![\"New](\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_6331,h_3561\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/GettyImages\/mmsport\/11\/01jt23a3ncj8g1ag7sje.jpg\")
<\/p>\nWhile Kyle Gibson struggled mightily in his 2025 debut, fellow free agent Andrew Heaney has been outstanding with the Pirates.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
If early returns are any indication – and they’re all we have to go off at this point – the Orioles’ offseason would earn a grade of F.<\/p>\n
If the grade of F- was available, it would be stamped all over the Orioles’ offseason report card.<\/p>\n
Aside from signing Tomoyuki Sugano to a one-year deal, it seems as if every decision Mike Elias and the front office made this past offseason was bad.<\/p>\n
Examples are plentiful and easy to identify: (1) the still-baffling decision to retain Cionel Perez over the far-more effective Danny Coulombe; (2) the Orioles’ decision to throw $15M at a near-retirement Charlie Morton, who has been one of, if not the single most ineffective starter in baseball; (3) the Orioles’ decision to spend $8.5 million on backup catcher Gary Sanchez, who before hitting the IL had 3 hits and 12 strikeouts in 30 at bats; (4) the decision not to upgrade at first base (a Josh Naylor trade made a lot of sense) and instead stomach Ryan Mountcastle’s atrocious .512 OPS; and (5) the decision to sign Andrew Kittredge, who has not thrown a pitch as an Oriole, over Jeff Hoffman, who is 2-0 with a 1.35 ERA and 6 saves with the rival Blue Jays. And the list could go further.<\/p>\n
The Orioles’ insertion of Kyle Gibson into the rotation for Tuesday night’s start against the Yankees highlights yet another miss by the Orioles’ this year.<\/p>\n
While the Yankees were eviscerating Gibson to the tune of nine runs over 3.2 innings, another starter who signed late in the offseason – lefty Andrew Heaney – is enjoying a strong start with the Pirates.<\/p>\n
In six starts with Pittsburgh, Heaney is 2-2 with a 2.50 ERA and 31 strikeouts over 36 innings.<\/p>\n
The Pirates signed Heaney to a one-year, $5 million deal. Guess how much the Orioles are paying Gibson, who’s ERA currently sits at 22.09? $5 million.<\/p>\n
The Orioles decision to pass on signing left-hander Andrew Heaney in lieu of signing Kyle Gibson looks even worse after Heaney’s strong start to 2025<\/strong><\/p>\n I am not blind to the fact that it is only April 30, and we are only 1\/6 the way through the baseball season.<\/p>\n Nor am I blind to the fact that Gibson’s start was just “one bad start” against the Yankees, one of the top offenses in baseball.<\/p>\n And despite the awful struggles of the Orioles’ offseason acquisitions, the sample sizes are still small enough that these players could still have solid seasons overall.<\/p>\n But with the 11-18 Orioles not only losing games, but getting stomped on a semi-regular basis, the Orioles’ constant misses this past offseason are starting to wear on fans.<\/p>\n At this point, it has to only be a matter of time until David Rubenstein has seen enough and shows Mike Elias, Brandon Hyde, and pitching coach Drew French the door.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" While Kyle Gibson struggled mightily in his 2025 debut, fellow free agent Andrew Heaney has been outstanding with the Pirates. If early returns are any indication –… <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":52302,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-52301","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"\n