Intriguing Baltimore Orioles Target Predicted To Opt Out of Deal in Offseason

The Baltimore Orioles should give the left-hander a look if he hits the market.

Oct 14, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA; New York Mets pitcher Sean Manaea (59) walks to dugout after being relieved in the sixth inning against the Los Angeles Dodgers during game two of the NLCS for the 2024 MLB Playoffs at Dodger Stadium. / Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

With the possibility of losing Corbin Burnes during the offseason, the Baltimore Orioles have to be ready to pivot to another pitcher to replace him.

Right off the bat, it'd be nearly impossible to replace the right-handed ace, as one could argue that he's the best pitcher in Major League Baseball.

However, because of that, there's a massive price attached to his services. There's a reason why Burnes is expected to get a $250 million deal in free agency, and that isn't because he's just an average arm. 

The Orioles saw the benefits of having him on their roster, and that's a significant reason why it's even more disappointing that their season ended the way it did.

Still, it's something Baltimore understood when they traded for him an offseason ago, and they now face a similar issue.

If they lose the California native, the front office will have to decide if they'd replace him with another high-end starter or attempt to give his innings to multiple mid-tier arms.

One player they could look to replace his innings with is Sean Manaea.

The left-hander certainly isn't the same caliber as Burnes, but again, there aren't many around the league who do what he's done in his career. 

Manaea has been an above-average starter and could be somebody who helps the Orioles reach their goals. 

He has an opt-out in his contract during the winter, and Tim Kelly of Bleacher Report predicted he'd do so during the offseason.

"New York has received much closer to the version of Manaea who was a borderline ace with the Oakland Athletics, as opposed to the one who underwhelmed in individual seasons with the San Diego Padres and San Francisco Giants before joining the Mets... So, Manaea will obviously opt out of $13.5 million in 2025. The Mets will likely counter by extending a one-year, $21.05 million qualifying offer to him. He could either accept that and return to the Mets in 2025, or decline it and look for more total money over a multi-year deal in free agency. Having the qualifying offer attached to him, though, would mean any team other than the Mets would have to surrender draft compensation to sign him." 

The best scenario for Baltimore would be to re-sign Burnes and bring in an arm like Manaea. It's uncertain how realistic of an ask that is, but with new ownership in place, the hope has been for them to spend more money.

There's no better way to do that than by signing two of the top potential free agents on the market this winter.