Baltimore Orioles Predicted To Sign Nathan Eovaldi to Upgrade Rotation

In need of pitching help, the Baltimore Orioles have been predicted to sign two-time World Series champion Nathan Eovaldi in free agency.

Oct 10, 2023; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) pitches in the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles during game three of the ALDS for the 2023 MLB playoffs at Globe Life Field. / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles are viewed by many people as one of the best teams in the MLB given how young and talented their core is.

There is a lot to like about the make up of their lineup. 

Shortstop Gunnar Henderson is already an MVP-caliber player. Adley Rutschman, when healthy, is in the conversation as the best catcher in baseball. 

Jackson Holliday was the No. 1 prospect in the game and got his feet wet, albeit with underwhelming results, in 2024. Left fielder Colton Cowswer was the Rookie of the Year runner-up last month.

There is even more talent in the pipeline that will be making an impact in the near future, as the Orioles look set for years to come in the field.

However, things aren’t as set in stone when it comes to their pitching staff.

That is the biggest weakness currently on the roster. The team needs to add some arms to the mix, both in the rotation and bullpen, if they are to be legitimate World Series contenders.

Their situation can become even more dire depending on how things shake out with their ace, Corbin Burnes, this offseason. A free agent, he is expected to command some lucrative offers and could leave Baltimore after only one season with the team.

Retaining him has to be near the top of their to-do list, in addition to bringing on some reinforcements.

Blake Snell and Matthew Boyd are already off the board, signing deals with the Los Angeles Dodgers and Chicago Cubs, respectively. But, there are plenty of other options the Orioles could look to target.

One of them is Nathan Eovaldi, whom Andy McCullough of The Athletic has predicted will sign with the Orioles in free agency. He wrote that this offseason is the first test of whether new team owner David Rubenstein is willing to spend, and that with a projected $90 million payroll right now there is plenty of room to make a move.

“Burnes and (Max) Fried make sense — but will the precedent set by Snell’s deal price the Orioles out? We will believe they are spending when we see it. Until then, Eovaldi would work as a battle-tested, well-regarded veteran," he wrote.

A two-time World Series champion, he would be a solid addition to the starting rotation as a No. 3 option. He isn’t going to be the ace of the staff, but he can certainly go on stretches where he performs like one.

Adding him to Grayson Rodriguez, Zach Eflin and eventually Tyler Wells and Kyle Bradish, when they come back from injury, would be some strong depth behind whoever anchors the staff as the ace.

Retaining Burnes and adding a player of Eovaldi’s caliber would be an ideal outcome. That would instantly shore up what was arguably their biggest Achilles heel for stretches of the 2024 campaign.