Baltimore Orioles: Eat the rest of Ubaldo Jimenez’s contract?

The Baltimore Orioles might have arrived at a crossroads with Ubaldo Jimenez. Should they eat what’s left of his contract?

The Baltimore Orioles have a decision to make on Ubaldo Jimenez. Have they gotten to the point to where they should DFA him and cut ties? Jimenez had another lackluster start last night; Jimenez’s line: 1.1 IP, 5 H, 5 R, 2 BB, 0 K.

It all begins and ends with starting pitching, so yes they have a decision to make. Anaheim put two runs up in the first inning, however Adam Jones homered on the first pitch in the last of the first to cut the lead to 2-1. You thought at that point that the O’s might find a way to stay in the game – not to be, at the end of the day.

Anaheim put three more runs on the board in the second, which of course was an inning in which Jimenez was chased from the game. They brought in Mike Wright, who was newly promoted again from Norfolk. And Wright wasn’t much better, which is probably why he was optioned back after the game. By the end of the fourth inning, the O’s trailed 8-1. 

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Jonathan Schoop would add a solo homer in the last of the fourth, and following another Anaheim run in the sixth Mark Trumbo would add an RBI-single. Trumbo would add a two-run home run in the last of the ninth to cut the final score to 9-5. However at the end of the day, this game got away from the Birds early, as the 1966 World Championship team looked on.

The question after the game of course was Jimenez. There are fans out there who have tweeted me and commented on various articles who have been calling for the O’s to cut ties with Jimenez from the start. And I understand that sentiment. The O’s might well be getting to the point to where they have to consider doing just that. But it’s not as cut and dry as some want to believe.

As I’ve said ad hoc, the Orioles still owe Jimenez the remainder of his contract for this season, as well as for next year. It would be an incredibly poor business move on paper to designate him for assignment. Now the rebuttal to that comment is that games aren’t won on paper, and sometimes you have to look at the on-field side before the business side.

I’m the first one to tell you that sometimes it can be somewhat of a tap dance. Obviously if the O’s DFA Jimenez there’s also a chance that he clears waivers without another team picking him up, and would accept a minor league assignment. However I suspect that another team would snatch him up given that it’s a no risk move since the Orioles would still be paying him.

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And there are some who would say who cares? I don’t buy into that argument. It’s still a poor business decision to let him go, and the last thing you want is a guy on your payroll possibly finding himself somewhere else. So yes, my position remains that they should either find a way to stash him on the DL (after the all-star break, that is), or send him to the bullpen.

That’s not a perfect scenario either, I recognize. But it protects the Orioles’ investment at the end of the day. And it ensures that their asset isn’t in turn playing against them and succeeding somewhere else. Is that weak? Perhaps. But baseball is still a business, and we shouldn’t forget that.

Next: Baltimore Orioles: We made it this far

The O’s will try to even the series late this afternoon. Yovani Gallardo will get the start for the Birds, and he’ll be opposed by Anaheim’s Nick Tropeano. Game time is set for just after 4 PM.