If right-handed starter Chris Tillman had been a free agent this winter, it would have been great news for him and bad news for the Baltimore Orioles.
Tillman won't be a free agent until next November, and he should cash in then. This year, Tillman would easily have been the best starting pitcher in a mediocre market, but because the Orioles repeatedly optioned him to Triple-A Norfolk during his first four seasons, he won't become a free agent until 2017, his ninth season with the Orioles.
Left-handed starter Rich Hill re-signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers during the MLB Winter Meetings, and it was astounding to learn his three-year contract was for $48 million.
