Baltimore Orioles Linked to Power-Hitting World Series Champion in Free Agency

The Baltimore Orioles are one team that has already checked in with a power-hitter in free agency.

Aug 28, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers left fielder Teoscar Hernandez (37) crosses the plate after hitting a three-run home run scoring designated hitter Shohei Ohtani (17) and right fielder Mookie Betts (50) in the third inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Dodger Stadium. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles could have a massive hole to fill in their lineup depending on how free agency plays out.

Their starting right fielder, Anthony Santander, is hitting the market this offseason and is expected to be courted by several franchises. The team would love to have him back, but they are going to face a lot of competition for his services.

A lot of franchises, some with a ton of money to spend, have been connected to him already. It is easy to see why.

Santander is coming off his first All-Star appearance and hit a career-high 44 home runs. He is a switch-hitter who can handle himself adequately in right field, so he won’t be relegated to only designated hitter, at least not right away.

His departure would be a tough one for the Orioles to overcome. They have a lot of young bats who could fill the void, but none of them are proven.

There is a lot of risk involved in that, especially for a team that has hopes of contending in 2025.

Because of that, it should be no surprise that Baltimore is already putting some contingency plans in place.

According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the team is showing interest in free agent outfielder Teoscar Hernandez. He would fill the team’s need for some right-handed power but is a popular target on the market.

Their American League East rivals, the Boston Red Sox, have been linked to him as well. Morosi adds that other clubs are involved, too.

Hernandez should be a hot commodity coming off a World Series championship with the Los Angeles Dodgers. He was an integral part of their success all year, as he earned his second All-Star nod.

In the regular season, he smashed a career-high 33 home runs with 99 RBI. His OPS+ of 137 was the second-highest single-season mark in his career, but the highest in a full 162-game campaign; the 2020 COVID-19 shortened campaign was the only one higher.

In the postseason, he shined under the brightest lights with a .350/.381/.550 slash line in the World Series against the New York Yankees. That was a nice bounceback from a tough NLCS against the New York Mets, which followed a strong NLDS series against the San Diego Padres.