The Orioles have declined the 2023 club option on right-handed pitcher Jordan Lyles, who led the team in starts and innings this past season.
The option was reportedly worth $11 million with a $1 million buyout.
Lyles posted a 4.42 ERA in 179.0 innings (32 starts) for the Orioles in 2022. The 6-foot-5, 230-pound right-hander proved to be one of the club’s most invaluable players, particularly considering that John Means, who was expected to lead the rotation, needed Tommy John surgery in April.
Lyles, 32, is now free to sign with any club. With Means still working his way back to full strength, the Orioles’ current rotation candidates include Kyle Bradish, DL Hall, Dean Kremer, Grayson Rodriguez and Austin Voth.
It is unclear how Orioles general manager Mike Elias will fill out the starting rotation for the 2023 campaign. When it came time to find an innings-eating veteran influence for the 2022 season, Elias landed on Lyles, who brought exactly what the Orioles needed.
Lyles had one of the best years of his career even beyond the bulk innings, posting strikeout and walk rates better than his career norms. He likely benefitted from the new pitcher-friendly dimensions of Camden Yards, recording a 3.47 ERA across 14 starts in Baltimore.
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