Rays division rival loses former ace in free agency

The Cleveland Guardians have signed former Orioles ace starter John Means in free agency. Means has been one of the best pitchers in Baltimore since his first full season in 2019. In his rookie year, the left-handed starter finished with a 3.60 ERA in 155 innings. The lefty was also named to his first All-Star game and earned enough votes for second place in the Rookie of the Year race behind Astros slugger Yordan Alvarez.

In 2014, the Orioles signed the 20-year old hurler out of the University of West Virginia. Means didn't make his first major league appearance until 2018 when he threw only 3.1 innings. His 2019 campaign resulted in a career-high 4.4 WAR.

Despite being a part of three straight losing seasons from 2019-2021, the crafty left-hander was a constant bright spot in their roster. Means was actually the only Orioles All-Star in 2019, a season in which Baltimore finished 49 games out of first place in the AL East.

His career numbers are rather impressive as he accrued a 3.68 ERA over his entire tenure with the Orioles. However, due to injury, he wasn't able to surpass 23 innings in each of his last three seasons with the club. In fact, the Kansas native combined for only 53 total innings pitched from 2022-2024. His numbers didn't waver though, so the Orioles definitely missed his presence.

Now, the AL East club is on the rise and they feel that Means isn't worth the risk with his injury concerns. Therefore, the gritty Cleveland Guardians are giving him a chance as he looks to revitalize his career.

The former ace lefty will join the likes of Shane Bieber, Tristan McKenzie, Gavin Williams, Tanner Bibee, and newly acquired Slade Cecconi. This group appears to be very talented and deep as there are plenty of options for their five-man rotation. Competition will be stiff among these hurlers during spring training.

John Means will likely be eased back into the starting rotation due to his recovery from Tommy John surgery, but this staff could look very good towards the back end of the season. All in all, the deal is a smart move for a Guardians team that is always in the mix in the AL Central.