It has been over a week since the news broke of Pete Alonso signing with the Baltimore Orioles.
Since then, it has been crickets.
The rest of this offseason for the Orioles undoubtedly is going to be focused on pitching, and quality arms are flying off the availability list pretty quickly.
When I say that, I primarily mean bullpen arms. However, that is still an area that needs some help from president of baseball operations and acting-GM Mike Elias.
In the last week, we have seen relievers like Tyler Rogers enter the AL East on a deal with the Toronto Blue Jays, Robert Suárez lock in with the Atlanta Braves and former Oriole Shawn Armstrong sign with the Cleveland Guardians.
I would really like to see a reunion in our bullpen, which would go a long way. Seranthony Domínguez is still available, and he would still be a great set-up guy, along with Andrew Kittredge.
Although another bullpen arm would be nice to see, Elias needs to start making things happen in the starting pitching department.
The market has been a little stagnant, and I think a large part of that is former Philadelphia Phillies left-hander Ranger Suárez asking for a rather lengthy deal.
Reportedly, he has been seeking five to seven years, which with his velocity decline is certainly questionable. The rest of the market presumably is waiting on a deal to finally happen with someone like Suarez or Framber Valdez.
Valdez is the arm I think would be the best option for the O’s, mainly due to his age and being a groundball-inducing lefty. We know that will play well in Camden yards, and he would fit right in that top three with Kyle Bradish and Trevor Rogers.
Michael King is the other high-profile free agent starter the O’s have been linked to this offseason. He is another one that does concern me with his injury history.
King only pitched in 15 games last season for the San Diego Padres, although it is undeniable the help he would bring to the O’s rotation, considering his couple of years prior to his injury-riddled 2025 campaign.
UPDATE: King has signed a three-year, $75 million deal to return to the San Diego Padres, according to multiple industry sources.
Interestingly, Zac Gallen is still available as well following the fallout of his deal with the Chicago Cubs that supposedly never happened. However, he can not be the only move this offseason, although I think he would be a nice addition if the Birds do end up with the likes of Valdez or King.
Receiving an ace-type starter in a trade I think is Elias’ best bet. Now with Alonso, the Oriole truly have a log jam of talent at first base that needs to be moved.
Coby Mayo may help get a better return because of his team control. However, his time in the majors so far has not really been eye-opening.
Ryan Mountcastle could slot in as the starting first baseman on any team in need of one. With Mounty, the attraction from other teams would not be as great with him becoming a free agent at year’s end.
Nonetheless, a name like MacKenzie Gore or Edward Cabrera simply are no-brainers if they are made available, especially Gore.
Hopefully, we are going to see an uptick in free agency and that the Orioles are in the forefront once again.
What are your thoughts? Let us know in the comments below! Make sure to follow The Baltimore Battery on Facebook, X, Bluesky and TikTok, and use the hashtag #baltimorebattery when sharing our content!
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