Baltimore Orioles Projected to Sign Free Agent Former World Series Hero

The Baltimore Orioles are predicted to land a two-time World Series champion in free agency later this offseason.

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The Baltimore Orioles have a massive decision looming over them as free agency starts to heat up and offers begin to roll in.

With the unfortunate reality that one of the top names on the market and the most sought after starting pitcher available is from their roster in Corbin Burnes, the team must make contingency plans in the likely scenario they are unable to keep their ace.

With Burnes potentially set to cross the $200 million threshold, keeping him just may not be in the cards for Baltimore, unless new team owner David Rubenstein really does intend to spend.

Without Burnes, where could the Orioles turn? The team could always strike back and replace one bonafide ace with another at numbers which will likely be less than Burnes will receive but still in the nine-figure range.

Or, perhaps instead they could add a proven veteran commodity who performs on the biggest stages and will command a shorter deal. Ryan Finkelstein of Just Baseball predicts Baltimore to sign Texas Rangers righty Nathan Eovaldi on a three-year, $63 million deal.

"The Orioles could desperately use another frontline starter to pair with Zach Eflin and Grayson Rodriguez atop their rotation," Finkelstein wrote. "That frontline starter could be an ace, like bringing back Corbin Burnes, or targeting Max Fried or Blake Snell. For less money though, they could land Eovaldi as another No. 2 type starter, who they could feel confident handing the ball to every fifth day of the regular season, then into October."

The AAV in the Eovaldi contract projection is certainly not cheap, but it feels like a fairly low risk on just a three-year deal for a pitcher who has proved himself time and time again.

As Finkelstein pointed out, Eovaldi won five of his six starts in the postseason last year to help the Rangers win the World Series, along with being a critical piece to Baltimore's rival Boston Red Sox last championship run in 2018.

In 2024 at the age of 34, Eovaldi has continued to produce at a very solid level with a 3.80 ERA and most importantly, a healthy 29 starts. He has not had an ERA over 4.0 since 2019 and seems to be staying the same level of consistent each and every year.

He has spent one stint on the injured list in each of the last two seasons, but he didn't miss more than a month either time. It should also be noted that he has had Tommy John surgery twice, and had his first as a teenager whlie pitching at Alvin (Texas) High School, the same high school that Hall of Fame flamethrower Nolan Ryan attended.

With Eovaldi, you know exactly what you're gonna get. If the Orioles decide that what they will get is worth the contract the two-time champion commands, they should pursue him heavily in the event they lose their ace.