The Baltimore Orioles will be busy upgrading the pitching staff this winter, and it headlines their offseason wish list.
In the regular season, the Baltimore Orioles established themselves as one of baseball's most electrifying teams. Not only did they have the most wins of any American League team, they have arguably the most exciting outlook in baseball as their young talent is stockpiled throughout the organization.
It's been a masterclass in how to rebuild an organization by general manager Mike Elias. But as their early playoff exit underscored, there is work to be done.
If the Orioles are able to supplement their young roster with veteran talent and leadership this winter, they will have a legitimate shot at representing the American League in the World Series. They do, even as their roster is currently constructed. But adding the right pieces, especially on the pitching side, would give them a much better chance at maximizing those chances to win a championship.
Here are their offseason priorities.
Orioles need to add starting pitching upgrades
At the trade deadline, the Baltimore Orioles were in on numerous arms. They ultimately acquired Jack Flaherty from the St. Louis Cardinals, though the right-hander fizzled out after the trade and is very unlikely to return to Baltimore.
Last winter, I thought the Orioles should pursue Carlos Correa. They did not, and that turned out to be the right decision.
But there is a strong argument to be made that if the Orioles splurge this winter, it should be on a starting pitcher. And there will be no shortage of options. The free-agent options include left-handers Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery and right-handers Aaron Nola, Lucas Giolito and Sonny Gray. The trade options include right-handers Dylan Cease and Corbin Burnes, though Burnes could be unlikely to be moved considering Brandon Woodruff's injury.
The Orioles poked around on Cease at the trade deadline, so perhaps he's a name that's worth watching.
Adding bullpen help
Another area that I felt the Orioles should have upgraded more aggressively at the trade deadline was the bullpen, where they only acquired reliever Shintaro Fujinami from the Oakland A's.
Of course, no one could have foreseen Mychal Givens being released and closer Felix Bautista undergoing Tommy John surgery and missing the rest of the 2023 season and all of the 2024 season.
It put a significant burden on the Orioles' bullpen, and with Bautista out for 2024, the team will need to be aggressive in properly supplementing that unit this winter. That means adding multiple arms, not just one, and high-end arms at that. Replacing Bautista, who had a 1.48 ERA in 61 innings pitched and made the All-Star team, will be incredibly difficult. And it's a task that Elias and the Orioles' front office should not overlook this winter.
Explore moving prospects to upgrade MLB team
The Baltimore Orioles' farm system is loaded. Beyond loaded. It's quite possibly the deepest in Major League Baseball.
What that does is give Elias and the front office flexibility. And it would not be surprising at all to see the Orioles consider moving one of those prospects who could have their path toward major-league playing time blocked by another prospect.
It's something that Elias has acknowledged, saying: "It's all I think about every day of my life, is how to do this stuff. We have an amazing farm system, and there's a lot of ways that that benefits you. It's a good thing. We're going to do our jobs this winter."
Elias has options this winter. Lots of them. But it would not be surprising at all to see the Orioles move a prospect or two to upgrade the major-league roster, especially the pitching staff.
