Could change-of-scenery swap be Jimenez's ticket out of Baltimore?

The Orioles are checking the trade market to see if there are teams that want to acquire pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez, who didn't live up to expectations in 2014, the first season of a four-year, $50 million contract. Chances are the Orioles aren't going to be trading Jimenez for blue-chip prospects. So what to do? The Orioles need to find another team with a big-money contract that's not working, make a trade and hope that the classic "change of scenery" works for them. There are plenty of contracts that aren't working out. Texas owes Prince Fielder $144 million over the next six years. Atlanta owes B.J. Upton $48 million for three more years and Philadelphia owes Ryan Howard $50 million for two years. The Orioles wouldn't want any of these guys. The Detroit Tigers hope that after one bad season, pitcher Justin Verlander's contract doesn't turn sour. The Tigers are on the hook for $140 million over the next five seasons. But there are contracts that are close to matching what the Orioles owe Jimenez, who had a 4.81 ERA in his first season in Baltimore. Maybe there's a trade possibility, maybe there isn't, but these names might be worth discussion: * Outfielder Carl Crawford: The Los Angeles Dodgers want to unclog their outfield so they don't have four starters for three spots. We assume Yasiel Puig stays and the Dodgers would be willing to trade Crawford, Matt Kemp or Andre Ethier. Kemp, at five years and $107 million left, is too expensive. Ethier wouldn't be that good, but Crawford, 33, might fit in Baltimore. The Dodgers owe Crawford $65 million for the next three years, and while the Orioles would have to add payroll, Crawford would give them an above-average defensive left fielder with speed. Crawford probably won't win the American League's stolen base title, as he's done four times, but if he could steal 25 bases and hit .300, that would be great. The Dodgers could save money and add a potentially strong No. 3 pitcher in a rotation that's weak after Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke. * Pitcher C.J. Wilson: The Angels owe their No. 2 lefty $38 million over the next two seasons. Wilson, 34, pitched well for the Angels during the first two months of 2014, but after that, his ERA soared. Angels manager Mike Scioscia said he was concerned about Wilson finding his rhythm and it seemed like there were no answers to his pitching issues. Maybe adding a few more crab cakes to his diet would get him back on track. * Pitcher John Danks: The Chicago White Sox owe the lefty $28 million for the next two seasons. Danks is 31 and has posted ERAs of 4.75 and 4.74 in each of the last two seasons, giving up more hits than innings pitched. In 2014, he had 129 strikeouts and 74 walks. Danks is the highest-paid White Sox pitcher, but their rotation's best is Chris Sale. The rebuilding White Sox are going to find it difficult to trade Danks - unless they decide there is more upside in trying to get Jimenez turned around. Of all these contracts, the Orioles have the pitcher with the best chance to rebound. Jimenez has been defined by inconsistent pitching in Colorado and Cleveland. But he was also a National League Cy Young Award candidate with the Rockies and in the second half of 2013, he was one of the top pitchers in the American League for the Indians. Other teams know Jimenez's talent can dominate. That's why he might have trade value.