Baltimore Orioles Biggest MLB Free Agency Need Isn’t Obvious on Paper

Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander will be important, but the Baltimore Orioles have other areas to improve.

Aug 25, 2023; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Felix Bautista (74) walks off the pitcher's mound after slipping while throwing a ninth inning pitch against the Colorado Rockies at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Tommy Gilligan-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles enter the offseason with an interesting outlook.

Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander will be their two biggest decisions, as the Orioles stars are arguably two of the top five players on the market this winter.

While re-signing at least one has to happen, there will be other areas to focus on. In a perfect world, Baltimore would sign both players to long-term deals and add elsewhere, but it's uncertain how big of a reality that is.

Regarding what they could use in the offseason, nothing should be off the table. If the Orioles can sign a player to help their team compete at the highest level, they need to focus their energy on landing said player.

That's in every aspect of the game, too. From the lineup all the way to the bullpen, Baltimore could better their roster in more ways than one.

Seth Trachtman of Yardbarker listed the biggest needs for all 30 MLB teams, highlighting the need to improve their bullpen, among other areas in the winter.

"The O’s could take some massive offseason losses, led by free agents Anthony Santander and Corbin Burnes, but the core remains to keep the team competitive for years to come. Santander’s production won’t be easy to replace, though it could be a group effort from the team’s young group of talented hitters like Heston Kjerstad, Jackson Holliday, and Coby Mayo. The 2025 roster improved with the addition of Zach Eflin at the trade deadline, while Cody Povich could also be a big part of the team’s plans. Still, losing Burnes won’t be easy, and the bullpen needs more depth, even with the pending return of Felix Bautista from injury."

Baltimore attempted to replace Felix Bautista with a few signings and trades throughout the past nine months, but doing so was never going to be possible. Unless they landed one of the top five closers in baseball, players who typically aren't traded, it was bound to be an area where they'd struggle.

Bautista is expected to be back in 2025, and he sneakily might be one of the top additions for any team in the offseason.

However, bringing Bautista back and not addressing the other needs would still make the Orioles a worse team next year.

It'll be intriguing to see what the front office has up their sleeves. This is perhaps the biggest offseason in Baltimore history, as this young team needs some help.