The Baltimore Orioles under new leadership certainly are looking to make a splash this offseason.
GM Mike Elias has been vocal about his activity in terms of being in contact with free agents who could significantly help fill a whole in orange and black.
The O’s lineup could definitely use some outside help from a position player standpoint. Now, after the announcement of the left field wall being moved in slightly, it raises even more hopes of bringing in some good bats.
Before we get into this piece, we want to be clear that we did not include any free agents who were on last year’s team, i.e., Anthony Santander, James McCann, etc.
Let’s dive into five position players that Mike Elias and Co. Could be looking to add to the roster this offseason.
MARK CANHA – OF
A serviceable outfielder with sneaky power, Mark Canha could benefit from the left field wall modifications coming next season.
The long-time Oakland Athletic would be a depth piece option for Elias and one who wouldn’t demand a steep price. If last season taught us anything, it’s that you can never have enough depth.
An experienced bat like Canha, providing security off the bench, could make for a low-risk, high-reward signing for the Birds.
TOMMY PHAM – OF
Tommy Pham is a tough free agent to assess in terms of his value.
Similar to Canha, a Pham signing would be with the purpose of providing a depth fourth outfielder with plenty of veteran and postseason experience. Last season, Pham was a wasting talent on the Chicago White Sox roster before being traded to the Kansas City Royals.
In Kansas City, Pham provided some clutch at-bats down the stretch and into the playoffs. Again, another cheap no harm, no foul signing that Elias has made his M.O. since the start of his tenure.
KYLE HIGASHIOKA – C
James McCann was a serviceable backup catcher for the last two seasons, and the Orioles could get a lot of the same from Kyle Higashioka, just with better defense.
Higashioka spent last season with the Padres in San Diego and notched his career-high in bWAR at 1.3. He’s been known for his defense throughout his career, including being Gerrit Cole’s personal catcher during their time together in The Bronx.
Higgy could be another serviceable backup to help split time with Adley Rutschman while providing great aid to him and the pitching staff if the organization decides to move on from McCann.
TYLER O’NEILL – OF
Tyler O’Neill is another polarizing figure who may provide more upside than the last couple of players mentioned.
O’Neill, coming off his first season with more than 400 at-bats in 2024, was a powerhouse clutch bat for the Boston Red Sox when healthy.
Being someone who has already mastered Waltimore, the new modifications may have him licking his lips. Based on last season, which was all around his best and healthiest since 2021 and featured a 137 OPS+, it wouldn’t be an awful idea at all to add a bat like his to this O’s lineup.
TEOSCAR HERNÁNDEZ – OF
This is, without a doubt, the best and most intriguing addition on the list.
Hernández, coming off a Silver Slugger season, a Home Run Derby victory and a World Series Championship would be a fantastic addition to this Orioles team. The 32-year-old outfielder is coming off a career-high in bWAR at 4.3 with very balanced numbers across the board.
He posted a slugging percentage over .500 for only the second time in his career while also walking over 50 times for the first time. It also doesn’t even need to be said the clutch factor Hernández possesses, which we saw on display all of October.
Defensively, Hernández could be a great fit in right field, in the case that Anthony Santander doesn’t re-sign. Last season in right field, Hernández logged five defensive runs saved while only playing there part time. He also provides the flexibility of being moved around the corner outfield positions and at DH.
Which position player do you think the O’s should target this 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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