Baltimore Orioles Slugger Could Be Targeted by Emerging National League Power

A major free agent for the Baltimore Orioles is going to have a massive market this offseason.

Aug 19, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Baltimore Orioles right fielder Anthony Santander (25) at bat against the New York Mets during the fourth inning at Citi Field. / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles have been doing offseason prep for a few weeks since being eliminated from the 2024 MLB playoffs by the Kansas City Royals in the Wild Card Round.

They are a team that many people will be keeping a close eye on because of how things ended this year. Looking like a legitimate World Series contender in the first half of the season, their production fell off a cliff in the second half.

The lineup went ice cold, a combination of injuries and ineffectiveness from regulars. Pitching was inconsistent in the regular season, but when they found their groove in the postseason the offense mustered only one run in two games.

Heading into the offseason, there are major questions surrounding the franchise as key players hit free agency.

Will they be able to bring back Corbin Burnes as the anchor of their starting rotation? Who will fill in behind him after John Means, Kyle Bradish, Tyler Wells and Grayson Rodriguez all ended the season on the injured list?

Lineup-wise, there is a lot of high-upside young talent. But, a key member of this group could move on this offseason.

Right fielder Anthony Santander could not have picked a better time for a career year. He was named an All-Star for the first time, blasting 44 home runs and knocking in 102 runs, both single-season bests.

There are a lot of teams around the league who are seeking power upgrades to their lineup that will pinpoint the talented switch-hitter this offseason. One of the potential suitors, in the opinion of ESPN’s David Schoenfield, is the New York Mets.

In an MLB postseason round-up highlighting questions for all of the eliminated teams, Santander was mentioned as a more affordable option should the team not land Juan Soto to play right field.

“President of baseball operations David Stearns knows he needs to infuse young players into the lineup, so I think he keeps the prospects. He'll have to add some bullpen arms and I could see another free agent starter, whether it's Quintana or Severino, or somebody else on that level, like Yusei Kikuchi or Nick Pivetta. Less expensive alternatives to Soto include Teoscar Hernandez, Anthony Santander and Tyler O'Neill,” the MLB expert wrote.

The Mets went through a rapid teardown and rebuild, as they shocked a lot of people advancing to the NLCS, where they lost to the Los Angeles Dodgers in six games. Their owner Steve Cohen has the means to spend in free agency, and with so much money coming off their books, they will be aggressive.

That could be bad news for a team such as the Orioles. Santander’s price tag would soar if a franchise such as New York got involved, making it tougher for Baltimore to retain his services.