Orioles’ free agency off to a quick start
The first day of free agency was a dizzying one for Oriole fans. There was the expected — the $21.05 million qualifying offers to their top starting pitcher of 2024, Corbin Burnes, and top slugger, outfielder Anthony Santander.
There was the unexpected — the declining of left-handed reliever Danny Coulombe’s $4 million option while picking up the options of left-hander Cionel Pérez, right-hander Seranthony Domínguez and first baseman/designated hitter Ryan O’Hearn.
In between, the Orioles added three players to their 40-man roster, including a 32-year-old left-handed reliever who’s spent 15 years in the minor leagues without a day in the majors.
Then there was the procedural — reinstating closer Félix Bautista, starters Kyle Bradish and Tyler Wells and infielder Jorge Mateo from the 60-day injured list to the 40-man roster, which now has 37 players.
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The Orioles also had three players named as finalists for the Silver Slugger — Santander, Gunnar Henderson and Jordan Westburg. Henderson, who won the award as a utility player last year, is now a finalist as a shortstop while Westburg is in the utility classification this year.
Orioles executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias headed to San Antonio for the general managers’ meetings, where he can listen to initial pitches from agents for free agents and talk trades with his colleagues.
In checking three prominent websites — FanGraphs, The Athletic and MLBTradeRumors — there are educated guesses for the top free agents.
There was a consensus on Burnes with each of the three thinking the 30-year-old right-hander will receive a seven-year contract. FanGraphs says he’ll get $196 million, MLBTradeRumors $200 million and $217 million by The Athletic.
The estimates on the 30-year-old Santander vary a little more with TradeRumors guessing four years, $80 million, and FanGraphs and The Athletic predicting five-year deals-worth $100 million by FanGraphs and $105 from The Athletic.
In the first offseason under new owner David Rubenstein, it will be interesting to see how aggressive the Orioles will be with their own free agents, and others.
If they don’t sign Burnes, and it will be a surprise if they do, they’ll turn elsewhere, and while The Athletic’s Jim Bowden had predicted many of the top free-agent pitchers would be in play for the Orioles, MLBTradeRumors seems more conservative, and perhaps more realistic.
While the Orioles could be in the hunt for left-handers Max Fried and Blake Snell, two of TradeRumors’ writers have the Orioles signing Toronto left-hander Yusei Kukuchi for three years, $60 million and another has Nathan Eovaldi, whose deep experience in the AL East could make him attractive to the Orioles, signing for two years and $44 million.
There are some other interesting predictions. One writer has Christian Walker, who was drafted by the Orioles, but who blossomed with Arizona, joining the Orioles for three years, $60 million.
Another has Boston outfielder Tyler O’Neill at three years, $42 million, and there’s even a prediction that Yankees reliever Clay Holmes comes here for three years, $30 million. Still another has Cleveland’s Shane Bieber signing for a year at $12 million.
There will be weeks of the Orioles being “in” on one player or another, but for once, the feeling is that the Orioles might actually sign some of these players.
Elias seems sure to finally sign a free agent to a multi-year contract, and Eovaldi’s success against the Orioles (8-3, 3.59 in 19 starts) and at Camden Yards (2-0, 3.27 in six starts) seems a good selling point.
While Coulombe’s departure seemed surprising at first, he is 35 and missed more than three months after surgery to remove bone chips from his left elbow.
The Orioles spent $13 million on Craig Kimbrel last offseason, but assuming Bautista is again the dominant force he was before his Tommy John surgery last year, Elias can focus on adding an experienced setup man to Domínguez, Pérez, Yennier Cano and Gregory Soto.
The prediction of Walker coming back to the Orioles seemed strange at first. They could use another right-handed bat, and in his last three seasons with the Diamondbacks, Walker averaged 32 homers and 94 RBIs.
They made waiver claims on a journeyman catcher, Tampa Bay’s René Pinto, and a right-handed pitcher from Washington, Thaddeus Ward, as well as adding Luis González, who’s in his second stint in the Orioles’ minor league organization.
In a year in which the Orioles used 34 pitchers and made frequent calls to Norfolk, González, who was in spring training with the major league team in 2024, stayed with the Tides all season.
Like Albert Suárez, González has pitched abroad, in Japan, Italy and Mexico as well as the Dominican Winter Leagues. He struck out more than five times as many batters as he walked with the Tides, though he did have a 4.50 ERA.
The Orioles have a knack for unearthing good stories who turn into good pitchers, and perhaps they see some Suárez in González.
Note: The Orioles are holding a blood drive on the sixth floor of The Warehouse on November 12th from 10-3. To make an appointment, go to RedCrossBlood.org and enter code ORIOLESPITCHIN in the zip code box. Each donor will receive a $10 gift card.
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