There was a great deal of excitement as the Orioles headed into the offseason. And while I like the three free-agent signings of Kyle Gibson, Adam Frazier and Mychal Givens, Birdland has been largely underwhelmed.

I fully understand where its economic situation has the team situated. You can’t tear down everything and go through the pain that is associated with parading out a team that was virtually a middling Triple-A one, only to bust out the heavy spending at the first sign of a strong pulse on the development end of your baseball team.

So, there never was to be an Aaron Judge, Carlos Correa, Justin Verlander or Carlos Rodón. And the notion it was going to be a Chris Bassitt or Nathan Eovaldi was probably too optimistic.

But for whatever reason, it was decided — and I am sure Orioles GM Mike Elias has a valid reason — to take a conservative approach to the offseason. Still, Gibson at one year and $10 million doesn’t seem anywhere near what the Orioles needed to elevate the rotation, and I say that with all due respect for the great work done by pitching coach Chris Holt. It won’t surprise me if the combination of pitching under Holt’s tutelage and making half of his starts in the modern version of Camden Yards points Gibson in the right direction.

So, where exactly am I heading with this missive?

I am heading in the direction of a pitcher who makes perfect sense for the Orioles — aging right-hander Johnny Cueto. I say aging, but aging doesn’t mean incapable or in effective. Cueto, who will turn 37 years old on Feb. 15, was very effective on a consistent basis for the White Sox in 2022. The 5-foot-11, 229-pound right-hander tossed 158.1 innings and had a very solid 3.35 ERA and a 1.23 WHIP during the 2022 season. That rounded out to a 3.5 WAR, according to Baseball Reference.

Cueto was not even signed until April 5. Even without a spring training of any meaning and starting out at Triple-A Charlotte, he still managed to start 24 games.

I am familiar with Cueto given that he was on my fantasy team in 2022. I am on edge hoping he stays in the American League or else I lose my best $5 pitcher. But imagine him, with the smarts he has, pitching for a team that will play defense like the 2023 Orioles and in a ballpark where he’ll figure out a way for those fly balls he gives up to find leather.

To give you some context on the type of pitcher he was in his prime, Cueto got into the majors in 2008 and has earned more than $170 million throughout these past 15 years. Most recently, he was paid a $5 million buyout by the Giants and then signed for $4.2 million to pitch for the Sox.

In a bizarre move, the White Sox have allowed Cueto to linger in free agency and yet, they paid Mike Clevinger $12 million to bounce all the way back from the tatters of what shape his career is in now.

If the Orioles want to make a move that makes too much sense, contact Cueto’s representatives and take him off the board at two years for $22 million or one for $12.5 million.

Hey, the Orioles fans get a kick out of chanting the “O” during the National Anthem. Well, it’s high time they sign a player whose name ends in “O.” Johnny Cueto belongs in Baltimore and would give the Orioles an exciting piece for their rotation.

Stan Charles

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