Now that the 2024 baseball season has come to an end, this coming offseason is a crucial one for the future of the Baltimore Orioles.
It’s safe to say that this offseason is the most important in almost a decade, and the decisions that will be made will affect the future success of this young Orioles team that’s ready for World Championship.
Therefore, we have constructed a list of five areas that the Orioles need to focus on in order to have what is considered a successful offseason.
Without further ado, let’s dive in.
1. Bring in a quality outfielder
An obvious and quick solution is to re-sign Anthony Santander as fast as possible, but there is a world where Tony goes in another direction. If that happens, there are plenty of outfielders that are up for grabs this offseason that can help the Orioles, especially offensively.
You could go the young superstar route and try and sign a Juan Soto with the new ownership group’s emphasis on spending money. There is also the idea of bringing in World Series Champion Teoscar Hernández.
The outfield market is very top heavy this offseason, with some surprising players later on down the list like Max Kepler, Tyler O’Neill and Harrison Bader.
GM Mike Elias has options, and while the organization has the farm system to help out the next few years, the importance of finding a quality outfield bat is imperative to the immediate success of the O’s.
2. Acquire an effective and appropriate ace
This is another situation where the easy thing is just say to re-sign Corbin Burnes and keep him in Baltimore. However, just like with Santander, nothing is guaranteed in free agency.
This class has plenty of unrestricted free agents who can be number ones for the Orioles. Names like Max Fried, Shane Bieber, Sean Manaea and Walker Buehler are players who the O’s could look at to lead their starting rotation.
The O’s rotation is solid as is, with names like Zach Eflin and Dean Kremer returning and others returning to full health like Grayson Rodriguez, who was injured for a majority of last season.
Having a true ace on this team would really put this rotation into conversations of being a top 10 staff in baseball.
3. Sign a veteran reliever
The Orioles’ bullpen was a problem during the 2024 season, having the 23rd best bullpen ERA in the game (4.22).
While most of it was due to injuries, there was no steady veteran presence who the team could rely on every night. This free agency class has so many options to right that wrong.
Names like Blake Treinen, Paul Sewald, Daniel Bard and Chris Martin are right-handers who can help bring that veteran stability. There are also lefties like Aroldis Chapman, Matt Moore, A.J. Minter and Brooks Raley who can secure a late-inning arm alongside Danny Coulombe.
Don’t be surprised to see Elias go all in on finding that missing piece to a pen that will already show improvement simply with the return of Félix Bautista.
4. Use your farm system to get key pieces
The Orioles are currently in the midst of being a championship caliber team. They are currently in “win now” mode, which means that it’s time to use their top 10 farm system to acquire major league talent.
The O’s used their farm system to their advantage during last season’s trade deadline to acquire the likes of Zach Eflin, Seranthony Domínguez and others. The organization is at the point where this needs to be a reoccurring theme.
You saw it with the Astros when they acquired Justin Verlander, Gerrit Cole and Zack Greinke during their impressive postseason run. It earned them multiple World Series appearances.
The truth is that not every prospect will have an impact on the big league team, and using their potential to acquire proven big league talent is something Elias will have to use to this organization’s benefit this coming season.
5. Lock up your young talent
It’s time to discuss locking up the young talent of this organization, extending the likes of Gunnar Henderson and Adley Rutschman, among others.
We’ve seen it all around the league in recent years. Organizations want to solidify their top talent in order to contend and draw crowds long-term.
In some cases (we’re looking at you, Milwaukee and Detroit), top prospects are signing extensions before even making their big league debuts.
It’s a trend that the O’s new ownership group, led by David Rubenstein, should consider joining. There’s no shortage of funds or stinginess amongst this organization any longer, so lock up your core and build around them for a decade or more of contention in Charm City.
Remember, the offseason has started, but free agency doesn’t start until Monday, November 4, opening at 5 p.m. EST. Make sure you follow us on X @TheBmoreBattery to keep up to date with all the latest Orioles news as it drops.
What’s your priority when it comes to the O’s offseason? 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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