SARASOTA, Fla. — John Means experienced the highest of highs and the lowest of lows during his first 11 years in professional baseball.
The left-hander made an All-Star team in 2019 and tossed a no-hitter in 2021, but persistent elbow issues resulted in a pair of Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgeries that derailed the past three years of what was once a promising career.
The one constant during those 11 years is no longer: Means won’t be returning to the Orioles this season after he agreed to a contract Monday with the Cleveland Guardians, according to multiple reports. Means, who underwent his second Tommy John surgery in June, reportedly signed a one-year deal with the Guardians with a club option for 2026.
MassLive.com was first to report Means and the Guardians were close on a deal, while MLB.com was first to report the contract details. The deal is pending a physical.
Means, 31, isn’t likely to pitch in the big leagues in 2025, though it’s possible he makes it back for the end of the season if he has a smooth recovery.
Despite his arm issues, Means has a 3.68 ERA in 401 career innings, all with the Orioles. Means was one of the few bright spots during Baltimore’s rebuild, giving the club a chance to win — and fans hope — each time he took the mound. The club selected Means in the 11th round of the 2014 draft, and he rose through their minor league system during the Buck Showalter era to become a key member of the rebuild-era Orioles.
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He won 12 games for the 108-loss Orioles in 2019, earning an All-Star nod and a second-place finish in American League Rookie of the Year voting. Two years later, Means etched himself into Orioles history by tossing a no-hitter against the Seattle Mariners at T-Mobile Park. He became the first Baltimore pitcher to throw a solo no-hitter since Jim Palmer did so in 1969.
One month after Means tore the ulnar collateral ligament in his left elbow for the first time in 2022, Adley Rutschman made his MLB debut, essentially ending the rebuild as the Orioles have been competitive ever since.
Means rarely enjoyed that success, though, starting only 10 games for the Orioles the past three seasons, pitching to a sparkling 2.75 ERA. He returned late in the 2023 season, nearly tossing another no-hitter in Cleveland, but his elbow flared up ahead of the postseason. He missed the beginning of the 2024 campaign as he ramped up for the season, but four starts later, his UCL had torn again.
The Orioles and Guardians play two series this season — one in April and another in July. Means is unlikely to be healthy for either series.
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