Baltimore Orioles Among Best Trade Fits for Dynamic Left-Handed Pitcher
Entering the MLB offseason, the Baltimore Orioles were viewed as one of the best teams in baseball. But, they have some glaring needs that have to be addressed.
One is the pitching staff. The hole could get even bigger depending on what happens with ace Corbin Burnes, who is a free agent and drawing a lot of interest from teams around the league.
If the Orioles are unable to retain him, they will have some major issues on the mound. That would leave Zach Eflin, a deadline acquisition from the Tampa Bay Rays, atop the rotation with Grayson Rodriguez.
Beyond them, there are a lot of question marks. Can Albert Suarez replicate his production from 2024? How will injured players such as Tyler Wells and Kyle Bradish respond? John Means, who made only four starts because of injury, is a free agent.
Trevor Rogers, who was acquired from the Miami Marlins ahead of the deadline, was a disaster. But, he will likely be given another chance as the team cannot give up on him after only four starts.
With a payroll on the rise, it will be interesting to see what direction the front office goes to address this need. They could look to the trade market, where ESPN insider Buster Olney believes they are one of the best fits for Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox.
The Orioles' need for starting pitching is as obvious now as it was before the trade deadline, and with Burnes a free agent, Baltimore has multiple rotation holes to fill. Their interest in Crochet is "sincere," to borrow the word of one source. He would fill the need for an ace, and because of his relatively low salary, he would fit their budget.
Working in the O's favor is the treasure trove of young talent they have to build a trade package around.
The Orioles have young players who are just breaking into the Major Leagues which could make for an intriguing package. There is plenty of talent in their pipeline as well, a majority of which are position players.
But, Olney does wonder how much a first-year owner will dip into those assets to pull off a blockbuster deal.
The question about the Orioles now, as it was back in July, is how deeply the team's leadership is willing to dig into the team's wealth of prospects, especially with Baltimore right in the middle of its theoretical window to win.
The window to contend is now. With so many of their key players not even at arbitration, it would make a lot of sense to add some payroll and bring in established talent, such as Crochet, to address a need.
With more consistent pitching, this is a deal that could dominate the American League for years to come, given how much young talent there is in their lineup.