The Baltimore Orioles reportedly won't retain free-agent starting pitcher Wei-Yin Chen because his asking price is too steep.
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Chen Seeking 5-Year, $100 Million Deal
Thursday, Dec. 17
Roch Kubatko of MASNsports.com provided the update on Chen's demands and indicated "it's clear" the 30-year-old isn't in Baltimore's future plans.
Orioles general manager Dan Duquette had previously stated he'd like to retain Chen but hinted the price tag may be too lucrative to make a reunion realistic.
"We made our interest clear in having Chen come back. I'm not sure the market will allow that," the GM said on Dec. 8, per the Baltimore Sun's Eduardo A. Encina.
Jon Heyman of CBS Sports reported the team is already looking for a potential replacement:
Chen didn't get a lot of run support from Baltimore in 2015, posting an 11-8 record despite a strong 3.34 ERA. He has a solid changeup and slider to make up for a lack of elite velocity with his fastball.
FanGraphs' August Fagerstrom references how Chen was in the top 15 among starting pitchers, with 7.9 percent of his pitches changing velocity by 15 mph or more.
The southpaw does rely a lot on fly balls, evident in the 28 home runs he yielded this past season. A high-level left-handed MLB starter isn't easy to come by, so someone with a big payroll will likely meet Chen's asking price.
It may well be worth it for another team to overpay someone like Chen, who'd be an asset to any staff if he can build on his solid 2015 campaign.
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