masn-baseballs-orioles.jpgWhenever Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette talks about the rotation, and he’s given no choice because it’s always brought up during interviews leading into the Winter Meetings, he mentions the need to improve the club’s depth as well as find veteran contributors.
It isn’t just about securing two or three starters from outside the organization to join Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy, with an in-house competition possible for the fifth spot. There must be viable alternatives to…

Whenever Orioles executive vice president Dan Duquette talks about the rotation, and he’s given no choice because it’s always brought up during interviews leading into the Winter Meetings, he mentions the need to improve the club’s depth as well as find veteran contributors.

It isn’t just about securing two or three starters from outside the organization to join Kevin Gausman and Dylan Bundy, with an in-house competition possible for the fifth spot. There must be viable alternatives to cover for injuries or ineffectiveness.

The Orioles have been known to reach out to veterans coming back from injuries or oblivion and requiring time and patience before possibly getting another chance in the majors. A partial list includes Dontrelle Willis, Joel Piñeiro, Jamie Moyer, Jair Jurrjens, Mark Hendrickson, Johan Santana and Tomo Ohka.

Well, it was worth a shot.

The list of non-tenders earlier this month included Drew Smyly, hardly a surprise given that he underwent ligament-reconstructive surgery on his left elbow on July 6 and is projected to miss most of the 2018 season, with an August return deemed an optimistic projection.

duquette-showalter-chat-sidebar.jpgSmyly made $6.85 million this year without throwing a single pitch following a January trade between the Mariners and Rays. Manager Buck Showalter has liked him dating back to his days in Detroit. And Smyly checks a few of the boxes for the Orioles, including his experience in the American League East and being left-handed.

Any team signing Smyly will need to get creative with so much uncertainty over his status next season. Pen to contract with an eye toward 2019.

Should the Orioles consider it?

* Tyler Chatwood came off the board yesterday when he agreed to a three-year deal with the Cubs for a reported $38 million.

The Orioles were interested in Chatwood, but I don’t know at what cost.

Chatwood has undergone two ligament-reconstructive surgeries on his right elbow, the first when he was only 16, and he hasn’t thrown more than 158 innings in a season. He was 8-15 with a 4.69 ERA and 1.442 WHIP this year in 33 games (25 starts) over 147 2/3 innings, but he posted a 3.49 ERA and 1.228 WHIP in 77 1/3 innings away from Coors Field.

During the 2016 season, Chatwood was 4-8 with a 6.12 ERA and 1.641 WHIP in 14 starts at home and 8-1 with a 1.69 ERA and 1.113 WHIP in 13 starts on the road. The splits made him a more attractive option for a club that won’t spend on the upper-tier free agents.

* Mike Fiers also came off the board late last night, with ESPN’s Jerry Crasnick reporting that the right-hander agreed to a one-year, $6 million contract with the Tigers pending a physical.

The Astros non-tendered Fiers and the Orioles figured to make a run at him. They offered two years, according to Crasnick, and were turned down.

* Former Orioles reliever Richard Rodríguez signed a minor league deal with the Pirates yesterday that includes an invitation to spring training.

At least he’ll be close with the Pirates training in Bradenton.

Rodríguez made his major league debut in September and allowed nine runs and 12 hits in 5 2/3 innings, but he registered ERAs of 2.53 and 2.42 in the last two seasons at Triple-A Norfolk. The Orioles designated him for assignment on Sept. 17 to make room for left-hander Tanner Scott and he became a minor league free agent after the season.

I’m glad that Rodríguez is getting another shot. I talked to one of his former Norfolk teammates who thought Rodríguez should have been given more of an opportunity, saying his production with the Tides wasn’t a fluke.

* Trey Mancini will head to California next month to begin workouts with vice president of baseball operations Brady Anderson, just as he did last winter.

“They’re tough,” Mancini said last night while appearing on the “Orioles Hot Stove Show” on 105.7 The Fan. “It’s no joke out there. You’ve got to be ready to go from the second that you wake up. You don’t really know what you’re going to be doing. He tries to purposely live on a hill so you can do hill sprints and stuff.

“It’s great, though. It’s always a treat to go out there.”

Anderson worked on Mancini’s swing after the Notre Dame product struggled for a period at Single-A Frederick.

“That was a game-changer for me, a career-changer,” Mancini said.

“I just kind of had a more relaxed stance. Before I was just really spread out and flexed kind of. It was just more trying to simplify my movements, which I’m still trying to work on. He stood me up straighter and it was more about weight distribution within my load before I actually hit the ball. So it was utilizing the energy my body has to kind of get the most out of my body.

“It’s hard to explain, but it definitely helped me a lot.”