Though among the league's worst last season, Kevin Millwood is among the top pitchers still available on the free agent market. He posted an atrocious 4-16 record coupled with an awful 5.10 ERA last season with the Baltimore Orioles.
Aside from the previously mentioned facts, Millwood's WHIP last season was 1.51 and his 16 losses were the highest in the AL and tied for most in the majors with Rodrigo Lopez.
Of Millwood's four wins last year, two of them came in June. The other two came after Buck Showalter came to town, though Millwood's pitching inefficiency can't be blamed on just his team.
Under Showalter, the Orioles had the third-best record in baseball during the time Showalter came in—they went 34-23 in August-September-October..
While he is 36 years old and is definitely past his prime, Millwood can still pitch effectively. Millwood went 13-10 with a 3.67 ERA in 2009, which is top-notch compared to his stats this past season.
And we can't forget that until Buck Showalter showed up in August last season, the Orioles were a team that was scorned and mocked.
But does Kevin Millwood still have potential for the future?
Granted, Millwood had one of the worst season of his career last year, and one of the worst seasons by a starting pitcher in recent memory.
However, his stats from 2009 and 2008 aren't that bad—he compiled a 24-20 record in those two seasons. There is, although slim, a possibility that Kevin Millwood could still pitch well next season.
Many teams have shown interest in Millwood now that the offseason is winding down.
Regardless of how much interest, teams that have inquired about Millwood include the Kansas City Royals, the Cleveland Indians, the Orioles, and, most recently, the New York Yankees.
Wait a minute...the Yankees? They might want Millwood?
That's right. Your eyes aren't deceiving you.
After signing veterans Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia to minor league deals, the Yankees are still looking for pitching and announced on Friday that they would consider signing Millwood.
The Indians have shown the most interest but aren't willing to sign Millwood to a contract worth $4 million or more, which is Millwood's asking price.
Either way, the Indians have also said that they would rather sign a minor league pitcher, so a deal is not necessarily imminent.
There's also the possibility that Millwood could return to his team last season, the Baltimore Orioles.
The Orioles have reshaped their team this offseason, among the highlights being the acquisition of Mark Reynolds and the signing of Vladimir Guerrero and free-agent pitcher Justin Duscherer. But is there still room for Millwood on the Orioles' roster?
By the looks of it, even if signed to a minor-league deal, many teams believe that Kevin Millwood's gas tank isn't quite empty just yet.
Millwood's agent, Scott Boras, has tried persuading teams that Millwood still has what it takes to be a good pitcher.
But does he?
Could Kevin Millwood, in fact, be next season's comeback player?
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