For the Baltimore Orioles, the starting pitching market during this offseason is something that will be watched closely.
There are a handful of really interesting arms that will be available, both as depth/veteran options as well as a couple of front-line aces looking for a hefty deal.
Last season, Orioles’ management, players and fans finally got a glimpse of what it was like to have a premier ace headline the rotation. The discussion of if Corbin Burnes will return to Baltimore or seek employment elsewhere is one for another time.
Also, we will not be including Japanese star right-hander Roki Sasaki in our list, as our RJ Diliberto already gave the Orioles’ pitch to him a few weeks back.
Here, we will explore some options in the free agent market that could potentially replace or co-exist with Burnes in Baltimore.
WALKER BUEHLER – RHP
Walker Buehler is one of the more interesting choices on this list. At just 30 years old, Buehler is coming off a World Series Championship in which he was very vital to the Los Angeles Dodgers winning.
Before that illustrious postseason run, which featured a 3.60 ERA in four games, Buehler struggled a bit after returning from a missed 2023 season due to Tommy John surgery.
Buehler is really interesting because outside of a rough 16-game season in 2024 that came with a 5.38 ERA, he’s been solid for his entire career. The tail end of 2024 and the postseason did show a lot of improvement for Buehler, a sign he may be back closer to his old self, a combined 3.16 ERA across the last five seasons.
Taking a look into someone like Buehler, who, if healthy, would be a cheaper option that could pitch as well as any number two starter in the league. He also showed everyone he is the guy to go to in a big game situation.
NATHAN EOVALDI – RHP
The 34-year-old right-hander Nathan Eovaldi is another one of the really interesting arms on this list, mainly because he was a candidate for a contract from the O’s prior to the 2023 season.
Heading into the 2025 season, Eovaldi is still seen as a sleeper signing that could really help this Orioles team. With that age comes a lot of experience and winning at the highest level, something this O’s rotation needs. Also, Eovaldi has been pitching as well the last two seasons as ever.
In 2024, Eovaldi continued to throw his 4-seam fastball more than any other pitch, and a little more than he had in the past. He allowed a .212 batting average against that pitch, his best mark since 2011, and is also still reaching an average of 95 mph. However, that pitch has been aided by something new he has thrown in the last three seasons.
Starting in 2022, Eovaldi really ticked up the amount he throws his splitter, which plays really nicely with his fastball. He netted 120 of his 166 strikeouts on that two-pitch combination this past season. That kind of pitching is something the Orioles have been crafting in recent years, and it could be a great compliment to Zach Eflin in the O’s rotation.
SEAN MANAEA – LHP
Sean Manaea is another seasoned guy at 32 years old, who has proved recently that he’s a pitcher who knows how to evolve and adjust. Last year, with the New York Mets, Manaea posted his best ERA and record since 2018 at 3.47 and 12-6, respectively.
Manaea has always been known as a junk pitcher, and he is a junk pitcher who has gotten better junk as time has gone on. In 2024, Manaea threw his sinker a career-high 44.7% of the time, and it was good for being in the 99th percentile in fastball movement value, meaning, the amount of movement on his sinker was better and more valuable because of how good it was compared to 99% of fastballs in baseball.
He has also transitioned his slider into a more left-to-right sweeper, a move that has helped him maintain that sinker-slider combo that began to run stale for him.
Also, to think how many times in the past Manaea has reportedly been a target for the O’s, this signing almost feels like it was made specially for the current Orioles to make.
MAX FRIED – LHP
At just 30 years old, Max Fried is the first of those big-time contracts the Orioles should absolutely be looking to explore. Fried has been a top-of-the-line starter for Atlanta his whole career, and a contract from Baltimore would bring him in to be exactly that.
Fried is coming off two All-Star seasons in 2022 and last year in 2024, where he threw two complete games en route to a 174.1 innings pitched season.
The potential ace in Fried would come into a stadium that, even with the modified left field wall, would be a haven for him against right-handed hitters. His 140 career ERA+ would play really nicely in Baltimore.
He is certainly one of those high strikeout guys, totaling 0.8 more K’s per nine innings than hits per nine innings last year, which, again, would play beautifully into Baltimore’s stellar defense behind him.
BLAKE SNELL – LHP
After a total fiasco about signing a contract before the 2024 season, Blake Snell really didn’t pitch until well into the season. He netted only 104 innings over 20 games, which the first portion of those 20 games were pretty bad.
However, Snell reminded everyone that he’s still that guy at just 31 years old, as he ended up finishing 2024 with a 3.12 ERA, which is fantastic by itself.
As mentioned, Snell was lights out in post-All-Star-break starts. He recorded a no-hitter, 114 strikeouts and a .382 OPS against in that time of 14 games. The Seattle native also allowed just two home runs and 11 earned runs from July 9 through September 22.
Bringing in Snell, who probably is looking for a much smoother signing experience this time around, would cost a pretty penny but would undoubtedly be worth the price tag.
What do you think of our list? Which starters would you like to see the O’s sign 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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