Getting an early start on Orioles rumors

The Royals and Mets are trying to siphon all the drama out of the League Championship Series.

Is Jake Arrieta running out of gas or has he just proven to be human?

Arrieta threw 229 innings in the regular season and he's added 19 2/3 in the playoffs, including five last night. His previous high was 156 2/3 innings last season.

We can't say with any certainty that Arrieta has hit a wall, but opponents finally are hitting him.

The Orioles' offseason is less than a month old and they've already been linked to Royals outfielder Alex Gordon and Cardinals outfielder/first baseman Brandon Moss. Words such as "could be" and "likely" are attached to these reports. Nothing concrete at this point, but still worth kicking around in October.

Gordon, who turns 32 in February, can become a free agent if he declines his $12.5 option for 2016, and Moss is arbitration-eligible for one more year before hitting the market in 2017.

Gordon, a four-time Gold Glove winner, would be quite a catch, so to speak. He'd fit nicely in left field and the Orioles certainly have money to spend, especially if they don't re-sign Chris Davis or end up paying Matt Wieters a $15.8 million qualifying offer.

The Orioles want to improve their on-base percentage and Gordon produced a .271/.377/.432 slash line in 104 games last season. He's a career .269/.348/.435 hitter in nine major league seasons.

Gordon's agent is Casey Close. Executive vice president Dan Duquette had a few discussions with him over the winter while pursuing outfielder Colby Rasmus.

Moss, 32, has played for six teams in nine seasons, including the Indians and Cardinals in 2015. He hit 76 home runs in three seasons with the Athletics.

The Orioles may be in the market for a first baseman. Moss isn't in Davis' class, but how many 40-home run bats are out there?

It may be a moot point. The Cardinals could hold onto Moss. But that hasn't prevented the Orioles and other teams from being attached to him in rumors.

MLBTradeRumors.com projects Moss' 2016 salary at $7.9 million.