Former Baltimore Orioles All-Star Agrees To Deal With Cleveland Guardians

One of the past Baltimore Orioles All-Stars has agreed to a deal with the Cleveland Guardians.

May 11, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher John Means (47) throws a first inning pitch against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Oriole Park at Camden Yards | Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles had high hopes for their rotation last year after they acquired Corbin Burnes, but injuries completely derailed what was envisioned, with Kyle Bradish, Tyler Wells and John Means all undergoing season-ending surgeries.

The first two are still with the team, under club control for multiple years. But when Means underwent his surgery, it became likely he would not appear with the Orioles in 2025.

Per Anthony Castrovince of MLB.com, that thought has become a reality with the left-hander agreeing to a one-year deal with the Cleveland Guardians with a club option for 2026. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN reports it's for $1 million guaranteed this season and will be for $7.5 million the following if it's picked up.

It's an unfortunate ending to Means' tenure in Baltimore.

He burst onto the scene in 2019, getting selected to the All-Star Game and finishing runner-up in AL Rookie of the Year voting by posting a 3.60 ERA and 131 ERA+ across his 31 outing and 27 starts when he was moved into the rotation.

Means later was the Opening Day starter in 2021 and threw a no-hitter that same season. He had another tremendous showing during that campaign with a 3.62 ERA and 123 ERA+ across his 26 outings.

After that is when things fell apart.

The lefty was the Opening Day starter for the Orioles in 2022 again, but following two starts, he was sidelined and had to undergo Tommy John surgery for the first time.

He made his return late in the 2023 campaign to take the mound four times, giving confidence he would return to the All-Star-caliber player he had been in the past. But after four starts last year, he had to undergo his second Tommy John surgery to repair his damaged UCL, ending his season.

Means will look to rebound with the Guardians.

Based on the timeline of his procedure, he won't make his return until at least the second half of this year, meaning he'll have to perform well in a short stint if he's going to have his option picked up for next season.

At 31 years old, Means needs a bounce back after having his career snake bitten by injuries, and that will come in Cleveland, not with Baltimore.