Orioles Among Three Suitors For Free-Agent All-Star Pitcher

The Baltimore Orioles are looking for at least one veteran starter to provide a backstop to its young rotation.

Momentum continues to build around a potential free-agent pitching target for the Baltimore Orioles.

During an appearance on MLB Network on Wednesday, insider Jon Morosi identified the Orioles as one of three “possible” teams where former Chicago Cubs pitcher Marcus Stroman could land in 2024.

The other contending teams are both on the west coast — the Los Angeles Angels and the San Francisco Giants.

Morosi reported that because the big free-agent fish have been caught — most notably Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers — the market is starting to turn its attention to pitchers like Stroman, who are good enough to be a Top 3 starter within a rotation.

One question that teams might have about Stroman is what pitcher they’re getting after he started off pitching like a potential Cy Young candidate and ended the season trying to recover from two injuries that took him out of the rotation for nearly two months.

In the first half of last season, the right-hander went 9-6 with a 2.19 ERA in 19 starts, striking out 98 and walking 41.

But, after the All-Star Break, his performance took a downward turn, as he went 1-3 in eight appearances (six starts) with a 8.63 ERA in 24 innings. A hip injury put him on the injured list in early August, followed by an unusual injury for a pitcher, a right rib cartilage fracture. He returned in early September and worked out of the bullpen as the Cubs were fighting for a playoff berth.

“You look at the way the Orioles have built out their staff, whether it’s them, the Angels or the Giants I think he’s a good fit for one of those three teams,” Morosi said.

The Orioles already have a solid starting rotation, but it’s on the young side, anchored by Kyle Bradish, who was All-MLB Second Team and was fourth in Cy Young voting.

The rotation, as of now, also includes Grayson Rodriguez, John Means, Dean Kremer and Tyler Wells.