While Jon Garland got scooped off the market today, the Orioles are looking at another pitched they have been rumored to want over the offseason — Braden Looper. With pitching available at now seemingly wholesale prices, Looper might be the perfect stop-gap guy before the young pitching is up and ready to go…
From the Baltimore Sun: Still seeking an innings-eater for the middle of their rotation, the Orioles continue to have talks with the representative of free-agent pitcher Braden Looper, according to industry sources.
Looper, a 34-year-old right-hander who has been a starter for only two seasons, went 12-14 with a 4.16 ERA in 33 starts and a career-high 199 innings for the St. Louis Cardinals last year.
Orioles president Andy MacPhail wouldn’t comment tonight on the team’s interest in any specific player, but he has said repeatedly the club is monitoring the free-agent pitching market.
I put Looper slightly above Mark Hendrickson — he’ll most likely be cheap, give you average numbers, and be predictable. At this point, I’d rather have him solidify the rotation and he’s surely better than a lot of the options available right now…
