This story was excerpted from Jake Rill’s Orioles Beat e-newsletter. To learn the complete e-newsletter, click on right here. And subscribe to get it frequently in your inbox.
BALTIMORE — Because the Orioles navigate the offseason, they’ve a number of gadgets they’re trying to test off their to-do checklist.
They want right-handed bats to enhance all of the lefty hitters of their outfield combine. They want a veteran catcher to function a backup to Adley Rutschman. They might add bullpen arms.
However most significantly, they want an ace. As a result of as issues at the moment stand, there is a gaping, Corbin Burnes-sized gap on the high of their rotation.
“I do assume we’re going to make each sturdy effort — like we did final yr — to herald anyone who’s confirmed, wholesome, capable of assist lead the pitching employees, quite than simply type of be depth,” basic supervisor Mike Elias mentioned on the GM Conferences in San Antonio final month. “That’s a really sturdy hope of ours.”
The Scorching Range ought to begin heating up quickly, with the 2024 Winter Conferences set to start Monday in Dallas. For 4 days, the baseball world will converge on one place, as crew executives and brokers will talk about (and probably even full) potential strikes.
For Baltimore, the burning query stays: Will Burnes return? Or will different choices should be explored? Let’s study the O’s potential paths.
Convey Burnes again
This might undoubtedly be the most costly route for the Orioles to take. And whereas the membership’s new David Rubenstein-led possession group must be extra prepared to produce the required funds for big free-agent contracts, the decision-making course of will nonetheless be managed by Elias and his baseball operations division.
As Elias put it final month, Baltimore isn’t going to “spend cash indiscriminately this offseason come hell or excessive water.”
“We’re going to hunt good expertise analysis, good long-term investments for the crew,” Elias said.
Do the O’s view a possible six- or seven-year, $200 million-plus mega-contract for the 30-year-old Burnes as a sensible funding for the long run? As a result of that’s what it’s possible going to take to land the four-time All-Star right-hander this winter.
The Dodgers just lately signed left-hander Blake Snell (who turned 32 immediately) to a five-year, $182 million deal. Burnes ought to get an extended, much more profitable contract, one thing that one other crew — maybe the Giants or Crimson Sox — could possibly be extra possible to offer him than the Orioles.
Signal a special free-agent starter
Quite than diving into the deepest a part of the free-agent pitching pool to signal Burnes, Baltimore might as an alternative usher in one of many starters who gained’t be fairly as costly. It seems like this could possibly be the most probably route — the O’s will nonetheless improve their spending, however they’ll be diligent about it.
MLB.com’s Mark Feinsand reported that the Orioles had been “in” on Snell earlier than he signed with the Dodgers. MLB Community’s Jon Paul Morosi has shared that Baltimore is among the many groups with curiosity in right-hander Nathan Eovaldi. Different notable starters in the marketplace embody righties Jack Flaherty and Shane Bieber and lefty Sean Manaea.
However the greatest match for the O’s could possibly be left-hander Max Fried. In keeping with MLB Community insider Jon Heyman, the Orioles have been among the many groups “in on” the 30-year-old southpaw.
Fried is a two-time All-Star with a 2.81 ERA in 112 begins because the starting of 2020. The draw back to signing him is that it might price Baltimore a Draft decide, as Fried declined a qualifying supply from Atlanta earlier this offseason.
Any of those pitchers, although, wouldn’t be as costly as Burnes. And anyone like Fried might present related manufacturing on the high of the O’s rotation (which additionally doesn’t have a front-line left-handed choice).
Crochet, 25, has two years of crew management remaining on his contract and has been featured in commerce rumors for a lot of 2024. The White Sox are within the midst of a rebuild, so shifting the All-Star left-hander for prospects appears to make sense.
One factor to notice is the Orioles’ farm system isn’t as deep because it was this time final offseason. This previous yr, Baltimore has dealt every of the next children in varied trades: left-hander DL Corridor, infielder Joey Ortiz, righty Jackson Baumeister, outfielder Mac Horvath, outfielder Matthew Etzel, righty Seth Johnson, infielder Connor Norby and outfielder Kyle Stowers.
With a view to land Crochet, Baltimore could also be requested to half with both infielder Coby Mayo (O’s No. 1, MLB Pipeline’s No. 8 total) or catcher Samuel Basallo (O’s No. 2, No. 13 total). If the Orioles might maintain each and commerce for Crochet, the transfer looks like a no brainer. In any other case, they’ll want to think about whether or not shedding Mayo or Basallo is price it in an effort to get a brand new ace.