The potential reunion between the Orioles and right-hander Chris Tillman always seemed to make sense for both sides, almost as if they needed each other. In retooling their starting rotation, the Orioles needed a pitcher who had proven to be successful and durable in the past, and Tillman needed the opportunity to rebound from the worst season of his career.
Tillman will now return to the Orioles starting rotation, agreeing to terms on a one-year, major-league deal Monday, according to an industry source, that will give the 30-year-old the opportunity to rebuild his resume following an unsteady season that left him unsigned as full-camp workouts are about to begin around the majors.
Terms of the deal weren’t available, but it is believed to have a low base salary but incentive laden with performance bonuses for innings pitchers and/or starts.
As several free-agent pitchers settled for minor league deals in recent days, Tillman was still able to receive a major league contract from the Orioles.
After arriving to spring training with just two spots in their starting rotation set – right-handers Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy – Tillman’s signing is the second free-agent starting pitcher signing of the week. The team signed right-hander Andrew Cashner to a two-year deal guaranteeing him $16 million.
Tillman went through the entire offseason having fielded few offers. The Orioles were always in discussion but the Minnesota Twins and Detroit Tigers were also interested, with Tillman throwing for the Tigers just this past Saturday.
Even though Tillman’s 7.84 ERA was the highest of any pitcher making more than 15 starts last season, it was worth taking the chance that Tillman would bounce back this year. The only obstacle was coming to an agreement on a deal that would stick.
The move to bring Tillman back is the latest of a recent string of instances in which the Orioles retained their own free agents. Two offseasons ago, the team spent unprecedented money to keep first baseman Chris Davis and reliever Darren O’Day, and last offseason, the Orioles re-upped Mark Trumbo to a three year deal.
Gausman said earlier this week that he was hoping Tillman would return.
“I’m hopeful, yeah, obviously,” Gausman said. “I hope we bring back guys who have been here before, too. I think there’s a great case to be made for Tillman to be back here. He’s a great teammate and a great guy and obviously I’d love to have him around. Like I said, we have a lot of young guys who are right there, but I think we also need a little bit of older leadership especially on the starting side.”
Tillman’s struggles began near the end of the 2016 season when he landed on the disabled list with a shoulder injury – the first time an arm injury sidelined him as a major leaguer. That following offseason, he experienced shoulder discomfort again, something that slowed his spring training and prompted him to miss the first month of the regular season.
Once he returned, Tillman wasn’t the same. Throughout his struggles, he insisted he was healthy, something that ultimately hurt his market value this offseason because if he wasn’t hurt, there were few no clear explanations why he pitched so poorly.
Though his 2017 season was uncharacteristically poor, Tillman had previously long been the anchor of the club’s starting rotation. Over a four-year span before last season, Tillman averaged 32 starts, 190 innings and posted a 3.91 ERA, averages that only five other pitchers met from 2013 to 2016: Max Scherzer, Madison Bumgarner, Jon Lester, David Price and Jose Quintana.
In part, that’s why the Orioles allowed Tillman, who owns an offseason home in Sarasota, to work out at the Ed Smith Stadium complex even though he was a free agent. They wanted to get a closer eye and gauge whether he was right, back to his old form following a season slowed by injury.
Overall, Tillman saw far more success than setbacks with the Orioles. Once he joined the team’s starting rotation fulltime in the middle of the 2012 season, he became the team’s most consistent and durable starter through the 2016 season.
The possibility of a bounce-back season seemed worth the risk for the Orioles, and the biggest obstacle was finding a base salary the club was comfortable with, and the possibility of cutting ties with Tillman if he was the same pitcher as last year.
If Tillman is able to regain his previous form, he could cash in on a lucrative multiyear deal next offseason. He’s also likely be saying farewell to the Orioles, who are hesitant to invest long-term commitments to free-agent starting pitchers.
The Orioles have reason to believe Tillman can return to form, but Tillman – who has always been a creature of routine-- also needed to get into a camp quickly so he wouldn’t be too far behind other pitchers, who have been working out officially for nearly a week.
Tillman missed most of the first month of the season with right shoulder inflammation that limited his work in spring training. The injury was a carryover from the shoulder problems that landed Tillman on the disabled list late in the 2016 season.
But with the Orioles in desperate need of proven starting arms – just nine of their 35 pitchers in big league camp have made a major league start – the return of Tillman makes sense, especially if the Orioles are sold that he’d healthy again.
And for Tillman, getting back into a routine he flourished in previously makes sense as well. He can prove he’s healthy and productive and test the free-agent market again next offseason.
In fact, Tillman adjusted his preparation for the season this year, starting his offseason routine earlier than the previous two offseasons. In part, he was able to do that because he felt both healthier and stronger than previous recent offseasons. Last offseason, shoulder discomfort during one of his first throwing sessions limited his preparation for the season.