Beyond just a few additions — and subtractions — on the waiver wire, the begin to the offseason has been quiet for the Orioles. That might change subsequent week as soon as the Baltimore brass arrives in San Diego on the winter conferences.
This would be the first winter conferences held in individual since 2019, when govt vice chairman and normal supervisor Mike Elias accomplished his first full season main the Orioles. In that version, Baltimore hardly made a lot of a ripple on the recent range, because the rebuild was nonetheless in its early levels. This upcoming winter conferences, nonetheless, might have a distinct tint.
After a trade-deadline sell-off of nearer Jorge López and first baseman Trey Mancini, Elias stated the Orioles will bear “liftoff from here.” How steep the liftoff stays to be seen — though this week may very well be telling. Ahead of the winter conferences, The Baltimore Sun’s Orioles reporters, Nathan Ruiz and Andy Kostka, give their skilled opinions about how the following week and the staff’s offseason would possibly progress.
1. What is the Orioles’ high winter conferences precedence?
Kostka: At the tip of the season, Elias spoke in generalities in regard to the place the Orioles will look to enhance their roster this offseason. At the General Manager Meetings in Las Vegas final month, he was extra exact: Elias want to add beginning pitching and offensive assist.
Of the 2, the highest precedence must be including an impression offensive piece to a lineup that hit .236 final 12 months — and whose .243 common with runners in scoring place ranked twenty third in MLB. The beginning rotation, in the meantime, posted a 4.35 ERA in comparison with a 5.99 ERA in 2021. With right-handed prospect Grayson Rodriguez poised to problem for a rotation place, Baltimore ought to obtain one other enhance in that space, even with the lack of right-hander Jordan Lyles.
Ruiz: Although the Orioles’ lineup might use upgrades, a few of these might moderately come simply from having a full 12 months of Adley Rutschman and Gunnar Henderson in it. This staff, although, wants a gap day starter, the kind of pitcher who supervisor Brandon Hyde would unquestionably deploy within the first sport of a playoff collection. Although John Means might qualify because the latter as soon as he returns from Tommy John elbow reconstruction surgical procedure, there’s, for now, a gaping gap atop Baltimore’s rotation.
There’s actually hope that Rodriguez might sometime become the kind of pitcher worthy of filling it, with DL Hall, Kyle Bradish and others who’ve already made their debuts additionally but to succeed in their potential. But that younger combine wants somebody to entrance it, and whether or not it’s a signing, a commerce or establishing the groundwork for both, that must be Elias’ high precedence subsequent week.
2. Could the Orioles be concerned in commerce discussions as patrons?
Kostka: With a surplus of infield prospects, Baltimore might seek for a veteran beginning pitcher nonetheless underneath staff management by way of a commerce. The Orioles have been a promoting membership all through Elias’ tenure, even amid a shock playoff push final 12 months.
But the Orioles are actually in place for that to shift towards including main league expertise slightly than bolstering a farm system that ranks No. 1 in baseball. Henderson has established himself already within the majors, however Joey Ortiz, Connor Norby and Jordan Westburg may very well be engaging commerce candidates for a staff seeking to promote a front-end starter.
Ruiz: They must be, and it truly is perhaps extra sensible than being main gamers in free company. Justin Verlander, the reigning American League Cy Young Award winner, is projected to obtain a two-year cope with a mean annual worth of a minimum of $35 million. Meanwhile, Milwaukee Brewers ace Corbin Burnes, the 2021 National League recipient, seemingly gained’t necessitate that a lot complete in his ultimate two years of arbitration earlier than changing into a free agent.
Acquiring Burnes or another arbitration-eligible commerce candidate would after all value the Orioles prospects on high of that participant’s wage, however they’ve constructed a deep farm system that may stand up to losses. As Elias stated on the finish of the common season, “there’s going to be times when our richness in players is going to be what we have to lean into in order to win out here.”
3. Can the Orioles discover worth once more within the Rule 5 draft?
Kostka: Last 12 months, the Rule 5 draft was canceled as a part of the MLB lockout. But yearly since 2006, when there’s a Rule 5 draft, the Orioles have chosen a minimum of one participant. They haven’t all been hits, however the additions embody the likes of outfielder Anthony Santander and right-hander Tyler Wells.
There isn’t as a lot of a must fill roster house with cheap expertise as previous years, however Baltimore can nonetheless add to its bullpen with a glut of hard-throwing choices who haven’t but proven the flexibility to throw strikes at a constant sufficient charge to crack the most important leagues.
Right-hander Steven Cruz of the Minnesota Twins suits into that mould, with a fastball that may hit triple digits. In Double-A, the 23-year-old struck out 72 batters in 56 innings, but he had a 1.589 WHIP. Right-hander Andrew Schultz of the Philadelphia Phillies is one other fascinating risk out of the bullpen, given his robust slider-fastball combine.
Ruiz: Sure. Andy presents a few intriguing choices, and Baseball America has a wider record of fascinating gamers who different organizations left accessible (none of them are Orioles prospects). By advantage of so incessantly making Rule 5 picks, Baltimore has a good monitor file, but when the winter conferences finish and we’re speaking a few participant who’s not even assured to be within the group come opening day because the Orioles’ most vital addition of the week, that will likely be justifiably disappointing.
4. Does the lid lastly carry off Baltimore’s spending jar?
Kostka: Not totally. The Orioles are progressing, however they could nonetheless be a 12 months away from shelling out for one of many high free brokers available on the market. Instead, a lot of the spending would possibly come within the type of tying down a number of arbitration-eligible gamers whereas including mid-level veterans to an in any other case younger staff.
Ruiz: No one outdoors the group is aware of precisely how a lot coinage is in that jar, however it wouldn’t take a lot for Baltimore to bump its payroll. Including projected salaries for all of their retained gamers, the Orioles rank twenty ninth of the majors’ 30 groups with a projected payroll of $44.3 million, based on Cot’s Baseball Contracts. Doubling that will get them as much as twenty second, lower than $2 million forward of the rebuilding Washington Nationals.
The Cleveland Guardians and Tampa Bay Rays — the kind of “transactional” franchises Elias oft factors to as fashions for what he desires to construct in Baltimore — are projected to be twenty sixth and twenty seventh, respectively, with payrolls between $62 million and $69 million, although each playoff groups ended final 12 months with increased figures. Given what Baltimore did final 12 months with a meager payroll, a rise even to that vary might show sufficient to get the Orioles to the postseason, however that additionally doesn’t imply the group shouldn’t goal increased.
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Source: www.bostonherald.com