Right now, they’re just words. But Mike Elias suggested Friday that the Orioles could be players for some of the highest-priced free agent starting pitchers on the market this offseason.
“We are looking at the whole menu, the whole spectrum,” the Orioles’ executive vice president and general manager said in a video news conference. “I credit the ownership change toward putting us in position to do that. As I’ve said, that doesn’t mean that we are going to spend money indiscriminately this offseason come hell or high water.
“But I think if you’re running a team optimally, which is a word I’ve been focused on, you certainly want to keep the whole menu of player acquisition open. And that involves high-end free agent deals over many years, and we’ve been engaged in those conversations already.”
Elias held court with the local media contingent Friday to reveal the Orioles’ plans to move the left field wall at Camden Yards back in after their 2022 alterations to the ballpark’s dimensions “overcorrected” its homer-friendly confines. Though the changes won’t do pitchers any favors, they’re hoping to lure one to Baltimore to fortify their rotation.
Chris Davis’ seven-year, $161 million deal stands as the largest contract in franchise history, and first-year owner David Rubenstein might have to be willing to set a new record if the Orioles shop at the top of the free agent market. Corbin Burnes, who was named to the All-MLB First Team on Thursday for his 2024 season with the Orioles, joins Blake Snell and Max Fried as the best starters available followed by Jack Flaherty, Sean Manaea and Luis Severino, among others.
Lineup additions
While he said additions to the Orioles’ infield are “down on the priority list right now,” Elias did mention that the club is interested in adding a right-handed hitting outfielder to balance out their lefty-heavy contingent of Colton Cowser, Cedric Mullins and Heston Kjerstad.
“I think it’ll be easier for right-handed hitters to produce power numbers at this park, there’s no question about it,” Elias said. “I’m sure you can name the guys on our team that are probably the happiest about this news. That will be helpful. I look at our current outfield mix with guys that we know are returning for sure, and it’s a very left-handed mix. We’ll be seeking some right-handed players to balance that out.”
The Orioles already picked up their $8 million team option for Ryan O’Hearn, ensuring he will return to split first base duties with Ryan Mountcastle. With Gunnar Henderson entrenched at shortstop, Jackson Holliday a strong candidate to open the 2025 season at second base and Jordan Westburg an All-Star at third, the Orioles don’t have many holes on the infield to address, especially with Ramón Urías and Jorge Mateo both expected to return.
Mateo, who missed the last two months of the season, might not be ready to return from elbow surgery in time for the first day of spring training but “suffice to say, he’s going to have a very full, if not 162-game, something close to that, season,” according to Elias.
Barring a surprise trade, that leaves the outfield as the most logical place for the Orioles to upgrade. Cowser is a finalist for the American League Rookie of the Year Award and Mullins put together a strong second half to earn his way back into the everyday lineup, but Kjerstad has only 147 plate appearances at the major league level.
The plan for Bautista
The last time Félix Bautista pitched in an MLB game, he was putting together one of the greatest seasons by a reliever in Orioles history. However, that was 15 months ago and he’s spent that time recovering from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgery, giving the Orioles plenty of reasons to use caution when mapping out his workload for 2025.
“I think he’s going to be a major contributor in the back end of the bullpen all season long,” Elias said. “We’re excited about that. We are realistic about the fact that he’s coming off surgery. We don’t want to overly pressurize him. We are going to want to treat him with a little extra care given the fact that he didn’t pitch last year and he’s coming off of a surgery.
“It’s just going to be a matter of how sharp he is, but we want to give him the margin for error that a guy coming off surgery deserves. We’ll let him and his readiness speak to roles and leverage and things like that, but this may be a gradual return. It may not. I don’t think we’re there yet.”
As a result, the Orioles could turn to someone else to handle the closer role for the start of the season until Bautista rounds into form. Elias wouldn’t comment on whether they’re considering a free agent or trade target for that role but mentioned Seranthony Domínguez and Yennier Cano as internal options he has confidence in heading into the offseason.
Around the horn
• Right-hander Grayson Rodriguez is planning to be ready for the start of spring training after missing the end of the season with a lat/teres strain, Elias said. Rodriguez originally hoped to return in time for the playoffs after being scratched from his scheduled start Aug. 6 with the injury, but the team shut him down for the year in late September.
• Elias expects right-handers Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells to return midseason “in some way, shape or form” from their respective elbow surgeries. Though the two pitchers went under the knife within two days of each other, Wells had the internal brace procedure that could get him back on the field quicker if all goes well during his rehabilitation process.
• Former Orioles starter Cole Irvin is headed to South Korea, signing a one-year, $1 million deal with the Doosan Bears, according to Yonhap News Agency. His $1 million salary is the maximum for a first-year international player joining the Korean Baseball Organization. Irvin, acquired in a 2023 trade with the Athletics, posted a 4.68 ERA in 49 games (28 starts) for Baltimore.
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