![\"Former](\"https:\/\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/thumbor\/NSzsiAdmuDKcoXIvyIKAimlgVcs=\/0x0:3600x2401\/1200x800\/filters:focal(1816x306:2392x882)\/cdn.vox-cdn.com\/uploads\/chorus_image\/image\/73911297\/2154159116.0.jpg\")
<\/p>\nThe Orioles have had all offseason up until now to decide whether they wanted to bring back John Means.<\/p>\n
That they didn\u2019t do it before spring training opened was a strong signal they didn\u2019t really want to. It\u2019s now all but official that the former All-Star won\u2019t be coming back to the O\u2019s, with MLB.com\u2019s Anthony Castrovince reporting on Monday afternoon that Means is in agreement on a contract with the Guardians.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
According to Castrovince and others, the contract, which is still pending a physical, is a one-year deal for Means, with the Guardians holding a team option for the 2026 season.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s an extremely modest deal, as ESPN\u2019s Kiley McDaniel reports the terms: Just $1 million guaranteed for 2025, with the team option potentially being worth as much as $7.5 million for next year.<\/p>\n
Means\u2019s signing has come this late probably because he\u2019s guaranteed to open the season on the 60-day injured list.<\/p>\n
Players placed on that IL are not on their team\u2019s 40-man roster, but this option isn\u2019t available during the offseason.<\/p>\n
That can change now that spring training has started.<\/p>\n
Means, who had his second elbow surgery in mid-June of last year, is probably looking at an August return as the most optimistic outcome.<\/p>\n
Any team could have beaten this contract offer to Means if they really wanted to, especially the Orioles.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s disappointing to see the team decide not to try to give another chance to a guy who pretty much pitched his arm off for some bad O\u2019s teams who deserved to get to share in some of the glory now that the team is good again.<\/p>\n
Even if there is substantial risk that Means never throws another MLB pitch, what\u2019s another $2 million?<\/strong><\/p>\n With 60% of the projected Opening Day rotation set to become a free agent after this coming season, having some depth stashed ahead of time for 2026 would be advisable.<\/p>\n The Guardians will have a pretty good idea by season\u2019s end if they should exercise the option for Means or not.<\/p>\n The Orioles would have had the same good idea.<\/p>\n The cold logic case for why the Orioles didn\u2019t opt to pursue Means and bring him back is not hard to see.<\/p>\n He\u2019s pitched in just ten major league games since the beginning of the 2022 season, and got all of eight starts out of the new elbow ligament from his first Tommy John surgery.<\/p>\n If he can\u2019t stay healthy, then it doesn\u2019t really matter what he might have been able to do if he was healthy.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" The Orioles have had all offseason up until now to decide whether they wanted to bring back John Means. That they didn\u2019t do it before spring training… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":35081,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-35080","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n