Justin Duchscherer Signs with Orioles

Via Jerry Crasnick of ESPN: Justin Duchscherer agrees to 1-year big league deal with Orioles, pending physical. He could make up to $4.5M in salary & incentives. This removes the pitcher with the highest ceiling from the market. The options that are left include Kevin Millwood, who is the most likely to pitch 200 innings, and Bartolo Colon, Freddy Garcia, and Jeremy Bonderman, who are all injury risks due to shoulder surgeries. None of them are especially good either. Considering the other options, this news hurts the Yankees. Not only do they miss out on signing Duchscherer, but he is going to a division rival as well. It’s just as well, he’s bound to end up on the DL at some point this season. A major league deal worth $4.5 million is a lot though for a pitcher who might not even pitch 100 innings. If the Yankees could have landed him on a much smaller deal with a ton of incentives it would have been smart, but to offer him a guaranteed $4.5 million do...