For Ervin Santana, the offseason was probably frustrating for him. He was expecting a big deal in his free agent year; however, none came to fruition because of being tied to draft pick compensation and perception of him as hurler.
Being that he was on the market for so long, teams finally started to check up on him again as the season drew closer. The Orioles, Atlanta Braves, Toronto Blue Jays and Minnesota Twins checked up on him; however, according to Mark Bowman of MLB.com, he will sign a deal with the Braves.
It’s too bad that the Orioles missed out on him, but I would have been leery of him pitching at Camden Yards. He had a solid year in 2013 and would have beefed up the rotation; however, he has the propensity to serve up the longball.
That and pitching in Camden Yards could be a recipe for trouble.
The Orioles according to reports were only offering a one-year deal. I would assume the Braves are going to offer a multi-year deal and are in need of some help as young hurlers Kris Medlen and Brandon Beachy are now hurt.
It looked like that Dan Duquette and the front office has been aggressive on the market in the weeks up to the regular season – on their terms.
They might miss out on Santana, however, the rotation looks fairly solid and the offense has been beefed up. He was going to be more of a luxury item to the team and is not direly needed.
There might be more moves made before the season; however, I would guess the Orioles will look for solutions to weak areas from within.
