Orioles' offseason brings similarities and differences from last winter

The Orioles were focused a year ago on finding a new closer and they reached agreement with veteran Craig Kimbrel on the final day of the Winter Meetings, an unusually aggressive act for a team that usually returned home with a minor league signing and Rule 5 pick.

Their No. 1 starter came later, with executive vice president/general manager Mike Elias trading for Corbin Burnes on Feb. 1. Also a bold move that signaled further changes to how the Orioles conducted business beyond the rebuild.

Otherwise, the Orioles addressed depth and created competition at multiple positions and found some insurance with second basemen Kolten Wong, who didn’t make the club, and Tony Kemp, who did for a brief period.

The current offseason doesn’t find the Orioles shopping in the same closing market. They expect Félix Bautista to be full-go in camp and back in his usual role on Opening Day, though he might be handled with more care at the beginning because he hasn’t pitched since August 2023.

“We are realistic about the fact he’s coming off surgery,” Elias said in last month’s video call. “We don’t want to overly pressurize him. We are going to want to treat him with a little extra care given the fact that he didn’t pitch (this) year and he’s coming off surgery. So, way too soon to announce roles and things like that. And I think it’s just going to be a matter of how sharp he is. But we want to give him the margin for an error that a guy coming off surgery deserves.

“We’ll let him and his readiness speak to roles and leverage and things like that. This may be a gradual return and it may not. I don’t think we’re there yet.”

The bullpen still needs some work, even if it isn’t for a ninth inning specialist. Seranthony Domínguez and Yennier Cano can back up Bautista, but relinquishing Danny Coulombe and Jacob Webb creates space that won’t necessarily be filled from within.

“We certainly will be examining bullpen opportunities throughout the offseason,” Elias said, “but at this time we’re not making any firm commitments or plans toward what types of investments or profiles we’re looking at in the bullpen.”

Elias finds himself in the market again for a top-of-the-rotation starter and the Orioles want to bring back Burnes. They have the green light to spend, but the bidding could push them beyond their expanded comfort zone.

Burnes and left-hander Max Fried, who would cost a draft pick because he declined the qualifying offer, are the top starters remaining in free agency after Blake Snell signed with the Dodgers for $182 million over five years. Burnes will cost more.

"I think we're looking at the whole menu, the whole spectrum," Elias said.

The Orioles also could trade for an ace like Garrett Crochet, but they might have to part with a previously untouchable prospect or major league talent. The system is good but not as deep. Could they get Crochet without surrendering Samuel Basallo, Coby Mayo or Heston Kjerstad – three players believed to be conversation stoppers in the past? Teams ask about Jackson Holliday and Colton Cowser, too, but the Orioles haven’t shown a willingness to consider it.

The backup catcher was established last winter with James McCann entering the final season of a four-year deal that he signed with the Mets. The Orioles made the usual depth moves by signing David Bañuelos and Michael Perez to minor league deals on Dec. 30. They re-signed Bañuelos in October 2024 and added René Pinto to the 40-man roster last month, but McCann is a free agent and they’re checking on backup candidates.

If a starter is the top priority, and the Orioles could shift their aim lower in the rotation if an ace eludes them, a big right-handed bat is a very close second.

Anthony Santander is a free agent who could get a six-year deal at $142 million if The Athletic’s Jim Bowden nails his projection. The Orioles might maintain a dialogue with Santander’s agent, but they have other options on the market, including Teoscar Hernández.

The team broke camp last spring with Santander, Cowser, Cedric Mullins and Austin Hays. Cowser learned that he made the club after the final exhibition game. Kjerstad was cut in March and waited for the call. The outfield wasn’t an area of emphasis, but Santander’s free agency and the offense’s decline in the second half and Wild Card round changed the organization’s thinking.

Elias could nab a few more infielders on minor league deals to stock affiliate rosters, but the major league side appears to be set. Elias considers the rotation, bullpen and outfield to be “more pressing needs.”

The Winter Meetings will provide another opportunity to address them.