John Means rumors show Baltimore Orioles still far away from contending

John Means has established himself as the ace of the Baltimore Orioles over the past few seasons. He has been the one constant in the rotation, a steady arm surrounded by a sea of castoffs, has-beens, and never-weres. Despite being relatively unheralded as a prospect, Means has made a name for himself in the majors.

He could be plying his trade elsewhere for the 2022 season. According to reports, Means has come up in trade conversations with the Orioles.

Baltimore Orioles could be ready to trade John Means

In a lot of ways, Means would seem to be the type of pitcher that the Orioles would build around. He is something that has been a rarity in Baltimore these days – a competent pitcher with years of team control left. As Means is just entering arbitration, and will turn 29 years old in April, it may be worth discussing an extension.

Putting Means on the trade block may simply be an indication that the Orioles are not as far along in their rebuilding process as they may like. While several intriguing prospects are on the cusp of the majors, there is not much talent on the Orioles roster at this point. Means may be a free agent by the time they are ready to contend, even if he is handed an extension.

Means would be a solid option in the middle to front end of any contending team’s rotation. Since the start of the 2019 season, he has posted a 3.73 ERA and a 1.071 WHiP over his 345.1 innings, striking out 297 batters while issuing just 71 walks.

If these rumors are accurate, the Orioles could potentially accelerate their rebuild. Means may not be able to bring back the same type of return as Jose Berrios, but he could still retrieve a top 100 prospect along with other pieces. It really comes down to how far away the Orioles think they are.

The Baltimore Orioles may be ready to trade John Means. If this is the case, it shows how far away the franchise is from being able to contend.