A few Orioles facts and a few opinions

After a few days away, we’re back today with a new blog and hopefully some fresh thoughts and takes to lead us into the New Year.

For now, a few facts and opinions.

Fact: O’s 2024 ace pitcher Corbin Burnes is headed to Arizona to pitch for the 2025 season.

Opinion: The Orioles' current rotation, even minus Burnes, could be solid but is now missing the pitcher who finished fifth for the American League Cy Young Award. So how will the O’s make up for this loss? For me, it’s never a one-for-one type thing in that they add this player to replace that player. All players they use in 2025 could partially help replace those not back.

There are no longer any aces left via the free agent market but perhaps the team could deal for a top pitcher, as it did with Burnes last Feb. 1.

Some names rumored to be on the trade market include Dylan Cease, Luis Castillo, Jordan Montgomery, Sonny Gray, Pablo Lopez and Bryce Miller. There surely could be more as no doubt not every player available gets mentioned in the media. 

Fact: Since the start of the 2023 season, the Orioles lead the American League in wins with 192. That is 13 more than the next closest team in that time, Tampa Bay with 179.

Opinion: It seems to be a time for fan frustration with the loss of Burnes, along with the Red Sox adding Garrett Crochet and the Yankees adding Max Fried. That could really change the balance of power in the AL East.

But the Orioles have time to make further additions and let’s see what they come up with to do that. Any offseason grade presented on Dec. 30 will be an incomplete one. But the Orioles have some work to do.

Fact: In losing Burnes, the O's odds for this season changed a bit but not by a huge amount.

Opinion: I don't know how they measure such things, but per BetOnline.ag, the Orioles World Series odds dropped from 14/1 to 16/1 after Burnes agreed to sign with Arizona. Their AL pennant odds went from 5/1 to 11/2 and their projected win total went from 89.5 to 88.5.

That is I guess an oddsmaker's way of also reminding us that this is still a good team, a playoff contender and a winning team.

So if they traded for a frontline starter, would they get that win back?