In adding Cruz and Jimenez, Orioles assume some risk

When I asked Dan Duquette back at the Winter Meetings if the Orioles would consider signing a player that had a PED-related suspension, he indicated they would consider doing that. "We do our due diligence on all the players," Duquette said then. "I think that, you know, being part of Major League Baseball, there is program in place that deals with that. Once it's dealt with, I think the players can go back to work." It may not be the most popular stance, but that is pretty much my position, as well, and it was my take before the O's reached an agreement with Nelson Cruz. If the player is eligible to play for any team in the majors and could be signed by a team that the Orioles need to beat out to make the playoffs, then the O's certainly should be able to pursue that player. Cruz has paid a certain price in the suspension he served during a pennant race, in the court of public opinion and in the dollars he did not get this winter via free agency. Now O's fans have a right to expect Cruz to not mess up again and the O's are certainly taking a risk with this signing. But in this case, the risk was certainly worth taking, in my opinion, especially on a one-year deal. Now going back one signing, to pitcher Ubaldo Jimenez. The risk the Orioles took here - and it's a $50 million risk - is that Jimenez will be the pitcher he was most of last year and not the pitcher the Indians watched between mid-season 2011 and through his first few starts of 2013. Jimenez was traded to Cleveland by Colorado on July 30, 2011. From that point on, over his first 46 Cleveland starts, he went 13-23 with an ERA of 5.63 and gave up 36 homers over 259 innings. That went through the first four starts of last year, after which he had an ERA of 10.06. But since that point early last season, Jimenez completely turned around his pitching. In his last 28 starts of 2013 he gave up two runs or less 21 times, going 13-7 with a 2.61 ERA. The Indians went 19-27 in those first 46 Jimenez starts with the team and 19-9 in his last 28 last year. During that very poor start last season, Jimenez had two awful starts against the Red Sox and Yankees. In one, he gave up seven earned runs over 1 2/3 innings, and he allowed seven earned runs over 4 1/3 innings in the other, for an ERA of 21.00 in those two outings. Later in the season, he made a few starts against Toronto and Tampa Bay, going a combined 2-0 with a 0.45 ERA. In 17 career starts against the other four teams in the American League East (not including the Orioles) Jimenez is 7-7 with a 5.86 ERA. In eight career starts against Boston and New York, the right-hander is 2-5 with an 8.78 ERA. But plenty of people, obviously including the O's brass, believe Jimenez has top-of-the-rotation talent and it was seen at times in both Colorado and Cleveland. He was certainly impressive in his first O's press conference and if he pitches to the level he did in 2013, he'll be a great addition. No doubt any club that forks over a combined $58 million for two players is taking on risk. There are almost no sure things in baseball. But with those two moves, the O's made sure everyone knows they think can win big and want to win big now. That message was sent to the fanbase and to the players inside the clubhouse, as well. The O's took the risk and now they look forward to the reward.