Insider Suggests Baltimore Orioles Will Bring Back Reliever Despite His Struggles

The Baltimore Orioles could go into next season with a better bullpen situation if they bring back this depth piece.

Aug 17, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles pitcher Gregory Soto (65) throws a pitch during the ninth inning against the Boston Red Sox at Oriole Park at Camden Yards / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

A lot of things went wrong for the Baltimore Orioles throughout this past campaign.

After looking like a juggernaut when everyone was healthy and available, things started falling apart when key player after key player suffered injuries that either sidelined them for the season, or caused them to miss extended periods of time.

Still, the Orioles were able to win 90-plus games for the second year in a row, and based on how many young star players they have on this roster, they are set up for future success.

What their ceiling might be in 2025 will be determined by what happens in free agency since they are largely expected to lose their best starting pitcher, Corbin Burnes, and extremely important slugging outfielder, Anthony Santander.

There are a lot of things for the front office to figure out, but one area Baltimore might be better in next season compared to this past campaign is across their bullpen.

Not only are they expecting to have superstar closer Felix Bautista available for Opening Day which completely changes the outlook of this relief staff, but after acquiring some established Major League relievers at the deadline, they can keep them on the roster for relatively affordable deals.

One player Roch Kubatko of MASN highlighted is Gregory Soto, and despite some of the issues he had following his acquisition, the insider thinks the left-hander will be back in 2025.

"This one seems easier to resolve but it isn't a slam dunk ... Soto deepens the left-handed pool. The Orioles could mentally erase those disastrous early appearances and bring him back, especially after parting with [Seth] Johnson," he writes.

With him projected to have a contract around the $5.6 million mark, it would make a lot of sense for the Orioles to work out a deal with him.

While Soto's 5.09 ERA across his 23 appearances certainly wasn't what Baltimore was looking for when they gave up one of their top pitching prospects in Seth Johnson to land him, the flamethrowing lefty did put together a stretch of 10 scoreless outings that was followed up by six in a row to close the year.

The two-time All-Star has plenty of talent, and at under $6 million next season, it seems like a no-brainer he'll be back with the Orioles as a key part of their bullpen.