Baltimore Orioles Free Agency Target Predicted To Land Multi-Year $50 Million Deal

The Baltimore Orioles should bring the right-hander in if he only gets $50 million over multiple years.

Oct 5, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; Kansas City Royals pitcher Michael Wacha (52) reacts after being taken out of the game during the fifth inning against the New York Yankees during game one of the ALDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Yankee Stadium. / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

If the Baltimore Orioles were to lose Corbin Burnes, it remains uncertain where the front office would turn. It's possible that they could look to strike a trade for Garrett Crochet, but until everything plays out, the Orioles will have some questions to answer on what their plans are.

Even if the right-hander returns to Baltimore, there's still a need for more pitching. As they saw throughout the campaign, guys get hurt at any moment. They can't continue to run out arms who don't get outs at a high level.

They also have to understand that some of the guys who stepped up in big ways throughout the season could decline in a major way next year.

Losing Burnes would certainly change a lot. If they lost him, they'd need to replace him and find another arm. If they were to re-sign him, landing another pitcher should still be in the works.

If that's Crochet, they'd likely have the best pitching staff in Major League Baseball when healthy. At the very least, their top two guys in the rotation would be better than nearly every other team in the league.

However, it's also fair to note that Crochet wanted to be paid if he were to have been traded at the deadline, so that might be an expensive addition.

Still, there are options out there, and Kylie McDaniel of ESPN wrote about one on Wednesday. McDaniel looked at some players playing for bigger contracts in the postseason, naming Michael Wacha as one.

Wacha, now 33-years-old, has revived his career a bit over the past three seasons. He's posted an ERA below 3.35 in each of the past three campaigns, a very promising sign for a guy who wants to get paid this winter.

McDaniel believes he could get over a $50 million deal for three years, which would be more than fair to pay.

"Wacha is likely to opt out of the $16 million player option he has and will get a multiyear deal after a career year with the Royals, but he's more of a reliable source of veteran innings than an impact starter. The confounding part is his velocity went up 1.5 mph this season, so some organizations that excel at pitching development could see more upside under the surface. Wacha could get over $50 million on a three-year deal, but I think a two-year deal at a high AAV is more likely."

If he opts out of his $16 million deal, the Orioles should think about giving him a look.

Baltimore has seen the value of having veteran players on their roster, so it'd be a good idea to add somebody who's been in the Big Leagues since his debut in 2013.