There are many reasons that last year’s Orioles were bad and there are many more that this year’s Orioles are even worse. One reason in common for both of these, going back to even a successful 2016 Orioles season, has been a disaster of a starting rotation. They keep signing free agents who have proven incapable of meeting even low expectations.
Why do the Orioles sign these guys? The question is a fair one. In most cases, they could have signed better pitchers had they spent a little more money or even correctly identified the most talented pitchers in their price range.