Baltimore Orioles Urged To Use Winter Meetings to Trade for Bryce Miller

The Baltimore Orioles have been urged by a former MLB executive to make a trade for Bryce Miller of the Seattle Mariners.
May 17, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryce Miller (50) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
May 17, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Seattle Mariners pitcher Bryce Miller (50) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Baltimore Orioles at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images
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There may not be a contender in baseball that has a single glaring need as big as the Baltimore Orioles.

Their pitching staff needs reinforcements and that is before even taking into consideration that Corbin Burnes is a free agent. With their ace on the market, their need for pitching would grow exponentially if he signed elsewhere.

With Blake Snell already off the market after agreeing to a five-year, $182 million deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers, that is one less option to replace their star at the top of the rotation. Max Fried is still available and would presumably become their top target.

International free agent Roki Sasaki should be on their radar as well. Since he is 23 years old and due to the rules of the collective bargaining agreement, he is limited to international bonus pool money spending, similar to Shohei Ohtani when he received a $2.3 million bonus from the Los Angeles Angels.

If things don’t work out in free agency, the Orioles could always turn to the trade market to find an answer. There they will find Garrett Crochet of the Chicago White Sox, who has all of the tools to be a No. 1 pitcher.

Alas, the asking price for him is considered to be astronomically high. The White Sox know what they have and are looking to cash in as they are in the early stages of what could be a lengthy rebuild.

Crochet isn’t the only option that could be available on the market. Another name to keep an eye on is Bryce Miller, whom Jim Bowden of The Athletic has urged Baltimore to swing a deal for.

“And if they can’t swing a deal with the White Sox for Crochet, then a trade for a young, controllable starter such as Miller, 26, makes sense," Bowden wrote. "In 2024, his second season in the majors, Miller went 12-8 with a 2.94 ERA and 0.976 WHIP over 31 starts; he was worth 3.4 bWAR.”

That is stellar production for a player in his second season in the Major Leagues. He made solid strides from his rookie campaign when he was 8-7 with a 4.32 ERA across 25 starts and 131.1 innings pitched.

Miller isn’t going to overpower hitters, as his strikeout percentage of 23.4% is a tick above the league average of 22.7. But, he has command of the strike zone with a 5.7 walk percentage, well below the league average of 8.4.

His opponent’s slash line dropped considerably from 2023 to 2024, as he was figuring out how to effectively work in the zone and avoid major damage.

Most importantly, he is under team control for five more seasons. That kind of long-term security should make a team such as Baltimore willing to pay a little extra knowing he will be leading their rotation for the next half-decade.


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Kenneth Teape
KENNETH TEAPE

Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.