In both 2022 and 2023, the Orioles’ bullpen solidified itself as one of the league’s better units. However, 2024 will be an interesting year for the pen, which is currently surrounded by uncertainty.
Most notably, O’s All-Star closer and reigning 2023 AL Reliever of the Year Félix “The Mountain” Bautista is set to miss all of the 2024 campaign recovering from Tommy John surgery. One familiar face in Dillon Tate is set to return healthy after missing all of last year due to nagging injuries, but his role is still a question mark as of now.
It was announced yesterday that the Orioles officially signed veteran closer Craig Kimbrel to a one-year deal with a club option for 2025. Orioles executive vice president and GM Mike Elias said that Kimbrel will initially be the club’s closer. However, it still bodes the question if the O’s are done shopping relievers or not.
Knowing all of this, I thought it was a great time to list five relief pitching options Elias and Co. could look into on the free agent market to keep the Birds’ bullpen a strong suit in 2024.
ROBERT STEPHENSON – RHP
Robert Stephenson is a name the Orioles have already been linked to throughout the Winter Meetings, and the 30-year-old right-hander would directly help bolster the weakest point of the O’s pen, the middle innings.
Stephenson has had a pretty average career since he entered the league in 2016. However, he makes a lot of sense for the Birds, who never seem to be big spenders. The California product is coming off the best season of his career with both the Pittsburgh Pirates and Tampa Bay Rays where he posted a 3.10 ERA and 0.88 WHIP.
Some regression is to be expected, but on a a likely bargain contract, Stephenson could be an excellent middle innings reliever to help bridge the game to Yennier Canó and the recently-signed future Hall of Famer, Craig Kimbrel.
MATT MOORE – LHP
Matt Moore might be the least exciting player we’ll go over today, but the crafty veteran has over 13 years of big league experience, which would be highly beneficial in any team’s bullpen.
Moore has aged like fine wine, posting a 1.95 ERA in 2022 and 2.56 ERA in 2023. The 34-year-old Florida native also doesn’t walk many batters, helping him pitch to a 1.16 WHIP last season.
While Moore certainly doesn’t move the needle much for Baltimore, the O’s could land a solid left-handed middle relief option capable of eating a lot of innings, which is as important as ever with starters going deep into games less in today’s game.
JORDAN HICKS – RHP
Jordan Hicks is another reliever the Orioles have been linked to this offseason and one who can be absolutely thrilling to watch on the mound.
Hicks has one of the most electric arms in the game today, and when he’s on, he possesses some of the most unhittable pitches you’ll see. While his walks are high, he still owns a 28% strikeout rate due to his 100+ mph fastball and upper 90s sinker. The last couple years weren’t so kind to Hicks, but he bounced back in 2023 with a 3.29 ERA in what was maybe the best year of his big league career.
At just 27 years old, Hicks would slot in as a high leverage arm for the O’s pen, most likely locking down a seventh or eighth-inning role alongside Yennier Canó.
HECTOR NERIS – RHP
Former Houston Astro Hector Neris is another guy with a big arm, striking out 10.1 batters per nine innings.
His 1.71 ERA in 2023 was also the best mark of his career. The right-hander from Villa Altagracia, Dominican Republic, does have some control issues, but at 34 years old, the O’s can likely get him on a short-term deal to help the back-end of the bullpen.
Neris has had issues with the long ball in the past but would fit in nicely going from Philadelphia and Houston to Baltimore, a much more pitcher-friendly park. Postseason and World Series experience doesn’t hurt to have either.
JOSH HADER – LHP
Josh Hader, a former O’s farm product, might be as close as they come to a one-for-one replacement to King Félix.
Though there have been a few bumps and bruises, Hader has been one of the league’s best closers for seven years now. He followed up his rough 2022 with a career-best 1.28 ERA in 2023, striking out an astounding 13.6 batters per nine innings.
Hader has earned himself quite the pay day, which could have the Orioles reluctant to get involved. However, the power lefty has been as reliable as they come for close to a decade now and would be a great mentor for some of the O’s young relievers.
Which free agent reliever 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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