Baltimore Orioles 'Remain in the Market' for Bullpen Arms This Offseason

The Baltimore Orioles are reportedly searching to add another relieve this offseason.

Orioles pitchers throw in the bullpen during spring training workouts at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota / Mike Lang / USA TODAY NETWORK

This offseason for the Baltimore Orioles is a mystery.

While past cycles have seen the team operate in the shadows, searching for castoffs and reclamation projects to bring into the fold, this winter has already been much different.

It was reported that the Orioles were in on Blake Snell until the end.

The two-time Cy Young winner ultimately signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on a five-year, $182 million deal, but it was notable that Baltimore was competing to sign the star pitcher when they wouldn't even have considered going after him in the past.

There are still questions about if they can pull off a high-profile move.

Just because the Orioles were heavily pursuing Snell doesn't mean they were ever willing to offer him a financial package that would have made him sign with the team.

Then again, they also might have offered him a megadeal.

That's what people have been trying to figure out ever since local billionaire David Rubenstein became the control person of this franchise.

Nathan Eovaldi is someone they could pivot to, and Max Fried continues to be discussed as a potential target after they missed on Snell, but there is also another area of the roster Baltimore is going to pursue according to Roch Kubatko of MASN.

"They remain in the market for at least one more reliever," the insider reports.

Teams can never have enough bullpen arms, so the fact they are searching the market shouldn't be too much of a surprise, but considering they declined Danny Coulombe's option in a surprise move, it seemed like they might have confidence in this unit with Felix Bautista coming back from injury.

Baltimore likely won't be pursing Tanner Scott or someone of his profile at the top of the reliever market, but it sounds like they are going to spend some financial capital on a proven Major Leaguer instead of claiming someone off waivers.

Whether that is what actually happens remains to be seen.

Again, no one really knows what the Orioles are going to do this offseason.

The early sentiment was their payroll wouldn't have a huge spike just because Rubenstein took over, so even though this early news is promising regarding an increase in spending, by the time Opening Day arrives, there's a good chance they operated in the same manner they did in the past.

Still, all of this news is notable.

Baltimore continues to be in the thick of rumors ahead of the Winter Meetings beginning when the Hot Stove really will start to heat up.