It’s that time of year again. It’s now dark before 6 p.m., the temperature is a bit colder and the offseason of baseball has begun.
The Baltimore Orioles, coming off another early postseason exit, are poised to be big players this offseason.
I know, we’ve heard that before. However, there now is an ownership group that wants to win, has the money to invest and knows that to get the pieces needed, it will cost them.
With that in mind, The Baltimore Battery has rounded up some questions from our followers and are ready to provide answers to some of them.
So, let’s jump in and see if your question was selected.
Should the Orioles do anything with Cedric Mullins? – Anthony Spears via Facebook
The truth is that Cedric Mullins might be the most expendable outfielder on the Orioles roster.
Colton Cowser is locked in and can play center field. Heston Kjerstad can be a solid platoon outfielder, and the Orioles may try to re-sign Anthony Santander or look at the selection of free agent outfielders available.
Mullins, on the other hand, has spiraled from his 30-30 season and has dealt with injuries and inconsistent play offensively.
Mullins recently turned 30 (October 1), still provides strong defense and is a danger on the base paths. While he is not as consistent as before, he still does have some pop and can kick-start an offense.
He won’t headline a big trade, but he could be included in one that could sweeten a deal for a team in need of a left-handed bat and base stealing threat.
Are there any good trade rumors or free agent pick-ups? – Joe O via X
As of right now, most of what is being said is rumor.
The Orioles did acquire outfielder Daz Cameron from the Athletics to add to their depth at the position. Cameron spent the entire 2023 season with the Triple-A Norfolk Tides.
The club also claimed catcher René Pinto and right-hander Thaddeus Ward off waivers prior to the beginning of the free agency period. Again, adding depth to the organization.
Rumors do have the Orioles interested in free agent left-handed starters Max Fried and Sean Manaea, along with outfielder Teoscar Hernández. All three would certainly fit well with this ball club that’s ready to win a World Series.
As for the top free agent on the market, Juan Soto will be meeting with the New York Mets on Monday, and the New York Yankees have reached out to first baseman Pete Alonso.
Is there any news on the free agent market? – Joe Lahman via Facebook
As mentioned above, the Orioles have rumored interest in free agents Max Fried, Sean Manaea and Teoscar Hernández.
As the offseason progresses, these rumors will intensify, and I would imagine that most high-profile free agents will be linked to the Orioles.
I do believe that we will see action during the December Winter Meetings, and the Orioles will obtain a couple of free agents and make a trade or two.
The organization also made qualifying offers to both Anthony Santander and Corbin Burnes while picking up the 2025 club options of Cionel Pérez, Ryan O’Hearn and Seranthony Domínguez.
Did Teoscar Hernández do something to reverse the clear decline we saw in ’22 and ’23, or does being in a lineup with three HOFers make a big difference? – Darrell via X
It’s hard to say if there was a decline with Hernández in 2023, as he posted his second highest hit total, tied for his second highest home run total (at the time) and his second highest RBI total.
Playing in Seattle, though, can give off that impression, as T-Moble Park is not a hitter-friendly stadium.
As for 2022, Hernández did have an oblique injury. For a hitter, oblique injuries can take a while to heal properly, usually taking a few months to fully heal.
While he only played 130 games in 2022, Hernández did set a career-high in doubles while still hitting 25 home runs.
Playing for the Los Angeles Dodgers, I think we got to see a version of Hernández that had not been seen due to the fact that he was not one of the top two players on the team.
There wasn’t as much pressure to perform as with Seattle and Toronto. Of course, batting behind Shohei Ohtani and Mookie Betts and in front of Freddie Freeman does help quite a lot.
That brings to a close this edition of Battery Q&A. As the offseason is just getting started, this could be one of the biggest in Orioles’ history.
This new ownership group, led by David Rubenstein, is willing to spend to get a winner, and Orioles GM Mike Elias has the chance to show how shrewd a general manager he can be.
Be sure to keep an eye out for the next edition of Battery Q&A, and stay tuned to The Baltimore Battery for all your offseason O’s news and updates.
What do you think of our responses? 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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