An Orioles move that was agreed upon more than three months ago is finally official.
After agreeing to terms with veteran right-hander Jordan Lyles just ahead of the midnight expiration of Major League Baseball’s collective bargaining agreement Dec. 2, the Orioles officially announced the signing Saturday, just two days after the league and the players’ union struck a deal to end a 99-day owner-imposed lockout.
Before the lockout, the team struck a one-year deal with an option for a second with Lyles, a contract that will guarantee him $7 million and could be worth $17 million if his 2023 option is picked up. It’s the largest contract Baltimore has given to a major league free agent under executive vice president and general manager Mike Elias.
The veteran right-hander figures to play an important role for an Orioles pitching staff that has few proven major league arms outside of star left-hander John Means.
Lyles, 31, spent 2021 with the Texas Rangers and made 30 starts with a 5.15 ERA in a career-high 180 innings, though he led baseball with 38 home runs allowed. He showed improvement after Sept. 1, however, recording a 2.87 ERA and a 0.99 WHIP thanks to dropping his four-seam fastball usage and throwing more sinkers, sliders and changeups. In five outings during that stretch, he allowed only two home runs in 31 1/3 innings.
The 38th overall pick in the 2008 MLB draft who made major league debut at age 20 with the Houston Astros in 2011, Lyles pitched for seven teams with a career 5.21 ERA and 1.435 WHIP. His best spell came in 2019, when he was traded at the midseason deadline from the Pittsburgh Pirates to the Milwaukee Brewers and had a 2.45 ERA in 11 starts down the stretch.
Given the Orioles’ inexperience on the mound, Lyles’ durability will be crucial. In 2021, he had nearly a third as many five-inning outings (25) as all Orioles combined (76), more than half (18) as many that went six innings (34) and the same number of seven-inning appearances (seven).