Tap-In Question: With Cashner added, what's your next move to improve the Orioles for 2018? - BaltimoreBaseball.com
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Tap-In Question: With Cashner added, what’s your next move to improve the Orioles for 2018?

Welcome to a weekend edition of the bar bog.

We’ve opened Connolly’s doors on a Saturday for a special occasion: The Orioles have finally signed someone. They’ve finally signed a pitcher. And a legitimate major league pitcher that we’ve all heard of. Not some guy who pitched fairly well at Greenville last year.

Veteran right-hander Andrew Cashner is in the rotation mix now after signing a two-year, $16 million deal with the Orioles Thursday that could stretch to three years and $41 million if everything goes swimmingly for the big fella.

We had more than 100 comments for our January contest asking which free agent the Orioles would sign first in 2018. Two of you, general81 and 66Osfan, nailed it with Cashner. We’ll be in touch about prizes (and if we aren’t, contact us). Congrats.

Now, I’m not giving away free stuff again today. But I still want your opinion on what the Orioles should do next. With one starting pitcher signed, should the club go after another starting pitcher or concentrate on adding a left-handed right fielder that can get on base?

Personally, I’m adding at least one more starting pitcher and then letting the other rotation candidates – Miguel Castro, Mike Wright, Gabriel Ynoa, Nestor Cortes, among others – battle for the fifth spot and the long-man role in the bullpen.

I believe the Orioles would be best served to add someone above their current three starters, but that free agent list is short: Jake Arrieta, Alex Cobb and Lance Lynn.

They haven’t really pursued Arrieta or Cobb at all and they still feel Lynn’s price tag is too salty for them. That still leaves some other candidates. The most popular of which in Birdland is Chris Tillman, who is still on the open market, but likely will be gone soon.

The Orioles haven’t been aggressive in pursuing Tillman either, but crunch time appears to be looming.

I say the Orioles sign Tillman (or another veteran starter) and then turn their attention toward a right fielder. Although, it is possible the Orioles sit back some more and see what else falls to them later this month and into March.

If you were in charge of this team, what would your next move be? Make it realistic.

Tap-In Question: With Cashner signed, what would you do next to better the Orioles?

RAVENS NEWS from BaltimoreSports.com

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