Goodbye, Guthrie

By Olivia Witherite (@oliviawitherite)

It’s official. Jeremy Guthrie has agreed to a one-year deal with the Colorado Rockies. In exchange for Guthrie, the Orioles will acquire Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom.

Over his five years in Baltimore, 32-year-old Guthrie put up the following numbers: 4.12 ERA, 5.5 K/9, 2.6 BB/9, 1.2 HR/9 over 983 1/3 innings.

Last year, he put up: 4.33 ERA, 5.6 K/9, 2.9 BB/9, 1.13 HR/9 over 208 innings.

Starter Hammel put up these numbers in 2011: 4.76 ERA, 5.0 K/9, 3.6 BB/9, 1.11 HR/9 in 170 1/3 innings. The 29-year-old right-hander started in the rotation, but was moved to the Rockies’ bullpen in August.

Lindstrom, 30, is a reliever who last year, over 54 innings, put up these numbers: 3.00 ERA, 6.0 K/9, 2.3 BB/9, 0.50 HR/9.

Notice a similarity in the two new Orioles beyond the numbers? How about a lack of youth?

While the Orioles have been working to rebuild, often to the dismay of burnt-out fans, if they are going for the rebuilding plan, why sign two, mediocre 30-ish-year-olds to compete in the toughest division in Major League Baseball? More importantly why trade a guy that can eat up over 200 innings in a single season?

I’m as confused as you.

Here are some memorable tweets from this morning when the news broke:

Guthrie (@Jguthrie46): “Toto, I have a feeling we’re not in Baltimore anymore.” Just found out I was traded to

@

Rockies

#

MLB

#

Rocktober”

Guthrie (@Jguthrie46): “Head is spinning, not sure where to start-but will go w/a heartfelt THANK YOU to the

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Orioles & AMAZING fans who’ve supported me & the team.”

Buster Olney (@Buster_ESPN): “Not sure what the Orioles really gain from Guthrie trade, in the big picture. Taking a second-tier prospect to grow with makes more sense.”

Joe Posnanski (@JPosnanski): “

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JGuthrie46 just broke his own news that he has been traded to Colorado. That’s meta, man.”