Baltimore Orioles: The worst contracts since 2010
By Adam Mann
Baltimore Orioles: The worst contracts since 2010
2. Ubaldo Jimenez: 4-years, $50M
Signed in 2014, the Baltimore Orioles were looking to bolster their starting rotation and were finally willing to spend the money to do it. They doled out a massive four year $50M contract to bring in Ubaldo Jimenez, and since he was tagged with a compensatory pick the Orioles also gave up their first-round pick, which was the 17th overall pick in the draft.
It was the longest contract that the Orioles had ever signed a free agent pitcher.
When Jimenez signed the hype was there, but so were the warning flags. He pitched phenomenally the second half of the prior year – posting a 1.82 ERA in his final 13 games. But in the 19 before that, he pitched to a 4.56 ERA, and in the three years prior he never had an ERA lower than 4.68.
It was the classic situation for a one year prove it type of deal. But instead, Duquette opened up the pocketbook and got burned.
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Over his four years with the Orioles, Jimenez posted a whopping 5.22 ERA and is the reason many O’s fans have PTSD flashbacks when watching wildcard games.
Of course, Jimenez never should’ve been in that game against the Toronto Blue Jays in 2016, but giving up a three-run shot in the bottom of the 11th inning to end your team’s season is a nightmare for even the best players to move on from.
Jimenez wasn’t anywhere near the best and was plagued with inconsistency throughout his career. Trying to bounce back in 2017 Jimenez had the worst year of his career posting a 6.81 ERA in 142.2 innings. By the time his contract expired at the end of the season, Orioles fans were glad to see him go.