Baltimore Orioles Need To Get Aggressive, Make Huge Trade for Superstar Ace

The Baltimore Orioles need to take a big swing and add an ace pitcher.

Michael Brauner | Feb 3, 2025

Oct 9, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; San Diego Padres pitcher Dylan Cease (84) throws in the first inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game four of the NLDS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Petco Park. / David Frerker-Imagn Images

In this story:

Baltimore Orioles

The Baltimore Orioles are one of the most equipped teams in baseball to win both now and in the future.

With a young and ascending core which is only getting better as more players start to come up the pipeline and guys beginning to take the next step in their big league development, the Orioles are in one of the more enviable spots in all of Major League Baseball.

Undeniably, there's a championship window open in Baltimore provided some things go right.

But even in their current run of success, the Orioles have struggled to get the monkey off their back when it comes to winning in the playoffs, being swept in each of the last two years with no postseason wins on their resume since 2014.

The 2023 team won over 100 games for just the sixth time in franchise history, but things ended quickly in October just as they did in 2024.

On paper, Baltimore is weaker than they were a year ago before having a relatively disappointing regular season and another early playoff exit.

Last year, the Orioles made a trade for a brand new ace in Corbin Burnes, but injuries and inconsistency from the rest of the club limited Baltimore's potential.

Now, healthy again for the most part but without Burnes, it's time for the Orioles to take another big swing on an ace who is available in the trade market.

Throughout the offseason, Baltimore has been linked to San Diego Padres superstar Dylan Cease, and for good reason. He boasts a similar reliability to Burnes having not missed a start in his career and only seems to be getting better as he matures in the bigs.

Over the last four seasons, Cease boasts a 3.52 ERA in a full slate of 130 starts, putting up a career-low 1.067 WHIP in a career-high 189.1 innings pitched in 2024.

He's the exact kind of workhorse the Orioles pursued in Burnes.

Cease would also take a rotation filled with good but not great names and give it a defined alpha-type ace at the top of it, something which is absolutely critical when it comes to winning in October.

He is not going to be cheap since he likely still remains available due to a high asking price from the Padres, but Baltimore has the farm system to pull it off.

Making Cease a priority in terms of an extension would also be critical here, and it'd be understandable if the Orioles were wary after losing Burnes just one year after trading for him. Cease is similarly a free agent next offseason, but Burnes left largely because of a desire to pitch in his home state rather than a dislike of Baltimore.

If the Orioles feel they can pony up the cash which will be required to keep him around, a deal for Cease should be a no-brainer.

Baltimore has knocked it out of the park in terms of drafting and development, but now it's time to invest in the roster and give it the tools it needs to take the next step when the lights are brightest in October.

Recommended Articles