Orioles Physicals: Kobayashi Maru
More than a day after the infamous “Tada!” selfie, the Orioles have agreed to terms with Korean pitcher Suk-min Yoon. Still yet to be determined is what the 27-year old pitcher’s role will be, if the 3-year, $5.75MM deal becomes official. The deal apparently included incentives for games started, so it is possible the Orioles will use him as a starter.
And yes, we’re talking about “if” the deal becomes official, because it is still pending a physical.
After voiding contracts this offseason with OF Tyler Colvin and closer Grant Balfour, the Orioles are gaining a reputation for being tough on physicals. It may or may not be a factor for free agents’ interest in Baltimore, but it has certainly been a subject of derision among the media and fans.
The problem is that the Orioles should be careful (if not conservative) with their physicals. The team has made it pretty clear that it is not going to spend much money in the Major League free agent market (and therefore, not much money at all), so what little resources are made available to add talent should be carefully guarded. This isn’t about getting burned on Albert Bell, or other “ancient history” cases. The Orioles recently paid Tsuyoshi Wada $8MM to rehab from Tommy John surgery. Working hard not to throw money at bad contacts is probably a good thing.
Unfortunately, the team has worked itself into a corner with its fan base. They’re in the classic “no win scenario.” If they fail to make any moves, they’re going to get accused of not wanting to win. If they spend on bad contracts out of desperation, they’re going to get called out for poor judgement. And if they make apparently decent deals, but get spooked by something they find on the physical, they’re going to get lit up by fans and media as being overly cautious or suffering from meddling ownership.
Of course, they could simply push all the right buttons and have every move they make turn to gold. That happens all the time, right? We all think we know the right moves that will push the Orioles into contention (and I’m as guilty as any). But we also don’t have any insight on the medical standards and process of the ball club. We don’t know whether they’re making a good call or not. Maybe Grant Balfour will be an absolute beast for the Rays. Maybe he’ll prove to not be worth the contract he got (or the one the Orioles initially offered him). Only time will tell.
In the meantime, I hope that the Yoon deal goes through without a hitch. Mostly because the Orioles seem to think he can help them. But also because I’m not sure I will be able to handle social media if it doesn’t. People will lose their iMinds.
