The Orioles’ starting pitching was able to hold up throughout the 2023 regular season, but the lack of consistency behind Kyle Bradish was quickly exposed in the postseason and confirmed the thoughts of many that the front office would need to open the checkbook for this team to take the next step.
So, with free agency officially underway throughout Major League Baseball, I wanted to list five free agent starting pitchers that GM Mike Elias could sign to bolster Baltimore’s rotation heading into next season.
Let’s not waste any time. Without further ado, let’s get started.
EDUARDO RODRIGUEZ – LHP
A former product of the O’s farm system, Rodriguez is by far the least glamorous of the pitchers that will be covered today, but given the Orioles’ track record, he probably makes the most sense.
E-Rod has been a formidable starter his entire career, but he took his game to another level this season in Detroit. His 3.30 ERA and 1.15 WHIP were both career-lows and came on a respectable 26 starts, which would be another huge aid to a pitching staff that was flat out low on gas by the time the postseason rolled around.
Left-handed pitching was also something Baltimore lacked in the rotation last year, and Rodriguez could provide just that. Compared to some of the other arms hitting the market, Rodriguez would not demand as much money, which could be very enticing for the front office.
MARCUS STROMAN – RHP
Orioles fans are all too familiar with Stroman, who pitched for the rival Toronto Blue Jays for half a decade.
Stroman had an up and down 2023 season, finishing with a 3.95 ERA, but his 3.65 career ERA, plus his very high ceiling, keeps him an enticing option. The 32-year-old, who accumulates a lot of ground balls, would fit perfectly with one of the MLB’s best defensive infields.
While Stroman does have a bold personality, he should be able to be signed to a more team-friendly contract and slot in nicely as the third starter while providing consistency every fifth day.
BRANDON WOODRUFF – RHP
Another under the radar arm the Orioles can look into is former Brewers ace Brandon Woodruff. Now, we already know that he’s expected to miss most, if not all, of the 2024 season, so while this move doesn’t improve this year’s team, Baltimore could land itself a frontline starter for a bargain price, setting a young roster up nicely for 2025.
Woodruff only managed to pitch 67 innings in 2023, but in that small sample size, he posted a 2.28 ERA, 0.82 WHIP and an impressive 9.9 K/9. In his career, he owns a 3.10 ERA and strikes out over 10 batters per nine innings.
While surgery on his throwing shoulder is certainly not ideal, Woodruff boasts a strong track record with lots of postseason experience and can likely be signed for much less than his market value.
JORDAN MONTGOMERY – LHP
The Texas Rangers hit a home run acquiring St. Louis Cardinals starter Jordan Montgomery at the trade deadline this season.
He bolstered their injured rotation, and in six postseason appearances, took his game to another level, pitching to a 2.90 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and an eventual World Championship. For those reasons, Montgomery would be incredibly difficult to pry from Texas, but Baltimore would be foolish to not contact his representation.
His career 3.68 ERA shows he’s about as solid as they come, and in 2023, he actually had his career-low ERA of 3.20. I expect Montgomery to rightfully ask for a big pay day, but after a lights out postseason and almost 200-inning workload, he is everything this Orioles rotation lacked last year.
BLAKE SNELL – LHP
The most fun option the Orioles could go after in free agency is the 2023 NL CY Young winner, Blake Snell.
Snell owned a 2.25 ERA in 2023, with a staggering 234 strikeouts in 180 innings pitched, good for an 11.7 K/9. The former division rival does occasionally have issues with command, but his stuff has always been good enough to work around it.
Coming off a CY Young season, the soon-to-be 31-year-old is undoubtedly going to want top dollar, which does mean he probably prices himself out of Baltimore. But Snell and Bradish would instantly become maybe the best 1-2 in the bigs. And if Grayson Rodriguez takes a sophomore leap, we could be looking at one of the best rotations in the league.
It will be fun to monitor who Mike Elias and the rest of the front office set their sights on, but if it’s anybody on this list, that should be considered a very good start to the offseason.
Stay tuned, as we will also be publishing pieces detailing five free agent bullpen arms and five free agent position players that the O’s could pursue this offseason.
Which free agent starter are you hoping the O’s go after? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, Twitter (X) and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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