It’s no secret the Baltimore Orioles will be looking for pitching this offseason.
Former Cy Young winner Corbin Burnes is a free agent and he might be out of Baltimore’s price range. If Burnes bolts, the O’s will look for another ace to solidify their rotation.
The team also experienced bullpen issues this past season, as the Craig Kimbrel signing and Gregory Soto trade didn’t yield expected results. These moves were necessitated when star reliever Felix Bautista missed the entire season due to multiple injuries to his right elbow, including Tommy John surgery.
But help could be on the way, according to The Athletic’s MLB insider Jim Bowden, former general manager of the Cincinnati Reds and Washington Nationals.
“The Orioles ink Blake Snell to a three-year, $105 million deal and then trade three strong prospects to the Athletics for flame-throwing closer Mason Miller, whom they convert back to a starting pitcher,” Bowden predicts.
Blake Snell opts-out of deal with San Francisco Giants
Snell to the Orioles is not out of the realm of possibility as the two-time Cy Young Award winner opted out of his $38.5 million player option with the San Francisco Giants.
The 31-year-old Snell signed a two-year deal with an opt-out clause with the Giants after failing to secure a lucrative long-term contract last offseason. Though limited to 20 starts due to injury, Snell pitched like an ace when healthy, including throwing a no-hitter against the Cincinnati Reds.
Snell finished with 145 strikeouts over 104 innings, with a 3.12 ERA and a 124 ERA+.
As for Miller, the Oakland Athletics’ hard-throwing closer was a sought-after reliever during the trade deadline this past season, but stayed put. It wouldn’t be surprising if the A’s revisited trade talks with several interested teams.
The Orioles had a disappointing end to the postseason, losing to the Kansas City Royals in the Wild Card round.