The Orioles have not fallen off the rails solely because of issues surroundings money, but perhaps starting pitcher Chris Tillman's struggles this season actually date back to mid-summer a year ago, when his shoulder issue first began and the team did not make a long-term commitment to him.
On June 14, 2016, Tillman was 9-1 with a 2.87 ERA. He looked like he was about to not only become the club's first 20-game winner since Mike Boddicker in 1984, but it also looked as if he was going to be in a strong position for his agent to plow forward and complete a four-to-five-year contract at perhaps as much as $15 million a year.
But if there is one thing we know about the Peter Angelos ownership era, it's that the mantra has pretty much been: Don't get stuck with long-term contracts when it comes to pitchers. The belief seems to be that their arms usually end up getting injured, and then you're stuck with an albatross around your payroll.
