Flamethrowing Reliever Seen As Someone Baltimore Orioles Could Retain

Despite a fairly hefty price tag, one of the Baltimore Orioles relievers is seen as someone who could be back with the tam in 2025.

Aug 30, 2024; Denver, Colorado, USA; Baltimore Orioles relief pitcher Seranthony Dominguez (56) delivers a pitch in the ninth inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

This entire offseason for the Baltimore Orioles will be centered around how much the payroll will increase under the new ownership group.

If David Rubenstein opens up his checkbook, then there's a chance general manager Mike Elias can re-sign free agents Corbin Burnes and Anthony Santander that would keep this roster in tact so they can immediately compete in 2025.

That's not expected to happen, though.

While eventually the Orioles might get to the point where they can offer top-of-the-line contracts in free agency, their ace and star slugger are expected to join different teams this winter.

How an expected bump in payroll might impact Baltimore isn't known, but there are some fringe players who could return next season who would have been clear departures under the previous regime.

Someone Roch Kubatko of MASN highlighted is Seranthony Dominguez and his $8 million club option.

"The Orioles must decide if $8 million is too extravagant for a set-up man who backs up closer Felix Bautista. This would be an easy 'yes' back in the day, but we have new ownership and the odds increase that he returns. He'd make the bullpen deeper. That's a good move," he writes.

The flamethrowing reliever came over at the trade deadline with Cristian Pache in a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies that shipped Austin Hays out of town.

After once being a major part of the Phillies' bullpen, Dominguez fell out of favor based on his struggles the past two seasons.

However, he was able to find a home with Baltimore, posting a 3.97 ERA across his 25 appearances that saw him take over the closer role where he was 10-for-11 in save opportunities.

If he's able to retain that form next year, he would be a great setup man for the returning star closer Felix Bautista, especially at that price tag.

There is a chance the Orioles don't view him as a long-term fit with their team after bringing him in as a rental where all they had to do was offload Hays in a crowded outfield. If that's the case, they could allocate the $8 million elsewhere, potentially using it on a starting pitcher or outfielder.

This will be one of the many decisions Baltimore has to make this offseason that could affect how things look in 2025.