Baltimore Orioles Predicted to Sign Talented Southpaw in Free Agency

Could the Baltimore Orioles sign a talented southpaw to potentially replace Corbin Burnes?

Oct 2, 2024; San Diego, California, USA; Atlanta Braves pitcher Max Fried (54) throws during the first inning of game two in the Wildcard round for the 2024 MLB Playoffs against the San Diego Padres at Petco Park. / Denis Poroy-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles are preparing for what could be a critical offseason for the franchise, as after making the playoffs the last two years, the team is hopeful to take the organization to the next level. 

After another early exit in the American League Wild Card Round, the Orioles know that they need to make some changes in order to compete in the playoffs. For the last two years, Baltimore has won a lot of games in the regular season. 

The young lineup for the Orioles is already one of the best in baseball, and they help Baltimore win a lot of games. However, that talented line struggled down the stretch and in the playoffs, which helped contribute to the Orioles being eliminated early. 

This offseason, Baltimore needs to make a couple of big decisions regarding two of their stars from 2024 in Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander. Burnes has been one of the most-talked about free agents, as he is arguably the best pitcher available in free agency. 

While the Orioles would surely love to keep their ace, he might end up being too expensive for them in free agency. With that being said, Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report recently predicted that Baltimore would sign left-hander Max Fried this winter. 

“Max Fried may be more likely to make 28 starts a year than 33, but since undergoing Tommy John surgery as a prospect in 2014, he's avoided any catastrophic injuries. And in the process, he's become one of the best pitchers in baseball. Since the start of the 2020 season, he is 54-25 with a 2.81 ERA and 3.11 FIP. Over that period, he's posted two top-five finishes in NL Cy Young Award voting, including runner-up to Sandy Alcántara in 2022. Fried is also a three-time Gold Glove Award winner.”

Replacing their ace with Fried wouldn’t be a bad move, as he is capable of being a very good pitcher in the league. If the Orioles pivoted to the southpaw, it might allow them to make some additional signings to bolster the bullpen. 

While losing Burnes would be a tough blow, there are a lot of other options to look at if that was the case. Fried has pitched very well over the course of his career with the Atlanta Braves, and while he would be a step-down from the veteran right-hander, he could be a good backup plan.