Orioles top 4 shortstop targets

The Baltimore Orioles had a disappointing 2024 season finished in the Wild Card series. They had a great first half of the season, but fell down the stretch and did not win in the playoffs. And they already lost Corbin Burns to the Arizona Diamondbacks and could lose Anthony Santander. The Orioles should add free agents Harrison Bader and JD Martinez, among others, to finish out the offseason.

The Orioles have a new owner, David Rubenstein, who should make his presence known this offseason. But considering they’ve already missed out on one player they wanted to bring back, that shouldn’t be an assumption. Shopping in the shopping bin is not the worst thing for Birds because of their strong core. If Adley Rutschman can come back and Gunnar Henderson continues his excellent career, they will be just fine.

The Orioles should not dump this team and should add free agents this offseason. Who are they and how can they affect the team?

JD Martinez joins the Orioles as designated hitter

The Orioles used Anthony Santander as both an outfielder and designated hitter last season. But the offense is where they need to replace him, as he hit 44 home runs last season. While JD Martinez won’t replace all those homers, he would be a great addition to the team. He was solid for the Mets last year despite missing all of spring training.

Martinez is also a veteran who could ease tensions in the Orioles’ locker room. After another missed playoff opportunity, the pressure will increase in 2025. Martinez is fresh off the NLCS and has played on plenty of competitive and terrible teams in his long career. They brought in Charlie Morton for a similar reason, but Martinez could be that guy on offense.

Harrison Bader joins as a rotational outfielder

Anthony Santander can be traded in the mix this offseason and Martinez would only be part of that equation. Harrison Bader, who was also with the Mets last season, is a better defender than Santander. Adding him as a fourth outfielder would help their overall defense and keep guys fresh later in the season.

Bader will likely sign a one-year deal with someone in free agency and the Orioles should do so. They have another new configuration off the field so they can use a great defender to help with learning. His offensive numbers dipped last season, 86 OPS+, but his glove makes up for it.

Adding Martinez and Bader would help offset the loss of Santander. Two former Mets wouldn’t get them the same production as a free agent, but if that’s not the direction they’re going, this is a nice turnaround. Once that is resolved, adding more arms should be a focus for the Orioles.

The Orioles go in and sign Carlos Estevez

Tanner Scott has landed with the Los Angeles Dodgers which means the release dominoes are about to start falling. Former Angels and Phillies closer Carlos Estevez is available and could be the best reliever on the market. The Orioles’ signing of Craig Kimbrel was a disaster, but Felix Bautista is coming back from Tommy John surgery. You can never have too much firepower, so they should bring in Estevez.

Estevez had a great second half with the Phillies after the Angels traded him at the deadline. His season ended on a sour note, giving up a grand slam for Francisco Lindor in Game 4 of the NLDS. But he’s still a great closer who could end up on the Orioles on a one-year deal. This may not be a bucket-list signing in terms of money, but it would be a short-term deal.

Cal Quantrill signs multi-year deal

The Orioles lost Corbin Burns but added two starters on one-year deals this offseason. Charlie Morton and Tomoyuki Sugano joined the team but the lack of stability has led to many questions about the team’s future. They also have Zach Eflin on an expiring contract and Trevor Rogers has two years of control. They should prioritize length by signing Cal Quantrill to a multi-year deal.

The Orioles won’t have to overpay for Quantrill, but they should give him some time to build a foundation. They need an ace pitcher and are hoping Grayson Rodriguez can be that guy. No available pitcher can be that ace, so bringing in Quantrill to be a bottom guy and create some stability in their rotation.