This Baltimore Orioles starter is on his way to his new team, but he took a moment to thank his former team and its fans.
Bobby Miller Under Concussion Protocol, Updates from Roberts
John Means is on his way to the Cleveland Guardians after he agreed to a free agent deal earlier this week.
The long-time Baltimore Orioles starter missed most of last season after he suffered an elbow injury and had to undergo Tommy John surgery.
The 31-year-old left-hander made four starts last season, finishing with a 2.61 ERA with 16 strikeouts in 20.2 innings.
As he’s recovering from surgery, it’s hard to gauge whether Means will be able to pitch in the Majors for this year. For that reason, Baltimore allowed him to become a free agent after the season.
Worse, he had already had Tommy John surgery once.
Means authored a no-hitter for the Orioles in 2021 and had a career record of 21-26 with a 3.74 ERA before he suffered his first elbow injury, which led to Tommy John surgery and ended his 2022 season.
He returned to the Orioles late in the 2023 season and started four games, going 1-2 with a 2.66 ERA in 23.2 innings. He is now 23-26 with a 3.68 ERA.
After the deal was reported, Means took to social media and provided a heartfelt goodbye to the franchise and to the city.
“It is hard for me to put into words what the organization has meant to me and my family after a decade. When I was drafted, I knew nothing about the city of Baltimore and now it is the backdrop to some of my life’s biggest joys. There are so many memories there that will be with me forever. I am so grateful for the opportunity this team gave me to play a game for a living and to live out my childhood dream.
“I want to thank everyone who makes this organization what it is — from the front office to the clubhouse staff, the coaches, the trainers, the ushers in the stadium and of course the fans. To my teammates, thank you for making it a joy to come into the clubhouse every day, I always looked forward to stepping through these doors.
“I didn’t end the way I dreamed, I’ll always wish I could’ve walked off the field one more time on my terms. But, even in the hardest times this organization lifted me up.
“Thank you for everything.”
Baltimore selected Means in the 11th round of the 2014 MLB draft, so he spent a decade in the organization.
He worked his way through the minor league system and made his MLB debut in 2018. He started his career as a reliever, emerged as a starter and was selected to the 2019 All-Star Game.
