Gavin Floyd turned down $20 million from Orioles

In case you hadn't heard already, the Braves have signed Gavin Floyd to a one-year deal worth up to $8.5 million depending on some incentives.

I'm not thrilled about the signing, but if he's able to get back to form after undergoing Tommy John Surgery last spring, he could be a solid addition to the starting rotation for the second half of the season. It's been said a million times before – and Freddy Garcia starting a playoff elimination game is just about the perfect example – but a team can never have too much pitching.

What's interesting about Floyd, who will turn 31 next month, is that he turned down potentially $20 million from the Orioles to pitch in Atlanta. Why? Because he wants to be a free agent yet again next winter.

According to the industry source, the Orioles were highly interested in Floyd and offered a two-year deal that could have been worth as much as $20 million with incentives, but were turned down. The Orioles did not want Floyd on a one-year deal because he is not expected to be ready to pitch until May, and the club coveted his services for more than one season.

This isn't particularly earth-shattering news, but it does say a lot about the state of baseball's free agency market right now. While it would be fun for the Braves to spend big bucks each winter on some of the top free agents, the fact is that prices are absurdly high right now and mid-market teams can't spend erroneously and expect to contend.

When a guy like Gavin Floyd, who's probably a No. 4 starter at this stage in his career, is turning down a chance to make $20 million over two years, it's easy to see why Frank Wren hasn't pursued someone like David Price or checked in on Matt Garza, Ervin Santana or another one of the better free agent starters. It would be near impossible to get things to work out financially.