Baltimore Orioles Pursuing Former World Series Champion in Free Agency

The Baltimore Orioles and a National League contender are vying for the same former All-Star pitcher in free agency.

Jul 19, 2024; Arlington, Texas, USA; Texas Rangers pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (17) throws to the plate during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Globe Life Field. / Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles entered the 2024 MLB offseason with a few clear areas in need of upgrades.

Arguably the biggest was their need for pitching help. And it is a void that could get even bigger depending on what happens with their ace, Corbin Burnes.

As one of the top starting pitchers on the market, he is expected to receive a lot of interest. With Blake Snell already off the board, agreeing to a massive five-year, $182 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, more teams could turn their attention to the Orioles star.

Baltimore is going to do everything it can to retain him, but additions are needed whether or not he is back to anchor the staff.

Should he depart, the front office will aggressively pursue a top-of-the-rotation arm to replace him. But, depth behind whoever is the No. 1 pitcher is still needed.

One player who could fill that void is Nathan Eovaldi.

According to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the Orioles are one of several teams with interest in the two-time All-Star in free agency. The insider also mentions the Atlanta Braves as another team among the suitors.

The Orioles and Braves are among the teams with interest in free agent Nathan Eovaldi, as I mentioned on @MLBNetwork this morning.

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) November 27, 2024

Eovaldi has spent the last two seasons with the Texas Rangers and has shown that he has something left in the tank to offer teams. He made 54 starts with them, recording a 3.72 ERA across 314.2 innings with 298 strikeouts.

He would be a strong addition to the middle portion of the Baltimore starting rotation. His postseason experience as a two-time World Series champion is something a young team looking to start making deep runs into October needs.

Another positive is that he has experience navigating a very difficult division in the American League East. He has spent time previously in his career with the New York Yankees, Boston Red Sox and Tampa Bay Rays.

Out of all of the AL East ballparks, Camden Yards is where he has been the most productive. Calling that home for half of the games in a campaign is certainly something that could appeal to Eovaldi as he decides where to continue his career.

If the Orioles are fortunate enough to land the veteran, they would have some strong depth between him, Grayson Rodriguez and Zach Eflin. If they could get anything out of Trevor Rogers or the returns of Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells from injury, they would be in business on the mound.

All that would be missing is an ace to bring it all together.