Orioles must find an ace to take next step

Some would say the Baltimore Orioles might not have the starting pitching to get over the hump. And let’s face it, they have a staff composed of No. 3 and 4 starters – but no bona fide ace. Heck, the last true ace the Orioles had was Mike Mussina.

The Orioles won 93 games and clinched a wild-card berth last season despite having just three pitchers start at least 20 games (Wei-Yin Chen, 32, Jason Hammel, 20, Tommy Hunter, 20). Manager Buck Showalter has already cycled through 11 different starters, one fewer than last season, and we’re still in the middle of June.

Now that trade speculation has already started, it’s only natural to wonder whether the Orioles will make a concerted effort to bolster their rotation. Between now and the July 31 non-waiver trade deadline, several veteran starting pitchers will be linked to the Orioles – and a lot of other teams, too.

Last season, the Orioles considered a number of players, and were on the verge of trading for starter Joe Blanton, but resisted when the Philadelphia Phillies asked for infielder Jonathan Schoop, the Orioles’ top position player prospect. Blanton was then traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers after clearing waivers in August, but didn’t help them much by going 2-4 with a 4.99 ERA in 10 starts.

Ultimately, the Orioles acquired southpaw Joe Saunders from the Arizona Diamondbacks on Aug. 26 in exchange for right-handed reliever Matt Lindstrom. Saunders was more than serviceable in seven regular-season starts, compiling a 3-3 record with a 3.63 ERA. The 32-year-old made his mark during the team’s postseason run, going 1-0 with a 1.59 ERA over 11 1-3 innings.

Still, as valuable as Saunders was in the postseason, the reason the New York Yankees defeated the Orioles 3-1 during last season’s decisive Game 5 of the American League Division Series was because they had a legitimate ace and the Orioles didn’t. The Yankees had C.C. Sabathia, a former Cy Young Award winner and World Series champion, who threw a complete game four-hitter.

So not only do the Orioles have to be just as serious about adding a veteran to their rotation as they were last season, but they must make every attempt to acquire an ace. The thing about true aces is that they know they are going to win, and they won’t accept anything less. Right now, that’s one component the Orioles’ rotation is missing.

Last year’s addition of a second wild-card team in each league increased the number of teams that felt they were contenders and reduced the number of ones that didn’t. Of course, more buyers and fewer sells mean fewer trades. There weren’t as many impactful deadline deals last year as in previous years, and there likely won’t be as many this season.

To date, only 14 of the 30 teams are under .500 and four of them – the Blue Jays, Phillies, Dodgers and Angels – probably still think they have a shot to contend.

With that in mind, though, there are several intriguing names being mentioned in rumors who could solidify the top spot in Baltimore’s rotation. Those names include Phillies ace Cliff Lee, Cubs ace Matt Garza and Brewers ace Yovani Gallardo. At the moment, the Orioles don’t seem interested in Garza and Lee is out of their price range, leaving Gallardo as a possible fit, according to CBSSports.com MLB insider Jon Heyman.

Of the three, Lee appears to be the biggest longshot to land in Charm City. Philadelphia general manager Ruben Amaro Jr. probably will wait until at least after the All-Star break before deciding whether the Phillies should be buyers or sellers at the trade deadline.

The Phillies are 7.5 games out of first place in the National League East and could make a push to catch division-leading Atlanta. Also working against the Orioles is that they are one of 20 teams that would need Lee’s permission to acquire him, according to FOXSports.com’s Jon Morosi. At the end of the day, they can’t spend $25 million a year on a soon-to-be-35-year-old Lee, who has two guaranteed years and a minimum of $62.5 million remaining on his contract after this year, nor would they consider parting ways with top young pitching prospects Dylan Bundy or Kevin Gausman.

As for Garza, one would think he would make sense for the Orioles, considering his experience and success against the American League East. Garza is reliable, owns a career 23-15 record and a 3.34 ERA in 56 games against American League East teams, and he will be a free agent after this season. That makes him very attractive despite the Orioles’ supposed lack of interest.

If the Orioles are going to make a splash before the trade deadline, Gallardo would appear to be their best bet.

He is a logical target for the Orioles, and team pitching coordinator Rick Peterson, who was Gallardo’s pitching coach in Milwaukee in 2010, is very fond of the 27-year-old right-hander. And why shouldn’t he be? After all, Gallardo has been the model of consistency for the Brewers, averaging 15 victories, 204 strikeouts and a 3.68 ERA over the past four seasons.  However, this season, he’s gotten off to a slow start, as Gallardo is only 6-6 with a 4.41 ERA in 15 starts.

Gallardo’s signed through next season with an option for 2015, so he likely won’t come cheap. In addition, he’s in line to make $17 million through the end of next season and has a club option for $13 million in 2015.

While that doesn’t seem to be too steep for a potential ace, owner Peter Angelos might not be willing to invest that kind of dough to obtain someone like Gallardo.

Given that the Brewers currently sit in last place in the National League Central, they may be more inclined to move Gallardo, and it is hard to imagine that at least one team won’t be willing to meet Milwaukee’s demands for someone with his ability. That team just may not be the Orioles.

A blockbuster deadline deal involving the Orioles is certainly possible, but it’s not probable. With the market not expected to be flooded with viable top-of-the-rotation talent, the Orioles, at least in the short term, may very well be forced to look within.