Baltimore Orioles Named Potential Landing Spot for Aging Free-Agent Ace

The Baltimore Orioles were recently named a potential landing spot for one of the game's highly-respected pitchers.

Sep 14, 2024; Seattle, Washington, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Max Scherzer (31) throws the ball to first base for a force out against the Seattle Mariners during the second inning at T-Mobile Park. / Steven Bisig-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles are heading into free agency as a team to keep an eye on, and the franchise has a lot on the line this offseason.

It was another successful 2024 campaign for the Orioles. The organization put together a second straight 90-plus win season and made the playoffs again. There were a lot of bright spots for Baltimore, highlighted by Gunnar Henderson going from being named American League Rookie of the Year in 2023 to becoming a superstar in 2024. 

While Baltimore won plenty in the regular season, the bulk of that success came in the first half. After the All-Star break, the Orioles were basically a .500 team, and their early exit in the playoffs wasn’t all that shocking. 

This offseason, the franchise has big big decisions to make. As a team that has a reputation for not spending much money, Baltimore has both pitcher Corbin Burnes and outfielder Anthony Santander hitting free agency. 

The hope is that new ownership, led by David Rubenstein, will start spending to retain and bring in free agents, but Burnes and Santander are likely to make north $100 million this winter.

There is certainly a chance that the Orioles lose both players in free agency. Even if Baltimore is able to keep Burnes, with two young starters set to miss part of 2025 due to elbow surgery, the rotation is an area that might need additional help. 

With a potential need for another starter, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently named Baltimore as a potential landing spot for Max Scherzer and highlighted how the veteran could fit in. In his analysis, signing Scherzer would be in addition to finding a way to keep Burnes.

“It also makes sense for the O's to make at least one move for a one-year stopgap solution, as both Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells are probably going to miss all of 2025 while recovering from Tommy John surgery before becoming regulars in the 2026 rotation again."

Pursuing Scherzer makes sense for Baltimore. He's a Cy Young winner with high upside who would likely only get a one-year deal. The question is his health. He only made a handful of starts for the Texas Rangers after dealing with a herniated disc in his back, along with a nerve issue that forced him to change his arm slot late in the season.  

A one-year deal wouldn't hamper any future plans for Baltimore. Adding Scherzer would also create pitching depth, which would have been useful last season.