Baltimore Orioles Linked to Intriguing Potential Starting Ace Pitcher

The Baltimore Orioles have been linked as a suitor for an intriguing potential ace starting pitcher.

Jul 9, 2023; Cleveland, Ohio, USA; Cleveland Guardians starting pitcher Shane Bieber (57) throws a pitch during the second inning against the Kansas City Royals at Progressive Field. / Ken Blaze-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles are going to be a very intriguing team to watch in the coming weeks. After a strong regular season that had them looking like legitimate World Series contenders, they fell apart in the postseason.

During the regular season, they ended up going 91-71, but were then quickly swept out of the playoffs by the Kansas City Royals in the Wild Card.

Their postseason collapse has led to the clear need for a strong offseason.

Unfortunately, the Orioles could end up losing two of their main stars from the 2024 season. Both Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander are free agents. They could both end up leaving town for other teams.

Whether Baltimore is able to re-sign them or not, they need more talent. Adding another quality starting pitcher even if Burns comes back would be ideal. If they lose Burnes, they will need to do a lot of work on their rotation.

One name to keep a close eye on could be Cleveland Guardians' free agent starter Shane Bieber.

The Baltimore Sun has suggested that Bieber could make sense as an option for the Orioles.

"The Orioles have one starter in Kyle Bradish who will miss at least the first half of the season as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. If they sign Bieber, they’d have two as the former Guardians ace could take a one-year prove-it deal before seeking a larger contract next winter."

No one knows what to expect from Bieber. As they mentioned, he's coming off of Tommy John surgery. Being able to sign a talent like Bieber for a one-year prove-it deal would be a huge win for Baltimore.

They also projected Bieber to sign a one-year, $12 million contract with the Orioles.

During the 2024 MLB season, Bieber was only able to start two games before his injury. He went 2-0 to go along with a 0.00 ERA, a 0.92 WHIP, 20 strikeouts, and one walk.

Back in 2023, he started 21 games for the Guardians, ending up with a 6-6 record, a 3.80 ERA, a 1.23 WHIP, a 3.1 K/BB ratio, and 128.0 innings pitched.

Baltimore would be able to utilize him as a No. 2 or No. 3 pitcher in the rotation. Bringing back Burnes and signing Bieber would be an ideal offseason.

All of that being said, the Orioles are going to be a team to watch closely for Bieber. If they do want to sign him, they're going to face a lot of competition from other teams. It will be interesting to see what they end up doing.