a 60-day IL list, but he has to get added first, meaning they have an open spot or will create an opening to get him on the 40 man roster before you can then move him to the 60 day IL.
If the Os don’t find a way to keep him, it tells me that the new ownership isn’t all they say they are. They claim to be about returning to the Oriole way and serving the community and Means deserves to be part of that. I understand it’s a business but he has to be worth more to the Os than anyone else.
Of course, that should give other teams pause since the O’s know his injury situation best, and they need starters.
It’s moreso that the other pitching injuries limit the amount of resources you can reasonably expend on additional players who might not play. The dodgers wouldn’t blink. But the orioles added $60 mil this offseason. They’re done likely spending
O’s have Means’ medicals. I’m assuming they don’t like them at all and are moving on. Nothing more than that.
Read the article. The Os are trying to keep him.
Means has thrown barely 50 total innings since 2021, all because of recurring elbow problems which have resulted in 2 separate TJS’s.
I’m rooting for the guy to make a miraculous comeback, but it’s time for the Orioles to move on.
I think he’s done. I liked Means who just knew how to get outs, but if the cheap Orioles didn’t pick him up on the cheap but hung onto guys like Mateo it should say something about his odds.
Yes the orioles “added” to payroll this winter, but ran in place offensively and don’t have a top of the rotation guy, none of the young core got extended.
How many lefty starters do the O’s have? One?
Trevor Rogers and Cade Povich, although neither will be in the opening day rotation (Rogers is injured and Povich will start the year in AAA unless there are multiple SP injuries).
I think the Os are trying to keep him but they already did this two year deal with him and got nothing out of him. His elbow is string cheese
I have been lobbying to re-sign Means to a reasonable contract since the day he went down. If Cleveland gets him they will be very happy with his healthy days.
It boggles the mind that as badly as Baltimore needs pitching, they are ignoring Means.
Prolly cuz Means won’t be pitching this season….
They’ve seen his medicals and apparently aren’t too worried about re-signing him.
He’s probably toast.
Why do the Orioles move on from him?
He had his second Tommy John surgery last June and won’t pitch until closer to the fall if that.
Because he has thrown barely 50 combined innings in the last 3 seasons due to multiple major elbow surgeries.
The Guardians Mean Business
Pondering why the O’s haven’t signed him already. They need the lefty arm and if he gets healthy he can be a really good #2. It’s a high risk, high reward situation–I get that. But if they can sign him for a couple years and he is healthy then that contract would be a steal.
He’s probably toast, that’s why.
A means to an end?
Seeing 2 TJ surgeries Means he should probably got to the bullpen.
There is not a study anywhere that asserts relieving is a healthier alternative to starting. The constant up and down, full effort, high stress nature of relieving takes every bit the toll on arms as anything starters do. Fans need to stop thinking that bullpens are somehow safer for pitchers with a history of arm problems. I guarantee you that Cleveland is looking at Means purely as a starter. They wouldn’t even consider signing him otherwise.