Former MLB Executive Sees No Glaring Weaknesses on Orioles Roster

The Baltimore Orioles have a strong, well-rounded roster in the opinion of one former MLB executive.

Sep 19, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles manager Brandon Hyde (left) removes pitcher Seranthony DomÌnguez (center) from the game in the ninth inning against the San Francisco Giants at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. / Mitch Stringer-Imagn Images

The Baltimore Orioles are going to have their work cut out for them to compete in a loaded American League East.

The divisional race is going to be a hotly contested one throughout the year given how good all of the teams are.

In his AL East report card over at The Athletic (paid subscription required), Jim Bowden gave all five teams received an overall grade of a “B”.

A few grades stood out on the report card, which was broken down by offense, starting pitching, relief pitching, and defense. There were only two “A” grades handed out and two “C” grades.

The Orioles weren’t on the receiving end of any of those, as their roster doesn’t have any glaring weaknesses heading into the 2025 regular season.

Certainly, a few Baltimore fans would say that their offense should be higher than a “B”, but they need to show that they can produce consistently for an entire year. 

The talent is definitely there for the Orioles to have the most productive offense in baseball. But as the team unfortunately showed in the second half of the 2024 campaign, lengthy cold streaks are possible.

Former top prospect Jackson Holliday getting comfortable and producing at the level that the franchise knows he's capable of would push this offense to another level. As would free agent addition Tyler O’Neill staying healthy.

An injury to third baseman Jordan Westburg was tough for the club to overcome last year and catcher Adley Rutschman returning to form would certainly improve the outlook as well.

On the mound, it may surprise some people to see Bowden give the team a “B” grade given their lack of a prototypical ace. The player who was going to fill that void created by Corbin Burnes, Grayson Rodgriguez, is already injured.

Baltimore’s starting pitching depth is solid, but if they want to truly contend with the other top-tier teams in the AL, making a trade for a bona fide front-end starter would go a long way.

In the bullpen, the Orioles have the makings of what could be the best relief group in baseball when healthy.

The injury to free agent signing Andrew Kittredge was far from ideal, but the team is getting back All-Star closer Felix Bautista, who missed the 2024 campaign because of Tommy John surgery.

Keegan Akin, Yennier Cano, Seranthony Dominguez, Gregory Soto and Cionel Perez are a stellar group to work with until Kittredge is healthy enough to return.

Defensively, Baltimore will be better swapping O’Neill in for Anthony Santander, who left in free agency. They have three stellar defenders patrolling the outfield now and zero liabilities in the infield defensively.

The Orioles are going to going to be right in the mix for the AL East crown in 2025, especially if their pitching staff can outperform expectations.

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