A take on Wei-Yin Chen, a trade and more

A few random thoughts today on a pitcher, a trade and payroll:

* If some team is going to give up a five-year, $100 million deal for left-hander Wei-Yin Chen and give up a draft pick, to me that is a big overpay.

While Chen had his best year for the Orioles last year, he also has gone 16-19 with a 4.06 ERA in 52 career starts within the American League East. Last season, Chen gave up a batting average of .274, slugging percentage of .496 and OPS of .815 against right-handed batters. In his career, he has allowed a .270 average and .772 OPS versus right-handed hitters.

Those that believe in FIP can look at a four-year track record for Chen in Baltimore of 4.42 in 2012 followed by 4.04, 3.89 and 4.16 the following years. These to me are not the numbers of a $100 million pitcher. While the O's need pitching, I pass at that amount. It seems the Orioles have long since realized Chen will get more, probably much more, than the value they place on him.

* The New York Yankees acquired flame-throwing lefty Aroldis Chapman yesterday from Cincinnati for four minor league players. They now have a late-inning bullpen that will feature Chapman, Andrew Miller and Dellin Betances.

That trio last year combined to pitch to a 1.70 ERA, allowing just 121 hits in 212 innings and only 5.1 hits per every nine innings with 14.7 strikeouts per nine. Yes, that is a dominant backend bullpen.

Chapman threw 59 percent of all pitches that hit or exceeded 100 miles per hour in the majors last year. There are few left-handers in the world that can hit triple digits. By the way, O's minor league lefty Tanner Scott is one of them.

With a rotation that ranked 10th in the AL in ERA at 4.25, shortening the game to six innings is not a bad strategy for New York. Now they wait to find out if Chapman will serve a suspension for his off-field issues and how long it will last.

With Boston's addition of Craig Kimbrel and this trade, perhaps the O's move to keep Darren O'Day will prove to be a great one. In a division loading up in the bullpen, they can compete with a one-two punch of O'Day and Zach Britton.

* In a recent interview with ESPN Los Angeles, Dodgers president/CEO Stan Kasten made the point that his club relies on more than just out-spending teams to try and win. He points to big picture steps Los Angeles has taken to improving from within, noting its gains in international signings and minor league depth.

"What is important is that we continue the program we began three years ago of becoming more self-reliant on our own development," Kasten said. "Over the course of time, becoming a younger team will be cheaper, but it will also be one that stays good longer.

"We all know the next wave of players is very close to getting to the majors this coming year. Behind them, we think two to three years from now we have a very, very deep roster of other prospects highlighted by the investments we've made internationally. There are two movements on the way and that's what we said we were trying to do from the day we arrived."

Here is the Dodgers payroll the last three years:

2013 - $216 million
2014 - $229 million
2015 - $273 million

That netted the Dodgers one postseason series win in those three years. The Orioles can match that with one postseason series win over the past three years.

Even the big spenders make noise about trying to add younger and cheaper players. Of course, they do it while boasting a huge payroll.